The Gopher Tortoise Council (GTC) was formed in 1978 by a group of biologists and others concerned about the range-wide decline of the gopher tortoise (Gopherus polyphemus). The Council offers professional advice for management, conservation, and protection of gopher tortoises; encourages the study of the life history, ecology, and management of gopher tortoises and other upland species; conducts active public information and conservation education programs, and seeks effective protection of the gopher tortoise and other upland species throughout the southeastern United States.
Approximate range of the gopher tortoise
The gopher tortoise is a species in decline and warrants additional protection rangewide on both a state and federal level. It is a species that lives a long life, reaches sexual maturity at over ten years of age, produces relatively small clutches, experiences low recruitment, and suffers from an upper respiratory tract disease, high levels of predation and loss of habitat. Severe losses in the western half of its range have resulted in the gopher tortoise being listed as Federally Threatened in Louisiana, Mississippi, and western Alabama.
-George Heinrich
- 2008 Annual GTC Meeting General Information
- GTC Now on MySpace
- Gopher Tortoise Bibliography In Development
- The Gopher Tortoise: A Species in Decline - Slideshow
- Gopher Tortoise Conservation Position Statement
- Upland Snake Conservation Initiative
