The Gopher Tortoise Council (GTC) was formed in 1978 by a group
of biologists and others concerned about the range-wide decline
of the gopher tortoise (Gopherus polyphemus). The Council offers
professional advice for management, conservation, and protection
of gopher tortoises; encourages the study of the life history,
ecology, and management of gopher tortoises and other upland
species; conducts active public information and conservation
education programs, and seeks effective protection of the gopher
tortoise and other upland species throughout the southeastern
United States. Approximate range of the gopher tortoise The
gopher tortoise is a species in decline and warrants additional
protection rangewide on both a state and federal level. It is a
species that lives a long life, reaches sexual maturity at over
ten years of age, produces relatively small clutches,
experiences low recruitment, and suffers from an upper
respiratory tract disease, high levels of predation and loss of
habitat. Severe losses in the