Thank you to the forest gnomes and creatures that protect and care for this geocache!
I painted a gopher tortoise and loggerhead sea turtle on this geocache to represent the diversity of Florida’s wildlife and habitats. What is so magnificent about Florida is that you have an opportunity to see both these beautiful turtles in their natural habitats. You may see a gopher tortoise on these trails, but please don't disturb them :)
Fun facts:
Gopher Tortoise: Gopherus polyphemus:
The gopher tortoise is a threatened species and protected under state law. It is a moderate-sized, terrestrial turtle, averaging 23–28 cm (9–11 in) in length. Gopher tortoises can live 40 to 60 years in the wild. Gopher tortoises are ancient: their ancestors are a species of land tortoise that originated in western North America some 60 million years ago.
They live in well-drained sandy areas with a sparse tree canopy and abundant low growing vegetation. An amazing trait of the gopher tortoise is that it shares its burrow with more than 350 other species, including burrowing owls, Florida mice, indigo snakes, opossums, rabbits, gopher frog, eastern diamondback rattlesnakes and gopher crickets. For this reason it is called a keystone species.
Loggerhead sea turtles: (Caretta caretta)
The most common sea turtle in Florida, the loggerhead is a threatened species and is named for its massive, block-like head. Loggerheads are among the larger sea turtles with a length is between 2.5-3.5 feet and weight 155-375 lbs. Their lifespan is 30-35 years and they nest from May – October. Their beach track is distinctive with alternating, comma-shaped flipper marks and no tail. As is true for all sea turtles, the adult male has a long tail, whereas the female's tail is short; however, a juvenile's cannot be determined externally.It is a slow swimmer compared to other sea turtles, but compensates for its lack of speed with stamina.
There are five species of sea turtles in Florida: Loggerhead, Green turtle, Leatherback, Kemp’s ridley, and Hawksbill.
Turtles represent: longevity, patience, strength, stability, protection, innocence, intuition, and endurance
Bring your trades and happy caching!