Recently I attended a workshop on wildlife tagging projects. Researchers from across the Gulf of Mexico who had projects going on in the northern Gulf were invited to present their updates. I was there to help present what we have learned about diamondback terrapins but there were numerous other talks, and the results were fascinating. Fascinating enough that I thought the public would be interested in them as well. Most of the presentations were on fish or reptiles, but the fish included interesting species such as whale sharks, tiger sharks, cobia, and tarpon. So, I am going to run a series of posts on the different species along with another series on barrier island wildlife.
I thought I would start with an introduction on the methods of wildlife tagging and why scientists tag animals. Some of the reasons may seem obvious, but with today’s modern tags, there is a lot of information scientists can gain from doing this.
Why do they tag?
With the types of tags they used when I was in school there were a few things that you could learn. (1) How far do the animals range, (2) how fast they reached those locations, (3) some idea of live longevity – you at least knew how long they were “at freedom”. With these data you could get a better idea of what their habitat range was and how they used the habitat. Some, like blue sharks, may move great distances all year long. Others, like nurse sharks, may not move more than a few miles from the point where they were tagged. Others may move seasonally, spending summer in one region and winter in another. All of these data are useful to resource managers responsible for maintaining the species population.
With the more modern electronic tags, they can learn such things as how deep they dive, how long they stay at depth, what water temperatures they may frequent, what salinity they prefer, and let you know where the animal is at any given moment in time. Today’s tags are pretty amazing.
This tag is similar to the ones we used in the 1980s on sharks. They provide a number for individual identification. Ours also had a capsule with a note on water resistant paper.
Photo: Hallprint.
How do they tag?
Well… step one to answering this question is HOW DO YOU CATCH THE ANIMAL? – not as easy as you think. Whale sharks and leatherback sea turtles are quite a handful. If your target species is something like a white shark, tiger shark, diamondback rattlesnake, there is an extra danger added. As you plan a method for your safety, you must also plan a method for their safety. The objective is not harm or kill the creature – you will learn nothing from this. When I began my career, I saw a program on how they tagged polar bears in the 1980s. They would fly over the ice in a helicopter looking for the bears. When the bears saw the helicopter, they would run for the safety of water. The scientist would try to shoot a dart into the animal to put it asleep long enough to get a tag on it. BUT if you overdosed the bear, and it made it to the water, it could drown. So, from the air, they had to gauge the weight of the bear, guess what amount of the drug to shoot, and hope they were right. If the bear did fall asleep, how “asleep was it? Did you give ENOUGH drug? Polar bears can be very dangerous. In the episode I watched the bear was asleep, but the researchers did mention that they will “play sleep” and you need to be ready. Such was the world of wildlife tagging 40 years ago.
One of the things that was also discussed when I was in school was what type of tag you were going to place on the animal. They did not have the neat tools they have now. Most tags had a capsule with a piece of paper, sometimes written in multiple languages, to call said person and report where and when they found the animal. There was usually a monetary award for doing so, or sometimes a hat or T-shirt. I remember the hat you got for reporting a tagged redfish was really neat, but I never caught a tagged one.
You did not want to place a tag that would alter the natural behavior of the animal. In the case of the polar bear, they would place an ear tag and paint a large number on its side in black paint. This made sense from the biologist’s side – flying over the ice you could see the large black “3” on a bear and know the individual. But that large black number could also be seen by their prey. Not good. I saw researchers painting the shells of gopher tortoises with all sorts of neon colors to make detection by them easier, but easier for their predators as well.
Radio tagging was used 40 years ago. This involves capturing the animal (as we have already seen – fun in itself), putting it asleep and attaching/inserting a radio tag. This tag provides a radio signal that can be detected by a receiver carried by the research holding an antenna walking/driving around following the animal. You had to be within range to hear the signal and – honestly – good at detecting the signal. Some researchers were better at this than others. As you can imagine this was only as good as your ability to keep up with the animal. At some point your car/boat would need fuel, or the animal crossed a river you could not. It provided some good data, but there were limits.
Today modern tags have solved a lot of these issues. Some new tags do not have typed notes but sensors that can detect the elevation/depth, temperature/salinity, all sorts of information that was unknown in my college days. These tags can be retrieved and downloaded on a computer to give a much better idea of how the animal spends its time and what it seeks.
This modern shark tag could provide additional information such as diving depth, water temperature, and more.
Satellite tags work well for creatures who surface frequently – sea turtles, whales, whale sharks. Satellites can detect them, and you can follow their movements/habitat preferences as they are actually using them.
For species at depth, like some sharks, cobia, tarpon, etc. there are now acoustic tags. The tag emits a signal that is detected by an array of receivers the researchers place in the environment. As the animal passes within range of the receiver it is detected, and the downloaded data gives a similar picture of how the animal uses the environment. A couple of neat things about acoustic tags are that (a) you can track satellite tagged animals while they are diving, and (b) your receivers can detect other species tagged by other researchers and let them know where their creature was. This was one reason for the workshop – so, everyone could meet everyone else and know who has tagged what and how to share information.
No tag is permanent. All are designed to fall off. Battery power will eventually fail. But no animal is stuck with this all of their lives as they could have been when I was in school. In future articles we will look at the results of some of these studies.
This tag with an antenna can be detected by a satellite and tracked real time.
Photo: USGS
Pompano?! More like Pompa-YES! Growing up in the Panhandle of Florida, I was exposed to many great fishing seasons and opportunities, from the Cobia (Rachycentron canadum) run in the spring to the “Bull” Red Drum (Sciaenops occelatus) run of the fall, but my absolute favorite season was the Florida Pompano (Trachinotus carolinus) run on the beaches. While I enjoyed being on the boat scouring the beaches with a small bucktail jig, casting at sliver flashes in the cuts of the sandbar, I had my most memorable trips on the beach with a few rods, sand spikes, and a “flea rake.” There were no bad days on the beach (as they say, it’s better than a day in the office), and when you happen upon a honey hole, it makes for an incredible day with very little effort and usually an incredible dinner to follow. Since we are rapidly approaching peak pompano season, I will pay homage to the “Silver Surfers of the Emerald Coast” with a little overview of the life of a Florida Pompano.
Beach Fishing for Florida Pompano is for Everyone, Young and Old – Thomas Derbes II
Florida Pompano have a very wide range, from Massachusetts to Brazil, and are a member of the family Carangidae (aka the Jack Family). It is a very popular sport and commercial fishery, and its rapid growth rate makes it a prime candidate for aquaculture. Florida Pompano are highly migratory fish, and they can run from the Florida Keys all the way to Texas and back in a season. In the Florida Panhandle, the Florida Pompano run starts in April/May lasting until July, with a bonus fall run in October/November when they are returning south. When fishing off the sandy beaches of the Florida Panhandle, you can run into its cousins the Permit (Trachinotus falcatus) and Palometa (Trachinotus goodei) who often get mistaken for a Florida Pompano. Another thing they have in common with Florida Pompano is their love of crustaceans including the Mole Crab (aka Sand Fleas) (Emerita portoricensis) and Atlantic White Shrimp (Litopenaeus setiferus).
Just like most members of the family Carangidae, Florida Pompano are considered “batch spawners.” A batch spawner is when a female releases her eggs into the water column and a male simultaneously releases his sperm into the water column. Female Florida Pompano can release upwards of 800,000 eggs per spawning season, and Florida Pompano typically head offshore in early spring to October in the Gulf of Mexico to spawn, and their juveniles return to the beach to grow along the shoreline. Florida Pompano can reach an aquaculture harvest size of 12 inches within one year, and males reach maturity in 1 year whereas females mature after 2 to 3 years.
Florida Pompano Eggs 12 Hours Post Fertilization – Thomas Derbes II
When it comes to table fare, Florida Pompano ranks very high on my personal fish list, and many chefs love serving pompano at their restaurants due to the great, mild taste and fillets that are of even thickness. Their diet of crustaceans helps yield a buttery, almost crab flavor and the meat is very flaky and white. There are many preparation techniques for Florida Pompano, from grilled whole to pan-fried, and pompano have even inspired their own cooking technique, “Pompano en Papillote,” or baking pompano in parchment paper.
Beautiful Florida Pompano Caught Off Pensacola Beach, Florida – Thomas Derbes II
When fishing for Florida Pompano off the beach, most anglers employ a large rod (usually a 10ft rod) with a 20lb fluorocarbon double drop loop rig and pyramid weight. The larger rod allows for maximum casting distance from the beach, giving beach anglers a chance to reach behind the first sandbar. Most anglers will bring either fresh dead shrimp or a flea rake with them to catch the prized bait, mole crabs. Pro tip, when casting out the rods, make sure you have a bait close to the shore in the “trough” and not just past the sandbar. (Learn More About Rigging Here!) If you plan to harvest a Florida Pompano, make sure you check your local regulations. In the Florida Panhandle, Florida Pompano must be 11 inches (fork-length) or larger with a daily limit of 6 per angler.
My nephew showing off his prized Florida Pompano – Zach Saway
I hope you have enjoyed this profile for the Florida Pompano. Now is the time to get your rods out of storage and ready to hit the beach!
It seems overnight our yards and woods have come to life with the flitting of the Northern Cardinals, but the truth be told, they have been here all year! This eye-catching songbirds are abundant in the southeast. According to the North American Breeding Bird Survey their numbers continue to increase 0.32% per year since 1966, with an estimated 130 million global breeding population.
Adult Male Cardinal, Photo Sourced from Canva Pro.
History
The Northern Cardinal is not new to the bird scene. With the males sporting vibrant red plumage they caught the eye of founding colonists. In seeing they had similar red colors to the biretta and robes of the Catholic cardinals the early settlers gave them their name—The Cardinal.
Identification
While the males are the noticeable bright red color, the females are a light brown bird with a reddish crest, wing, and tail. These non-migratory birds can be seen year-round in the Southwest, Midwest and Eastern parts of the U.S.
Female Adult Cardinal, Photo Sourced from Canva Pro.
Habitat
Living in dense shrubby areas, along wood lines and in regrowth the North Cardinal enjoys hopping through low branches and forage along the ground. They commonly sing and preen on higher branches. Interesting most female songbirds do not sing, but female Cardinal does. They are granivorous animals, meaning they mainly consume seeds, nuts, shells, and hulls, but they also enjoy some fruits and grasses.
Reproduction
Cardinals are monogamous birds, however nearly 20% of the pairs will split up by the next season and being searching for a new mate. Early spring marks the kick-off to mating season and it lasts into September, with each mating pair having one or two broods a year. After mating in the spring, the female can lay eggs continuously over the course of the season with the sperm being available in the female’s chambers for an extended period. Typically, the clutch size is between 2-5 eggs and are incubated 11-13 days before the 7-13 day nestling period after which the chicks are ready to leave the nest as fledglings. They will come and go from the nest for the next two weeks, before leaving for good. The adolescent birds will then stay with their parents (but not in the nest) for the next 40 days before they leave to find their own territories.
As we make our way into spring take time to enjoy the Northern Cardinals that have likely been your neighbors all year.
One of the programs I do with Florida Sea Grant is Restoring a Healthy Estuary. There are four focus areas within this program: improving water quality, restoring habitat, managing invasive species, and enhancing wildlife. For those who know me, they know that enhancing wildlife is near and dear to me. My major in college was vertebrate zoology and I have been monitoring and teaching about vertebrates for 40 years.
I have found that the articles I write on this topic are my most popular, particularly snakes. And I get that. Whether you love them or hate them, snakes are interesting to read about. As we roll into 2024, I thought I would do a series of articles on vertebrates I encounter as I conduct hikes/surveys on our barrier islands. From a biogeographic view, barrier islands are interesting in understanding first, how some of the animals reached the island, and second, how they survive in a sandy/dry environment that is in many ways similar to deserts.
The white quartz sand beaches of the barrier island in the northern Gulf of Mexico.
Photo: Molly O’Connor
My first hike was just after the new year on the western end of Santa Rosa Island. Wintertime is cold and the ectothermic vertebrates (amphibians and reptiles) are hard to find, most going dormant this time of year. But, on sunny days when the wind is low, they can find places where they bask and stay warm. If you encounter them, they will most likely not move quickly (they are still cold) and this provides a better opportunity to view them, though their coloration is very cryptic with the environment and, with little motion, you may miss them. For the endothermic vertebrates (birds and mammals) this is their time.
On this warmer sunny January day, we spent several hours out. There was not much movement other than a variety of songbirds. Then we heard rustling in the woods under some live oak trees – it was an armadillo.
The common nine banded armadillo scurrying across the lawn.
Photo: Les Harrison
Many of us have encountered this interesting mammal. You may not have recognized it as mammal, but it is. As a lifelong resident of Pensacola, I know that prior to Hurricane Ivan there were fewer armadillos on Pensacola Beach. They were there but in low numbers. What was common at that time were striped skunks. Since Ivan I have not seen a skunk. I have asked park rangers at the Gulf Island National Seashore, and they have not seen them either. But the number of armadillos immediately increased. It seems the skunk left a niche open, and this animal took it. Some say the armadillo may have increased in population whether the skunks were there or not – that is just armadillos. So, who is this “new kid on the block” that has become so common on our islands?
Armadillos are native to central and south America. They are a smaller mammal in the Order Cingulata and related to anteaters and sloths. Mammals are divided into orders based on their dental formula (what type, and how many teeth they have). In this sense armadillos are unique. They have around 30 peg like teeth which they use to feed on insects, their larva, arachnids, snails, small vertebrates, and eggs – though reports of them raiding shorebird nests are rare. They do eat cockroaches, which many people appreciate. They acquire their food by digging into loose soil with their large claws. This is one reason they do so well on our beaches and why many homeowners dislike them – they can destroy a yard to find prey. Though they have poor eye site and hearing, which is noticeable when you encounter one, they have an excellent sense of smell.
Armadillos move relatively slowly seeking prey but when disturbed they can run quickly and swim well. They dig round burrows, which I have found many on Santa Rosa Island. Because they often share habitats with gopher tortoises, the burrows are often confused. Armadillo burrows differ in that they are completely round. With gopher tortoises the entrance is usually flat across the bottom and dome shaped across the top. Armadillos usually spend the daytime in these burrows, foraging at night with more activity near dawn and dusk (crepuscular).
One secret to their success is their reproductive rate. They breed in summer but hold off development of the embryo to allow a late winter birth. They only have one litter each year but is almost always four identical young of the same sex. This is because they develop from the same fertilized egg.
Diseases and parasites in armadillos are few compared to native mammals, rabies has not been documented. Leprosy has been documented in armadillos in Texas, Louisiana and Mississippi, but there have been no reports of infected ones in Florida.
The dispersal of armadillos from central to north America most likely occurred crossing the isthmus in Panama. But there are reports of the animals being released in eastern Florida beginning in the 1920s. It was noted that they were able to cross the Mississippi River in the 1920s when people began to build bridges for this new thing called the automobile. Eventually the Florida and Texas populations merged. They are dispersing north towards the Ohio Valley but are not fans of cold weather and this has been a barrier for further dispersal north. We will see what climate change will do to their range. They most likely reached our barrier islands by crossing bridges, though there are locations where the Intracoastal Waterway is narrow enough, and dredge spoil island frequent enough, they could have swam/island hoped their way over. Either way they are here.
Many dislike this creature and would like to see them gone. Some consider it an invasive species and needs to be managed. Others find them cool and enjoy seeing them. It was the only non-bird creature moving that day, despite the warmer weather, we will see what the next hike/survey will bring.
I began this project in 2022 wanting to know which of the 40 species of snakes known to inhabit the Pensacola Bay area were encountered by people. I also wanted to know where they were encountering them and what time of year. This information would be used in my Living with Snakes program and provide better information than field guides and publications that covered a broader area. The 40 local species were divided into six categories: small snakes (<12”), mid-sized snakes (12-24”), large snakes (> 24”), water snakes, venomous snakes, and non-native snakes.
The red rat snake, or corn snake.
Photo: Molly O’Connor
Which snakes did people encounter?
In 2023 there were 215 snake encounters between Jan 1 and Dec 10. This is a 136% increase over 2022. This is probably not because of more snakes but rather more residents participating in the project.
Of the 40 species possible, 24 (60%) were encountered. This is a 13% increase over 2022. Again, I feel this is due more to increasing participation.
The most frequently encountered species were:
Cottonmouth – 49 records (23%)
Southern Black Racer – 35 records (16%)
Banded Water Snake – 26 records (12%)
Eastern Garter Snake – 17 records (8%)
Eastern Coachwhip – 11 records (5%)
The Southern Black Racer was the most frequently encountered snake in 2022 (23%), followed by the cottonmouth (16%). As you can see, the frequency of encounters remained the same this year, but the species flipped. The Eastern Ribbon Snake, which was third at (14%) in 2022 did not make the top five this year.
The rarest snakes – those encountered only once or not at all – included:
Encountered once:
Rough Green Snake
Eastern Kingsnake
Eastern Coral Snake
NOT Encountered at all:
Smooth Earth Snake
Marsh Brown Snake
Southern Hognose Snake
Mole Kingsnake
Scarlet Kingsnake
Eastern Indigo Snake
Black Swamp Snake
Glossy Crayfish Snake
Queen Snake
Midland Watersnake
Yellow Bellied Water Snake
Diamondback Water Snake
Western Green Water Snake
Western/Eastern Mud Snake
Rainbow Snake
Of the four species only encountered once, each is considered quite rare for encounters. The Eastern Kingsnake was once common but has declined over the years. The Eastern Coral Snake is quite common, but its behavior and activity make it rare to encounter. Some snake experts have never seen one in the wild.
Of the 16 species not encountered at all, three are small snakes whose size and habits make them difficult to detect. Two are mid-sized but their habits also make them hard to detect. Nine are water snakes who live in swampy environments along our rivers. You would have to be out there to encounter them, and few people are. Two species, the Southern Hognose and the Eastern Indigo Snake, are state and federal listed and are extremely rare.
The gray rat snake, also known as the oak snake.
Photo: Nick Baldwin
Where did people encounter these snakes?
I divided the bay area into four regions: North Escambia, South Escambia, North Santa Rosa, and South Santa Rosa.
North Escambia – 13 species (54% of the total 24 species found this year).
South Escambia – 16 species (67% of the total).
North Santa Rosa – 17 species (71% of the total).
South Santa Rosa – 11 species (46% of the total).
There is not much difference between these. In Escambia County more encounters occurred in the southern portion of the county. For Santa Rosa County it was the opposite. Whether this is because there are more snakes in these locations, or more participants in the project cannot be said. We will pay more attention to this next year.
Species that were found in ALL four regions included:
Eastern Garter Snake
Gray Rat Snake
Corn Snake
Southern Black Racer
Coachwhip
Cottonmouth
Species only found on one of the four regions included:
Eastern Kingsnake
Florida Pine Snake
Brahminy Blind Snake
Rough Earth Snake
Pinewoods Snake
Eastern Coral Snake
What time of year were these snakes encountered?
Winter – 57 encounters; 13 species
Spring – 80 encounters; 20 species
Summer – 52 encounters; 18 species
Fall – 17 encounters; 10 species
There was an obvious decline in encounters in the fall. Many species are beginning to settle in for the winter this time of year, but many others breed, and thus should be moving (at least the males). I know some volunteers ceased looking, but others I know who search weekly, or daily, did not encounter as many snakes.
Only one species was encountered every month of the year. This was the cottonmouth.
The Eastern Garter Snake was seen every month except June and October; it seems to be active year-round.
The Southern Black Racer was missing in January, November, and December – suggesting a dislike for the cold.
NOTE: many of these hibernating snakes will emerge on warmer sunny days during winter and can be encountered.
SPRING was the time of year with the highest encounter rate and species encountered. This would make sense in two parts; (1) they are emerging seeking food after non-feeding during winter, (2) they are emerging looking for mates because it is breeding season for many. Five species were only encountered in the early part of the year. Two species were only found in winter and one species was only found in the spring.
Eastern diamondback rattlesnake crawling near Ft. Pickens Campground.
Photo: Shelley Johnson
What about the venomous snakes?
As expected, most are concerned more about the encounters with venomous snakes. There are six venomous species listed in the state of Florida, four inhabit the Pensacola Bay area. All four were encountered in 2023.
Cottonmouth – was encountered in all regions, each month of the year, it was the most commonly encountered snake in our area this year.
Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake – was encountered seven times, only during the spring and summer, and in three of the four regions in our area. This snake is pretty common but not commonly encountered where people most often reside and play. Though encounters do occur in residential neighborhoods, they are rare.
Dusky Pygmy Rattlesnake – was encountered six times, during spring, summer, and fall, and two of the four regions in the bay area.
Eastern Coral Snake – was encountered once, during the spring, and in only one of the four regions in the bay area. Again, this snake is actually quite common, but its behavior makes it difficult to encounter. So, encounters with this species are rare.
Summary
In 2023 60% of the known species of snakes that inhabit the Pensacola Bay area were encountered by residents at some time during the year. Most encounters occurred in the spring and summer and encounters occurred throughout the entire region. The cottonmouth was the most frequently encountered species this year but rare species, such as the Eastern hognose, Eastern kingsnake, and the Florida pine snake were seen – and that is pretty exciting. The snake diversity in the Pensacola Bay area seems good. There is concern that a non-native parasite decreasing the populations of some species in central and south Florida may make its way to the panhandle. We are participating in a project entitled Snake Lungworm Alliance Monitoring (SLAM) that collects deceased snakes for examination by researchers. If you find a deceased snake in good enough condition to be dissected, place it in a plastic Ziplock bag, label with the date, location (GPS preferred), and your contact information. You can then bring it to the Escambia County Extension office or freeze it and call me – (850-475-5230) or email roc1@ufl.edu and we will arrange pick up.
We plan to continue the Snake Watch Project in 2024 and encourage all who see snakes to contact me at the above email address. We will also be offering the Living with Snakes presentation. If your community group is interested in this talk, contact me.
Diamondback terrapins are the only resident turtle within brackish water and estuarine systems. Their range extends from Massachusetts to Texas but, prior to 2005, their existence in the Florida panhandle was undocumented. The Panhandle Terrapin Project was developed to first determine whether terrapins exist in the panhandle (Phase I) and, if so, what is their status (Phase II and III).
The project began at the Marine Science Academy at Washington High School (in Pensacola) in 2005. Between 2005 and 2010 the team was able to verify at least one record in each of the panhandle counties. For Phase II we used what we called the “Mann Method” to determine the relative abundance of terrapins in each area. To do this we needed to conduct assessments of nesting activity in each county. In 2012 the project moved from Washington High School to Florida Sea Grant. At that time, we developed a citizen science program to conduct Phase II of this project. Effort first focused on Escambia and Santa Rosa counties, but in recent years has included Okaloosa County. Florida Sea Grant now partners with the U.S. Geological Survey (based out of Gulf County) to assist with Phase II and lead Phase III, which is estimating populations using mark-recapture methods, as well as satellite tagging to better understand movements and habitat use. The focus of Phase III has been Gulf County, but tagging has occurred in Okaloosa and Escambia counties.
Over the years we have trained 271 volunteers who have conducted thousands of hours of nesting surveys and helped obtain a better picture of the status of diamondback terrapins in the Florida panhandle. Here are the 2023 project results.
Results from 2023
We trained 67 volunteers; 35 (52%) of which participated in at least one nesting survey.
The volunteers conducted 196 surveys logging 212 hours.
During those surveys terrapins (or terrapin sign) were encountered 43 times; a Frequency of Encounter (FOE) of 22%.
Three terrapins were tagged. Two from Okaloosa and one from Escambia. All but two of the nine primary survey beaches saw nesting activity (78%). One new nesting beach was discovered.
Escambia County
Two nesting beaches. 47 surveys. 7 encounters (FOE = 15%).
The Mann Method assumes the sex ratio is 1:1 (male: female) but recent studies suggest the ratio may be as high as 5:1 (male: female). Based on these two rations the number of terrapins estimated to be using these beaches ranged from 4-36.
One terrapin (“Dollie”) was tagged. Fire ants and torpedo grass were reported on some beaches.
Santa RosaCounty
Three nesting beaches. 68 Surveys. 14 encounters (FOE = 21%).
The number of terrapins estimated to be using these beaches ranged from 6-30.
No terrapins were captured, though one was seen nesting. No invasive species were reported from the nesting beaches.
OkaloosaCounty
Four nesting beaches. 67 surveys. 21 encounters (FOE = 31%).
The number of terrapins estimated to be using these beaches ranged from 2-66.
Two terrapins were tagged (“Kennedy” and “Molly”). Phragmites were reported from all beaches.
Walton County
Walton county currently does not have a volunteer coordinator and surveys are not occurring at this time. We are working with an individual who may take the lead on this.
BayCounty
This team is just beginning and currently there are no primary beaches. The team focused on five beaches encountering terrapin nesting activity on one of them. They conducted a total of 14 surveys encountering terrapin tracks on 1 of those (FOE = 7%). The estimated number of terrapins using this beach ranged from 4-12.
Baldwin County Alabama
Due to the proximity of terrapin habitat and nesting beaches at the Alabama/Florida line, and the possibility of terrapins using habitat in both states, a team was developed in Baldwin County Alabama this year. The team began conducting Phase I surveys and encountered one deceased terrapin. No nesting beaches have been identified at this time.
Summary
The results of this year’s surveys suggest that, based on the number of nesting beaches we know of, there are anywhere from 2-66 terrapins utilizing them. Again, two of the primary beaches did not have nesting activity this year. USGS tagging studies will provide better population estimates and a better understanding of how these animals are utilizing these habitats. The current population estimate for Gulf County is a little over 1000 individuals and most are showing relatively small range of habitat utilization, although two individuals in the western panhandle moved from one county to the neighboring one.
Training for volunteers occurs in March of each year. If you are interested in participating, contact Rick O’Connor – roc1@ufl.edu.
