The dry, sandy lands of Spring Hill and Brooksville provide homes for creatures that look like turtles, but, like all other tortoises, prefer to stay dry and do not venture into wetland habitats. These animals are called "gopher tortoises," and are a protected tortoise species. They are medium to large in size with a heavy shell and stumpy feet. Young tortoises have bright tan and brown shells, while adult tortoises have darker shells. The tortoises' front legs are flat and heavily scaled. The rear legs are stout and elephant-like.
In order to hide from bad weather, predators and fires, gopher tortoises spend most of their time in "gopher holes." These are burrows the tortoises dig in the earth. These burrows can be up to 30 feet long with a den at the end. In addition to tortoises, scientists have determined that more than 300 species of animals use the tortoises' holes for protection, including the threatened Eastern indigo snake!
