At Home with the Gopher Tortoise Written by Madeleine Dunphy and illustrated by Michael Rothman

I first became interested in the gopher tortoise after learning about the burrows located on a state park in south Georgia. This initial introduction covered the necessity of the burrows for the gopher tortoise and the indigo snake. It wasn’t until I read this book I discovered the myriad of creatures the gopher tortoise unintentionally provides for. The many interesting facts surrounding the gopher tortoise burrows are presented in an accessible narrative with lovely illustrations of many of the animals dependent on the burrows. The definition of a keystone species really gives you something to think about. I highly recommend this book to any nature lover. This book is located in the juvenile nonfiction section of the Walnut Grove Public Library. NF