Threats to Gopher Tortoise Habitat

The gopher tortoise traditionally thrived in the longleaf pine forest habitat which once stretched across the South, nearly unbroken, from Virginia to Florida to Texas. Today less than 5 percent remains of the 90-million-acre original system. This drastic reduction in habitat, along with ever-increasing development has made the gopher tortoise a threatened species in Florida.

TNC is actively restoring and protecting the longleaf pine communities that the gopher tortoise needs to survive. The tortoises thrive in the grassy, sandy soils of open longleaf pine forests that are maintained through the periodic application of prescribed fire.

Tiger Creek Preserve and its nearly 5,000 acres of unspoiled wilderness is home to a healthy gopher tortoise population, and our land conservation efforts on the preserve will help to ensure its survival for the future, and the many species who depend upon it. We diligently work to keep their habitat suitable with a strong prescribed fire program at Tiger Creek Preserve, Disney Wilderness Preserve, and Apalachicola Bluffs and Ravines Preserve, to name a few of our favorite places.