Gopher tortoise entering its burrow in Fort Pierce, FL. From: Wikimedia Commons. Gopher tortoises are in decline mainly due to habitat loss and fragmentation. They need large areas of undeveloped land with sandy soils, plenty of upland herbaceous forage, and sparse canopy cover.

Gopher tortoise burrows are often confused with other animal burrows. A burrow's appearance can also change depending on how long ago the burrow was used by a tortoise. Use our gopher tortoise burrow identification guide to learn how to identify gopher tortoise burrows.

The gopher tortoise is one of five North American tortoise species and is the only tortoise naturally found east of the Mississippi River. Its range includes the southeastern Coastal Plain from southeastern Louisiana east to southern South Carolina, and south to Florida. Gopher tortoises occur in parts of all 67 Florida counties.

The easiest way to determine if a burrow belongs to a gopher tortoise is to look at the shape of the burrow entrance. Gopher tortoise burrow entrances will be roughly the same size as the tortoise occupying it and will have a half-moon shape with greater horizontal than vertical length.

In Florida, the gopher tortoise is listed as Threatened. Both the tortoise and its burrow are protected under state law. Gopher tortoises must be relocated before any land clearing or development takes place, and property owners must obtain permits from the FWC before capturing and relocating tortoises.