Gopher Tortoise Day is an occasion to ‘shell-ebrate’, extended to you by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC).
Visit GopherTortoiseDayFL.com and use the hashtag #GopherTortoiseDay on social media to find celebration ideas, activities, and proclamations.
FWC offers some tips to help gopher tortoises all year long:
- If a tortoise appears healthy and is not in immediate danger, leaving the tortoise alone is the best option.
- If you see a gopher tortoise crossing a road and it is safe for you to do so, you may pick it up and place it in a safe location along the roadside in the direction it was heading. Never put tortoises in water, as gopher tortoises can’t swim like turtles can.
- Report sightings of gopher tortoises and their burrows or notify the FWC of a sick, injured or dead tortoise.
- Consider making your home and neighborhood gopher tortoise friendly by planting gopher tortoise friendly plants or creating a Gopher Tortoise Friendly Yard.
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Learn more about living alongside tortoises at the FWC’s Gopher Tortoise Program Education Corner and Education Resources Page.
There, you’ll find ideas for kids’ activities, such as fun gopher tortoise coloring pages, fact sheets, posters, and more.
Gopher tortoises are designated a threatened species and protected in Florida. It is illegal to harm a gopher tortoise, its eggs, or its burrow, relocate without a permit, or possess a tortoise, its eggs, or any parts of a tortoise. Report wildlife violations to the FWC’s Wildlife Alert Hotline at 888-404-FWCC (3922).
Gopher Tortoise Day was adopted in 2016 by the Gopher Tortoise Council to increase appreciation and conservation support of the species. The FWC and partners celebrate on April 10 each year.
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