Home Range and Activity Patterns in a South Florida Population of the Tortoise Gopherus polyphemus on Savannas Preserve State Park

The Gopher Tortoise (Gopherus polyphemus) lives in upland habitats throughout its life.
Recent rapid urbanization of coastal Florida is resulting in large scale habitat fragmentation
that negatively affects this and other upland species. Losses of upland habitats result in
regulatory actions that include mitigation programs and animal relocations which currently
occur in the absence of understanding region-specific behavior and habitat needs. Gopher
Tortoise populations are similar to one another in that males have larger home ranges than
females, males defend burrows and mates during the breeding season, all have a high degree
of home range overlap, and forage on similar vegetation types. This study shows that
Southeastern Florida Gopher Tortoises differ from those elsewhere in that they maintain
relatively small home ranges, forage throughout the year, engage in social interactions yearround,
and have a bimodal (late winter-spring and late summer-fall) breeding season. My
study identifies differences in activity, behavior, and home ranges in a South Florida
population that may refine management strategies that include reconsideration of restocking
Northern populations with individuals from South Florida.