"Funding from American Forests and the support and enthusiasm for the
gopher tortoise and the forest it inhabits from the staff have, quite simply, made this project possible," Abernethy says, "and that continued support has allowed this project to grow, develop and expand."
While significant progress has been made in conserving the base's resident red-cockaded woodpeckers and
gopher tortoises, CBJTC is now looking forward to expanding its commitment to wildlife conservation.
The
gopher tortoise will eat grass, lettuce, cabbage, broccoli, and many fruits.
Thermal ecology of the
gopher tortoise (Gopherus polyphemus) in south-central Florida.
Gopher tortoise are important to many regions and so are the lessons learned by the authors, who are long-time researchers on the habitats of tortoises and other upland species, including the burrowing owl.
Having spent much of my life in the forests of southern Alabama, I have frequently come into contact with an important species, the viability of which has become greatly strained: the
gopher tortoise (Gopherus polyphemus).
Gracious oaks, disheveled myrtles, sandhill cranes, and
gopher tortoises punctuated a land that told the record of its history in one sweeping glance: the Seminole, the Florida Cracker, and the Kissimmee River.
In preparing to widen a portion of US 98 through
gopher tortoise habitat west of the City of Mobile, ALDOT became the lead partner in an effort to restore several hundred acres of suitable habitat that will receive animals relocated from the project rights-of-way.
"Every day is a wildlife surprise around here," says Paul Duval, laughing and pointing to a
gopher tortoise burrow scraped in the sand near his house.
Other challenges include preserving indigenous species, such as the
gopher tortoise, which has made its home in the spoil piles along the canal.
Diamondbacks spend the colder months in underground retreats such as stump holes or
gopher tortoise burrows.
Reproduction of the
gopher tortoise (Gopherus plyphemus) in southwestern Georgia.