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NEED FOR "OLD" HAY FOR USE IN GOPHER TORTOISE CONSERVATION
Hay Bales For Tortoises
The Gopher Tortoise Conservation Initiative (GTCI) is a program that is helping private landowners and others to protect gopher tortoises on their land and to help create good regulations that permit proper use of the land while insuring the existence of this species for generations to come.
 The parent organization of GTCI, the Ashton Biodiversity Research and Preservation Institute, Inc. (non profit 501 3C) has been doing research along with others to determine how gopher tortoises can be moved from development sites to private or conservation lands in a successful manner. Studies have shown that the idea of just releasing tortoises in a good habitat works poorly in saving the animals being moved and establishing a long-term population. Tortoises, like most other animals, have a homing instinct. Once released, they try to head home. This leads to tortoises wandering until they try to cross a road or going off the protected property to try and settle elsewhere when it becomes obvious to the tortoise that it cannot get back home.
Our studies show that if we contain tortoises within the relocation site by a barrier like hay bales for 3 to 6 months, they will clear their internal homing directions and consider the new site their home. Hay bales work great in that the tortoises cannot see the ground horizon and seem to give up from trying to escape faster. If the hay is put down properly, the tortoises rarely dig under them. Old hay will begin to decompose in about the proper time the barrier should be lifted to allow tortoises to expand their foraging home range thus saving money.
We are asking your help in finding "Old Hay" bales that are too old to be used for food but are still intact and will likely hold their shape for at least 3 months after they are put out around the tortoise release areas. Individuals who are managing relocations are not required by the state to put in fencing around relocation sites by the Florida Game and Freshwater Fish Commission (FWC). This means that the donor landowner or the consultants that usually handle these relocations are not willing to buy the hay or other forms of barriers to keep the tortoises in for the required time. We ask that bales be donated but if necessary in some situations a nominal charge may be able to be covered by the owner of the sites where the tortoises are to be relocated.
If you contact us, we will be happy to notify individuals in your area that there is a source of hay that they may arrange to obtain for the placement of these barriers. It takes about 1200 bales to surround 12-15 acres. This is enough area, if the habitat is good to place up to 30 or more tortoises. We would like the hay to come from the same region as the relocation so we do not contribute to the spread of exotic plants.
Please contact us by phone 352-495-7449 or email Tortfarm2@aol.com if you wish to be a hay donor. We would also like to ask you to place this request in your newsletter or email announcements to your members. This is another way in which private landowners can help conservation.
New Distributor
The Institute has found one large hay distributor in North Central Florida, that can supply old hay for tortoise relocation fencing. We are looking for others and will be glad to hook up consultants or land managers who need hay for enclosures. The quality is nearly new and will hold up for 6 months to a year, pending conditions. Several thousand bales can be obtained at a time. The cost is $2.75/ standard bale. Delivery and setting the hay fence are seprate charges or you can arrange to pick up the hay yourself. Email Ray Ashton for details tortfarm2@aol.com.
Skeeter Ranch will sell 2nd square bales to friends of the Gopher Tortoise for $1.00 per bale.
Skeeter Ranch
7093 S.W. 67th Drive
Jasper, FL 32052
Office 904-529-5212
Mobile 904-237-1155
Fax 904-529-1520
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