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Category: Florida Fauna & Flora

Florida Fauna & Flora – Red Snapper

Florida Fauna & Flora: Red Snapper

 

Florida’s Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission announced that Florida’s 2022 recreational red snapper season opened June 17 and runs consecutively through July 31. Visit myfwc.com for upcoming fall dates.

 

Red snapper in deeper waters tend to be redder than those caught in shallower waters. They have a long triangular face with the upper part sloping more strongly than the lower and earned the name snapper from their enlarged canine teeth. 

 

Age wise, red snapper can live a long time—red snapper as old as 57 years have been reported in the Gulf of Mexico and can grow to 40 inches long and 50 pounds. Females are able to reproduce as early as age 2. Males and females spawn from May to October, depending on their location.

 

Red snapper feed on fish, shrimp, crab, worms, cephalopods (octopus or squid) and some plankton. Young red snapper are food for the large carnivorous fish that share their habitat, such as jacks, groupers, sharks, barracudas, and morays.

 

These fish are generally found at 30 to 620 feet deep in the Gulf of Mexico and along the eastern coasts of North America, Central America, and northern South America. They are rare north of the Carolinas.

 

Read the full July 2022 SECO News online.

 

Florida Fauna & Flora – Drought-tolerant Florida Landscaping

Florida’s traditional dry seasons are spring and fall. When choosing plants, shrubs, grasses and trees for landscaping, select drought-tolerant species that need less water and have a better chance of survival during drier months. 

 

Annuals and perennials add color and brightness to your outdoor space. Plants such as aloe, lantana, butterfly milkweed, black-eyed susans, salvia, lavender, plumbago and spider lilies are good choices. 

 

Low-maintenance, drought-tolerant landscapes should include native Florida grasses and shrubs. Especially resistant to drought are native grasses such as cordgrass, lovegrass, crown grass and fakahatchee grass. Native shrubs including podocarpus, Texas sage, yucca, Indian hawthorn, bougainvillea, firebrush and lyonia may survive off rainwater alone.

 

Sabal palm, jelly palm, sago palm, date palms and saw palmettos are drought, heat and wind tolerant. Bottlebrush, live oak, pine, hollies, cypress, cedars and elms are drought-tolerant native trees. 

 

Remember, before beginning any planting project, contact www.Sunshine811.com before you dig. Sunshine 811 is a free service that locates and marks underground utilities in your digging area. In Florida, it’s the law.

 

Source: University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences

 

Read the full June 2022 SECO News online.

 

Florida Fauna & Flora – Zebra Butterfly

 

Florida Fauna & Flora – Zebra Butterfly

 

The zebra butterfly, formerly known as the zebra longwing butterfly, became Florida’s state insect in 1996. It is typically 3 to 4 inches in length with long wings that are black with thin yellow bands or stripes.

 

Zebra butterflies are found in Everglades National Park and throughout Florida. Its habitats include thickets, hardwood forests, hammocks and gardens. Most adult butterflies rely on flower nectar for food. They sip the liquid nectar using their proboscis that looks like a long, coiled straw.

 

Butterflies’ life cycle has four stages: egg, larva (caterpillar), pupa (chrysalis) and adult. Female butterflies lay eggs on or near a larval host plant, and within days the eggs hatch, and the larvae begin to feed on the plant. Its appetite is voracious, and it grows and sheds its skin often. The fully grown larva seeks shelter and attaches with silk under a leaf or twig. It then molts into a winged pupa before becoming an adult.

 

Fun Fauna Fact: Over 180 butterfly species live in Florida with 40 unique to the state. Florida’s butterfly species diversity is higher than any state east of the Mississippi River.

 

Source: University of Florida IFAS Extension

 

Read the full February 2022 SECO News online.

 

Florida Fauna & Flora – The Great Florida Birding and Wildlife Trail

 

Florida Fauna & Flora – The Great Florida Birding and Wildlife Trail

 

Are you looking for an outdoor adventure? Take a hike on The Great Florida Birding and Wildlife Trail to observe native Florida animals, birds, butterflies and trees. There are 510 designated sites in the panhandle, east, west and south Florida.

 

In our local area, you’ll find sites in both the east and west. In Citrus County make a visit to the Crystal River Preserve State Park, Flying Eagle Preserve and Withlacoochee State Forest. In Lake County, look for the Emeralda Marsh Conservation Area, Lake Louisa State Park and the Seminole State Forest. In Marion County enjoy the Ocala National Forest Salt Springs, Rainbow Springs State Park and World-Famous Silver Springs State Park. In Sumter County you’ll find the Lake Panasoffkee Wildlife Management Area and the Marsh Bend “Outlet” Park.

 

The Florida Department of Transportation and the Fish and Wildlife Foundation of Florida support the Trail. The program is overseen by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

 

Fun Fauna Fact: Millions visit The Great Florida Birding and Wildlife Trail every year. Its economic impact is over $1 billion for the state, but the Trail’s goal is to encourage conservation of our native habitats and species.

 

Source: Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission

 

Read the full January 2022 SECO News online.

 

Florida Fauna & Flora – Red Fox

 

Florida Fauna & Flora – Red Fox

 

Red foxes are the size of a small dog and weigh 10 to 15 pounds. Not including their long, bushy tails, they measure about 2 feet long. Red foxes have red hair that varies from rust-colored to golden-red, white bellies, black ear tips and legs. Their hairy, red, bushy tails usually have a white tip.

 

This fox is primarily nocturnal, but you may find it feeding during the day. It is most active at dawn and dusk. Its diet includes rabbits, mice and rats. It may kill more than it can eat and bury the extra for a later meal.

 

Red fox pairs usually mate for life. Breeding takes place in late fall or winter, with gestation lasting 53 days. An average of 5 blind, helpless pups are born per litter that nurse for 2 months and live and learn from adults for about 6 months.

 

Red foxes are a naturalized but not native Florida animal. A naturalized animal has moved into an area and adapted, created a stable or expanding population, and does not require aid for survival or reproduction.

 

Fun Fauna Fact: Gray foxes are often confused with red foxes because much of their hair is red. Red foxes are found in fields and weedy pastures, while gray foxes are more often found in heavily wooded areas.

 

Source: Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission

 

Read the full November 2021 SECO News online.

Florida Fauna & Flora – Southeastern American Kestrel

 

Florida Fauna & Flora – Southeastern American Kestrel

 

A native Florida raptor, the southeastern American kestrel is the smallest falcon found in the United States. Its white face has black “tears” extending down from its eyes. Its brown back has black flecking, its belly is white and its tail is russet. The male’s wings have bluish-gray markings, while the female’s wings are a less colorful brown.

 

Kestrels’ raise up to four chicks per nesting season which is early spring to June. They nest in holes in dead trees or cavities made by pileated woodpecker. Their habitat includes open woodlands, sandhills and pine savannahs, but alternate habitats in residential areas are pastures and open fields. Nest boxes have become an essential artificial substitute.

 

Kestrels feed on insects and small mammals. They perch up high to find their prey and then fly in to catch a meal with their feet.

 

The southeastern American kestrel is listed on Florida’s Threatened Species List. Kestrels are threatened by the loss of habitat, pollutants and collisions with vehicles and aircraft.

 

Fun Fauna Fact: The kestrels found in May and June are southeastern American kestrels that live in Florida year-round. The northern American kestrel is a true Florida snowbird. This subspecies migrates here from September through April.

 

Source: Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission

 

Read the full October 2021 SECO News online.

 

Florida Fauna & Flora – Resurrection Fern

 

Florida Fauna & Flora – Resurrection Fern

 

Resurrection ferns are found from Florida to New York and west into Texas. It is an epiphytic fern that grows on the surface of another plant or structure. This fern is an air plant; it does not steal nutrients or water from its host plant. It reproduces by spores that are housed in structures called sori located on the underside of its green fronds. In Florida, resurrection ferns often prefer to grow on oak trees.

 

Why the name resurrection fern? It may lose up to 75% of its water content during dry periods and shrivel into a grayish-brown clump of leaves. When exposed to water again, the fern regains its healthy green fronds and comes back to life as though it was never dead. It’s estimated that during times of extreme drought, some resurrection ferns may survive losing 97% of their water content. Most other plants can only survive losing 10% of their water content.

 

Fun Flora Fact: The resurrection fern is a space traveler. In 1997, it was taken into space on the Space Shuttle Discovery to study its resurrection in zero gravity.

 

Source: The National Wildlife Federation

 

Read the full August 2021 SECO News online.

Florida Fauna & Flora – Black Bear

 

Florida Fauna & Flora – Florida Black Bear

 

The largest land mammal in Florida and the only bear found in the state is the black bear. Males weigh 250 to 450 pounds, while females weigh 125 to 250 pounds. Females give birth to 1 to 5 cubs that are born blind and weigh only 8 to 15 ounces.

 

Black bears are a Florida conservation success. Florida’s bear population dropped to under 500 in the 1970s. In 1974, they were listed as Threatened and placed on the Endangered and Threatened Species List. With a population of over 4,000, bears were removed from the protected list in 2012.

 

Florida black bears are athletic – they run up to 35 mph, climb 100 feet up a tree in 30 seconds and are active swimmers. Black bears travel large areas of land to survive. A male’s home range is about 60 square miles, while females have a home range of about 15 miles.

 

Bears are most active at dusk and dawn, and are coming in closer contact with people. Read this month’s Advice from The Old Farmer’s Almanac on page 2 of SECO News to learn how to spot the signs of bear activity close to your home.

 

Fun Faun Fact: Florida black bears have a remarkable sense of smell. They can detect scents up to a mile away.

 

Source: Florida Wildlife Federation

 

Read the full July 2021 SECO News online.

Florida Fauna & Flora – Sailfish

 

Florida Fauna & Flora – Sailfish

 

One of the most popular game fish in Florida is the sailfish – which is also the official state saltwater fish. Sailfish are known for the large, blue first dorsal fin that looks similar to a sail. It has a long, thin spear-like upper jaw. The upper part of the fish is blue-black with brownish sides and a white or silver underbelly.

 

Sailfish grow up to 11 feet and can weigh as much as 220 pounds. They grow quickly and feed voraciously on squid and smaller fish. In the summer, sailfish move closer to the southeastern Florida shores to spawn in shallow waters. Sailfish may swim alone or in small groups.

 

If you hook a sailfish, be ready for an acrobatic fight while it tries to escape. These fish are powerful, and they will jump and shake their heads to remove a hook. Look for schools of squid, mullet, pinfish, blue runners and scad that attract sailfish. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission recommends reviving and releasing sailfish.

 

Fun Fauna Fact: In one year, a sailfish will grow to 4 – 5 feet. The state record sailfish weighed in at 126 pounds.

 

Source: The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission

 

Read the full June 2021 SECO News online.

Florida Fauna & Flora – Florida Manatee

 

Florida Fauna & Flora – Florida Manatee

 

One animal that is uniquely Floridian is the manatee. Florida manatees are native to Florida and are a sub-species of the West Indian manatee. These gentle giants grow to 9 – 10 feet long and weigh in at about 1,000 pounds. This gray aquatic mammal has two fore-limb flippers and a paddle-shaped tail that help it steer and propel through the water. Manatees can hold their breath for up to 20 minutes. When active, they rise up to breathe every 3 to 5 minutes.

 

Manatees are herbivores who spend up to 8 hours a day grazing on aquatic plants and seagrass, and eating about 10% of their body weight daily. They have no front teeth – only molars in the back of their mouth that are replaced when a tooth is lost.

 

Scientists are concerned about the number of observed manatee deaths this year. In 2021, there are 539 recorded deaths from January 1 through March 19, compared to 637 total deaths for 2020. This is an alarming trend that is on the rise. Manatee deaths can be attributed to a decline in seagrass and added pollution.

 

Fun Fauna Fact: Manatees have been a protected species in Florida since 1893. They feed and rest in shallow waters which makes them an easy target for boats.

 

Source: Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission

 

Read the full May SECO News online.