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. Wildlife in Southwest Florida can face an array of challenges in order to survive. Natural predators, hurricanes, vehicles and the ...

Add Yahoo as a preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. A rescued gopher tortoise arrived at the Nokuse Nature Preserve in Florida's Panhandle while my sister Erica and I were there. It ...

A rescued gopher tortoise arrived at the Nokuse Nature Preserve in Florida’s Panhandle while my sister Erica and I were there. It didn’t know how lucky it was. Across Florida, builders are required to ...

Florida’s iconic gopher tortoise is in trouble, experts say. The keystone species, which is vital to ecosystems across six southeastern states, is now “critically endangered,” according to the ...

Listen to a Narrated Version of This Story in the ICYMI Series for the Line Life Podcast Wes Graham holds up his hand like a sergeant halting his squad. “See him? There he is,” he said. The ...

PONCE INLET, Fla. — The Marine Science Center in Ponce Inlet says it is about to set a new record for the number of injured gopher tortoises it is taking care of. Some of the tortoises are vulnerable ...

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 ...

TALLAHASSEE, Fla.— The International Union for Conservation of Nature has published a new assessment that revises the gopher tortoise’s status from “vulnerable” to “critically endangered” on the IUCN ...

The gopher tortoise is one of five tortoises native to North America and the only one east of the Mississippi River.

Wildlife in Southwest Florida can face an array of challenges in order to survive. Natural predators, hurricanes, vehicles and the constant growth and development taking place that impacts their ...

A rescued gopher tortoise arrived at the Nokuse Nature Preserve in Florida’s Panhandle while my sister Erica and I were there. It didn’t know how lucky it was. Across Florida, builders are required to ...