News

A Florida Park’s Gopher Tortoise Population Exploded Thanks to Hurricane Helene
After Hurricane Helene devastated Florida’s coast, gopher tortoise populations unexpectedly surged in one area.
Sanibel-Captiva - Island Reporter, Islander and Current2d
Sanibel recognizes annual Gopher Tortoise Day
In 2016, the Gopher Tortoise Council adopted April 10 as Gopher Tortoise Day in Florida to increase awareness and ...
Smithsonian Magazine on MSN6d
A Hurricane Swept These Tortoises Across Miles of Ocean to a New Home in Florida—and Now, They’re Thriving
Park rangers say at least 84 gopher tortoises are now living at Fort de Soto Park near St. Petersburg. Prior to Hurricane ...
Gopher Tortoise Day: Celebrating Florida’s only native tortoise
April 10th, Floridians are invited to ‘shell-I-brate’ Gopher Tortoise Day. Gopher tortoises are found in all 67 counties in Florida and are often found ...
Carried by hurricane waves, these tortoises were swept to Florida’s Fort De Soto
On the horizon directly in front of her burrow, about two miles offshore, Egmont Key’s historic lighthouse towered over ...
FOX 13 Tampa Bay on MSN12d
Hurricane Helene storm surge relocates dozens of Egmont Key tortoises to Fort De Soto
Visitors to Fort De Soto may notice some new residents. Experts say they’re monitoring 84 tortoise burrows at Fort De Soto, ...
Bay News 92d
Gopher tortoise population spikes at Fort De Soto Park
“We did have a gopher tortoise population in the park, but it was limited, 8 known burrows at that time. After Helene, we started to find tortoise out on our beaches, quickly realized it wasn ...
WPBF27d
'Gopher Tortoise Gallop 5K' returns to West Palm Beach
IT’S THE SAME THING IN OUR ECOSYSTEMS, RIGHT? GOPHER TORTOISES BUILD BURROWS, AND THOSE BURROWS CAN BE AN AVERAGE OF ABOUT 15FT LONG. IT’S BEEN DOCUMENTED THAT OVER 360 DIFFERENT SPECIES USE ...