May 1, 2021

I am known as a Gopher Tortoise

Note that I am a Tortoise, although also a Turtle*.

Turtles can go in the water, I live exclusively on land

For me, swimming is an insurmountable hurdle!

* Please read the article linked below, but to quote it: 

All tortoises are in fact turtles—that is, they belong to the order Testudines or Chelonia, reptiles having bodies encased in a bony shell—but not all turtles are tortoises. [...] The most important thing to remember about tortoises is that they are exclusively land creatures. 

Location: Turkey Creek Sanctuary, Palm Bay

Sources: https://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/FLFFWCC/bulletins/fcaa6e

https://www.britannica.com/story/whats-the-difference-between-a-turtle-and-a-tortoise

Photo and text © 2021 Dee Fairbanks Simpson