Prevalence and Extent of Shell Lesions in a Wild Population of Young Gopherus polyphemus (Gopher Tortoise) in Florida

Nicole M. Bednarik¹, Rachel B. Fedders¹, and Betsie B. Rothermel^1,*

¹Archbold Biological Station, 123 Main Drive, Venus, FL 33960. *Corresponding author.

Southeastern Naturalist, Volume 24, Issue 2 (2025): 97–105

First published early online: 18 May 2025

Abstract
Shell lesions in turtles can be chronic and vary in severity, from superficial flaking and discoloration to deep lesions that affect bone and internal tissues. Relatively few studies have characterized shell lesions in wild, terrestrial chelonians. We captured and measured 26 Gopherus polyphemus (Gopher Tortoise) between 2 and 7 years of age and visually assessed the prevalence and extent of shell lesions. Shell flaking or discoloration was present in 69.2% of sampled tortoises, although none had severe lesions, and affected tortoises did not exhibit other clinical signs of disease. Larger tortoises had significantly greater numbers of affected scutes than smaller tortoises. Given ongoing population declines of Gopher Tortoises and environmental changes across their range, it is important to sample more populations and collect histopathologic, microbiologic, and molecular diagnostic data to better understand the etiology and potential effects of this enigmatic shell condition.

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