Gopher Tortoise
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They live year round in large burrows, often measuring thirty feet in length. During the day they emerge to bask in the sun and forage for food, mostly plant life.
They are medium-sized, with adults growing up to 16 inches in length. They are also be long lived, with estimates suggesting that under optimal conditions some reach the ripe old age of sixty.
The western population population are federally listed as threatened, with habitat loss cited as the cause of declining populations. Florida also lists them as threatened.
Georgia designated them the official state reptile in 1989.
© 2009 Patricia A. Michaels