The gopher tortoise is a true florida native as it's found throughout the state, but only in the southernmost areas of the states bordering florida to the north. In these colder regions, maturity can take twice as long as mentioned. They are quite the diggers. Their burrows can reach a length of 50 feet with a depth of 10 feet. These burrows can allow for a torch to survive wildfires, as well as those cooler temperatures that come with winter.