A Florida family planned their dream home, until protected tortoises took over. Now, they're paying $1,300 in taxes for unusable land.

Gopher tortoises are long-lived, reaching up to 100 years of age in captivity and living 60 or more years in the wild. They weigh 8 to 15 pounds and measure 10 to 15 inches end to end when fully ...

From 2014 to 2021, the number of gopher tortoises relocated statewide jumped 66%, from 6,730 to 11,171, according to reporting from the Treasure Coast Palm.