Environmental effects on a coastal population of gopher tortoises
Kushlan JA and Mazzotti FJ. 1984. Environmental effects on a coastal population of gopher tortoises. Journal of Herpetology. 18(3):231-239
The authors report the status of gopher tortoises (Gopherus polyphemus) found on Cape Sable, within Everglades National Park, FL. This isolated population is dense (about 11.3 tortoises/ha) and consists of over 1200 tortoises. The authors suggest that environmental conditions, particularly storms and drought, may explain the recent population trend, size structure, and distribution of the tortoises' coastal population. Population density increases and the occurrence of larger animals may be due to the long-term absence of human predation. A map and photograph of the study site are included.
- Type
- Journal Article
- Authors
- Kushlan, James; Mazzotti, Frank
- Units
- EVER
- Keywords
- Animal Studies, gopher tortoise (Gopherus polyphemus), Impacts, Population Density, Storms