The gopher tortoise needs our help

The gopher tortoise provides shelter for so many. Its burrow provides a fire bunker for hundreds of organisms in their native habitat and has done so for millions of years.

The gopher tortoise is an environmental engineer, modifying its surroundings and providing habitat and shelter for other animals. It is considered a keystone species because it has a proportionately large, positive effect on its surroundings.

Without the gopher tortoise, the neighborhood would never be the same. In the different ecosystems where the gopher tortoise lives, it has evolved over time to be the focal point of community and survival.

After supporting so many animals, the gopher tortoise now needs our help. Humans are the only species on the planet that can help this ancient gopher tortoise, and we are also responsible for pushing the tortoise to the brink of extinction.

The gopher tortoise may seem abundant to longtime Amelia Island residents, but its future is uncertain across much of its range, including Florida and the Southeast. The Center for Biological Diversity recently changed the gopher tortoise's status from vulnerable to critically endangered. In Florida, gopher tortoises are currently listed as a threatened species by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), making it illegal to harm the tortoises, their eggs or their burrows without specific state permits.

In July 2026, the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) announced that the gopher tortoise is more endangered than previously thought. If current trends continue, the total population is projected to decline by more than 95% over the next 80 years. This meets the criteria for critically endangered: a predicted 80% reduction in the next three generations or 100 years.

This species is threatened by severe and irreversible habitat loss and degradation due to development. Unfortunately, there is little opportunity to reverse the widespread habitat loss of longleaf pine ecosystems.

In Florida, only 3% to 5% of the original longleaf pine habitat remains. This has led to small, fragmented populations with reduced gene flow, causing inbreeding. Even protected areas have population declines. The protection of local isolated populations on small preserved lands is insufficient for the long-term survival of the species. Small local populations of 20 to 40 individuals have an extremely high extinction risk. Without intervention, beloved wildlife like the gopher tortoise could vanish.

Homeowners concerned about a gopher tortoise on their property that may be damaging a structure must understand that it is illegal to handle or move a gopher tortoise because it is protected by law. Residents can apply for a free Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) Burrow or Structural Protection Plan permit if a burrow jeopardizes the integrity of, or safe use of, existing structures like foundations and driveways. This permit is for one to two burrows and applies only if tortoise relocation is possible within the property boundaries. This permit focuses on the safety of humans, structures and tortoises.

After proper training and permit approval, property owners can move the tortoise to another area of the property, block the tortoise’s re-entry to the burrow and collapse the burrow. Completion of required FWC e-learning or the equivalent written training is required if the applicant is not an authorized gopher tortoise agent. For services provided by an authorized agent, visit the FWC website to search for permitted agents in your area.

If a tortoise has to be relocated off-site, a 10 or Fewer Burrows Permit is required through FWC for a fee. Private and public landowners with permitted sites can receive tortoises and charge a fee for accepting displaced tortoises. Relocating a tortoise requires paying these approved external sites for space, health assessments and long-term management, and a FWC-authorized agent must perform the relocation procedures. Recipient site fees range from $5000 to $8000 per tortoise. This price fluctuates with market demand, site tier and location.

Never personally relocate a gopher tortoise off your property. Fernandina Beach, Florida city officials have noticed several gopher tortoises in the Ron Sapp Egans Creek Greenway, which is not ideal gopher tortoise habitat. It is assumed that someone dropped them off, not understanding that these tortoises may not survive. Only authorized gopher tortoise agents are allowed to move a gopher tortoise with the required permit. Tortoises can carry disease, and moving them can spread infection to previously healthy tortoise populations. It is advised to contact an authorized agent or FWC before implementing any construction or major habitat modification. Lack of proper permitting may result in fines and stop-work orders.

Many, many organisms will be above ground during wildfires if there are no gopher tortoise burrows in our existing forests, savannas, high sand ridges and sand dunes. Many other species will decline without this keystone species. We are talking about millions of years of cohabitation. Many organisms rely on the gopher tortoise's habits.

Losing the gopher tortoise would be like losing a dear old friend and a longtime trusted neighbor. If the tortoise disappears, so will its engineering projects; all the modifications that benefit its natural surroundings will be gone. Will the animals left behind, searching for the tortoise’s burrow in an emergency, survive?

Where will they shelter?