Pixel Wild
Gopher Tortoise
Gopher Tortoise
Gopherus polyphemus
Reptilia
VULNERABLE

Stats

Lifespan
40-60 yrs
Size
Medium
Diet
Herbivore
Activity
Diurnal
Social
Solitary
Biome
Temperate grassland
Range
North America
Movement
Burrowing
Breeding
Egg-laying
Defense
Burrowing
Status
Vulnerable

About

A land tortoise of the southeastern U.S. with a domed, brownish-gray carapace and stubby, shovel-like front legs built for digging. It excavates burrows up to 40 feet long that shelter hundreds of other species, earning it the title of 'keystone species'.

Life cycle

  1. 1.
    hatchling
    A coin-sized hatchling digs out of the nest and makes its own way to water or shelter.
  2. 2.
    juvenile
    A juvenile turtle's shell hardens and grows yearly rings as it forages on its own.
  3. 3.
    adult
    Fully grown with adult shell size and markings.

Learn more

Taxonomy

Kingdom
Animalia
Phylum
Chordata
Class
Reptilia
Order
Testudines
Family
Testudinidae
Genus
Gopherus
Species
Gopherus polyphemus