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FWC: Stop Putting Gopher Tortoises In Water

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MIAMI (CBSMiami/AP) – Wildlife officials want to remind residents and visitors that not all turtles can swim.

There were at least three instances last month of people trying to help gopher tortoise hatchlings to the ocean, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

Gopher tortoises cannot swim well and can easily drown.

Gopher tortoises often nest in dunes near sea turtle nesting beaches, leading to the confusion, officials said. Gopher tortoises can be distinguished from sea turtles by their limbs. Gopher tortoises have toes with claws on each toe, while sea turtles have flippers with only one or two claws on each foreflipper. Officials say identification can usually be made without handling the reptiles.

Gopher tortoises are protected by state law. All five species of sea turtles found in Florida are protected by federal and state law.

(TM and © Copyright 2015 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2013 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

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