Question

What conclusions did Knapp et al. draw about the importance of gopher tortoise burrows? How

is this related to the gopher tortoise's status as a keystone species?

Answer 1

. The gopher tortoise creates burrows in the ground which are more like an underground village—they provide homes to a variety of other creatures in addition to the tortoise.  Gopher tortoises dig their burrows in well-drained, sandy soils throughout the southeast. These burrows average 6 to 8 feet in depth, 15 feet in length, and provide habitat for over 350 species such as black pine snakes, gopher frogs, Florida mice, foxes, skunks, opossums, rabbits, quail, armadillos, burrowing owls, snakes, lizards, frogs, toads, and many invertebrates. As it provides shelter to many more endangered species such as endangered indigo snakes, eastern diamondback rattlesnakes, gopher frogs and burrowing owls. For this reason, Gopher tortoises are considered keystone species.