DUETTE, Fla. — Manatee County is doing its part to save the gopher tortoise with a new relocation program aimed at protection and in hopes of increasing their population.
The gopher tortoise is federally listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act. But in Florida, it was listed as a species of special concern in 1979 and later reclassified as a state-designated threatened species in 2007.
As Manatee County continues to develop at a rapid pace, however, tortoises are often finding themselves displaced by construction or infrastructure projects.
“The gopher tortoise habitat is also ideal for development, high, dry, sandy soil,” Manatee County Natural Resources director Charlie Hunsicker explained.
Rather than having these tortoises relocated as far away as Hernando County, the Manatee County natural resources department worked to get its own receiving location approved by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission in Duette Preserve.
According to Kathleen Barrett, the site's ecological program manager, the new relocation program will help save the number of species that have been depleting because of urbanization and land development.
“The gopher tortoise is also considered a keystone species in these types of habitats because it burrows. That is why it is called the gopher tortoise. But it provides refuge for at least 360 other species,” Barrett said.
Now, gopher tortoises found during construction or infrastructure projects will be brought here to live in a safe and protected conservation land.
Barrett says tortoises can stay close to their original home range and thrive under the county's management. The long-term protection of the species in the recipient site will allow this species to increase in population size and provide refuge to hundreds of animals in their burrows.
“Our goal and our mission here is to set an example, to say, sure, people want to move here, but that doesn’t mean we can’t make a difference,” Manatee County Commissioner James Satcher said. “That doesn’t mean we can’t conserve the land and the environment and take care of animals for future generations.”
Researchers say gopher tortoises can live 40 to 60 years, but a protected environment like Duette Preserve can help them live a longer and safer life.
