Once known as 'Hoover chickens,' the long-lived gopher tortoises are now at the center of a growing conservation battle.

Add Yahoo as a preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. Boasting more than 80 distinct ecosystems, Florida is a biodiversity hot spot. In fact, more than 4,000 animal species are native ...

The fate of the gopher tortoise, Georgia’s state reptile and the only land tortoise in the eastern U.S., has worried conservationists for decades. Habitat loss and other factors have pushed ...

Not all turtles can swim, wildlife authorities in Florida had to remind everyone recently after receiving reports of at least three people trying to release tortoises into the ocean after mistaking ...

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla.— The Center for Biological Diversity and Nokuse Education, Inc. sued the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today for denying Endangered Species Act protections to gopher tortoises ...

Add Yahoo as a preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. ALBANY — Love is in the air for Georgia’s official state reptile, and female gopher tortoises are busy laying clutches of eggs ...

Slow and steady wins the race, but unhurried preservation measures could lead to the Florida gopher tortoises’ demise. “They are these incredible ecosystem engineers,” said Elise Bennett, Florida and ...

JEKYLL ISLAND, GA (WTOC) - The Gopher tortoise is the Georgia state reptile but it's facing extinction. But with the help of veterinarians from across the state, one park manager is hoping to bring ...

Boasting more than 80 distinct ecosystems, Florida is a biodiversity hot spot. In fact, more than 4,000 animal species are native to the Sunshine State. In the heat of summer, a growing number of ...