Florida Fish and Wildlife officials want residents of the Sunshine State to stop trying to 'save' gopher tortoises by putting them in the water, because they can’t swim. Experts say recent cases of people mistaking the creatures for sea turtles have them worried for the protected species.



Gopher tortoises dig their burrows deep in sand-dunes near Florida’s beaches and even back-yards, but don’t confuse them with a sea turtle. Recently, some well-intended good Samaritans who stumble upon the tortoises have been trying to 'rescue' them by putting them in the water.



"They can't swim well and will often drown if placed in water," said Brandon Basino with Florida Fish and Wildlife.



FWC officials said were 3 such cases of mistaken identity in March, including a woman who called wondering why an apparent ‘sea turtle’ wouldn't stay in the water where she released it. Turns out, it was a gopher tortoise.



Experts say because the two reptiles share habitats near or on the beach, it's important to know the difference.



One easy way to tell the two apart; a sea turtle has flippers. A gopher tortoise has toes.



"Mainly you're looking for flippers versus limbs with toes and claws. And secondly you're counting the toes. If it has 5 toes it's a gopher tortoise, if it has one to two and flippers it's a sea turtle," said Basino.



We did find some visitors at Fort de Soto park who knew how to spot the species.



"The gopher tortoise doesn't go in the water. But a sea turtle does,” said park visitor Rob Bach.



"The sea turtle's got a webbed feet and the tortoise has the claws," said another visitor, Kathy Rowe.



FWC officials said if you're wondering if a reptile needs help, leave it where it is unless it's in immediate danger, and call them to check it out.



According to the FWC, the gopher tortoise is a protected species because its burrow is used as shelter for other animals.