Help Track Gopher Tortoises with New App

Tampa Bay area residents who want to lend a hand in helping protect the state’s gopher tortoise population only need a smartphone to get started.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission has rolled out a new app that transforms residents into “citizen scientists,” enabling them to record the location of protected gopher tortoises they encounter in the backyards and neighborhoods.

“Photos submitted through the app are reviewed by biologists and then posted to our new interactive map,” the agency explained on its Facebook page. “The online map only shows the approximate location – specific location (latitude and longitude) of where the photo was taken is stored in our database but not displayed on the online map, so exact locations of tortoises are not made public.”

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Gopher tortoises are considered a threatened species and are also protected under Florida law. These critters are found throughout the state and are particularly fond of sandy areas that are well-drained and have a sparse tree canopy and lots of low-growing vegetation.

The idea behind the app is to help document where tortoises live throughout the state so they can be protected.

To download the free app, which is available for both Android and iOS smartphones, just visit FWC online.

Photo courtesy of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission

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