Cape Coral Wildlife Trust joins Florida Wildlife Federation as a Keystone Keeper to help protect gopher tortoises
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Cape Coral Wildlife Trust this week announced its partnership with the Florida Wildlife Federation as a Keystone Keeper, joining a statewide effort to protect the gopher tortoise and the ecosystems that depend on it.
Gopher tortoises (Gopherus polyphemus) are a keystone species in Florida's ecosystems. Their deep burrows provide essential shelter for more than 350 other species--including the Eastern indigo snake, gopher frog, Florida mouse, and countless invertebrates. Protecting the gopher tortoise means safeguarding an entire web of life.
As a Keystone Keeper, Cape Coral Wildlife Trust has installed educational signage about gopher tortoises in their preserves, ensuring that the community has access to this vital information.
The gopher tortoise is the only native tortoise species east of the Mississippi River and is found in all 67 counties in Florida. Unfortunately, populations have declined significantly due to habitat loss, urban development, road mortality, and fire suppression. Today, the gopher tortoise is listed as threatened in Florida.
"'We're proud to join the Keystone Keeper program and help protect Florida's wildlife. These signs are a powerful tool to teach visitors about the gopher tortoise and its importance in our state's wild places," said Lori Haus-Bulcock, CCWT Publicist.
The Cape Coral Wildlife Trust is a nonprofit land trust dedicated to the acquisition of wildlife habitat for education, research and the preservation of Cape Coral's indigenous wildlife, with a particular focus on the Florida "Threatened" burrowing owls and gopher tortoises. For more information about gopher tortoise conservation, visit floridawildlifefederation.org.