Baby gopher tortoise

Gopher tortoise are abundant in central Florida, and are one of the peninsula's keystone species! They dig burrows throughout their lives using their front claws and powerful muscles, that average 15 feet long and 6.5 feet deep, though some can stretch up to 40 feet long and 10 feet deep. These burrows provide vital shelter for over 300 to 350 other commensal species, including gopher frogs and the eastern indigo snake. This one I have here is just a baby!