Yes folks, I'm loudly and PROUDLY making the statement that THIS video is the best you'll ever see. If you're a follower, you know I've been in the Florida Keys interning at the National Key Deer Refuge on Big Pine Key. In addition to Key deer, a smaller subspecies of white-tailed deer, we have a variety of other critters in the Lower Keys.
Watch this 30 second video (with sound!) as a domestic cat almost becomes a midnight snack for this American alligator. Yes, we have 'gators in the Keys. And this guy/gal is a regular visitor to our popular "Blue Hole", a freshwater pond with observation deck and informational panels.
My posts concerning the Florida Keys have all been fluffy and full of pretty pictures and cute animals. I’ve decided that for this entry, if there’s anyone out there reading this, then I will teach you something!
I want to discuss native/nonnative/invasive species. I live in an area that is warm– nay, HOT, all year round. There is this general rule, that the closer you get to the equator, the more diverse the flora and fauna is. As far as American soil goes, I’m pretty much as close to the equator as one can be (OK, fine Puerto Rico is closer, but I’m talking STATES here people). Let’s define these terms, shall we? Then I can be on my way and get to the cool pictures I’ve been wanting to share with my blogosphere friends.
(I’ve kind of gleaned these definitions from various sources, and recollections from undergrad courses, and mushed them into the following…and I’m speaking to North America)
Native: those species present pre European settlement
Nonnative: species introduced intentionally or unintentionally post European settlement
Invasive: species that have a negative impact on the economy, environment, and/or human health.
It’s important to note as well, that not all nonnatives (or sometimes referred to as introduced species) are invasive, and sometimes natives can becoming invasive.
A male Ring-necked Pheasant, seen in the
Finger Lakes region of NY. Photo credit: Art Kirsch
Here are some examples: the Ring-necked Pheasant (Phasianus colchicus) ranges across North America, and was brought here in the 1880′s from Asia, as a game species (All About Birds: Ring-necked Pheasant). Back in those days, this was common practice, and in some parts of the world it still is. This bird is a popular upland game bird hunted by many, but it’s not a species that has not become invasive. In fact, in New York for example, the population isn’t as abundant as hunters would like, so there’s a Pheasant Propagation Program. An example of a invasive nonnative species in NY, is the Eurasian boar (Sus scrofa Linnaeus). They are aggressive, compete for food with native species (black bear, Turkey, white-tailed deer), and they can destroy crops and agricultural lands. This is not a species NY wants on it’s landscape. For more info: NYSDEC: Eurasian boar.
Ok, so the point of all that information, was to provide you, the reader, with some definitions and information. I really wanted this posted to be all about the cool reptiles and amphibians I’ve seen in the Florida Keys. Unfortunately, many of the “herps” down here are nonnative and invasive. Here’s what I’ve seen, by order of discovery!
*Please note that my classifications of what is invasive, may be incorrect. This is information that I’ve learned living and working here, but may differ by opinion, agency, and location.
Six-lined racerunner (Cnemidophorus sexlineatus sexlineatus), NATIVE, No Name Key, FL, June 2014
Brown/Cuban anole (Anolis sangrei), NON-NATIVE/INVASIVE, Big Pine Key, FL, June 2014
Rough green snake (Opheodrys aestivus), NATIVE, Big Pine Key, FL, June 2014
Green iguana (Iguana iguana), NON NATIVE/INVASIVE, Big Pine Key, FL, June 2014
Cuban treefrog (Osteopilus septentrionalis), NON NATIVE/INVASIVE, Big Pine Key, FL, June 2014
Mediterranean gecko (Hemidactlyus turcicus, turcicus), NON NATIVE/INVASIVE, Big Pine Key, FL, June 2014
American alligator (Alligator mississippiensis), NATIVE, Big Pine Key, FL, June 2014
Florida softshell (Trionix ferox), NONNATIVE, Big Pine Key, FL, June 2014
Southern leopard frog (Rana spenocephala), NATIVE, Big Pine Key, FL, July 2014
Juvenile ashy gecko (Sphaerodactylus elegans), NON NATIVE/INVASIVE, Big Pine Key, FL, July 2014
Key ringneck snake (Diadophis punctatus acricus), NATIVE, Big Pine Key, FL, August 2014
Eastern narrowmouth toad (Gastrophrynae carolinensis), NATIVE, Big Pine Key, FL, August 2014
Green anoles (Anolis carolinensis carolinensis), NATIVE, Big Pine Key, FL, August 2014 *Note, these individuals are copulating in this picture. The female is smaller.
-Tokay gecko (Gekko gekko), NON NATIVE/INVASIVE, Big Pine Key, September 2014 (Look these guys up on YouTube... they TALK!)
Other reptiles observed, but lacking photos: -Southern black racer (Coluber constrictor priapus), NATIVE, Big Pine Key, FL June 2014 -Atlantic green turtle (Chelonia mydas mydas), NATIVE, Open ocean in Key West NWR, June 2014
-Black spinytail iguana (Ctenosaura similis), NON NATIVE/INVASIVE, No Name Key, June 2014 -American crocodile (Crocodylus acutus), NATIVE, Key Largo, FL, July 2014
Many, if not most of these reptiles/amphibians, were released pets at one point. This is not only illegal, but unfair to that individual critter. The way someone once described this scenario to me, is to imagine yourself naked, without ID or money, and suddenly finding yourself in a foreign country. Now try to survive. Oh, and by the way it might snow and freeze on you! Other ways animals are finding their ways around, are as stowaways. As kids, my mom found an anole in BJs, in Albany. We don’t have those types of lizards in NY, nor does BJs have a pet department. A shipment of plants from a nursery in Florida had recently come in. Guess which kid got a free pet lizard that day?! This happens on cargo, freight, boats, cars, trains, etc. regularly.
The point of this entry was not to bore you with definitions, but to share some of the neat slimy and scaly wildlife I’ve seen this summer. It’s all cool to me, and I learned most of these guys in the herpetology course I took last year at SUNY Cobleskill. I just hope no one ends up in my car for the drive back to NY the end of this month!
I’ve been scarce this summer, I know. I’ve been super busy running
around the Florida Keys working, educating, learning, playing, and
soaking in the sunshine.
Sunset as seen from the Port Pine Heights neighborhood, July 2014
Sunset as seen from the Port Pine Heights neighborhood, July 2014
Highlights of my summer have included watching a pair of Anhingas court,
build a nest, lay eggs, incubate, and now care for their 2 chicks.
Anhingas on the nest, Blue Hole, Big Pine Key, FL
Exploring Long Beach
I developed and help run a 6 week guided nature walk series throughout
the summer. It ran Wednesday evenings, which quickly became my favorite
time of day to be outside. The temps are lower, the sunsets are
beautiful, and the bugs aren’t that bad! We’re finished now, as the kids
here are back in school, which has surprised me! In NY I didn’t go back
to high school until after Labor Day Weekend.
Our 6 weeks of walks had a different theme. Week #1 brought the group
to the Long Beach part of the Key Deer National Wildlife Refuge. This
is an ocean-side (as opposed to bay-side, this is Keys lingo) beach.
It’s not very pleasant for us humans, as there is a lot of vegetation,
coral, rocks, and sea grasses. It’s fun to explore the intertidal zones,
watch for birds, and run into Key deer along the way. We scooped up
handfuls of sand, and realized that it’s not born from granite and
quartz, like on the East Coast beaches, but it’s biological in nature.
We could pick out tiny shells and bits of corals, which was really neat.
Gambusia sp. or more commonly known as
Mosquito-fish,
are dumped in the freshwater wetlands by a mosquito
control company. These fish are used as a biological control
for
mosquitoes, which eat the larvae, and therefore help make
the Keys
liveable.
On our second guided walk, we ventured off the beaten path and explored a
hidden freshwater wetland. People are surprised to hear that we have an
abundance of available, fresh water. But, that’s a reason why we have
wildlife like Key deer, marsh rabbits, wading birds, and amphibians.
Personally, I wanted to find frogs during this trip. I spent a lot of
time online the day before, looking up documented NATIVE species of
frogs found on Big Pine Key. I even spoke with a herpetologist who had
done work in the Keys, and was familiar with local critters.
Unfortunately, we were skunked, and did not catch any frogs. We saw a
couple, but they were much too quick! The kids thoroughly enjoyed it
though, getting wet, catching fish with little nets, and I think just
being outside!
Green Heron seen at the Blue Hole during the photo safari!
Week #3 brought us to a popular place on the Refuge, the Blue Hole. This
is an old limestone quarry, and has filled in naturally with
freshwater. Alligators, fish, turtles, birds, deer, lizards all spend a
lot of time in and around Blue Hole. There’s a nice gravel patch that
walks you through the trees, and out onto a wooden observation deck to
view the pond. We encouraged our guests during this trip to take
pictures. We called it a “photo safari”, and when we were finished, we
returned to the visitor center to view everyone’s pictures and to print a
couple of the best ones out.
Myself and a male fiddler crab!
You can tell it’s a male, because of that
one very large claw, used for defense and courting.
Week #4 wasn’t really a walk per se, but an adventure! We used seine
nets at a boat launch area, to try and catch some little fish, crabs, or
whatever else was present. The kids were really into it! We caught 2
different kinds of crabs (and these may not be 100% accurate names);
mangrove crab and fiddler crab. We also caught a few species of “bait”
fish which was awesome! We talked about the importance of mangroves, and
the ethics of handling live animals. The weather was “mild” (as mild as
it can be in the FL Keys in July… so, not SCORCHING), the sunset was
gorgeous, and the kids got soaked! All around a great night, one of my
favorites this summer.
These tree snails (Liguus fasciatus), are
listed as species
of special concern in the State of Florida, and were almost
completely wiped out due to over-collection.
We were lucky to
spot some on No Name Key!
Week #5 took us onto the No Name Key, and the goal was to learn
about and hopefully spot a White-crowned Pigeon. This is a very cool
bird that is elusive, and wary. In the United States, it’s only found in
South Florida, specifically the Keys. It is found through the Caribbean
and Bahamas as well. Of course along the way we saw other cool critters
like the tree snails, Key deer, spiders, and other birds! We had an
assortment of folks join us throughout the summer, but had 2 families
stick with us for the entire series. On this night, one of our youngest,
a 6 year old little boy, led the pack. He was outfitted with a
flashlight, binoculars, stainless steel forceps, and a “poker” stick.
This kid cracks me up, but I’m refreshed by a kid who LOVES the outdoors
and nature just as much as I do. His 3 year old sister as well was
really into it. She collected every little thing she found to show me,
and it was adorable.
Our final walk led us to find this rare Key
ringneck snake
presented itself to us. At first, I thought it was a juvenile,
but after some research, it may be an adult! Very small,
and
that ring as seen on other ring-necked snakes, is faint.
The final walk was my favorite. We had perfect weather, the humidity
seemed to slack off a little, and the sun was low. We took this walk to
get folks out into the pine rockland habitat, which Southern Florida
used to be in abundance of, especially the Keys. We saw birds a-plenty,
and hoped for Lower Keys marsh rabbits and Key deer, but I think our
group was a little too rambunctious!
The summer is winding down here. Even though this is the land of
perpetual summer it seems, I can feel a difference in the air, the water
looks different when I’m snorkeling, and the days are shortening. My
time here as well is dwindling. It’s bittersweet, as I’ve made some
great friends and contacts, and truly enjoyed the Keys lifestyle. But,
I’ve landed another temporary position within the National Wildlife
Refuge System, this time in Alabama! I’ll be journeying to NY the end of
next month to visit friends and family (including the Albany area!),
and to retrieve my dog Addie. Then Addie and Alyssa will make the
journey south, once again! Alabama, here I come!
Sunset over the pine rocklands on Big Pine Key, August 2014.
Photo credit: USFWS – Key Deer National Wildlife Refuge.
A LKMR as seen on a research camera on Big Pine Key, FL
Big Pine Key, where I live and work, is home to several endangered
species. One that I’m interested in, because they’re often forgotten
because they aren’t large and exciting mega-fauna, is the Lower Keys
marsh rabbit (Sylvilagus palustris hefneri). The LKMR is a
subspecies of the marsh rabbit, which is not considered endangered, but
because these are only found from Big Pine Key to Key West, they have
that subspecies designation.
There are volunteers at our Refuge who have told me they’ve never
seen a LKMR. I think that is for two reasons: 1) LKMRs are few in number
and very skittish on Big Pine and 2) You have to know where to look!
They aren’t as common as Eastern cottontails, like I know back in New
York. And they certainly are too shy to be in your yard nibbling. Where I
have seen them most, is driving down a dead end gravel road at dusk, or
I surprise them as I come around a corner on the road, and they’ve been
grazing on the shoulder. As soon as they think they’ve been spotted…
off they go!
Fun fact: In the 1980′s Hugh Hefner’s corporation donated money to their research and conservation efforts, thus their subspecies name: hefneri!
Four LWMRs grazing on a dead end road. No
through traffic, and the houses that are on this road, seemed to be
closed up for the season. (Yes, there are 4…the blob furthest to the
right is 2 rabbits close together)
LKMRs are considered endangered because their population numbers have
dropped very low due to habitat destruction and fragmentation due to
commercial and residential development: the same old sad story, right?
There is also worry of feral domestic cats hunting and eating LKMRs,
which doesn’t help their situation. Naturally, these rabbits have few
native predators. The only noted mammal that I suppose MAY harass them,
are the raccoons. But I highly doubt a raccoon would take a rabbit and
eat it. There are no foxes, wild cats like bobcats, or coyotes. There
are predatory birds like hawks, owls, and eagles, but the LKMRs live in
dense vegetation, which would make it very difficult for a bird to see
from above, and have access to catching them.
Premium habitat includes “higher” elevation (so in the Keys, only
several feet above sea level, usually the center of an island),
freshwater wetlands, hardwood hammocks, and they require dense grasses
and sedges for feeding, cover, and nesting. The few times I’ve seen them
out in the open, dense cover has been only a few bounds away.
A Lower Keys marsh rabbit seen on Big Pine Key, FL.
I quite enjoy seeing these small rabbits. Some people may say “Oh a
rabbit is a rabbit”, but it’s just not true. In Alaska I was captivated
by the behaviors and physicality of the snowshoe hares, and in NY, even
though they’re very common, I love to learn about the Eastern
cottontails. A past professor of mine, John (he who inspired me to
blog!), just recently wrote an blog entry about small mammal live-trapping.
He began by explaining that most of us, when asked to think about
mammals, immediately think of our pets, farm animals, or zoo animals! In
fact, this is a skewed representation of our mammals on Earth. Most of
our critters are small and maybe don’t seem as “cool” as glamorous as
lions, and tigers, and bears… I do like to learn about them, photograph
them, and be allowed to see them in their native habitats.
A wonderful resource, although perhaps a little dated, is the Lower
Keys March Rabbit Species Profile, that was written by biologists at the
Refuge I’m interning at: Lower Keys Marsh Rabbits.
Since I arrived here, I’ve been trying and trying to capture my own
camera trap images or videos of these bunnies. I was finally successful,
although the video isn’t the greatest. I will share it though, because
darn it! I finally got one!
I’ve been on Big Pine Key for 1 month, and I think I’m settled into the
“swing” of things and pretty well acclimated. The hardest things to
adjust to: heat and humidity, and not having my dog with me. I had to
leave Addie with my parents for a few months. This is a temporary
internship, and I’m staying in government housing which doesn’t permit
me to have a pet. But the heat! The humidity! We have both in New York,
for sure, but it’s never-ending here. After a storm, at night, first
thing in the morning… around 90 degrees and high humidity! Fortunately,
there is air conditioning everywhere here, so working indoors is quite
comfortable.
I live and work on Big Pine Key, where the visitor center is. My duties
include staffing the front desk, and greeting and interacting with
visitors to our Refuge. Most common questions: where can we see Key
deer? and: what are Key deer, how did they get so small? I also put
together an evening program that’s family friendly, which is an
opportunity to see parts of our Refuge that we don’t necessarily
visitors to. So far we’ve traveled to the Long Beach access point and
observed shore birds and learned about the importance of the stinky,
smelly sea grass that’s washed up on shore (bird feeding habitat!), and
last week we hung out in a freshwater wetland in hopes of catching
frogs… the frogs were not cooperative. We’ve had some really
enthusiastic kids join us, and I’m looking forward to the rest of our
programming this summer.
My co-intern, Heidi, and I also take out the GEM car, a cool little
electric car that we used to be “out there” on the Refuge in the evening
so that people can ask us questions, and so that we can also try and
deter feeding of the Key deer. I’ve also worked on vamping up our
Facebook posts and information sharing by starting a “Wildlife
Wednesday” and “Flora Friday”, which on those days, I feature a native
species of wildlife or plant with a picture and a brief blurb. It’s been
fun for me learning about the biota that calls the Refuge home. Again,
our Facebook page is: Florida Keys National Wildlife Refuges Complex … check us out and “like” us!
I also hope to get involved in some biological stuff as well, while
I’m here. Even if it’s just a ride along for a day with a biologist. I
was afforded the chance to head out to the Key West National Wildlife
Refuge, which is pretty much a preserve and closed to the public due to
sea turtle and bird nesting habitat. It was a real privilege to be able
to accompany one of our Law Enforcement Officers, Steve, and our Deputy
Refuge Manager, Chris out there. It was everything we dream and hope for
with tropical islands. Turquoise, clear water, hot, sunny… paradise!
And pristine because people haven’t been out there ruining it :)
Key West National Wildlife Refuge – Mercases Keys
The wildlife sightings have kept me busy, and I have some fun entries
to write. For now, I’ll leave you with a compilation of some Key deer
videos I put together. They were taken via camera trap in my yard here
on Big Pine Key, Florida.
The “Lower Keys” consists of Big Pine Key to Key West.
When many people think of the Keys, they think sand and saltwater.
While there are both of those features here, you may be surprised to
learn that we don’t have the BEST sandy beaches here, and we have an
abundance of fresh water. The Lower Keys, where I live, is built on a
fossilized coral reef.
Because of this coral reef, the ground is very hard, beaches are not
that sandy, and there is coral EVERYWHERE. This also means that
freshwater is able to be held in what is referred to as a “lens” just
under the surface of the ground. Elevation on Big Pine is less than 5
feet above sea level, and it is probably more accurate to say its less
than 2 feet in elevation. This lens just hovers under the surface, and
has allowed animals and people to inhabit this island. There are many
freshwater wetlands on Big Pine Key, which is surprising to many,
including myself. While I’m out on the Refuge, I’ve noticed many
shallow, open water habitats, all of which is freshwater.
Many years ago, when these islands were really being developed, in an
attempt to raise roads, the railway and buildings, some of this
fossilized coral, now limestone, was quarried. Have you ever dug a hole
in the ground, and hit the water table? That’s what happens here, in the
quarries.
The Blue Hole at dusk.
One of my favorite spots on the National Key Deer Refuge, is the Blue
Hole, which is one of the abandoned quarries. It has since filled in
with freshwater, but also contains a layer at the bottom of denser
saltwater. This is primarily considered a “freshwater habitat” but,
after Hurricane Wilma in 2005, several saltwater species of fish (tarpon
and barracuda) washed in, and can still be seen today. I’ve witnessed
the tarpon breaching, and it’s pretty impressive!
The Blue Hole is probably most famously home to several alligators (Alligator mississippiensis).
These ‘gators can be seen often sunning themselves, from the safety of a
wooden observation deck overlooking the pond. Of course these are wild
animals, and there is no fence keeping them contained, so visitors
should keep their distance, and refrain from feeding them.
One of the 'gators seen at Blue Hole.
The Blue Hole also has many species of birds that frequent the area,
that may not be seen elsewhere because of the abundance of freshwater
here. My favorites so far this summer are a nesting pair of Anhinga (Anhinga anhinga)
(+1). There is clearly a male and a female that are attentive to the
nest, but there is also what I’ve deemed to be a juvenile, unsure of
sex. This bird has been observed plucking dead sticks as well as green
sticks, and passing them off to the pair, as well as swimming and
roosting near the pair. I haven’t been able to figure their situation
out, but the nest is close to the observation deck, and I’ve been
getting some great pictures!
Male (standing) and female on nest.
Here the juvenile Anhinga was observed about
30 feet from the nest, and both adults, gathering nesting material?
Apparently you can’t determine sex of an Anhinga until after it’s 3rd
winter, so I don’t know if this is male or female yet.
This night, I was fortunate to watch the female take over the nest from
the male. The video quality isn’t the best (sorry), my camera was
constantly trying to focus, and I was without a tripod! Still, it was
awesome to watch.
Mom is now on the nest, and dad tends to her and the nest.
A White-crowned Pigeon
seen feeding amongst poisonwood.
The next bird I finally got a picture of at Blue Hole, but found all over Big Pine Key, is the White-crowned Pigeon (Patagioenas leucophela).
These birds are unlike other pigeons or doves that we’re all familiar
with. They are uncommon in the Keys, except for this time of year, and
they are very timid and wary. They’re seen flying in small groups, and
feeding in poisonwood, which is a nasty cousin of poison ivy. They eat
the fruit, and nest on the more remotes islands of the Keys. It’s been
difficult to catch one close enough, and sitting still to get a picture.
I’m pleased with the one at left!
These birds are at their northernmost range in Florida, but are
common throughout the Caribbean island. They are even hunted and eaten
in those islands. Here in Florida though, they are protected. I am glad
to add another member of this Pigeon/Dove family to my bird list, to
expand past the Rock Dove and Mourning Dove!
While I was trying to photograph the above Pigeon, I kept hearing a
musical song and frenetic movement in the canopy over me. I couldn’t get
a good look at it, as it was moving quickly and it was reaching dusk. I
finally was able to pinpoint it, and get a good look at it. The picture
below is the best I could do given the lighting and the bird’s
behavior. Before I left Blue Hole for the night, I was guessing that I
had photographed a warbler or vireo, just based on it’s location in the
canopy, and I saw it feeding on insects (both warblers and vireos are
insectivorous).
White-eyed Vireo (Vireo griseus)
After getting home, and sending my picture to my ornithology
professor from SUNY Cobleksill, I confirmed that it was a White-eyed
Vireo. Check it out at All About Birds: White-eyed Vireo, and give it’s song a listen.
The last bird I got the chance to see, was an Osprey (Pandion haliaetus). He was quite a distance away, sitting on a snag. But the sky was beautiful behind him, so he’s included!
Osprey at Blue Hole
The FINAL cool critter I saw over at Blue Hole the other night was a Florida softshell turtle (Apalone ferox).
We had a soft shell in our herpetology lab at Cobleskill, which could
fit in the palm of my hand. It was so different than any other turtle or
tortoise I had seen. Their shell is leathery and soft, and they have a
little snout on them, which they can use as a snorkel!
I saw this Florida softshell at Blue Hole, right next to an
alligator. They were totally unconcerned with each other. This turtle
was probably 12-14″ from end to end of his carapace (top shell). Really
cool animal.
Florida softshell turtle
More to come soon, as I get the time and inclination to post! Happy summer!
