gt burrow id pdf - | outdoor alabama to... · 2018. 6. 1. · alabama department of conservation...
TRANSCRIPT
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Ericha NixCertified Wildlife Biologist®
Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural ResourcesDivision of Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries
Nongame Wildlife ProgramFebruary 2018
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• Learn to properly identify gopher tortoise burrows fromother animal burrows.
Objective
Photo: Ericha Nix
Photo copyright Jon Moore
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• 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/
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• 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)
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• 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
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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
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• 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
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Active gopher tortoise burrow. Typical shapewith a good apron. Note plastron slide.
Photo: Ericha Nix
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Active juvenile gopher tortoise burrow.
Photo: Ericha Nix
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Gopher tortoise burrow dug in almostpure gravel soil.
Photo: Ericha Nix
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Gopher tortoise burrow dug in almostpure gravel soil.
Photo: Ericha Nix
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Active gopher tortoise burrow. Apronsort of washed away.
Photo: Ericha Nix
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Active gopher tortoise burrow. Note, not much of anapron and where water has eroded away soil in
front of burrow
Photo: Ericha Nix
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Abandoned gopher tortoise burrow.
Photo: Ericha Nix
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Abandoned gopher tortoise burrow.
Photo: Ericha Nix
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Juvenile gopher tortoise burrow.
Photo: Ericha Nix
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Active burrow. Note plastron slide infront.
Photo: Ericha Nix
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Active juvenile burrow. Note no distinctapron but classic opening shape.
Photo: Ericha Nix
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This was a burrow that was plowedunder in a food plot the previous year.
Photo: Ericha Nix
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Burrow opening has been run over bytractor but still has a distinct apron.
Photo: Ericha Nix
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Active burrow. Apron size and shapevaries.
Photo: Ericha Nix
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Active gopher tortoise burrow.
Photo: Ericha Nix
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Active gopher tortoise burrow.
Photo: Ericha Nix
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Classic burrow opening shape but notmuch of an apron.
Photo: Ericha Nix
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Active gopher tortoise burrow. Opening shapea little distorted due to the root in front.
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Active gopher tortoise burrow.
Photo: Ericha Nix
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Active gopher tortoise burrow.
Photo: Craig Guyer
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Active gopher tortoise burrow.
Photo: Ericha Nix
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Active gopher tortoise burrow.
Photo: Ericha Nix
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Active gopher tortoise burrow.
Photo: Ericha Nix
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Active gopher tortoise burrow.
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Active gopher tortoise burrow.
Photo: Ericha Nix
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Active gopher tortoise burrow. Not muchof an apron. Located in an old food plot.
Photo: Ericha Nix
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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
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Active gopher tortoise burrow. Openingdistorted but still has apron.
Photo: Ericha Nix
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Small active burrow with branch acrossapron.
Photo: Craig Guyer
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Filled in gopher tortoise burrow.
Photo: Craig Guyer
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Abandoned gopher tortoise burrow.
Photo: Craig Guyer
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Active gopher tortoise burrow.
Photo: Craig Guyer
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Eggs in apron of active gopher tortoiseburrow.
Photo: Craig Guyer
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Active gopher tortoise burrow.
Photo: Craig Guyer
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Active juvenile gopher tortoise burrow.
Photo: Craig Guyer
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Active gopher tortoise burrow.
Photo: Craig Guyer
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Active gopher tortoise burrow. Tortoiseseen in the burrow.
Photo: Ericha Nix
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Active gopher tortoise burrow. In oldfood plot.
Photo: Ericha Nix
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Gopher tortoise burrow collapsed bymower.
Photo: Craig Guyer
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Is this a gopher tortoise burrow?
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• 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…
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Look at shape of hole and presence of an apron
Apron present No Apron present
Gopher Tortoise Burrow Armadillo Burrow
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Is this a gopher tortoise burrow?
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• 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…
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Look at shape and structure of the hole
Apron present
Gopher Tortoise Burrow Crayfish Burrow
This looks more like a chimney
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Is this a gopher tortoise burrow?
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Look at shape of hole and presence of an apron
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.
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Is this a gopher tortoise burrow?
This hole is 1-2 inches in diameter.
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Look at shape of hole and presence of an apron
Both are roughly the same size holes
Apron present No Apron present
Gopher Tortoise Burrow Vole / field mouse hole
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Is this a gopher tortoise burrow?
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• 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
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Is this a gopher tortoise burrow?
1-2 inch hole
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• 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)?Yes
Ask yourself…
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Look at shape and structure of the hole
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.
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What animal(s) may use a gophertortoise burrow?
Eastern Indigo Snake
Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake
Gopher Frog
Quail
All of the above.
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What animal(s) may use a gophertortoise burrow?
Eastern Indigo Snake
Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake
Gopher Frog
Quail
All of the above.
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Is this a gopher tortoise burrow?
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• 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…
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Look at shape and structure of the hole
Apron present
Gopher Tortoise Burrow Fox Den
No Apron present. More of a beatendown path
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Is this a gopher tortoise burrow?
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• 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…
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Look at shape and structure of the hole
Apron present
Gopher Tortoise Burrow Coyote Den
No Apron present. More of a beatendown path
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Are these gopher tortoise burrows?
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• 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
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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
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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
![Page 76: GT burrow ID PDF - | Outdoor Alabama to... · 2018. 6. 1. · Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources Division of Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries Nongame Wildlife](https://reader035.vdocuments.mx/reader035/viewer/2022071211/60226f88d32a7f41fd74f348/html5/thumbnails/76.jpg)
Is this a gopher tortoise burrow?
![Page 77: GT burrow ID PDF - | Outdoor Alabama to... · 2018. 6. 1. · Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources Division of Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries Nongame Wildlife](https://reader035.vdocuments.mx/reader035/viewer/2022071211/60226f88d32a7f41fd74f348/html5/thumbnails/77.jpg)
• 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)?Yes
Ask yourself…
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Look at shape and structure of the hole
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.
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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
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Ericha Nix
CWB®
February 2018
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www.outdooralabama.com