Gopher Tortoise Council

08/19/2026

MERCH ALERT! 🐢💚
Gopher Tortoise Council merch is now available for purchase! Shirts, hats, mugs and totes feature this year's Annual Meeting logo. Order from the Bonfire website for delivery right to your door! You don't have to attend the meeting to purchase the items - anyone can sport this year's logo on their favorite item! All proceeds help fund our annual grants programs and gopher tortoise conservation.
https://www.bonfire.com/store/2026-gopher-tortoise-council/

08/15/2026

Friday Fun Fact!

Female gopher tortoises generally lay one clutch of three to fourteen eggs annually, with the size of the clutch influenced by the tortoise's body size. The hatchlings and juveniles exhibit vibrant hues of bright yellow-orange, tan, and brown. As they mature into adulthood, their once-bright coloration gradually transforms into deeper tones of tan, brown, or gray.

📸 Lisa Lord

08/12/2026

Happy 104th year, Gus Gopher-Tortoise! at the Museum of Natural History 🐢💚🎉🎂

08/03/2026

The 48th Annual Meeting of the Gopher Tortoise Council will be held at The Lodge at Gulf State Park in Gulf Shores, Alabama, November 6–8, 2026.

Key deadlines:
🐦 Early bird registration until October 1
🛏 Hotel room block reservation until October 8
📊 Abstracts for oral and poster presentations can be submitted until October 5
The meeting will include the Special Session "The Benefits and Disadvantages of Using Conservation Easements to Achieve Conservation Successes."

🔗 More information and links to register, submit and book are on our website: https://gophertortoisecouncil.org/annual-meeting
🐢🐍💚

08/03/2026

Seasonal jobs working on gopher tortoise surveys in Georgia.

We have a couple of positions open for our gopher tortoise project!

We have opportunities for a seasonal technician (6-8 mos) and a permanent staff (min 1 yr commitment requested) positions. Both will be working on our gopher tortoise survey crew. Their time will focus on fieldwork, specifically conducting surveys that will include walking transects to identify burrows and other surface-active wildlife, followed by scoping all underground refugia with burrow cameras. Surveys will occur during the winter in accordance with peak indigo snake season and will frequently involve staying overnight in hotels. This position will work in a variety of habitat types, including but not limited to sandhills, forests, and agricultural fields. In addition to fieldwork, they will also participate in data management and GIS mapping. They will be based in Brunswick, GA at the Marine Extension and Georgia Sea Grant station.

The staff position will additionally serve as a field crew lead on surveys and take part in some of our research on tortoises and habitat management. They additionally will have opportunities for data analysis and publications.

Staff (Sep, min 1 yr requested): https://www.ugajobsearch.com/postings/496419

Seasonal Tech (~Sep-Apr): https://www.ugajobsearch.com/postings/488743

Applications must be submitted via the UGA website to be considered. Interested candidates can apply for either or both positions.

07/21/2026

The Gopher Tortoise Council submitted a letter to the U.S. Bureau of Land Management today, requesting they withdraw their proposal for 5 new oil & gas drilling leases that would directly impact 2,263 acres of occupied gopher tortoise and eastern indigo snake habitat. Tomorrow is the deadline to submit comments. Link in comments below. 📸 Jeff Goessling 🐢🐍

07/18/2026

New research on the use gopher tortoise monitoring data to inform habitat restoration and translocations.

https://wildlife.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/toc/19372817/2026/90/5

07/16/2026

Ssssslithering into , we are celebrating our upland snakes in the southeast!

The southeastern United States is one of the most biodiverse places in the nation, and it wouldn’t be possible without the help of the gopher tortoise and burrows they maintain that provide refuge for more than 350 other animals, including black racers, rattlesnakes, eastern indigo snakes, and others. Snakes provide vital ecosystem services as top predators, in nutrient cycling, and for medicine (antivenom).

We are upland snake and not planning on stopping. Give snakes their space and ssss-elebrate all that they do for our native ecosystems.
🐍🐢💚