GOPHER TORTOISE 
Mr. and Mrs. Gopher Tortoise stay home during the hot, sunny part of 
the day, for it is cool in their subterranean burrow a dozen feet deep. The 
secluded burrowers never have other tortoises to keep them company in 
their dugout, although they generally have many neighbors. This is evi¬ 
denced by the tell-tale mounds of earth clustered together in a region where 
a colony of gophers has scooped out its dwellings. 
The animal world does provide the pair with uninvited guests. The 
burrowing owl, raccoon, gopher frog, blacksnake and coachwhip snake dart 
into the underground sanctuary when trouble brews above. During the 
day, indefatigable spiders weave strands across the mouth of the hole only 
to see them broken when the tortoises come out. And a new species of 
“tumble bug” has been discovered in the gopher’s home. This insect feeds 
on the excrement of the tortoise and is to be found only near a colony 
of gophers. 
In the evening the gopher clambers out of its hole and casts about 
for a meal. A vegetarian, it will dine on grass, clover, lettuce and berries. 
Because it damages gardens and orchards, man has no scruples about killing 
it off. In captivity, where it must be kept perfectly dry and warm, it may 
deign to eat a piece of raw meat. It can be taught to come forward to 
feed out of the keeper’s hand and put in an appearance at mealtimes when 
kept as a household pet. 
During the breeding season the male utters a short, rasping, mating 
call. In June the female lays five eggs beneath the sandy mound outside 
her door, exposing them to the sun’s heat. The eggs, as large as pigeons’, 
are considered rather good eating in the southern part of the United States. 
And even if the egg hatches, the creature itself may become a morsel 
for some local lover of tortoise flesh. 
The gopher tortoise, when born, has a dull, yellowish blotch on each 
of the top shell’s shields. As it grows older, it loses this bit of color and 
remains a dull brown. 
The smooth, flattened shell is about twelve inches long. From the front 
of the lower shell there extends a heart-shaped projection which is used 
as a spade when the tortoise scoops out its home. An average specimen 
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