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Why do gopher tortoises and eastern box turtles live in different habitats in the southern United States?

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Illustrations of ten representative chelonians, including spiny softshell turtle, Galapagos giant tortoise, green turtle, alligator snapping turtle, Blanding's turtle, common map turtle, eastern box turtle, eastern painted turtle, spotted turtle, and eastern mud turtle, each labeled with its common and scientific name. A scale bar at the bottom shows size comparison. — turtle Turtles (order Testudines).

Although both the gopher tortoise and the eastern box turtle are terrestrial species found in the southern United States, they occupy distinct ecological niches based on their specific environmental preferences.

These turtles are rarely found together because they have evolved to thrive in different types of terrain:

Eastern box turtles prefer moist forest environments, where the humidity and ground cover suit their needs.1
Gopher tortoises are adapted to open woodlands situated on sand ridges, which provide the specific soil conditions necessary for their burrowing habits.1

While both are turtles, each species maintains a preferred habitat and is seldom found outside of those specific conditions.1