gt burrow id pdf - | outdoor alabama to... · 2018. 6. 1. · alabama department of conservation...

Ericha NixCertified Wildlife Biologist®

Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural ResourcesDivision of Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries

Nongame Wildlife ProgramFebruary 2018

• Learn to properly identify gopher tortoise burrows fromother animal burrows.

Objective

Photo: Ericha Nix

Photo copyright Jon Moore

• Found in the southern 1/3 of Alabama in 23 counties.

• Uniquely adapted to digging burrows in well drained sandysoils.

Gopher Tortoise (Gopherus polyphemus)

https://wixwirx.wordpress.com/2013/04/22/gopher-tortoises-at-buckingham/

• Considered a Keystone species of the Longleaf PineEcosystem

– Burrow provides shelter for the tortoise as well as otherspecies including Eastern indigo snake, gopher frog, andEastern diamondback rattlesnake, and others.

• Over 350 animals (invertebrates and vertebrates) are knownto utilize the gopher tortoise burrow.

Gopher Tortoise (Gopherus polyphemus)

• 1 entrance (most of the time)

• Dome shaped with a flat bottom

• Apron – the dirt mound in front of the entrance

• 6-8 feet in length

• 15-20 feet in length

Gopher tortoise burrows are unique

Photo: Ericha Nix

Typical Gopher Tortoise Burrow

Half moon shapeand flat bottom

opening.

Usually, a definedapron. The apron isthe dirt mound in

front of the opening.

Photo: Ericha Nix

• Gopher tortoise burrows will sometimes not have a “typical” or“classic” look that could be due to:

– Water washed out the burrow entrance changing the typicalshape or washed out the apron making it non-existent.

– Soil type (loose sandy soils v/s those with a little more claysubstrate or gravel) can sometimes alter the shape of theopening.

– Mammals can excavate the burrow entrance changing theshape of the opening.

– Abandoned burrow that through time has begun to erodeand or filled in with leaves or debris and no longer lookslike a typical gopher tortoise burrow.

– Part of or the entire opening has been collapsed by tractoror other type of mechanized vehicle / equipment and nolonger looks like a typical gopher tortoise burrow.

– Or it may not be a gopher tortoise burrow at all!

Atypical Looking Burrows

Active gopher tortoise burrow. Typical shapewith a good apron. Note plastron slide.

Photo: Ericha Nix

Active juvenile gopher tortoise burrow.

Photo: Ericha Nix

Gopher tortoise burrow dug in almostpure gravel soil.

Photo: Ericha Nix

Active gopher tortoise burrow. Apronsort of washed away.

Photo: Ericha Nix

Active gopher tortoise burrow. Note, not much of anapron and where water has eroded away soil in

front of burrow

Photo: Ericha Nix

Abandoned gopher tortoise burrow.

Photo: Ericha Nix

Juvenile gopher tortoise burrow.

Photo: Ericha Nix

Active burrow. Note plastron slide infront.

Photo: Ericha Nix

Active juvenile burrow. Note no distinctapron but classic opening shape.

Photo: Ericha Nix

This was a burrow that was plowedunder in a food plot the previous year.

Photo: Ericha Nix

Burrow opening has been run over bytractor but still has a distinct apron.

Photo: Ericha Nix

Active burrow. Apron size and shapevaries.

Photo: Ericha Nix

Active gopher tortoise burrow.

Photo: Ericha Nix

Classic burrow opening shape but notmuch of an apron.

Photo: Ericha Nix

Active gopher tortoise burrow. Opening shapea little distorted due to the root in front.


Photo: Ericha Nix


Photo: Craig Guyer


Photo: Ericha Nix

Active gopher tortoise burrow. Not muchof an apron. Located in an old food plot.

Photo: Ericha Nix

This burrow was plowed under the previous year andtortoise dug out. Burrow opening distorted due to

equipment too close to opening and weather.

Photo: Ericha Nix

Active gopher tortoise burrow. Openingdistorted but still has apron.

Photo: Ericha Nix

Small active burrow with branch acrossapron.

Photo: Craig Guyer

Filled in gopher tortoise burrow.

Photo: Craig Guyer

Abandoned gopher tortoise burrow.

Photo: Craig Guyer


Photo: Craig Guyer

Eggs in apron of active gopher tortoiseburrow.

Photo: Craig Guyer


Photo: Craig Guyer

Active juvenile gopher tortoise burrow.

Photo: Craig Guyer


Photo: Craig Guyer

Active gopher tortoise burrow. Tortoiseseen in the burrow.

Photo: Ericha Nix

Active gopher tortoise burrow. In oldfood plot.

Photo: Ericha Nix

Gopher tortoise burrow collapsed bymower.

Photo: Craig Guyer

Is this a gopher tortoise burrow?

• Does it have a half moon or domed shaped top and flatbottom? No

• Does it have an apron (the soil mound in front of the hole)?No

Ask yourself…

Look at shape of hole and presence of an apron

Apron present No Apron present

Gopher Tortoise Burrow Armadillo Burrow



Ask yourself…

Look at shape and structure of the hole

Apron present

Gopher Tortoise Burrow Crayfish Burrow

This looks more like a chimney


Apron present

Gopher Tortoise BurrowThe shape of theopening appearssquare though, itused to be domedor half moonshaped. This burrowis in a food plot anddue to equipmentgetting too close tothe opening andwater eroding thesides the openingshape has beenchanged.


This hole is 1-2 inches in diameter.


Both are roughly the same size holes

Apron present No Apron present

Gopher Tortoise Burrow Vole / field mouse hole

• You can still see that the opening has a dome shape and youcan see the remnants of the apron.

• These “abandoned”

burrows are important

as they provide shelter

for other species and

can easily be

re-excavated by a

tortoise and used.

Yes, this is an old abandoned gophertortoise burrow


1-2 inch hole


• Does it have an apron (the soil mound in front of the hole)?Yes

Ask yourself…


Apron present

Gopher Tortoise Burrow Oldfield Mouse Burrow

This was tricky, it does look like ithas a defined apron. But hole iscircular and goes straight down.

What animal(s) may use a gophertortoise burrow?

Eastern Indigo Snake

Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake

Gopher Frog

Quail

All of the above.



Ask yourself…


Apron present

Gopher Tortoise Burrow Fox Den

No Apron present. More of a beatendown path



Ask yourself…


Apron present

Gopher Tortoise Burrow Coyote Den

No Apron present. More of a beatendown path

Are these gopher tortoise burrows?

• SEPG share the same habitat as gopher tortoises

– Open pine habitats with well drained sandy soils and anabundance and diversity of forbes, grasses and legumes

• Mounds do not usually have an opening like a gophertortoise burrow or other dens made by mammals.

• SEPG tunnel under ground and push the soil up into themounds seen below.

• Mounds are also fairly close together.

No, these are Southeastern pocketgopher mounds (SEPG)

Roger Birkhead

southeasternpocketgopher.weebly.com southeasternpocketgopher.weebly.com

southeasternpocketgopher.weebly.com

Typical identifying characteristicsof gopher tortoise burrows include:

Domed or half moon shape with flat bottom

All of the above

Presence of an apron

No presence of an apron

A and C


• Does it have an apron (the soil mound in front of the hole)?Yes

Ask yourself…


Apron present

Gopher Tortoise Burrow Oldfield Mouse Burrow

This was tricky, it does look like ithas a defined apron. But hole iscircular and goes straight down.

SAFETY FIRST!NEVER stick your hand in any sort of burrow

or hole in the ground!

You do not know what may be down there.

http://www.livingalongsidewildlife.com/2010/12/rattlesnakesfinding-their-poise-and.html

Ericha Nix

CWB®

[email protected]

February 2018

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gt burrow id pdf - | outdoor alabama to... · 2018. 6. 1. · alabama department of conservation...

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