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Gopher Tortoise — printable fact sheet
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Gopher Tortoise
Gopherus polyphemus
The Gopher Tortoise is a medium-sized land tortoise native to the southeastern United States, easily identified by its sturdy, domed shell and strong, shovel-like forelimbs adapted for digging. Renowned for its burrowing behavior, this tortoise creates extensive underground tunn…
Did you know?
- Gopher tortoises are considered a keystone species because their burrows are critical to the survival of many other animals in their ecosystem.
- Gopher tortoise burrows can be up to 10 meters long and 3 meters deep. Each burrow can provide refuge for over 350 different animal species, including mammals, reptiles, amphibians, and invertebrates. They are one of the few tortoise species native to North America.
What I learned
Draw the gopher tortoise
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