Gopher tortoises and their burrows are both protected under Florida law. If you observe someone harming a tortoise or its burrow, call FWC’s Wildlife Alert Hotline at 1-888-404-3922. FWC will dispatch an officer to investigate. If a permit is posted on a development site where you believe illegal activity is occurring, call your local Gopher Tortoise Conservation Biologist.

The FWC will take preventative action by sending an informational letter and educational materials to the landowner. Contact FWC’s Gopher Tortoise Program at 850-921-1030 for guidance. You’ll be asked to provide an address for the site (or closest to it) and documentation of burrows or tortoises on the property (e.g., photographs with GPS coordinates of their locations), if available. Do not trespass or conduct any illegal activity to obtain this information. A good photo will clearly show the burrow entrance and apron and include distinctive features of the property to confirm the location of the burrows. If burrows have been documented and reported to the FWC’s Gopher Tortoise Program but you observe signs of imminent disturbance (e.g., heavy equipment on site, installed silt fence, etc.), check out FWC’s Online Permit Locator Map or contact the FWC at 850-921-1030 to determine if a permit was obtained. Call FWC’s Wildlife Alert Hotline at 1-888-404-3922 if no FWC gopher tortoise relocation permit has been issued but disturbance is imminent. Inform dispatch that you have already provided documentation of burrows on site to FWC’s Gopher Tortoise Program. FWC will dispatch an officer to investigate.

Become a citizen scientist! Report observations of gopher tortoises to FWC’s free Florida Gopher Tortoise app. With this app, you can record the location of gopher tortoises you see in your yard, neighborhood, or crossing the road. This information will help FWC biologists better understand where populations of gopher tortoises live.

Report observations of dead tortoises to FWC’s mortality web application and provide information on cause of mortality, if known. Please report mortalities suspected to be caused by illegal activities to FWC’s Wildlife Alert Hotline at 1-888-404-3922.

Contact a local wildlife rehabilitator or veterinarian for guidance during business hours. After business hours, contact an emergency veterinarian for guidance. Provide location information to ensure the tortoise can be returned to its burrow after treatment. For a list of local rehabilitators, call FWC’s Gopher Tortoise Program weekdays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at 850-921-1030.

Permits for possession of gopher tortoises or its shells are issued only when the tortoise will be used for educational or research purposes. Permits are not issued to allow people to keep tortoises as pets. Possession and transport of gopher tortoises without authorization is a violation of Florida law. Officers will write citations if they find people in possession of this species without a permit.

Tortoises often dig burrows and forage for food on open, sunny roadsides. Vehicle collisions are a major contributor to tortoise injuries and death. If you see a tortoise in the roadway, you can move it across the road in the direction it was headed. Do not take the tortoise to a different area and never put your life in danger to move a tortoise. Tortoises are listed as a threatened species and relocating tortoises (e.g., putting them in your car) without a permit is illegal and could spread disease. Visit the FWC’s Education Corner webpage for additional resources including gopher tortoises and road safety and upper respiratory tract disease fact sheets. For additional questions, please contact FWC at 850-921-1030.

There are many ways you can help tortoises in Florida. In your yard, consider creating a tortoise friendly garden (see A Guide to Gopher Tortoise Friendly Plants), practicing responsible pet ownership, and using care when tending to your lawn near tortoises and their burrows.

To help tortoises in your community, consider volunteering with the FWC or a local nature center. You can also host an event to educate your community about the importance of gopher tortoises and other wildlife. Although these events commonly highlight Gopher Tortoise Day (April 10^th each year), events can be done year-round to benefit this important keystone species! See GopherTortoiseDayFL.com for more ideas on how to host an event. Check out FWC’s How You Can Help webpage to learn more about how to help tortoises in your yard and in your community.

For more information on gopher tortoises in Florida, visit MyFWC.com/GopherTortoise.