There are about 75 gopher tortoises on the property. Rodriguez was surprised to learn what it might cost to move them.

"Wow, yeah, that's a big number. That is a very big number for them to actually move them," she said.

City officials said the burrows are on approximately 80 acres, which they are going to use to build retention ponds for a large reclaimed water project.

In Florida, the gopher tortoise is a threatened species, so the reptile and its borrow are protected under state law.