by Rick O'Connor | Apr 22, 2016
Many folks are putting together a “bucket list” of things they would like to do or see before they can no longer do them. For many interested in natural resources there are certain national parks and scenic places they would like to visit. Other natural resource fans have a list of wildlife species they would like to see.
Terrapins inhabit creeks, such as this one, within the expanse of the salt marsh. Here you can see their heads pop up above the water and you may get lucky enough to find one basking.
Photo: Rick O’Connor
Recently I hooked with famed Alabama outdoorsman Jimbo Meador to search for locations to find Alabama turtles. Jimbo has been fishing, hunting, and enjoying the Mobile Bay area all of his life and he now using that knowledge as a guide in a nature-based tourism project. He recently received a call from a group of gentleman from another part of the country who had on their bucket list viewing 1000 reptilian species in their native habitat. In Alabama they were interested in the Black-knobbed Map Turtle, the Alabama Red Belly, and the Diamondback Terrapin. Jimbo has just begun the first module of the Florida Master Naturalist Program and reached out to us for advice on where to find these guys. Luckily, after working with scientists from the University of Alabama at Birmingham, I knew where to find diamondback terrapins – and have a pretty good idea on the others.
These “diamonds of the marsh” – as they are sometimes called – are very elusive creatures. They inhabit muddy bottom creeks within extensive salt marsh habitat all along the Gulf and East coast of the United States. I spent two years searching the Florida panhandle before I found my first live animal. It was one of the odd things though – once you have seen one, you now know what you are looking for and begin to find more.
I took Jimbo to a location near Dauphin Island where about 150 terrapins are believed to exist. Terrapins spend most of their day within creeks that meander through acres of salt marsh. The odd thing is there may be hundreds of creeks within these marshes and the terrapins – for some reason – will select their favorites and hang there. You can spend all day paddling through perfect looking creeks not seeing a head at all… then all of sudden… you enter one creek… not really any different than the others… and there they are.
Veteran waterman and outdoor guide, Jimbo Meador, explores the marshes near Dauphin Island for the elusive diamondback terrapin.
Photo: Rick O’Connor
Within these creeks they feed on a variety of shellfish but particularly like the marsh periwinkles. These small snails are the ones that climb the cordgrass and needlerush plants during high tide to avoid their nemesis the blue crab and the diamondback terrapin. Terrapins do crawl out of the water to bask in the sun and have been known to bury in the loose fine mud. Females must find high dry ground to lay her eggs. She may swim as far as 5 miles from her home creek to find a suitable beach. They do like sandy beaches that are open and free of most plants. They emerge onto these beaches during May and June to lay about 7-10 eggs. Most females will lay more than one clutch each season emerging once every 16 days or so. Different from sea turtles – terrapins nest during the daylight hours. Actually the sunnier – the better. Raccoons are a big problem… find and consuming the eggs; on some beaches researchers have reported 90% or more of the nest have been raided by the furry guys. Crows, snakes, and possibly armadillos will take nests as well. If the developing young survive the 60+ days of incubation, they will emerge and head for the grass areas of the marsh… not the water. Here they will spend the first year of their life living more like a land turtle before they make their way to the brackish waters of the salt marsh.
Open sandy beaches, such as the one in this photograph, are the spots females terrapins seek when they are ready to dig a nest.
Photo: Rick O’Connor
These are fascinating creatures and should be on everyone’s natural resource bucket list. The hard effort of finding them really makes doing so very rewarding. On this day Jimbo saw only one head – I did not see any. I have found in my study site that I see more heads in the afternoon (we were out in the morning). I do not know if this is the case at all terrapin nesting sites, but something to consider when looking. Though we did not find many that day he now knows what to look for when searching for them. Next we will have to hunt the Alabama Red Belly Turtle. That is another story for another day.
We will continue this series with other interesting wildlife creatures to “hunt” in the Florida panhandle.
by Rick O'Connor | Apr 8, 2016
This gopher tortoise was found in the dune fields on a barrier island – an area where they were once found.
Photo: DJ Zemenick
The state of Florida has designated Sunday April 10 as “Gopher Tortoise Day”. The objective is to bring awareness to this declining species and, hopefully, an interest in protecting it.
During his travels across the southeast in the late 18th century, William Bartram mentioned this creature several times. As he walked through miles of open longleaf pine he would climb sand hills where he often encountered the tortoise. These turtles do like high dry sandy habitats. Here they dig their famous burrows into the earth.
These burrows can extend almost 10 feet vertically below the surface but, being excavated at an angle, can extend 20 feet in length. There is only one entrance and the tortoise works hard to maintain it. Field biologists have been able to identify over 370 species of upland creatures that utilize these burrows as refuge either for short or long periods of time. These include the declining diamondback rattlesnakes, gopher frogs, and the endangered indigo snakes, but most are insects and small mammals. Because of the importance of the burrows to these species, gopher tortoises are listed as keystone species – meaning their decline will trigger the decline of the others and can upset the balance of the ecosystem. Gopher burrows can be distinguished from mammal burrows in that they are domed across the top but flat along the bottom, as opposed to being oval. The width of the burrow is close to the length of the tortoise. When danger is encountered the tortoise will turn sideways – effectively blocking the entire entrance. Though there are cases of multiple tortoises in one, the general rule is one tortoise per burrow.
Tortoises are herbivores, feeding on a variety of young herbaceous shoots, and fruit when they can get find them. Fire is important to the longleaf system and it is important to the gophers as well. Fires encourage new young shoots to sprout. If an area does not receive sufficient fire, and the ground vegetation allowed grow larger with tougher leaves, the tortoise will abandon their burrow and seek more suitable habitat – which, especially in Florida – is becoming harder and harder to find. They typically breed in the fall and will lay their 5-10 eggs in the loose sand near the entrance of the burrow in spring. In August the hatchlings emerge and may hide beneath leaf litter, but will quickly begin their own burrows.
This tortoise is only found in the southeast of the United States and it is in decline across the region. They are currently listed as threatened in Florida but are federally protected in Louisiana, Mississippi, and western Alabama. They are found across our state as far south as the Everglades. There are several reasons why their numbers have declined. Human consumption was common in the early parts of the 20th century, and still is in some locations – though illegal. Some would, at times, pour gasoline down the burrow to capture rattlesnakes – this of course did not fare well for the tortoise. A big problem is the loss of suitable habitat. Much of upland systems require periodic fires to maintain the reproductive cycle of community members. The suppression of fire has caused the decline of many species in our state including gopher tortoises. These under maintained forest have forced tortoises to roadsides, power line fields, airports, and pastures. In each case they have encountered humans with cars, lawn mowers, and heavy equipment. Keep in mind also that our growing population is forcing us to clear much of these upland habitats for developments where clearing has caused the burial (entombment) of many burrows.
This is a unique turtle to our region and honestly, is a pleasure to see. We hope you will take the time to learn more about them by visiting FWC’s Gopher Tortoise Day website, enjoy watching them if they live near you, and help us conserve this species for future generations.
by Rick O'Connor | Mar 25, 2016
The majestic bald eagle. Their numbers are increasing along the Florida Panhandle.
Photo: Pensacola New Journal
ARTICLE BY DOROTHY KAUFMANN – Wildlife Sanctuary of Northwest Florida
Orphaned bald eagles are being fostered by two non-releasable adult eagles at the Wildlife Sanctuary of Northwest Florida.
The amazing story of these eagles began on St. George Island when concerned neighbors, Kevin and Chantel Burdett, Lauren Levi, and Kenny Piotrowski, rescued two fallen chicks after their nest tree came down in a storm. Emergency care began with Chris Beatty, Florida wildlife Mammal Association in Crawfordville, after being transported by Apalachicola National Estuarine Research Reserve staff. One eaglet sustained injuries from the fall while the other remained uninjured. Plans were immediately underway to rebuild a nest and return the uninjured chick. The following day both eaglets were stable enough to be transferred to the Wildlife Sanctuary in Pensacola for continued care and treatment.
A team continued working to reunite the healthy eaglet with its parents but first a replacement nest had to be built. Next, a secure tree nearby the original site had to be found for the new nest. Finally, get the nest and chick to the top of the tree. Just how many people does it take? Well, this time it was three state agencies, two wildlife rehabilitators, one veterinarian, Duke Energy – the largest electric utility in the country, with their bucket truck, one EagleWatch Program professional, several concerned citizens, and one federal agency to attempt to reunite this eaglet. “It wasn’t long before we had our ducks (eaglets) in a row for a coordinated effort to try sand reunite parents with chicks”, said Erik Lovestrand, director of the UF/IFAS Franklin County Extension Office. “Duke Energy is proud to have been part of the effort to find these baby eagles a new home”, said David Collins – government and community relations manager with Duke Energy.
The weather that had been the reason for the home nest to fall continued to dictate the little eaglet’s destiny. The reunion day turned out to be very cold and rainy for everyone. Efforts to reunite the eaglet were unsuccessful. Foster parents… yes… that’s plan B… the eaglets are both being raised by experienced “eagle parents” to have the best chance at a later release back to the wild. These adults are permanently injured bald eagles and residents of the Wildlife Sanctuary of NWFL. The injured eaglet is currently recovering at WSNF from a fractured leg and wing. Both eaglets are off display to the public due to the need to keep them wild. Video cameras at the Sanctuary allow viewing of the eagle family without any disturbance.
“Though I know we are all very disappointed that the parents did not return, we all pulled together to try to help this young eaglet which was a very awesome experience. We were so honored to be amongst such a wonderful and caring group of people”, commented Chris Beatty.
How amazing that what seemed to be a day about a single family of eagles… is actually an ongoing lesson in caring, awareness, and community.
SPECIAL NOTES:
Attending veterinarian Dr. Tommy Knight of Westside Animal Hospital
The new eagle nest site was selected by Erik Lovestrand (UF/IFAS Extension), Lauren Levi (Apalachicola NERR), and Lynda White (AEW).
Supplies for the platform were provided by Jenna Harper (Apalachicola NERR) and constructed by Kenny Piotrowski (local carpenter).
The platform was secured and eaglet placed within by Duke Energy.
Neighbor Kevin Burdett also played an important role in encouraging the adult eagles to remain in the nesting area – he played audio calls of the eaglets.
Others attending the attempted eagle reunion monitored the activity and remained in an inconspicuous location awaiting the adult eagles return.
by Erik Lovestrand | Mar 25, 2016
Summertime and swimming at the beach just go together naturally in Florida with our state’s more than 1,000 miles of coastline. Many fond memories are created along these salty margins and the Panhandle region of the state has some of the top-rated beaches in the world. It is a great place to experience a relaxing, cool dip in the Gulf of Mexico on a balmy summer day. One thing to be aware of though is the possibility of an encounter with one of the Gulf’s “stinging” inhabitants and what to do if this occurs.
The Moon Jelly is a Common Inhabitant Along Panhandle Shores. Photo courtesy Florida Sea Grant
There are actually several different organisms that have the capability to sting. This is primarily their mechanism for capturing food but it may also serve to deter predators. Most belong to a group of organisms called “Cnidarians,” which includes the jellyfish. Most jellyfish are harmless to us and are important food sources for many other marine creatures, including some sea turtles, fish and even other jellies! Some species are even dried, shredded and eaten by humans. However, there are several types of jellyfish that will inflict a sting when brushed against and some that are actually a serious hazard. Keep in mind that people also react differently to most venoms, exhibiting varying degrees of sensitivity. The most dangerous types include some of the box jellyfish species (visit HERE for general map of worldwide jellyfish fatalities), and the blue-colored Portuguese man-o-war, which is sometimes common on our shores after sustained southerly winds during summer. A few of our locally common species that cause pain but of a generally less-severe nature include the moon jelly, sea nettle, and cannonball jellyfish. We even have some species of hydroids that look very much like a bushy brown or red algae. They are usually attached to the bottom substrate but when pieces break off and drift into the surf they can provide a painful encounter.
If you are stung there are a couple of things you can do to help and a couple of things you should not do. First, move away from the location by getting out of the water so you don’t encounter more tentacles. Carefully remove any visible tentacle pieces but not with your fingers. You should also change out of swimwear that may have trapped pieces of tentacles or tiny larval jellyfish against the skin. Do not rinse the area with fresh water as this causes the remaining stinging cells to fire their venomous harpoons. If symptoms go beyond a painful sting to having difficulty breathing or chest pain you should immediately call the Poison Information Center Network at 1-800-222-1222 or call 911.
Another thing to watch for in areas where public beaches display the beach warning flag system is a purple flag. This flag color at the beach indicates dangerous marine life and quite often it is flown when jellyfish numbers are at high levels. All of this is being written, not to scare you away from our beaches, but to help you enjoy our beautiful coastline with a little better understanding of what is out there and what to do if you happen to have a brush with a jellyfish. The vast majority of encounters are a minor irritation in an otherwise pleasant experience.
by Libbie Johnson | Feb 24, 2016
Libbie Johnson
UF IFAS Escambia County Extension
Northwest Florida can be a pond owner’s paradise. There is usually enough rainfall to keep ponds filled, catfish, bass, and brim are well adapted to the environmental conditions, and there is a long season to catch fish.
One of the biggest problems pond owners face is the constant struggle with pond vegetation. Some pond vegetation is good. It provides a cover for young fish, helps stabilize the shoreline or bank, and some vegetative species are attractive wildlife.
However some species are highly invasive and can completely overtake a pond. One such species is water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes).
The water hyacinth is a floating plant, which if left unchecked and allowed to grow to its maximum potential, can weigh up to 200 tons per acre of water. In rivers, it can choke out other vegetation and make navigation difficult to impossible.
Water hyacinth, as an ornamental plant, is a wolf in sheep’s clothing. The plants intertwined and form huge floating mats which can root on muddy surfaces, as seen in the photo below.
The plant will be several inches tall, has showy lavender flowers, with rounded, shiny, smooth leaves. These leaves are attached to spongy stalks that help keep the plants afloat. The prolific roots are dark and feathery.
In Northwest Florida this pest commonly dies back in the winter. Unfortunately it is able to regrow when the weather and water warm.
Water hyacinth is not a native species. It is believed to have been introduced into the U.S. in 1884 at an exposition in New Orleans. Within 70 years of reaching Florida, the plant covered 126,000 acres of waterways (Schmitz et al. 1993).
Water hyacinth is on the FL DACS Prohibited Aquatic Plant List – 5B-64.011. According to Florida Statute 369.25, “No person shall import, transport, cultivate, collect, sell, or possess any noxious aquatic plant listed on the prohibited aquatic plant list established by the department without a permit issued by the department.”
To control a small infestation, the plants can be gathered from the surface, brought to the shore, left to dry and then disposed of in the garbage. There are biological control options—water hyacinth weevils will be useful in keeping the plant populations down.
The spongy petiole helps keeps the plant afloat.
Finally, chemical herbicide options may be the best alternative. University of Florida Aquatic Vegetation Specialist, Dr. Langeland, wrote Efficacy of Herbicide Active Ingredients Against Aquatic Weeds, a good publication that will help you to determine which herbicide will work best for different weeds.
NOTE: The middle of the summer is generally not the ideal time for applying herbicide on pond vegetation. For more information on weed control in Florida ponds, please see Weed Control in Florida Ponds. If you have any questions about identifying a pond weed, contact your local county Extension agent.
by Carrie Stevenson | Feb 5, 2016
On “project day” students share their knowledge with the class. Photo credit: Carrie Stevenson
The Florida Master Naturalist Program is a 40-hour experiential learning course offered by UF IFAS Extension. While we spend time in class with presentations, by far everyone’s favorite aspects of the course are field trips and “project day.” As part of the course, each participant produces an educational tool—a display, presentation, skit, or lesson—that delves deeper into a topic of interest. The students and instructors are able to use these tools again and again to teach others.
Master Naturalist students walk “The Way” boardwalk in Perdido Key. Photo credit: Carrie Stevenson
One example of a multi-year student project is “The Way” nature trail, located at Perdido Bay United Methodist Church. Master Naturalist Jerry Patee worked with volunteers from his church and community to design and permit a boardwalk and nature trail leading to Bayou Garcon. The unique trail is less than a mile, but traverses upland, freshwater wetland, and coastal habitats, making it a perfect ecological teaching tool. The trail is open to the public and maintained as a place of quiet contemplation. The project is ongoing, with educational signage planned, but it is an excellent new resource for the community.
“The Way” is just one of many positive contributions made by Master Naturalist students over the years. To enroll in a Florida Master Naturalist course near you, visit the FMNP page or talk with an instructor at your local county Extension office.
