Georgia's 'iconic' gopher tortoises don't need endangered species protection, wildlife officials say

Georgia’s official state reptile doesn’t need protection under the Endangered Species Act.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service determined this month that the gopher tortoise – at least in the eastern portion of its range – is doing well enough without federal protection.

The decision comes more than a decade after the agency found that gopher tortoises in much of the Southeast, including Georgia, did need protection; the species wasn’t added to the endangered species list at the time because of other higher priorities.