Page 15 - Abacoa Community News - January '21

Abacoa, Page 15
Northern Notes

Gopher Tortoises stumpy, elephant-like hind feet and flattened, shovel- drained, sandy
like forearms covered in thick scales. These shovel-like soils found in
By Katie Roundtree, forearms are used to dig large burrows for homes. habitats such as
Finance Director, Northern As their name insinuates, gopher tortoises spend longleaf pine
Palm Beach County almost 80 percent of their time in burrows. Burrows sandhills, scrub,
Improvement District average about fifteen feet long and about six and a half pine flatwoods,
Gopher t ortoise s feet deep. Gopher tortoises are ectotherms, meaning dry prairies and
are one of five North they depend on their environment to maintain their coastal dunes.
American tortoise species body temperature. Their burrows help to maintain a They are also
and is the only tortoise stable temperature and also protect them from extreme found in urban
found naturally east of the temperatures and fire. Here in south Florida, they are areas, as many
Mississippi River. It is a active all year round, where in colder parts of Florida, of their natural
state-designated threatened they remain in their burrows during cold winter months. habitats have
species in Florida and is Gopher tortoises are considered keystone species because been developed Photo by Lucas Schaffer, NPBCID
found in parts of all 67 their burrows provide shelter and serve as refuge for more by humans. A
Florida counties. The gopher tortoise is about nine to than 350 other species such as burrowing owls, mice, habitat with well-drained soil, abundant plants for
eleven inches long when fully grown and is a tan, brown indigo snakes, rabbits, opossums, foxes, gopher frogs foraging and open sunny areas is the ideal location
or gray color. Juveniles tend to be lighter brown and and invertebrates. for gopher tortoises. Gopher tortoises are herbivorous
yellow-orange in color. They are identifiable by their Because of their burrowing needs, they prefer well- and feed on low growing plants. They may drink water
pooled after rainstorms, but most of their water needs are
supplied from the plants that they eat.
Locally, there are large populations of gopher tortoises
Discover the in preserves maintained by Northern within Abacoa
and Botanica. Some of Abacoa’s preserves have trails
within them where you may catch a glimpse of a tortoise.
Oxbridge Advantage Because gopher tortoises are protected in Florida,
handling and relocation of gopher tortoises is an illegal
activity unless conducted under a valid permit issued
by Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission
(FWC). An FWC relocation permit must be obtained
before disturbing burrows and conducting construction
activities. One of Northern’s staff members has taken
courses and is certified as a Gopher Tortoise Authorized
Agent. As such, he is allowed by the FWC to survey, trap,
transport and relocate tortoises as necessary.
It is illegal to kill, harass or destroy gopher tortoises;
however, if you see a tortoise crossing a busy road, FWC
grants permission to move the gopher tortoise across the
road, in the same direction as it was heading as long as
it is safe for you to do so. Do not move the tortoise to
another location or put it in a car as this constitutes illegal
possession. If you see a sick or injured tortoise, contact
a local wildlife rehabilitator, such as Busch Wildlife
Sanctuary at (561) 575-3399 for assistance. Source:
myfwc.org
NPDES Tip: Do not pile garbage, trash, leaves, limbs
or garden debris in swales – this adds pollutants which can
wash into downstream waters. Do not park vehicles in the
swale – this compacts the soil so less runoff soaks in.

An Oxbridge education goes beyond the classroom.

With hands-on learning approaches, Oxbridge students tackle real life

issues in real time. In and out of the classroom through academics, sports, Monday, January 18th

and community involvement, the Oxbridge experience is interactive,
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