New Here/Gopher tortoises

Roberta K.

New Member
Joined
Jul 12, 2020
Messages
1
Location (City and/or State)
Glen Saint Mary, FL
I came across this forum totally by accident. I am not a tortoise owner per say, but I do have 3 gopher tortoises living on my property. I live in a rural area in north Florida so it seems that they like the habitat in this area because they are fairly easy to find around here.

About 5 years ago, our first “homesteader” decided to dig a burrow in the middle of our back yard. It was a fairly large tortoise so I imagine it was fairly old. We named the tortoise “Irving” without really knowing if it was male or female. It did not take long to find out though, we eventually started finding babies!

Sadly, Irving died last year. Her death was caused by a truck that accidentally ran over her burrow. I was SO upset because I had really tried hard to protect her from exactly that type of accident. However, the good news is that the 3 tortoises that are here now, are all descended from Irving. :tort::)

3FC1261B-DAEA-405A-B974-ABFB3F0A24BF.jpegFE9334C1-78D1-4D2F-9622-8CDC24FAE719.jpeg
 

Krista S

Well-Known Member
Platinum Tortoise Club
Joined
Aug 4, 2019
Messages
1,364
Location (City and/or State)
Saskatchewan
Welcome to the forum! Thanks for sharing this story. It’s cool that they just happen to live on your property. They must be pretty happy to be willing to breed and have their babies there. It’s really too bad about Irving, that must have been devastating.
 

Tom

The Dog Trainer
10 Year Member!
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Joined
Jan 9, 2010
Messages
63,270
Location (City and/or State)
Southern California
Hello and welcome.

What an amazing treat to get to see wild ones in your own yard going about their business!
 

Maro2Bear

Well-Known Member
5 Year Member
Joined
May 29, 2014
Messages
14,712
Location (City and/or State)
Glenn Dale, Maryland, USA
Welcome to the Forum! We have visited Florida a few times and every time we are lucky enough to stumble across Gopher tortoises. Some in the Jacksonville area, some near Palm Coast. Very neat to see them scurry into their burrows.

Sad to hear about Irving....glad you have others to take care if & watch
 

Yvonne G

Old Timer
TFO Admin
10 Year Member!
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Joined
Jan 23, 2008
Messages
93,391
Location (City and/or State)
Clovis, CA
I came across this forum totally by accident. I am not a tortoise owner per say, but I do have 3 gopher tortoises living on my property. I live in a rural area in north Florida so it seems that they like the habitat in this area because they are fairly easy to find around here.

About 5 years ago, our first “homesteader” decided to dig a burrow in the middle of our back yard. It was a fairly large tortoise so I imagine it was fairly old. We named the tortoise “Irving” without really knowing if it was male or female. It did not take long to find out though, we eventually started finding babies!

Sadly, Irving died last year. Her death was caused by a truck that accidentally ran over her burrow. I was SO upset because I had really tried hard to protect her from exactly that type of accident. However, the good news is that the 3 tortoises that are here now, are all descended from Irving. :tort::)

View attachment 299847View attachment 299848
Aw, that's a damned shame! (the burrow/truck)

If the gopher tortoise is anything like our desert tortoise, it's a great species! I love mine
 

Crush da Baum

Well-Known Member
Joined
Mar 1, 2020
Messages
544
Location (City and/or State)
Brooksville
I am so sorry. I live in the Florida country too and I see so many gophers. Really amazing creatures.
 

TortloverPM

Member
Joined
Feb 22, 2020
Messages
52
Location (City and/or State)
Cape Coral Florida
Aww I'm in Swfl and the gopher torts are what made me fall in love with torts and end up taking in a sulcata that we love dearly. I'm the crazy lady always stopping traffic to help them cross the road or try to rescue ones that have been hit and take them to the wildlife center. More than once I've been late to work for this or show up in tears for the ones I couldn't save so I feel your pain about Irving??. Humans are so destructive. Your so lucky to have them on your property. I would love that! Off topic but just curious do you have burrowing owls up there? There pretty cool too!
 
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