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Article: Dark dweelers: the mysterious gopher tortoises an interview with biologist David Rostal.(People To Discover)(Interview)
- Article from:
- The Evening Standard (London, England)
- Article date:
- May 1, 2007
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2007 Carus Publishing Co. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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IF YOU'VE NEVER SEEN A GOPHER TORTOISE (Gopberus polypbemus), that's because they've gone underground! These roughly footlong, land-dwelling tortoises live only in upland habitats throughout the coastal plain of the southeastern United States, where they spend up to 85 percent of their time in elaborate tunnels they've engineered. The tunnels can be up to 40 feet in length and 10 feet deep. These not only protect and sustain the tortoises, but also serve as safe houses for more than 360 other animal species--including snakes, frogs, armadillos, burrowing owls, scarab beetles, and many others.
Biologist David Rostal of Georgia Southern University has been ...