Gopher Tortoises Relocated by Hurricane Helen to Fort DeSoto and Eckerd College Study

Impact of Hurricane Helen on Gopher Tortoises

• 🌀 Hurricane Helen caused significant storm surge, sweeping dozens of gopher tortoises from Egmont Key.
• 🌊 These tortoises were carried by the storm surge to Fort DeSoto and other areas.

Eckerd College Student Study on Egmont Key

• 🎓 Students from Eckerd College are conducting a six-week study on Egmont Key to determine the current tortoise population.
• 📊 Their goal is to establish a baseline for long-term monitoring and understand the impacts of recent hurricanes.
• 💡 The study involves measuring, weighing, and marking tortoises to gather data on age and population dynamics.

Resilience and Survival of Gopher Tortoises

• 🐢 Despite the island being completely inundated by the hurricane, students have found a significant number of tortoises, including some of the oldest identified.
• ✨ This resilience demonstrates nature's ability to persevere, with tortoises surprisingly surviving the harrowing journey and island flooding.
• 📍 Experts are also monitoring over 80 tortoise burrows at Fort DeSoto, a tenfold increase from before the hurricane.

Legal Protection for Gopher Tortoises

• ⚖️ Gopher tortoises, their eggs, and burrows are protected by Florida law.
• 🚫 It is illegal to disturb these protected species, and sightings can be reported to Florida Fish and Wildlife.