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Tag: Florida Fauna & Flora

Florida Fauna & Flora – Ruby-throated Hummingbird

 

Florida Fauna & Flora – Ruby-throated Hummingbird

 

The most common hummingbird found in Florida is the ruby-throated hummingbird. You may also see black-chinned and rufous hummingbirds according to the University of Florida IFAS Extension. The ruby-throated hummingbird is also eastern North America’s only breeding hummingbird.

 

Ruby-throated hummingbirds are tiny. They measure only three inches long and weigh less than a penny. Males have the signature ruby-red feathers on their throats. Their back feathers are green, and they have two sets of green and black tail feathers. As is the case with many birds, females are less colorful; their feathers are green, white and black.

 

Hummingbirds do not hum. The noise is the rapid flapping of their wings. Ruby-throated hummingbirds beat their wings about 53 times per second. Hummingbirds can hover in the air, move forward and backward, down and upside down. Hummingbirds cannot soar, and their very short legs prevent them from walking or hopping.

 

Fun Fauna Fact: Hummingbirds have excellent color vision. Like many birds, they can see into the ultraviolet spectrum which humans can’t see.

 

Read the full August 2020 SECO News online.

Florida Fauna & Flora – Blue Crabs

Blue crabs are found in the western Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico. This crab is an omnivore – eating both plants and animals. Its typical diet is small fish, plants, annelids and almost anything else it can ingest.

 

Crabs grow by shedding their shells or molting. Blue crabs molt about 25 times during their 3-year lifecycle. Crabbing requires a Florida saltwater fishing license unless you are trying to catch blue crabs from the shore with fishing line or rope. Chicken legs and oily fish are popular bait choices.

 

In Florida, crabbers can harvest female blue crabs, but it is illegal to harvest females carrying eggs. For conservation purposes, return female blue crabs to the water. Females are easily identified by their red-tipped claws. Blue crab males have blue claws.

 

FUN FAUNA FACT: BLUE CRABS CAN SWIM. Many crabs walk or run along the waters’ bottom, but crabs in the Portunidea family have paddle-shaped backlegs called swimmeretes that rotate allowing blue crabs to swim.

 

Read the full June 2020 SECO News online.

Florida Fauna & Flora – Largemouth Bass

The largemouth bass is the official state freshwater fish. This olive-green to greenish-gray bass is also the most popular game fish in North America. The largemouth bass is easily differentiated from other basses because its upper jaw extends beyond the rear edge of its eye. Its back fins are separated by a deep dip – another distinctive feature of this fish.

 

Largemouth bass are found in lakes and rivers primarily near vegetation or underwater structures. Bass are carnivores who enjoy hiding undercover to ambush prey. Adult bass eat a variety of fish, crustaceans, frogs, snakes and even small birds and baby alligators. Bass spawn each spring with males fanning out over the bed to protect the eggs.

 

FUN FISH FACT: Largemouth bass are native to eastern and central U.S. and Mexico but have been introduced widely elsewhere. In many places around the world, its predatory habits have made it an invasive species.

 

Read the full April 2020 SECO News online.

Florida Fauna & Flora – Florida Manatee

 

Florida Fauna & Flora – Florida Manatee

 

The Florida manatee, a subspecies of the West Indian manatee, is a slow-moving aquatic animal with an elongated round body that tapers to a flat paddle-shaped tail. Its two forelimbs, each with three or four nails, are called flippers. The manatee’s head and face are wrinkled with whiskers on its snout.

 

Adult manatees weigh between 800 and 1,200 pounds and grow to 10 feet in length. It eats a variety of plants and can consume 10 to 15 percent of its body weight in vegetation daily. It surfaces every 3 to 5 minutes to breathe but can remain underwater up to 20 minutes.

 

Female manatees give birth once every 2 to 5 years after a gestation period of 13 months. At birth, calves weigh an average of 60 pounds and are nursed for 1 to 2 years. Found in fresh or saltwater, manatees move into Florida’s warm waters and are sited in shallow areas from November 15 to March 31.

 

It is illegal to harass, hunt, capture or kill manatees. Manatees have no natural predators, but its slow- moving speeds put it at risk of being injured or killed by fast-moving boat propellers. Manatees are protected under the Marine Mammal Protection Act, the Endangered Species Act and the Florida Manatee Sanctuary Act.

 

Read the full January 2020 SECO News online.

Florida Fauna & Flora – Osceola Wild Turkey

The Osceola or Florida wild turkey is one of the most popular game animals in the world. In 1890, ornithologist W.E.D.Scott named this species of wild turkey after Seminole leader Chief Osceola.

 

Osceola wild turkeys are found only on the Florida peninsula and are much smaller than farm-raised Thanksgiving birds. Adult males are known as “gobblers” or “toms,” weigh up to 25 pounds and reach an average height of 3.5 feet. Adult females are known as “hens,” weigh between 8 and 14 pounds and reach the same average height as the males. Hens lay an average of 8 to 12 eggs in mid-April that incubate for 26 to 28 days.

 

This turkey is very vocal. You can hear its signature yelps, gobbles and clucks up to a mile away. Its sounds serve as an attractant to both males and females. Gobblers “strut” by puffing out their feathers, spreading their tails and dragging their wings. Males typically have a beard or tuft of hair growing from the center of their breast; however, 10 to 20 percent of female turkeys have one as well, but it’s usually shorter.

 

FUN TURKEY FACT: Juvenile male turkeys are known as “jakes” and all young turkeys are known as “poults.”

 

Read the full November 2019 SECO News online.

Florida Fauna & Flora – White Ibis

The American white ibis is often seen stalking Florida neighborhoods for a snack. With its brilliant white feathers, bright red-orange down-curved bill and long legs, this bird is easy to spot. This medium-sized bird is native to wetlands and is commonly seen wading through shallow water hunting for food. Living mostly on crayfish, the white ibis’ bill allows the bird to eat a wide range of food.

 

During breeding season, white ibis gather in colonies near water. Both parents care for their young. The ibis has natural predators; however, its greatest threat is humans. Pollution and the destruction of natural marshlands have resulted in the loss of available food and nesting sites. The white ibis is protected by the U.S. Migratory Bird Treaty Act.

 

The ibis is known to have an instinct for storms and is one of the last animals to take shelter and the first to reappear after a storm. Because of the bird’s resistance to storms, the University of Miami chose the white ibis as the school’s mascot.

 

Read the full October 2019 SECO News online.

Florida Fauna & Flora – Opossum

Opossums are the only marsupials native to North America. Female marsupials give birth to underdeveloped young that then reside in an external abdomen pouch. In this pouch, up to to 14 young are suckled for about two months after birth. The young opossums begin life smaller than honeybees. Upon leaving the pouch they cling to their mother’s back for several weeks.

 

Mature opossums are larger than a house cat. Opossums have coarse, grayish-white hair, a pig-like snout, sharp claws, large naked ears and a long, hairless, scaly tail which is used to hang from tree branches. Opossums have 50 teeth – more than any other North American mammal – and eat almost any kind of animal or vegetable. When in danger, it lies motionless and pretends to be dead. This behavior gave us the expression “playing possum.”

 

Fun Opossum Fact: An opossum eats about 5,000 ticks during tick season, which according to the National Wildlife Federation helps stop the spread of Lyme Disease.

 

Read the full August 2019 SECO News online.

Florida Fauna & Flora – Oleander

FLORIDA FAUNA & FLORA – OLEANDER

 

With its beautiful pink, red or white flowers growing at the end of its branches, oleander is a popular choice for planting. Oleanders can grow six to 20 feet tall. This plant flourishes in warm regions, withstanding extreme heat, poor soil, water shortages, salt spray and lack of proper tree trimming care. For growers with less-than-green thumbs, oleander may be an ideal choice for your home landscape.

 

Despite its beauty, oleander is also very poisonous. Ingesting large amounts can be fatal especially for small children and animals. The heart, central nervous system and gastrointestinal systems are all affected. For these reasons and depending on your circumstances, it’s important to evaluate whether oleander is a good choice for your location. With its hardy characteristics and eye-catching colors, it is sure to be an aesthetic hit!

 

Reminder – trees growing into power lines can cause outages, sparks or fires. Planting trees in the right place on your property can reduce cooling and heating costs helping you use less energy. For more tips on planting the right tree in the right place and saving energy visit Right Tree, Right Place.

 

Read the full June 2019 SECO News online.

Florida Fauna & Flora – Thoroughbred Horse

Thoroughbred horses are synonymous with Ocala/Marion County area, as it is coined the “Horse Capital of the World™.” These hot-blooded, highly intelligent horses are known for their agility and lightning-fast runs – reaching speeds up to 40 mph. Thoroughbreds are large, muscular, powerful horses that are innately elegant and graceful.

 

Horses are measured in “hands.” A hand is equal to four inches. A horse’s height is determined from the ground up to the tallest point on its body called the withers – the ridge between the animal’s shoulder blades. An average-sized thoroughbred horse is 16 hands or 64 inches. Average weight is 1,100 pounds.

 

Male thoroughbreds are stallions and females are mares. Foals (not ponies) are born after a gestation period of about 11 months.

 

Ocala/Marion County is the proud home of two Triple Crown winning horses – Affirmed in 1978 and American Pharoah in 2015.

 

Read the full May 2019 SECO News online.

Florida Fauna & Flora – Cottontail Rabbit

COTTONTAIL RABBIT

 

Cottontail rabbits are small, grayish-brown rabbits with a white puffy tail. These rabbits make their homes just about anywhere in Florida with the exception of dense forests and swampy areas. Cottontails live in small brush that is well camouflaged from predators.

 

Female cottontails typically birth four to seven baby rabbits (aka kittens) per litter. An average female births four litters in its lifetime. Cottontails are crepuscular, meaning they are mostly active during twilight hours. From dusk to dawn, these rabbits rummage through foliage scouting for food and can be spotted in the early morning hours before settling in for the day.

 

Children all over the world have been entertained with “tails” about mischievous cottontail rabbits written by Beatrix Potter (Peter Rabbit) and Thornton Burgess (Peter Cottontail). Like Potter’s stories, Burgess’ Peter Cottontail character was originally named Peter Rabbit but temporarily changed his last name to Cottontail, then changed it back to Rabbit. Burgess’ Peter Cottontail character evolved through pop culture and is now associated with the Easter Bunny.

 

Read the full April 2019 SECO News online.