Abstract
The gopher tortoise (Gopherus polyphemus) faces increasing threats due to habitat fragmentation, development pressures, and translocation practices. Although this species has been extensively studied in northern portions of its range, the movement ecology and habitat preferences of tortoises in the rapidly urbanizing landscapes of Southwest Florida have nuanced differences, although these distinctions are not fully understood. To address this knowledge gap, I conducted a year-long radio telemetry study on 12 gopher tortoises inhabiting a 135-acre scrub preserve in Southwest Florida, with the aim of examining home range characteristics and burrow use across demographic groups. I hypothesized that tortoise spatial use and burrow selection would vary by sex and age class, driven by local environmental conditions such as canopy cover and habitat heterogeneity. Autocorrelated Kernel Density Estimation (AKDE) revealed substantial variation in individual home ranges (0.095–10.16 hectares; median = 2.53 ha), but no significant differences among males, females, or subadults (χ2 = 2.02, p = 0.364), suggesting that landscape heterogeneity likely plays a substantial role in shaping movement patterns. Analysis of burrow characteristics revealed significant demographic differences: females selected sites with substantially lower canopy cover compared to males (Z = -10.99, p < 0.001) and subadults (Z = - 14.38, p < 0.001), possibly reflecting thermoregulatory needs associated with nesting. Burrow orientations also varied significantly among individuals (F = 47.07, p < 0.001) and demographic groups (F = 94.41, p < 0.001), with females consistently favoring southwestern orientations, and subadults exhibiting narrower directional preferences. Notably, the home ranges of nine tortoises overlapped on a proposed road right-of-way, underscoring the immediate risk that planned development poses to habitat connectivity. These findings illustrate how local habitat features and demographic-specific behaviors shape gopher tortoise ecology within fragmented,subtropical habitats. Management strategies should prioritize the maintenance of diverse microhabitats, the protection of key corridors (e.g., right-of-way areas), and the preservation of canopy conditions that support the ecological requirements of different demographic groups. Such site-specific conservation approaches may enhance population viability and serve as a model for balancing development pressures with effective management of sensitive species in fragmented landscapes.
