527 reactions · 56 shares | It’s Gopher Tortoise Day in Florida!  You can find gopher tortoises at many of our parks and nature preserves, munching on grasses and other plants along hiking trails. Fun fact: gopher tortoises dig underground burrows that are used for protection by dozens of other wildlife species. Have you seen a gopher tortoise before? Video: Jason Boeckman | Visit Fort Myers | Facebook

Gopher tortoises are one of the world's oldest living species, belonging to a group of land tortoises that evolved in North America 60 million years ago. But by 2100, a study has found, they could be nearly extinct without meaningful intervention. The study reveals that the Fish and Wildlife Service used a flawed population model to deny tortoises federal protection in 2022. Now we’re in court to reverse that denial, but we need your help to make sure the agency follows the science. Tell the Ser

Gopher tortoises are ecosystem engineers whose burrows support a beautiful web of life. This is just another example of how much we need biodiversity. To learn more about biodiversity and what you can do to help, click here: �� Video Credits: Odyssey Earth, Brento Lapento, Lorenzo Phrazaphath, James Sullivan, Nathan Yoder, Mississippi Army National Guard, 102d Public Affairs Detachment, Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission | The Nature Conservancy

5.4K views · 747 reactions | Yesterday we celebrated National Gopher...

To celebrate #WildTurtleWeek, take a moment to appreciate this important ecosystem engineer: the gopher tortoise! More than 350 different species have been documented using the burrows that gopher tortoises create. As you can see in this video, these range from mammals, like the imperiled Florida mouse, to amphibians, like the secretive gopher frog! Hundreds of invertebrates also use the burrows, and some species cannot persist without them. To help support gopher tortoise conservation, FWC rese

4.9K views · 68 reactions | How You Can Protect Our Gopher Tortoises - These gentle creatures play a crucial role in our ecosystem. Learn why preserving their habitat is essential and how you can help ensure their survival. Learn more about how to protect them and the state protections: https://myfwc.com/wildlifehabitats/wildlife/gopher-tortoise/#:~:text=In%20Florida%2C%20the%20gopher%20tortoise,before%20capturing%20and%20relocating%20tortoises. | City of Dunedin Florida - Government | Facebook