Coyotes can be a nuisance to pet and livestock owners as well as vegetable farmers. They are true scavengers and will eat just about anything – sheep, calves, poultry, deer, watermelons, snakes, foxes, cats, rabbits, grass, carrion, pet food…
Although they are mainly active at night, coyotes can be seen during daylight hours close to sunrise and sunset.
Photo by J. Gamble
Coyotes are brownish gray in color with light gray or cream colored belly. They have erect pointed ears with a slender muzzle and bushy tail. They weigh between 20-45 pounds and are found in deserts, swamps, tundra, grasslands, brush, forests and even in the suburbs. Coyotes become bolder when living in urban areas and can be a threat to pets. Small dogs and pet cats are easy prey. Garbage cans are another easy food source.
So what can you do to reduce the chance of having a coyote conflict?
First, never feed coyotes!
Eliminate water sources near your home.
Place bird feeders out of reach.
Secure garbage containers.
Feed pets indoors when possible and store pet food where coyotes cannot access it.
Trim shrubbery near ground level to reduce hiding cover.
Fence your yard. The fence should be at least 6 feet high with at least 6 inches buried.
Don’t leave small children unattended outside if coyotes have been seen in the area.
Don’t allow pets to roam free, especially at night.
Discourage coyotes from getting too comfortable and close to humans, pets, homes, or buildings – shouting, loud noises or throwing rocks at them normally works. Coyotes generally will not challenge an adult human.
WE NEED YOUR HELP – COYOTES VS BOBCATS: WHAT ARE THEY EATING?
The University of Florida is conducting a study of coyote and bobcat diets in Florida. Your help is needed in this study. Of particular interest is the importance of popular wildlife species, including white-tailed deer, turkeys, and bobwhite quail, livestock, and pets in the diet of these predators. Diets will be determined by examining the stomach contents of coyotes and bobcats legally harvested or obtained in Florida.
We are asking for help in obtaining legally acquired coyote and bobcat carcasses, with or without pelts. We will also accept coyote and bobcat stomachs and intestines if you cannot store the whole carcass. Carcasses or stomachs and intestines should be frozen in a suitable bag or container, and include the name of contributor, animal sex, date harvested/obtained, and location harvested/obtained. We have obtained a permit from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission for this project, and will keep information provided by you for this project anonymous to the extent possible by law. Your assistance with this valuable study is greatly appreciated. Researchers will coordinate combining your animals with others in your area for a pickup or provide instructions for delivery in Gainesville Please contact Lauren Watine (352-846-0558; lnwatine@ufl.edu) or Bill Giuliano (352-846-0575; docg@ufl.edu) at the University of Florida for more information.
You can provide input to numerous groups around the Gulf of Mexico that are developing regional science and restoration plans or funding Gulf research through a single survey. <<<Click Here to Take the Survey
This survey is part of an update to the Gulf of Mexico Research Plan (GMRP). This project assists the Gulf of Mexico research community in identifying research and related priorities and learning if priorities shifted during the past six years.
Multiple groups already have used input collected through previous GMRP efforts to identify and fund research, and the 2013 survey results will be distributed widely as a service to the research community. The results of this survey will be shared with the Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative (GoMRI), NOAA Restore Act Science Program, National Academy of Science’s Gulf of Mexico Program, Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Council and other groups. The GMRP efforts are partially sponsored by NOAA and the four Gulf of Mexico Sea Grant college programs.
Responses will be anonymous, and it will take less than 15 minutes to complete this critical survey. The survey will close on Dec. 13, so complete it today.
For more information contact Steve Sempier, Sea Grant Gulf of Mexico research planning coordinator.
Extensive methods of oyster farming have been promoted in various forms and under changing laws for over 100 years in Florida. (UF/IFAS photo)
What: A Conversation About Oyster Aquaculture When: Monday, July 29, 2013, 2 to 5 p.m. Where:Community Center, Apalachicola (Ten Foot Hole)
Seeking insights into the pros and cons of growing oysters, Apalachicola’s commercial oyster industry has asked members of the University of Florida Oyster Recovery Teamto a question-and-answer discussion on Monday, July 29, 2013, from 2 to 5 p.m. in the Apalachicola Community Center. The program is open to the public.
Recent changes in state rules governing shellfish aquaculture in Franklin County have stimulated new discussions about growing oysters to supplement the traditional, wild-caught harvest, according to Karl Havens, director of Florida Sea Grantand the leader of the UF oyster recovery team.
While it is too soon to know if those changes will translate into financial success, culturing oysters remains a demanding and relatively unproven business, Havens said.
“The members of the UF team with expertise in aquaculture methods and economics will answer questions about all aspects of its feasibility.”
In June, theFlorida Cabinet modified state regulations to allow owners of two existing oyster aquaculture leases in Franklin County to locate growing cages up off the bottom and into the full water column. The experimental technique applies to just two existing aquaculture leases of 1.5 acres each inAlligator Harbor,near St. Teresa Beach.
Apalachicola Bay’s commercial oyster fishery is trying to recover after extended droughts in 2011 and 2012 dramatically decreased one of the nation’s most productive fisheries. The UF recovery team recommended a long-term plan for future monitoring, research and management to restore the Bay’s oyster populations to historic levels.
The team also recommended a large-scale restoration of the bay’s degraded oyster reefs as a top priority to accelerate oyster recovery.
The meeting is hosted by SMARRT, the Seafood Management Assistance Resource and Recovery Team. There will be no formal presentations, just informal questions and answers.
Invasive Species Awareness: How is Your Invader Knowledge?
Invasive species are non-native or exotic species that do not naturally occur in an area and cause economic or environmental harm or harm to human health. These invasive species have become the number one threat to biodiversity on protected lands. However, invasive species do not know boundaries and as a result public and private lands are affected as well as natural and man-made water bodies and associated watersheds. Northwest Florida is home to many unique habitats, including upland, wetland, and marine. These habitats, housing a variety of plants and animals, make this area considered as one of the top six biodiversity hotspots in the country. These invasive species threats can come in the form of both plants and animals, in Florida there are over 500 non-native fish and wildlife species and over 1180 non-native plant species that have been documented. Exotic species are able to outcompete many natives causing habitats to degrade, animals to leave, and can introduce diseases that can destroy economically important species. This is a worldwide issue that can be addressed on local levels. One of the most effective ways to control invasive species is by prevention, just by becoming invasive aware can help to control some of these issues.
So how aware are you? Recreationalists such as boaters, fishermen, pet owners, gardeners, hikers and travelers can be unknowing dispersers of invasive species. These everyday steps can help: By cleaning and draining your boat, gear and trailer between water bodies can stop the spread of species that may be hitchhiking on your equipment. If you are a pet owner and find yourself in a possession of a pet you no longer want or can care for, it is important not to release these into the wild. No pet, either native or exotic, should ever be released. This act can cause more harm than good, not only to your pet but to the other native wildlife. Follow the simple tips on Habitattitude to get tips on alternatives to releasing your pet. When out enjoying nature while biking, hiking, camping, birding, etc. take care to check where you are trekking, what might have attached to your clothing, making sure you do not end up being an unwitting disperser. Gardeners, even you can help especially when dealing with non-native plant dispersal. Not all non-native plants are bad but make sure that the plants you are putting in your garden are not harmful invaders that will make it into natural areas. Verify your plants by making sure they do not occur on the invasive plant list which can be found at http://www.fleppc.org/. There are many ways to get involved in the battle against invasive species. For more information about National Invasive Species Awareness Week (NISAW) please visit http://www.nisaw.org/, landowners can join your local Cooperative Invasive Species Management Areas (CISMA) group or for more info on local invasive species contact your UF/IFAS extension office. Look for the invasive species of the day posts on the Panhandle Outdoors Extension Newsletter blog throughout NISAW to increase your awareness of local invasive exotic species.
For more information, please contact Brooke Saari, Florida Sea Grant Marine Science Agent, Okaloosa/Walton County UF/IFAS Extension by phone 689-5850 or email bsaari@ufl.edu.
It is hard to say one turtle is more beautiful than another but this is one beautiful turtle! The diamondback terrapin is the only brackish water turtle in the United States. These turtles can be easily distinguished from other species by their light colored skin with dark spots, and their choice of habitat – salt marshes.
Ornate Diamondback Terrapin (photo: Dr. John Himes)
Terrapins inhabit creeks within marshes close to where they were born and rarely range from their natal home. They require dry ground for nesting. Terrapins spend their time basking in lagoons near the surface or on open mudflats at low tide. They feed primarily on shellfish, preferring snails and bivalves, but will also feed on small crabs, shrimp, worms, fish, and occasionally vegetation.
The females are larger than the males and have shorter tails. Mature females typically lay 6 to 10 eggs and will nest more than once in the same year. Nesting begins in late April in our part of the country and females laying multiple clutches will do so every 16 days. The sex of the offspring is determined by the nest temperature (warmer than 29˚C = females) so generally the eggs in the upper part of the nest are female. Unlike sea turtles, female terrapins approach the nesting beach at high tide during daylight hours. Most of the nests we find in Santa Rosa County are near salt bush (Baccharis sp.) but we have found them in open areas or near debris like driftwood. They also differ from sea turtles in that young head away from open water preferring the plants of the marsh. The heaviest predation is on the eggs and young. The dominant nest raider is the raccoon. Hatchlings are preyed upon by raccoons, otters, skunks, crows, and sea gulls; adults have few predators.
Terrapin populations have declined over the last 150 years. In the late 19th century it became very popular to eat them and the demand for the animal became an economic dynamo for many coastal fishermen. Terrapin researchers from the University of Alabama at Birmingham found a newspaper article from that time period that discussed a terrapin farm in Mobile County that had 25,000 terrapins; suggesting they were once very common. With the increase in the popularity for food their numbers decreased, this caused an increase in price and a decline in their popularity. The introduction of the crab trap in the 20th century became problematic for them. Terrapins swim into traps and can not reach the surface to breathe. In some states a “by-catch reduction device” or BRD is required on crab traps. Studies of these in New Jersey and Florida showed they have no significant impact on the crab catch but do reduce the number of terrapins captured. BRDs are not currently required in Florida as commercial traps are actively fished and bycatch removed when crabs are harvested. “Derelict” crab traps are those that are not actively being fished, killing all sorts of aquatic life. Derelict crab trap removal events which removes this potential hazard to turtles and to blue crabs as well.
We have been conducting a monitoring program assessing the status of Terrapins in the Panhandle since 2006 and have found at least one in every coastal county between Alabama and the Apalachicola River. We have identified five nesting beaches and believe that one population has between 25-50 individuals within it (likely much lower numbers than historically found). The marsh turtle status is certainly of concern for many biologists.
To learn more about terrapins and the crab trap removal program visit the following websites or call your local extension office. For more information on obtaining a bycatch reduction device (BRD) for your recreational crab traps contact Rick O’Connor, 850-475-5230.
Terrapins in a derelict crab trap (photo: Molly O’Connor)
; lnwatine@ufl.edu) or Bill Giuliano (352-846-0575
