# Only thing better than a beach vaca day...



## Melis (Oct 6, 2017)

Is a beach vaca day with a tort sighting!


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## Maro2Bear (Oct 6, 2017)

Great sighting! We had similar luck down in Jacksonville, Fl last winter. Where was your sighting?


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## Melis (Oct 6, 2017)

Maro2Bear said:


> Great sighting! We had similar luck down in Jacksonville, Fl last winter. Where was your sighting?


Caspersen beach, near Venice, Fl. I'm from Maryland so I always get excited getting to chase around the anoles down here, but this definitely topped that! Lol


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## teresaf (Oct 6, 2017)

I LOVE the anoles! And the frogs! And the tortoises that stroll by! Oh MY!


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## Maro2Bear (Dec 19, 2017)

Greetings

We were just out walking the Florida coastal highway (A1A) near Flagler Beach in an area with some open over grown scrub lots, smaller cottages, motels, etc. and came across a nice adult Florida Gopher tort out having a snack. We got some pix as he walked back up into the scrub area along a path right to his burrow. It's always just so much fun to stumble across these guys in the "wild ".

Here's one pix for now.


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## Melis (Dec 19, 2017)

Maro2Bear said:


> Greetings
> 
> We were just out walking the Florida coastal highway (A1A) near Flagler Beach in an area with some open over grown scrub lots, smaller cottages, motels, etc. and came across a nice adult Florida Gopher tort out having a snack. We got some pix as he walked back up into the scrub area along a path right to his burrow. It's always just so much fun to stumble across these guys in the "wild ".
> 
> ...


Love it! And super jealous you are in Florida! (Even though Maryland was confused today and we got up to 60 degrees lol)


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## Maro2Bear (Dec 19, 2017)

Florida Gopher Tortoise on the Edge of His Burrow




Gopher Tort Kicking Sand Back at His Intruder






Gopher Tort Heading In to Safety of His Burrow



Yes...I heard it was super warm there today! But... No tortoise sightings I'm certain.

Here are a few more pix of Mr Gopher tort... He first stopped at the entrance of the burrow, and kicked some sand back toward me in an aggressive way i guess. He stayed like that 'til i stood up, and he scooted on further into the burrow.

Further on our way back to our cottage..we found a few more burrows, one with another tort half way out. I'll have to revisit again.


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## orv (Dec 19, 2017)

Maro2Bear said:


> View attachment 225469
> 
> Florida Gopher Tortoise on the Edge of His Burrow
> 
> ...


 I can't help but notice that this tortoise's natural "substrate " is Florida sand. How is this not a danger to their intestinal tracts? We have long been taught here on the forums that this can be fatal. Where I live here in the Southern California High Desert, our habitat for our CDT's contains some decomposed granite, ie sand, and I have long been concerned as they have often dragged their food across their bowel and into the sand. Should I be worried when they awaken come Spring? We've had our old gal for nearly 50 years without a problem, but we rescued two new juvenile females this summer, thus my concern.


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## Maro2Bear (Dec 20, 2017)

orv said:


> I can't help but notice that this tortoise's natural "substrate " is Florida sand. How is this not a danger to their intestinal tracts? We have long been taught here on the forums that this can be fatal. Where I live here in the Southern California High Desert, our habitat for our CDT's contains some decomposed granite, ie sand, and I have long been concerned as they have often dragged their food across their bowel and into the sand. Should I be worried when they awaken come Spring? We've had our old gal for nearly 50 years without a problem, but we rescued two new juvenile females this summer, thus my concern.



@orv Good observation and question. I agree that sand substrate here on the Forum is discouraged in fear of intestinal impaction. I'm sure that @Tom has recounted many negative, first-hand observations of sand impaction. But here are these native Gopher torts digging and burying down into 100% pure sand. In another vacant plot of land that I explored, it too was heavily grown over with aloe and sedum and cactus and palm and grasses of all types, there were multiple burrows dug out just like prairie dog or ground hog burrows - all sand. I did see one other tort, who quickly went back down under.

Here's another above ground shot.


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## RosemaryDW (Dec 26, 2017)

orv said:


> Where I live here in the Southern California High Desert, our habitat for our CDT's contains some decomposed granite, ie sand, and I have long been concerned as they have often dragged their food across their bowel and into the sand.



Is your habitat outside, in other words is the sand/granite native to your area? I think Tom means a loose, playsand type of substrate, not trampled down, native substrate.

At any rate, if it’s worked for fifty years, I wouldn’t change it.


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