Gopher tortoises are a keystone species: one that others in natural systems depend on. Their burrows can host more than 300 other creatures, many of them also protected, like eastern indigo snakes ...

This photo shows the 4.5-foot alligator outside the gopher tortoise burrow in Tattnall County, Georgia. It's rare to see alligators use tortoise burrows.

Although the gopher tortoise typically measures less than a foot long, it can create burrow systems up to 40 feet long. The burrows are occupied by animals including the threatened Eastern indigo ...

The sheer number of species that rely on a gopher tortoise burrow for survival, roughly 365, and the diversity of creatures sharing the burrow is astounding. Also, how deep, long and sturdy the ...

The sheer number of species that rely on a gopher tortoise burrow for survival, roughly 365, and the diversity of creatures sharing the burrow is astounding. Also, how deep, long and sturdy the ...

Gopher tortoises no longer need federal protection in most areas, ... Although gopher tortoises average 9 to 11 inches long, researchers have found burrows up to 40 feet long.

The Fish and Wildlife Service has projected that 75% of the current gopher tortoise population will be lost by 2100. The burrows they dig with shovel-like front legs, which can extend 30 feet (9 ...

Florida gopher tortoises are a threatened species and 365 others depend on their burrows. Florida development boom is leaving little room for the native land tortoises. Developers may have to ...

Gopher tortoise burrows can be more than 20 feet long, according to Meylan, providing critical shelter not just for the tortoises but also for hundreds of other animals that depend on them to ...