![2020 Year of the Turtle – the Florida Cooters](https://nwdistrict.ifas.ufl.edu/nat/files/2020/07/Turtle-4-1080x675.jpg)
2020 Year of the Turtle – the Florida Cooters
Cooters are one of the more commonly seen turtles when visiting a freshwater system. They are relatively large for a freshwater turtle (with a carapace about 13 inches long) and are often seen basking on logs, rocks, aerator pumps, you name it – and often in high...
![Embrace the Gulf 2020 – the bivalves](https://nwdistrict.ifas.ufl.edu/nat/files/2020/06/McRee-scallops-2-960x675.jpg)
Embrace the Gulf 2020 – the bivalves
This is a good name for this group. They are mollusk that have two shells. They tried “univalve” with the snails and slugs, but that never caught on – gastropods it is for them. The bivalves are an interesting, and successful, group. They have taken the shell for...
![2020 Year of the Turtle – Florida Red-bellied Turtle](https://nwdistrict.ifas.ufl.edu/nat/files/2020/06/Florida_Redbelly_Turtle-Wikipedia.jpg)
2020 Year of the Turtle – Florida Red-bellied Turtle
Cooters are common freshwater turtles throughout the state of Florida. There are currently three species listed: Pseudemys concinna – commonly known as the “river cooter”, Pseudemys floridana – referred to as the “Florida cooter”, and Pseudemys nelsoni – the “Florida...
![Embrace the Gulf 2020 – marine snails and slugs](https://nwdistrict.ifas.ufl.edu/nat/files/2020/06/crown-conch-Franklin-County-Extension.jpg)
Embrace the Gulf 2020 – marine snails and slugs
One of the largest groups of invertebrates in the Gulf are the Mollusk… what many call “seashells”. Shell collecting has been popular for centuries and, in times past, there were large shows where shells from around the world were traded. Almost everyone who visits...
![Fear the Mussel?](https://nwdistrict.ifas.ufl.edu/nat/files/2020/06/Green-Mussel-2-FSG-.jpg)
Fear the Mussel?
Well, maybe not… But there could be reason to keep an eye out. We are not talking about the common ribbed or hooked mussels we found in the Pensacola Bay area. We are talking about an invasive species called the green mussel (Perna viridis). Why be concerned? ...
![Heavy Rains Spark Explosive Breeding Events for Amphibians](https://nwdistrict.ifas.ufl.edu/nat/files/2020/06/Green-Tree-Frog-1080x675.jpg)
Heavy Rains Spark Explosive Breeding Events for Amphibians
WOW… is all I can say, when I step outside at night of late and become immersed in the spectacular chorus of calls from breeding frogs and toads near my Wakulla County residence. The sound reverberates to the level where it sometimes feels like it is echoing inside...
![Hurricane Season has arrived](https://nwdistrict.ifas.ufl.edu/nat/files/2017/05/UF_hurricane.png)
Hurricane Season has arrived
This past March, many people spoke about sensing a sort of free-floating anxiety, waiting for potential disaster to land at their doorstep. The unknowns we faced as COVID-19 cases increased in the United States were not quite like anything we’d previously experienced,...
![The Connection Between Nitrogen and Water Quality](https://nwdistrict.ifas.ufl.edu/nat/files/2015/05/MSA-fall-2011-020.jpg)
The Connection Between Nitrogen and Water Quality
Recently there was a report of high fecal bacteria in a portion of Perdido Bay. I received a few concerned emails about the possible source. Follow up sampling from several agencies in both Florida and Alabama confirmed the bacteria was there, the levels were below...
![2020 Year of the Turtle – the Sliders](https://nwdistrict.ifas.ufl.edu/nat/files/2020/06/Yellow-bellied-slider-1080x675.jpg)
2020 Year of the Turtle – the Sliders
They call it a slider… Maybe because they slide off a tree trunks into the water? Honestly, I really don’t know – but sliders it is. They are very common pond turtles all across the eastern and mid-west portions of the United States reaching as far west as New...
![Outdoor Ethics](https://nwdistrict.ifas.ufl.edu/nat/files/2020/05/trail-ride-2-1080x675.jpg)
Outdoor Ethics
The controversial incident recently in New York between a birdwatcher and a dog owner got me thinking about outdoor ethics. Most of us are familiar with the “leave no trace” principles of “taking only photographs and leaving only footprints.” This concept is vital to...