Author Type

Graduate Student

Date of Award

Spring 5-1-2022

Document Type

Thesis

Publication Status

Version of Record

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

Department

Biological Sciences

First Advisor

Jon Moore

Abstract

In the northern Florida, the breeding season of Gopher Tortoises (Gopherus polyphemus) is typically limited to the warmer months, with courting from April to June, egg-laying from May to June, and hatching in August to September. In southern Florida, however, there is evidence for the year-round reproduction in Gopher Tortoises. We performed ultrasound examinations on the female tortoises in January to May from a site in Palm Beach County in South Florida to determine their reproductive statuses. We found further evidence of fecundity in South Florida gopher tortoises outside what the typical breeding season of more northern sites.

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