Active gopher tortoise den

[Tugboat1]

Sounds like south Georgia and Florida have strong populations. I used to see them in Lauren's County with regularity running a trap line and hunting back in the late 70s.
Came across a live specimen in the spring crossing a county road on a fishing trip to the St. John's. He was about 12 inches across. Warms my heart to know they are holding their own.

 

[HoCoLion91]

Saw this one on my land this summer. Southeast Alabama.

 

[Nicodemus]

As a keystone species, these critters are a very important part of the Southern uplands. Many other critters rely on them for their well being. Gophers are plumb cool.

 

[mguthrie]

Sounds like south Georgia and Florida have strong populations. I used to see them in Lauren's County with regularity running a trap line and hunting back in the late 70s.
Came across a live specimen in the spring crossing a county road on a fishing trip to the St. John's. He was about 12 inches across. Warms my heart to know they are holding their own.View attachment 1179971

I saw one on price drive a couple years ago. Where’d you find the den?

 

[Tugboat1]

I saw one on price drive a couple years ago. Where’d you find the den?

George L. Smith state park.

 

[sparky]

my late stepmom would tell stories of growing up in hard times in brewton AL back in the 40's, she said they would have starved if it weren't for ''gophers''.....i grew up thinking gophers were like little groundhogs and i told her that it was disgusting to think i had to eat one to survive. it wasnt until she explained what it was that i understood it was like a turtle...

I grew up in Andalusia Al,I had a older man show me how they caught 'em back in hard times,he cut a wild grape vine,wired a sharpened bent nail on one end,run it in the hole,hook the edge of the shell,start pullin,slow ,steady ,out he came,we released him back to his hole !

 

[Worlldbeater]

We have many of them on our farm. What Nic said about them is right. Indigo snakes use their dens as well as rattlesnakes and other animals.