Gopher Tortoise Day: SWFL celebrates threatened reptile’s big day

One of Southwest Florida’s most beloved reptiles is finally getting celebrated the way it always deserved to be.

Gopher Tortoise Day is April 10, with the goal of raising awareness for the threatened species.

WINK News saw a couple of gopher tortoises enjoying the afternoon weather on Wednesday. However, that is exactly why Lee County decided to be part of the Gopher Tortoise Day celebration.

Nonprofits, like the Cape Coral Friends of Wildlife, see the widespread protection needed for reptiles, especially considering they’re constantly in harm’s way.

White flags and dozens of poles across open land might lead you to believe it’s just another development site in Cape Coral.

“Each one of these poles marks a gopher tortoise burrow, and gopher tortoises dig burrows into the ground. And that’s where they live,” said Janet Windisch, the corresponding secretary for the Cape Coral Friends of Wildlife.

The Cape Coral Wildlife Trust owns 69 of those lots across the city. Each of them has dozens of gopher tortoises, perhaps huddled inside their burrows or wandering around grazing on their favorite veggies.

Gopher tortoises are one of the oldest living species on the planet, but the species is categorized as ‘regionally threatened,’ and that’s why Lee County is celebrating the tortoise species on its special day.

Gopher tortoise burrows and eggs are protected by law but still find themselves in constant danger.

Happy Gopher Tortoise Day!

Today is dedicated to Florida’s only native tortoise. Individuals and organizations across Florida play an important role in helping us achieve our mission to conserve tortoises and the over 350 species that call their burrows home. Gopher Tortoise Day… pic.twitter.com/n35cMJjLE2 — MyFWC (@MyFWC) April 10, 2024

Whether it’s drivers missing the signs to watch out for crossing tortoises, plastic bags blocking their burrows, or even someone who recently thought it was a great idea to spray paint a tortoise’s shell.

“There are regulations in place about not disturbing gopher tortoise burrows. But it’s really up to the community and folks who live in these neighborhoods to be respectful of, sometimes people just don’t understand what’s going on. So that’s one of the purposes of Gopher Tortoise Day is to raise awareness,” said Windisch.

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That’s because the more we learn about these native tortoises, the more we do our part in protecting them.

“Watch out for our little fellas, that are precious and crucial to the environment and to 300 different species of animals that rely on that burrow to survive,” said Pascha Donaldson, a member of the Cape Coral Wildlife Trust. Donaldson was also a former president of Cape Coral Friends of Wildlife.

Some of the ways you can help and be involved are by donating land, money or time as a volunteer. It’s important to help maintain the burrow lots can go a long way for the nonprofit.

If you see an injured gopher tortoise, call 850-921-1030 to report it to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

Click here to learn more about gopher tortoises.

Click here to learn about FWC’s Gopher Tortoise Management Plan.