Gopher tortoises can live 40 to 60 years in the wild, though captive tortoises may live 90+ years. Males reach adulthood at approximately 9-12 years of age, whereas a female may take 10-21 years to reach maturity depending on local resource abundance and latitude (Ernst et al.

How can you tell how old a gopher turtle is?

The tortoise we featured is the Gopher Tortoise and you can tell the age by counting the rings on it's scute. Each plate on the shell is ridged and each ridge represents a year's growth.

How often do gopher turtles come out?

Biology and behavior: Gopher tortoises are most active during April–October, but in southern Florida they are also active on warm days in winter. They live in excavated burrows that are an average of 15 feet long and 6.5 feet deep and provide shelter from weather, fire, and predators.