For nearly forty years, Georgia’s state reptile has been the gopher tortoise. Named as such in 1989 during a time of intense concern for the important species, the state has done tremendous work on improving and conserving habitat to increase the state’s population of the at-risk species. The species was listed on the Endangered Species Act list in Louisiana, Mississippi and western Alabama in 1987. The Georgia range was a candidate for listing for many years until a threshold was reached back in 2022 and now a new goal has been reached in the state’s conservation efforts. The Georgia Gopher Tortoise Initiative has permanently protected 65 separate and viable tortoise populations.
“We’re incredibly proud of the success of these conservation efforts. Avoiding federal listing not only helps protect wildlife, it also prevents potential economic impacts for our state,” said Georgia Department of Natural Resources Commissioner Walter Rabon. “This collaborative approach has shown great promise as a model for successful wildlife conservation in the future.”
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