SARASOTA, Fla. (WFLA) — The gopher tortoise, which is a protected species in all 67 Florida counties, has been reclassified as critically endangered as researchers believe the animal’s population could lower by as much as 98% over the next 80 years.
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), an international organization that monitors endangered species, believes that overdevelopment is the root cause.
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“That’s what we worry about, right. Less protection that we have for the gopher tortoises or anything, then the more development that can occur. So we’re going to lose even more of them over time,” said Dr. Ryan McCleary, who runs a sanctuary for the animals at the USF Sarasota-Manatee Campus.
There are approximately 70,000 gopher tortoises in existence, according to the IUCN. Within two life spans of the species, the population is expected to become closer to 2,000 tortoises…