Gopher Tortoise Intimidates GoPro

This town ain't big enough for the both of us, bro

The gopher tortoise is a threatened species here in Florida. Development has taken a toll on their habitat. They need to be able to burrow into sandy soil to make their den. Unfortunately large patches of sandy soil are disappearing in Florida

But gopher tortoises are keystone species in the environment, meaning lots of other species depend on them in some way. Over 350 other species have been found to live in gopher tortoise dens. Some even share the den with the gopher tortoise, living in cramped harmony with the builder.

There are only certain areas of Florida where you can see a gopher tortoise. They thrive in dry sandy areas where there’s sufficient food — primarily grass, fruits and mushrooms. They make really bad pets but the illegal pet trade is still the biggest threat to their existence after development.

So here’s the setup to the video. I was in the Seminole State Forest in Central Florida when I saw a gopher tortoise by the road. I decided to put a small GoPro Session camera nearby, hoping to catch a short video of the tortoise if he walked by the camera as he left. Instead of walking by he decides it’s a threat and makes a threatening display to the camera. It turned out pretty well.

In this blog I’ll be talking about nature, nature photography, natural places (especially in Central Florida) and whatever else catches my eye. If you like this please hit the share button or leave a comment. Or you can subscribe and be notified via email when I post. Thanks for coming by.