We only bringing this up because not long ago a Florida woman posted a SnapChat of herself saying, “Saving turtles is a hobby,” before tossing a helpless gopher tortoise to its watery grave.
For some dumb reason it’s not uncommon for people in Florida to believe tortoises belong in the water, which they absolutely do not.
They can’t swim.
Gopher tortoises are a threatened species and are currently protected under Florida state law, so if you see one maybe just take a picture and, no matter what, resist the urge to paint it.
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This article appears in May 23-29, 2018.
