Florida is Famous for many  things.

There is one unusual thing that brings people to Florida and that is the REPTILES!

Most people see the reptiles that are native to Florida in Zoo's and Animal Farms, but there is that rare occasion where you catch them in their natural habitat.

One native Florida reptile has been catching my attention in it's natural habitat more than any other in particular this spring and summer.

The Florida Gopher Tortoise

Gopher Tortoises are hard to spot in their natural habitat because they dig deep, long burrows in the ground in the dunes and forrest.

A Gopher Tortoise can easily be identified by it's appearance. They have large heads, long front legs with big claws for burrowing, and their skin can range in color from light grey to dark brown. Their back legs are shorter but also have large sharp claws. Their shell can be up to 12 inches tall and 14-15 inches long.

As the rest of the Eastern Seaboard evacuated, or hunkered down for Hurricane Irene the scene was much different on St. Augustine beach Saturday.

The Beaches in St. Johns County appeared to be business as usual in record breaking heat Saturday in the Oldest City.

Beach ramps on Anastasia Island were re-opened for driving, with the exception of the ramp at Matanzas.

Sea Turtle nests were marked, as the Nesting Season on our beaches took the brunt of the storm due to high tides and beach erosion, which seemed to be the extent of the damage that the beaches suffered.

The over all mood was a sense of calm after preparing for the unexpected with a slow moving, rapidly intensifying storm moving in this direction all week.

Local surfers took advantage of the great surf, and curious on lookers came down to the beach to see what damage was done to the beaches after dodging Irene.