The Tortoise and the Owl

 

Burrowing Owl (Athene cunicularia) perched above its burrow.
Florida Atlantic University, Palm Beach County, Florida.

The Gopher Tortoises (Gopherus polyphemus) and Burrowing Owls (Athene cunicularia) of Florida are on the edge.  They inhabit harsh habitats like scrub and prairie, with well-drained sandy soil. Unfortunately for them, people also covet these habitats.  First, their land was converted to farms, then to suburban housing tracts.  The tortoises and owls are being squeezed by the human population in a fast-growing state.  

Gopher Tortoise (Gopherus polyphemus).
Canaveral National Seashore, Florida. 

Burrowing Owl at the mouth of its burrow.
Florida Atlantic University,
Palm Beach County, Florida.

While Gopher Tortoises and Burrowing Owls may share the same environment, they lead very different lives.  Gopher Tortoises are found on the Coastal Plain of the southeast from eastern Louisiana to South Carolina and down the length of the Florida peninsula.  Gopher Tortoises have high domed shells and, like their namesake rodent, dig burrows. The front legs of Gopher Tortoises have large scales for protection and large claws for digging in the sand.  The rear legs are described as elephantine with large, round flat feet.  Gopher Tortoise burrows provide shelter to many other animal species ranging from Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnakes (Crotalus adamanteus) to Burrowing Owls.  Gopher Tortoises are vegetarians that may survive 60 years in the wild and over 90 years in captivity.  

A pair of Burrowing Owls.
Florida Atlantic University,
Palm Beach County, Florida.

Burrowing Owls have an even wider distribution than Gopher Tortoises, from Patagonia in South America to the high plains of Canada.  The Florida population is isolated.  Florida Burrowing Owls are over 900 miles from the western members of their species.  But during recent ice ages there was a continuous band of scrubland linking Florida to western North America and the owls inhabited it all.  Burrowing Owls are small, standing only about 10 inches tall and are active in the daytime. They have brilliant yellow eyes and their feathers are brown and white. Burrowing Owls long legged and spend much of the time standing near the mouths of their burrows. They feed mainly on insects, small mammals and reptiles. 

Gopher Tortoise.
Florida Atlantic University,
Palm Beach County, Florida.

A Burrowing Owl peering from the mouth of its burrow.
Florida Atlantic University,
Palm Beach County, Florida. 

The Burrowing Owls of western North America use the burrows of rodents like prairie dogs.  Members of the Florida population use the burrows of Gopher Tortoises but can also dig their own tunnels.  Sometimes you can see an owl tossing sand from a burrow in progress.  The burrows serve as shelter and as nest sites.  The original habitat of Florida Burrowing Owls was the Florida scrub and prairies.  As these areas were developed, the owls moved to residential areas, golf courses and airports.  

 Video of Burrowing Owl. Florida Atlantic University, Palm Beach County, Florida. 

Gopher Tortoise emerging from its burrow.
Ocala National Forest, Florida. 

Both Burrowing Owls and Gopher Tortoises are listed as threatened species in Florida.  But despite legal protection, the growth of the human population and relentless real estate development continue to push these marvelous creatures to the edge.