# Are there gophers in Georgia?



## KentuckyHeadhunter (Jun 12, 2013)

I know it might be a dumb question but are there?


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## dpoole (Jun 12, 2013)

We have the southeastern pocket gopher here in Schley county.Did not know they existed till last month. Look em up we have em.


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## Vernon Holt (Jun 12, 2013)

Georgia has three kinds of "gophers".  They are Gopher Turtles, Gopher Snakes, and Pocket Gophers.

They all abide in the Coastal Plains portion of the state where deep sandy soils and relatively low water table are somewhat common.


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## David Parker (Jun 12, 2013)

we also have naked mole rats.

http://www.zooatlanta.org/home/animals/mammals/naked_mole_rat/naked_mole_rat_photos

at least a couple anyway.


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## swampstalker24 (Jun 12, 2013)

Vernon Holt said:


> Georgia has three kinds of "gophers".  They are Gopher Turtles, Gopher Snakes, and Pocket Gophers.
> 
> They all abide in the Coastal Plains portion of the state where deep sandy soils and relatively low water table are somewhat common.



I believe the correct name is a Gopher Tortoise.  There's a big difference bt a turtle and a tortoise.


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## Nicodemus (Jun 12, 2013)

swampstalker24 said:


> I believe the correct name is a Gopher Tortoise.  There's a big difference bt a turtle and a tortoise.





He knows. And he can teach all of us. Mr. Vernon is a wealth of knowledge.


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## Nugefan (Jun 12, 2013)

Nicodemus said:


> He knows. And he can teach all of us. Mr. Vernon is a wealth of knowledge.



as is very willing to share it with us ...

I have wore Mr Vernons PM box out over the years and he has been more than happy to help ....

even with some of my stupid questions ...


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## Ancient Obsession (Jun 12, 2013)

I don't know about gophers, but from Jackson co. northward has plenty of ground hogs.


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## Kawaliga (Jun 12, 2013)

There is a large population of them in Sumter county near the Cut Off community on the Flint River. I was in a hunting club in the late eighties there, and den holes were everywhere. This is really sandy land.


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## Vernon Holt (Jun 13, 2013)

*Gophers in Georgia*



swampstalker24 said:


> I believe the correct name is a Gopher Tortoise. There's a big difference bt a turtle and a tortoise.


 
I failed to mention that I was using my very best South GA english when I used the term "Gopher Turtle". Having spent half of my lifetime in the "flatwoods section" of S. GA, I learned early that the the people who live where the Gopher Turtle lives knew him only by that name. It would be an undertaking indeed to convince one of them that the Gopher Turtle was in reality a Gopher Terrapin.

This unique part of our natural heritage is a creature who is worthy of man's utmost respect. He is a gentle and harmless creature who shares his habitat and even his burrow with other creatures who favor his habitat. He is a vegetarian who thrives on grasses and weeds which nothing else will eat, so he competes with nothing else in the food chain.

Any creature which has a life span that equals that of man deserves our respect and a status which provides reasonable assurrance that it survives. It always saddened me to encounter a bleached out shell of a gopher turtle in the woods with a bullet hole in the shell. One can only conclude that some uncultured human being has once used him for target practice. A sad commentary.


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## oldways (Jun 13, 2013)

Vernon Holt said:


> I failed to mention that I was using my very best South GA english when I used the term "Gopher Turtle". Having spent half of my lifetime in the "flatwoods section" of S. GA, I learned early that the the people who live where the Gopher Turtle lives knew him only by that name. It would be an undertaking indeed to convince one of them that the Gopher Turtle was in reality a Gopher Terrapin.
> 
> This unique part of our natural heritage is a creature who is worthy of man's utmost respect. He is a gentle and harmless creature who shares his habitat and even his burrow with other creatures who favor his habitat. He is a vegetarian who thrives on grasses and weeds which nothing else will eat, so he competes with nothing else in the food chain.
> 
> Any creature which has a life span that equals that of man deserves our respect and a status which provides reasonable assurrance that it survives. It always saddened me to encounter a bleached out shell of a gopher turtle in the woods with a bullet hole in the shell. One can only conclude that some uncultured human being has once used him for target practice. A sad commentary.


Great post, alot of folks don't understand the way's of the flatwoods. Thank you for your post....


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## RBM (Jun 13, 2013)

oldways said:


> Great post, alot of folks don't understand the way's of the flatwoods. Thank you for your post....



Ditto. About the only thing a Gopher doesn't share his hole with is a rattler. I have seen rattlers take over a Gopher hole. Kills the Gopher and takes up residence. So don't go sticking your hand down a Gopher hole. Knew a fella that did that once and boy was he sorry.

We had a problem with big rattlers (six to eight footers) in Gopher holes around where I lived once. We knew the rattlers were in the holes and no Gophers so we burned the rattlers out of the holes. Too many folks that began to live around there running into rattlers and they were causing dangerous problems like coiling up on folks doorsteps. I had a little old woman have an anxiety attack with a rattler on her doorstep. Wouldn't even set foot out of the house until we cleaned up the rattlers in the Gopher holes out in the Palmetto patch. This was out in the sticks. No animal control folks to call on for the rattlers so we dealt with them the best way we knew how.


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## Son (Jun 13, 2013)

We have plenty Tortoises here in SW Ga, and the rattlesnakes to go with em.


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## Jake Allen (Jun 14, 2013)

Vernon Holt said:


> I failed to mention that I was using my very best South GA english when I used the term "Gopher Turtle". Having spent half of my lifetime in the "flatwoods section" of S. GA, I learned early that the the people who live where the Gopher Turtle lives knew him only by that name. It would be an undertaking indeed to convince one of them that the Gopher Turtle was in reality a Gopher Terrapin.
> 
> This unique part of our natural heritage is a creature who is worthy of man's utmost respect. He is a gentle and harmless creature who shares his habitat and even his burrow with other creatures who favor his habitat. He is a vegetarian who thrives on grasses and weeds which nothing else will eat, so he competes with nothing else in the food chain.
> 
> Any creature which has a life span that equals that of man deserves our respect and a status which provides reasonable assurrance that it survives. It always saddened me to encounter a bleached out shell of a gopher turtle in the woods with a bullet hole in the shell. One can only conclude that some uncultured human being has once used him for target practice. A sad commentary.



Excellent post; thank you sir.


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## sharpeblades (Jun 14, 2013)

I live in Crisp Co. (Cordele Ga.) and we have them on the land i hunt.I have several pictures if i can find them.This big one has been there for 10+ years ive been hunting there


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## chief1941 (Jun 14, 2013)

*sand chickens*

sience the state made the gofer the state reptile we promoted it up th sand chicken. taste the same.


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## Pointpuller (Jun 16, 2013)

Walked up on this one today in extreme South Grady County, just 1/4 mile from Gadsden County FL.  Any body know of a study in the area?  Paint was very well worn and appeared to be several years old.  I think it is 80B but might be 803.


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## Tailfeather (Jun 16, 2013)

RBM said:


> Ditto. About the only thing a Gopher doesn't share his hole with is a rattler. I have seen rattlers take over a Gopher hole. Kills the Gopher and takes up residence. So don't go sticking your hand down a Gopher hole. Knew a fella that did that once and boy was he sorry.
> 
> We had a problem with big rattlers (six to eight footers) in Gopher holes around where I lived once. We knew the rattlers were in the holes and no Gophers so we burned the rattlers out of the holes. Too many folks that began to live around there running into rattlers and they were causing dangerous problems like coiling up on folks doorsteps. I had a little old woman have an anxiety attack with a rattler on her doorstep. Wouldn't even set foot out of the house until we cleaned up the rattlers in the Gopher holes out in the Palmetto patch. This was out in the sticks. No animal control folks to call on for the rattlers so we dealt with them the best way we knew how.


They'll gladly share their holes with a rattler.  Have even seen two in a hole with a gopher while doing camera surveys!


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## RBM (Jun 18, 2013)

Tailfeather said:


> They'll gladly share their holes with a rattler.  Have even seen two in a hole with a gopher while doing camera surveys!



I have only seen dead gophers killed in their hole by rattlers. That ain't exactly sharing.


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## KentuckyHeadhunter (Jun 19, 2013)

This was an interesting thread and answered my question and more.  Thanks guys!  I wonder about that tortoise with the numbers on it now.....


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## TREY1984 (Jun 19, 2013)

Pointpuller said:


> Walked up on this one today in extreme South Grady County, just 1/4 mile from Gadsden County FL.  Any body know of a study in the area?  Paint was very well worn and appeared to be several years old.  I think it is 80B but might be 803.



I was raised in Midway (Gadsden County) and if you touch or go near its den you'll be put under jail.  They were or maybe still be Endangered!!!! that's why it has a number on it  to check out the population.


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## jcinpc (Jun 19, 2013)

apparently we down here in Fl aren't too worried about the population, a new Chevy dealership was built on the high sandy soil in Hillsborough county and the dealership preferred to just pay the fine of destroying the nest/burrows that were on the 26 acres instead of paying the relocation fees, but catch a man walking through the woods with a pole and a hook and he goes to jail...I prefer soft shelled turtles anyways


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## TREY1984 (Jun 20, 2013)

Gopher tortoises are a threatened wildlife species and are protected by state law,  Chapter 68A-27, Florida Administrative Code. Gopher tortoises must be relocated before any land clearing or development takes place, and property owners must obtain permits from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission before they can move them. For more information about permitting guidelines or the laws protecting gopher tortoises please contact the gopher tortoise biologist in your region.
Rules and regulations are in place to benefit both the species and the people. We've included rules that relate to the gopher tortoise along with brief descriptions of those rules.
Rule 68A-27.003: The gopher tortoise (Gopherus polyphemus) is hereby declared to be threatened, and shall be afforded the protective provisions specified in this paragraph. No person shall take, attempt to take, pursue, hunt, harass, capture, possess, sell or transport any gopher tortoise or parts thereof or their eggs, or molest, damage, or destroy gopher tortoise burrows, except as authorized by Commission permit or when complying with Commission approved guidelines for specific actions which may impact gopher tortoises and their burrows. A gopher tortoise burrow is a tunnel with a cross-section that closely approximates the shape of a gopher tortoise. Permits will be issued based upon whether issuance would further management plan goals and objectives.
Wildlife Alert Reward program

It is against the law to kill, harass or destroy gopher tortoises, their eggs or burrows. If you suspect a wildlife law violation, report it to the FWC's Wildlife Alert Reward Program at 888-404-FWCC, 24-hours a day or online. You could be eligible for a reward if your information leads to an arrest.


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## GLS (Jun 22, 2013)

Number?  That's BOB.  Wondered what happened to old BOB.


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## GA DAWG (Jun 22, 2013)

We have them turtles all over our lease in south ga. I've never seen any baby ones though. Have yall?


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## GLS (Jun 22, 2013)

GA DAWG said:


> We have them turtles all over our lease in south ga. I've never seen any baby ones though. Have yall?



I've seen them half the size of a grown box turtle.


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## Pointpuller (Jun 22, 2013)

I have been around them my whole life and seen several tiny ones.  I found 1 that was about the size of a silver dollar once, his shell was soft.  Here is a small one I took a pick of several years ago with a writing pen for scale.




Im starting to think ole # 80B was probably used for a mitigation project.


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