Pelican Island Audubon Society

Gopher Tortoise: The Master Builder of the Savannah with Diane Morgan

Let’s talk tortoise! He doesn’t look like much. Trundling along in an uninspiring landscape, crunching away at grass, this plain brown tortoise seems unimpressive. He doesn’t have the cachet of the sea turtle, the glamor of the Galapagos, or even the notoriety of the snapping turtle. But dig deeper (and you would have to dig) and you will find someone special. He comes from an ancient and storied lineage and his presence today maintains and transforms the environment in ways we are just beginning to comprehend. The old story about the tortoise bearing the earth upon its back may not be nonsense after all. Indeed, upon the sturdy back of the humble gopher tortoise depends an entire ecosystem. He also carries along with their shell, a myriad of symbols, meanings, and mysteries. Over the centuries, they have variously represented wisdom, patience, strength, endurance, stability, prosperity, longevity, sexuality, evil, and cunning. In some cultures, they symbolize the cosmos itself.  With good reason. Find out more at this fascinating meeting!