Gopher tortoise
Species of reptile / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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The gopher tortoise (Gopherus polyphemus) is a species of tortoise in the family Testudinidae. The species is native to the southeastern United States. The gopher tortoise is seen as a keystone species because it digs burrows that provide shelter for at least 360 other animal species. G. polyphemus is threatened by predation and habitat destruction. Habitat degradation is the primary reason that the gopher tortoise is listed as vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, but they are considered threatened in some states while they are endangered in others.[4]
Gopher tortoise | |
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Gopher tortoise at Lake June in Winter Scrub State Park in Highlands County, Florida, U.S. | |
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Reptilia |
Order: | Testudines |
Suborder: | Cryptodira |
Superfamily: | Testudinoidea |
Family: | Testudinidae |
Genus: | Gopherus |
Species: | G. polyphemus |
Binomial name | |
Gopherus polyphemus Daudin, 1802 | |
Synonyms[3] | |
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The gopher tortoise is a representative of the genus Gopherus, which contains the only tortoises native to North America. The gopher tortoise is the state reptile of Georgia and the state tortoise of Florida.[5][6][7]