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Animal profile

Gopher Tortoise

Gopherus polyphemus

ReptiliaWell-drained sandy uplands, longleaf pine savanna, sandhills and coastal scrubVulnerable

Field profile

The gopher tortoise is a dry-land tortoise of the south-eastern United States, named for the long burrows it excavates in sandy soil. It grazes low-growing plants in open, fire-maintained pine woodland. Loss of that habitat to development and fire suppression is the main cause of its decline.

Scope note

This is an editorial profile, not a diagnostic field-identification guide or a substitute for current conservation assessments. Follow the cited sources on each fact for the evidence trail.

Published field notes

2025-07-27

Gopher Tortoise

Gopher tortoise burrows house hundreds of species

A single gopher tortoise burrow can run more than ten metres and drop several metres below the surface, holding steady temperature and humidity. Well over three hundred other animal species have been recorded using these tunnels, which is why the tortoise is called a keystone species.

Read with evidence →

Gopher Tortoise | Daily Animal Facts