It’s a dirty job. It involves brush and mud and bramble. Occasionally, a snake comes along to liven things up. Or a skunk.

It’s all in a day’s work for state Department of Natural Resources biologists when they’re searching for gopher tortoises. The tortoise, the state’s official reptile, is considered threatened due to habitat loss.

On a recent day, five biologists prowled about in the sandy soil of South Georgia, sticking a remote-controlled camera in burrows. They found several tortoises. They came across a variety of bugs, a beautiful bird and some dried snake skins.

But did they startle any snakes?

Read the entire story on myajc.com.

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Carleigh Knight (left) and her sister, Natalie Rogovin, look at Christmas ornaments while shopping at Kudzu Antiques + Modern in Decatur on Tuesday, Nov. 25, 2025. (Natrice Miller/AJC)

Credit: Natrice Miller