Most people who live in Pelican Bay are probably familiar with several of the numerous species of reptiles that also live in Pelican Bay. The alligator is probably the best known reptile here and one which most residents have seen. If you walk the berm very often, you have likely seen a Florida softshell turtle swimming in the water near the berm. You may have spotted a Peninsular cooter turtle out basking in the sun on the bank near the berm. Although most residents have never actually seen one, they probably know that the loggerhead sea turtles use our beaches each summer to lay their eggs. Only those residents who go to the beach fairly often are likely to have encountered a gopher tortoise. Pelican Bay is home to an unknown number of gopher tortoises. The gopher tortoise (Gopherus polyphemus) is considered a threatened species in the state of Florida. The gopher tortoise is a fairly large land turtle. The adults have an average weight of about 9 pounds. Gopher tortoises belong to a group of land tortoises that were found in western North America more than 60 million years ago and are considered a keystone species because they provide support for a large number of plants and animals in the community in which they live. Gopher tortoises are great diggers. They make underground burrows for their home. These burrows are 35 to 50 feet in length and are known to provide shelter for more than 350 different species of animals. Some of the animals known to use burrows are snakes, lizards, rats, birds, rabbits, burrowing owls and many others. Gopher tortoises mainly eat plants, which they locate by sight and smell. They are known to eat more than 300 species of plants. They feed on grasses, flowers, mushrooms, fruits, etc. I have even seen them eating poison ivy. Gopher tortoises usually get enough water from the food they eat and normally don’t need to drink water. The gopher tortoise reaches sexual maturity at about 10 to 15 years of age. During the mating season, which is between April and November, females lay their eggs in their burrow. They lay from one to 25 eggs, which incubate underground for about 80 to 90 days. The sex of the young is determined by temperature, with females resulting from warmer eggs and males from cooler eggs. A number of species prey upon baby gopher tortoises and gopher tortoise eggs, including raccoons, snakes, feral cats, dogs, armadillos, foxes, skunks and alligators. Humans have eaten gopher tortoises for thousands of years. During the Great Depression, gopher tortoise was known as the “Hoover Chicken” because they were eaten by poor people. Today, it is illegal to kill a gopher tortoise in the United States. Gopher tortoises have long lives and there are reports of them living to older than age 70. Probably the best place to look for a gopher tortoise in Pelican Bay is the South Beach. In front of the exercise area at South Beach, there is an active gopher tortoise burrow. It is not uncommon to see a gopher tortoise sitting at the entrance to the burrow. If you see a gopher tortoise on or near the beach, do not try to put it in to the water. Just watch and enjoy our neighbor. by TomCravens, Resident and FloridaMaster Naturalist THE GOPHER TORTOISE WILDLIFE IN THE BAY Pelican Bay Member Guide 2023 98 PelicanBay.org
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