The gopher tortoise is a keystone species because as many as 350 species depend on the burrow of the tortoise for its own home and protection. With the heat in Florida reaching tremendous levels, keep on the lookout for these magnificent animals. Do NOT relocate them if you come across one - they are territorial, and you cannot just pick them up and move them (unless it is across the road, so they do not get hit).
Here is a great example of what it means to be a keystone species as an armadillo considers a sleepover in one of our tortoise's burrows at 3 AM this morning.
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