Friday, September 26, 2014

Sanibel's CROW reports on Gus the Gopher Tortoise

Although we might be tempted to say all animals are created equal, the truth is that they are not.

On Sanibel we value all animals, but various species are more valuable than others.

Like wolves in the wilderness that are a keystone species---- effecting the environment more than many other animals---- tortoises are index or indicator species.    An indicator species is any biological species that defines a trait or characteristic of the environment.  For example, a species may delineate an ecoregion or indicate an environmental conditions such as a disease outbreak, pollution, species competition or climate change.
 
As in any food web, removing certain flora or fauna out of the equation can adversely affect the survival of that ecosystem. According to Sanibel's Center for the Rehabilitation of Wildlife (CROW), the gopher tortoise is especially important because the burrows, which are dug by the tortoises, also provide homes for other animals, such as indigo snakes, gopher frogs, mice, foxes, skunks, opossums, rabbits, quail, armadillos, burrowing owls, snakes, lizards, frogs, toads and other invertebrates. Gopher tortoise burrows are home to about 250 species of animals at one time or another. Some species share the burrows with the tortoises and others utilize abandoned burrows. Since the burrows are used by so many species, removing the tortoises from the local habitat would leave many animals without homes.
 
So the arrival of an injured or sick tortoise at CROW is of great importance in terms of Sanibel's environment. 
 
Gus, the tortoise,  had been a patient at CROW since December 6, 2013. He came to the clinic after being hit by a car in Lehigh Acres. Gus's shell had major cracks and he was dragging his left leg. Originally, CROW staff members didn't think he would be able to be released due to the severity of his injuries. "He had to have his shell repaired. He also needed medications for his pain, medications for the inflammation from the original accident and antibiotics to prevent any infections. It was a lot of wound care and then physical therapy," said Dr. Heather Barron, CROW's hospital director. "Gus was with us for a long time."
 
But as anxious as everyone was about Gus's rehabilitation , they were jubilant at his healing and release on August 25.  Gus had been a very special patient, and had finally healed enough to be transported back to his natural habitat with the assistance of David Mason, a senior environmental scientist with Boylan Environmental Consultants. Mason picked Gus up from Specialized Veterinary Services in Fort Myers before driving out to the area of Lehigh Acres where Gus was originally discovered. Before Mason released Gus, he scouted the area to ensure the adult gopher turtle would be able to readapt to the environment, including digging a "starter burrow" for Gus. "The release went really well," Mason said. "It was a pretty typical release. This guy went straight for the burrow, which is really nice. I always like to do what I call the 'soft release,' digging at least a two-foot burrow. That way he has immediate shelter, shade and protection, rather than throw him on the site and let him fend for himself. Their own burrows can take up to three days to build."
 
So Gus is free and the world is a better place!

No comments: