Today is Florida’s own Gopher Tortoise Day! #DYK this keystone species prefers munching on flowers like the beautiful hibiscus? 🌺Our horticulture team grows a variety of plants in-house for our animals to eat! Tune in to Stories to learn more fascinating facts about this vital reptile of Florida’s ecosystem. | The Florida Aquarium

Happy Gopher Tortoise Day! Let’s get to know our Gopher Tortoise, Digger! Gopher tortoises have flattened feet and powerful claws to dig deep burrows that provide safety from predators and harsh weather. Many animals seek out safety, nesting, or shelter in burrows created by gopher tortoises; over 350 species have been documented to do so. Digger came to the River Museum after he was previously a pet for 35 years. Gopher tortoises have been known to live to 60 years of age in the wild, though ma

2.5K views · 285 reactions | Our gopher tortoise enjoys a daily walk, especially when he comes across a good patch of clover like this. After a while, he took a break from the clover buffet to relax in a warm, sunny spot! Reptiles need sunlight to produce vitamin D3 so they can properly absorb calcium. Video Credit: Sarah Buffington | Mississippi Museum of Natural Science | Facebook

Gopher tortoises are ecosystem engineers whose burrows support a beautiful web of life. This is just another example of how much we need biodiversity. To learn more about biodiversity and what you can do to help, click here: �� Video Credits: Odyssey Earth, Brento Lapento, Lorenzo Phrazaphath, James Sullivan, Nathan Yoder, Mississippi Army National Guard, 102d Public Affairs Detachment, Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission | The Nature Conservancy

This baby Gopher Tortoise was found crossing a dirt road after visiting a conservation site. Baby gopher tortoises are becoming harder to find as their population become too old to reproduce and their habitats become more fragmented. Seeing one in the wild is often a positive sign for the local population and habitat conditions.🐢 📸Quentin Fairchild | Mississippi Museum of Natural Science