527 reactions · 56 shares | It’s Gopher Tortoise Day in Florida!  You can find gopher tortoises at many of our parks and nature preserves, munching on grasses and other plants along hiking trails. Fun fact: gopher tortoises dig underground burrows that are used for protection by dozens of other wildlife species. Have you seen a gopher tortoise before? Video: Jason Boeckman | Visit Fort Myers | Facebook

2x a day we graze the gopher tortoise patients as part of their rehab treatment plan. This gives them sun time, fresh air, movement and time to graze in the wild, preparing them for release day! Live near Naples, FL? Become a volunteer here and graze with us! 🐢 | Conservancy of Southwest Florida

Last month 89 gopher tortoises were returned to the wild near Camp Shelby. Over 360 different species depend on the gopher tortoise’s burrows for survival. Currently, the gopher tortoise is state endangered and federally threatened. This project was a joint effort by the Nature Conservancy, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Forest Service, the Mississippi Military Department, and the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks. | Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and

Gopher tortoises are ecosystem engineers whose burrows support a beautiful web of life. This is just another example of how much we need biodiversity. To learn more about biodiversity and what you can do to help, click here: �� Video Credits: Odyssey Earth, Brento Lapento, Lorenzo Phrazaphath, James Sullivan, Nathan Yoder, Mississippi Army National Guard, 102d Public Affairs Detachment, Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission | The Nature Conservancy

4.2K views · 150 reactions | Join us for a Day in the Life of a Gopher Tortoise for Florida Gopher Tortoise Day! Gopher tortoises are a keystone species whose burrows provide important habitats for over 350 commensal species like indigo snakes, burrowing owls, etc. This is why protecting gopher tortoises & their habitat is so essential. | Defenders of Wildlife | Facebook