Rigor Vitae: Life Unyielding

Friday, June 15, 2007

FLORIDA GOPHER TORTOISES


A single modern tortoise genus containing four species inhabits the North American continent. Closely related to the extinct Eocene genus Stylemys, they are highly adapted for burrowing, which they do proficiently, hence the common moniker, gopher tortoise. All four species are imperiled to some degree, sometimes because of their fossorial habits. The westernmost species, the Desert Tortoise (Gopherus agasizii - above) ranges from southwestern Utah southwest into SW California, northern Baja California and Sonora and NW Sinaloa. Cattle interests have historically been an enemy of the Desert Tortoise, which prefers digging its burrows in the grasslands used for grazing. Today the Utah population is severely threatened by the ever-expanding metropolis of St. George. The USFWS lists the species as threatened, and the IUCN calls it vulnerable. The Texas Tortoise (G. berlandieri), which occurs from Texas south to S. Taumalipas, is probably in the best shape of any of the four. The USFWS does not list it, and the IUCN lists its status as indeterminate. In 1959, my homeboy John Legler described the largest member of the genus, the 37 cm. Bolson Tortoise (G. flavomarginatus), whose restricted range in the Bolson de Mapimi, where the Mexican states of Chihuahua, Coahuila and Durango meet, justify its endangered status on both lists. In the eastern U.S., a population of the Gopher Tortoise (G. polyphemus) is distributed from E. South Carolina, south through Florida, while a disjunct population ranges from SE Louisiana east to Alabama. The IUCN lists the species as vulnerable, while the USFWS deems the western population threatened. Censusing creatures that spend most of their time underground is difficult, and there are no good data on Gopher Tortoises, but it's generally agreed that there are more of the reptiles in Florida than anywhere else. The sandy, well-drained soils preferred by the tortoises are also coveted by land developers, and the inherent conflict potential has been obvious for years. In 1979, state wildlife officials gave Gopher Tortoises the status of “species of special concern,” affording them protection from harm by persons who hadn't filled out the required forms. For the past 16 years, Florida officials have been handling tortoise/developer conflicts the same way they're handled in Mississippi: the developer is issued an expensive “incidental take permit,” which allows them to pave or build over tortoise burrows. The fees collected go into a fund for protecting tortoise habitat elsewhere. To this date, it's estimated that under the Florida program, more than 94,000 tortoises have been buried alive, while 25,000 acres of tortoise habitat has been purchased and protected by the state, about 15% the size of the 1.7 million acres of tortoise habitat that has turned to homes, highways, strip malls, etc.

The Florida Fish & Wildlife has been under pressure from various groups and individuals to change this policy. Conservationists don't like the fact that it's not preventing habitat decimation, and animal-rights folks find the slow killing of the reptiles by suffocation or crushing to be cruel. Last summer, the state issued a report estimating that the population of Florida tortoises is roughly half of what it was 90 years ago, and an effort is being made to upgrade the species' state status to “threatened.” On Wednesday, officials announced that the “pay to pave” program will be terminated as of July 31, 2007. Rather than deny developers their right to build whatever projects they please, the new plan will require them to relocate tortoises to “safe areas.” Over the next 15 years, the state plans to expand the tortoise reservation area by 615,000 acres, and relocate 180,000 tortoises, and “improve” habitat on the reservation. The Burrowing Owls, Indigo Snakes, camel crickets, and the many other species that find sanctuary in Gopher Tortoise burrows will have to find their own ride. Already, developers are complaining of hardship. Past attempts at relocating Gopherus tortoises have seen large percentages of the reptiles attempting to find their way back, and the spreading of respiratory infections is a very real danger, too. We're likely watching the birth of the Florida State Turtle Zoo.

2 Comments:

Blogger Camera Trap Codger said...

Thanks for that update and evocative painting, Carel. A few years ago I visited the desert tortoise rescue facility in Las Vegas NV. It is pretty much the same story there, with massive paving of tortoise habitat, but I believe they were gathering up the tortoises before the arrival of the dozers, and there was a public education program too. Apparently desert tortoises have a nutritional "pinch period" in the spring when competition with cattle can have fatal consequences. What a pity that these ancient survivors that live under such marginal conditions are now losing ground to get-rich-fast developers, but it's not a new story.

8:20 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

情趣用品,情趣用品,情趣用品,情趣用品,情趣用品,情趣用品,情趣用品,情趣用品,情趣用品,情趣用品,情趣用品,情趣用品,情趣用品,情趣用品,情趣用品,情趣用品,情趣用品,情趣用品,情趣用品,情趣用品,情趣用品,情趣用品,情趣用品,情趣用品,情趣用品,情趣用品,情趣用品,情趣用品,情趣用品,情趣用品,情趣用品,情趣用品,情趣用品,情趣用品,情趣用品,情趣用品,情趣用品,情趣用品,情趣用品,情趣用品,情趣用品,情趣,情趣,情趣,情趣,情趣,情趣,情趣,情趣,情趣,情趣,情趣,情趣,情趣,情趣,情趣,情趣,情趣,情趣,情趣,情趣,情趣,情趣,情趣,情趣,情趣,情趣,情趣,情趣,情趣,情趣,情趣,情趣,情趣,情趣,情趣,情趣,情趣,情趣,情趣,情趣,情趣,美國aneros,rudeboy,英國rudeboy,英國Rocksoff,德國Fun Factory,Fun Factory,英國甜筒造型按摩座,甜筒造型按摩座,英國Rock Chic ,瑞典 Lelo ,英國Emotional Bliss,英國 E.B,荷蘭 Natural Contours,荷蘭 N C,美國 OhMiBod,美國 OMB,Naughti Nano ,音樂按摩棒,ipod按摩棒,美國 The Screaming O,美國TSO,美國TOPCO,美國Doc Johnson,美國CA Exotic,美國CEN,美國Nasstoy,美國Tonguejoy,英國Je Joue,美國Pipe Dream,美國California Exotic,美國NassToys,美國Vibropod,美國Penthouse,仿真按摩棒,矽膠按摩棒,猛男倒模,真人倒模,仿真倒模,PJUR,Zestra,適趣液,穿戴套具,日本NPG,雙頭龍,FANCARNAL,日本NIPPORI,日本GEL,日本Aqua Style,美國WET,費洛蒙,費洛蒙香水,仿真名器,av女優,打炮,做愛,性愛,口交,吹喇叭,肛交,魔女訓練大師,無線跳蛋,有線跳蛋,震動棒,震動保險套,震動套,TOY-情趣用品,情趣用品網,情趣購物網,成人用品網,情趣用品討論,成人購物網,鎖精套,鎖精環,持久環,持久套,拉珠,逼真按摩棒,名器,超名器,逼真老二,電動自慰,自慰,打手槍,仿真女郎,SM道具,SM,性感內褲,仿真按摩棒,pornograph,hunter系列,h動畫,成人動畫,成人卡通,情色動畫,情色卡通,色情動畫,色情卡通,無修正,禁斷,人妻,極悪調教,姦淫,近親相姦,顏射,盜攝,偷拍,本土自拍,素人自拍,公園露出,街道露出,野外露出,誘姦,迷姦,輪姦,凌辱,痴漢,痴女,素人娘,中出,巨乳,調教,潮吹,av,a片,成人影片,成人影音,線上影片,成人光碟,成人無碼,成人dvd,情色影音,情色影片,情色dvd,情色光碟,航空版,薄碼,色情dvd,色情影音,色情光碟,線上A片,免費A片,A片下載,成人電影,色情電影,TOKYO HOT,SKY ANGEL,一本道,SOD,S1,ALICE JAPAN,皇冠系列,老虎系列,東京熱,亞熱,武士系列,新潮館,情趣用品,情趣,情趣商品,情趣網站,跳蛋,按摩棒,充氣娃娃,自慰套,G點,性感內衣,情趣內衣,角色扮演,生日禮物,生日精品,自慰,打手槍,潮吹,高潮,後庭,情色論譠,影片下載,遊戲下載,手機鈴聲,音樂下載,開獎號碼,統一發票號碼,夜市,統一發票對獎,保險套,做愛,減肥,美容,瘦身,當舖,軟體下載,汽車,機車,手機,來電答鈴,週年慶,美食,徵信社,網頁設計,網站設計,室內設計,靈異照片,同志,聊天室,運動彩券,大樂透,威力彩,搬家公司,除蟲,偷拍,自拍,無名破解,av女優,小說,民宿,大樂透開獎號碼,大樂透中獎號碼,威力彩開獎號碼,討論區,痴漢,懷孕,美女交友,交友,日本av,日本,機票,香水,股市,股市行情, 股市分析,租房子,成人影片,免費影片,醫學美容,免費算命,算命,姓名配對,姓名學,姓名學免費,遊戲,好玩遊戲,好玩遊戲區,線上遊戲,新遊戲,漫畫,線上漫畫,動畫,成人圖片,桌布,桌布下載,電視節目表,線上電視,線上a片,線上掃毒,線上翻譯,購物車,身分證製造機,身分證產生器,手機,二手車,中古車,法拍屋,歌詞,音樂,音樂網,火車,房屋,情趣用品,情趣,情趣商品,情趣網站,跳蛋,按摩棒,充氣娃娃,自慰套, G點,性感內衣,情趣內衣,角色扮演,生日禮物,精品,禮品,自慰,打手槍,潮吹,高潮,後庭,情色論譠,影片下載,遊戲下載,手機鈴聲,音樂下載,開獎號碼,統一發票,夜市,保險套,做愛,減肥,美容,瘦身,當舖,軟體下載,汽車,機車,手機,來電答鈴,週年慶,美食,徵信社,網頁設計,網站設計,室內設計,靈異照片,同志,聊天室,運動彩券,,大樂透,威力彩,搬家公司,除蟲,偷拍,自拍,無名破解, av女優,小說,民宿,大樂透開獎號碼,大樂透中獎號碼,威力彩開獎號碼,討論區,痴漢,懷孕,美女交友,交友,日本av ,日本,機票,香水,股市,股市行情,股市分析,租房子,成人影片,免費影片,醫學美容,免費算命,算命,姓名配對,姓名學,姓名學免費,遊戲,好玩遊戲,好玩遊戲區,線上遊戲,新遊戲,漫畫,線上漫畫,動畫,成人圖片,桌布,桌布下載,電視節目表,線上電視,線上a片,線上a片,線上翻譯,購物車,身分證製造機,身分證產生器,手機,二手車,中古車,法拍屋,歌詞,音樂,音樂網,借錢,房屋,街頭籃球,找工作,旅行社,六合彩,整型,整型,珠海,雷射溶脂,婚紗,網頁設計,水噹噹,台中隆鼻,果凍隆乳,改運整型,自體脂肪移植,新娘造型,婚禮顧問,下川島,常平,常平,珠海,澳門機票,香港機票,貸款,貸款,信用貸款,宜蘭民宿,花蓮民宿,未婚聯誼,網路購物,婚友,婚友社,未婚聯誼,交友,婚友,婚友社,單身聯誼,未婚聯誼,未婚聯誼, 婚友社,婚友,婚友社,單身聯誼,婚友,未婚聯誼,婚友社,未婚聯誼,單身聯誼,單身聯誼,白蟻,白蟻,除蟲,老鼠,減肥,減肥,在家工作,在家工作,婚友,單身聯誼,未婚聯誼,婚友,交友,交友,婚友社,婚友社,婚友社,大陸新娘,大陸新娘,越南新娘,越南新娘,外籍新娘,外籍新娘,台中坐月子中心,搬家公司,搬家公司,中和搬家,台北搬家,板橋搬家,新店搬家,線上客服,網頁設計,線上客服,網頁設計,植牙,關鍵字,關鍵字,seo,seo,網路排名,自然排序,網路排名軟體,交友,越南新娘,婚友社,外籍新娘,大陸新娘,越南新娘,交友,外籍新娘,視訊聊天,大陸新娘,婚友社,婚友,越南新娘,大陸新娘,越南新娘,視訊交友,外籍新娘,網路排名,網路排名軟體,網站排名優化大師,關鍵字排名大師,網站排名seo大師,關鍵字行銷專家,關鍵字,seo,關鍵字行銷,網頁排序,網頁排名,關鍵字大師,seo大,自然排名,網站排序,網路行銷創業,汽車借款,汽車借錢,汽車貸款,汽車貸款,拉皮,抽脂,近視雷射,隆乳,隆鼻,變性,雙眼皮,眼袋,牙齒,下巴,植牙,人工植牙,植髮,雷射美容,膠原蛋白,皮膚科,醫學美容,玻尿酸,肉毒桿菌,微晶瓷,電波拉皮,脈衝光,關鍵字,關鍵字,seo,seo,網路排名,自然排序,網路排名軟體,汽車借款,汽車借款,汽車借款,汽車貸款,汽車貸款,借錢,借貸,當舖,借款,借貸,借錢,週轉,學英文,英文社團,英語俱樂部,學習英文,英語會話,英文演講,English Club,學英語,學英文,美語社團,英語社團,英文讀書會,Toastmasters,Toastmaster,英語讀書會,拍樂得批發,拍樂得飾品,拍樂得化妝品批發,

7:34 PM  

Post a Comment

<< Home