Nests are very susceptible to predation. Hatchlings will either dig their own miniature burrow or seek shelter opportunistically under sand, debris, or litter. Gopher tortoise density and movements are affected by availability of forbes and grasses. Home range is inversely related to the amount of herbaceous grass cover. As the principal sandhill grazer, the gopher tortoise feeds primarily on grasses, succulent plants and legumes.
Legumes appear to be particularly important in the diet of juveniles.
The gopher tortoise serves as a seed dispersal agent for native grasses and returns leached nutrients to the surface during burrow construction. Population Status Formerly common, the gopher tortoise has now been extirpated from parts of its range and many remaining populations are declining. This wanton practice can also lead to the destruction of the burrow and refuge for the inquilines. In south Georgia, which possibly contains the largest populations next to Florida, the tortoise still occurs on sand ridges in at least 81 counties. Throughout the Georgia Coastal Plain, populations have been fragmented by urban and agricultural development and depleted by over-harvesting and habitat destruction.