Did you know? All tortoises are turtles but not all turtles are tortoises!
Gopher tortoises are land creatures that are very poor swimmers. If they cannot crawl out of the water, they will drown.
Gopher tortoises are protected in Florida. Do not take one home as a “pet." Guided by its homing instinct, the GT will head back to its burrow; crossing roads could be fatal to the GT.