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Nature’s Reflections – Eastern Indigo Snake

A RARE, YET BENEFICIAL FRIEND TO HAVE AROUND

 

While it may make one’s heart jump at first sight, the Eastern indigo snake (Drymarchon corais couperi) is harmless and beneficial. This rare snake plays an important role in Florida’s delicate ecosystem. The record length is 104 inches. Yes, that’s 8 foot, 8 inches. It is the largest of the native nonvenomous snakes found in North America and is federally protected. It has been classified as a threatened species in Florida since 1971. It is illegal (a third-degree felony) to harm, handle, harass or possess the indigo snake.

 

The main reason for the indigo’s decline is habitat loss. With a documented range of 400 to 1,400 acres, indigos need relatively large areas of undeveloped land to flourish. Indigos are not restricted to sand habitats. They are commonly found around ponds, cabbage palm and hardwood hammocks.

 

Indigos are more black than blue with smooth, shiny scales and a reddish chin and throat. Its young are lighter in color and have a faint banded pattern. This reptile often seeks a sheltered refuge such as gopher tortoise or armadillo burrows and holes in stumps. These dens are used for egg laying, shedding and protection from temperature extremes. Indigos breed from October to February. Four to 12 eggs are laid in May or June, but do not hatch until August or September. Indigo hatchlings are usually about 16 inches long.

 

Indigo snakes feed heavily on frogs and other snakes. Indigos are immune to venom, which allows it to eat rattlesnakes and pit vipers as well as rodents and small prey. Its large size and strong jaws enable it to eat its prey live.

 

This snake is vulnerable to highway mortality, feral pigs, pollutants and killing by uninformed persons. Indigos may not be kept as pets, picked up, collected or sold per Florida Statute.

 

If you’re lucky enough to see an Eastern indigo, take a moment to appreciate its usefulness and let it be. It may give you a fright, but it is not aggressive and quite harmless. It is an important and beneficial segment of Florida’s wildlife.

 

Column & photos by Sandi Staton – sandi.staton@gmail.com

 

Read the full Nature’s Reflections article in the November 2018 SECO News online.

Nature’s Reflections – Butterflies

THE GRACEFUL, CROWNING TOUCH TO ANY GARDEN

 

Some are as big as your hand, while others could fit on the head of a tack. Regardless of size, butterflies are creatures of beauty that are a joy to watch. According to entomologists, there are 200 species of butterflies and moths with breeding populations in Florida. Many others visit or migrate through our State.

 

The most successful butterfly habitat includes plants which meet the needs of butterflies during all four stages of their life cycle: egg, caterpillar, chrysalis and adult. After mating, female butterflies search for the perfect host plant on which to lay their eggs. Not just any plant will do, and native plants are favorites. Females must find a plant that will provide food for their young who emerge as caterpillars with voracious appetites and survive on leaves of the host plant. Most caterpillars have defenses other than coloration. Some hide in curled leaves or silk webbing, while others emit an odor that is repulsive to an enemy.

 

A caterpillar’s best defense is quick growth, escaping would-be predators by shedding skin to change into a chrysalis. It quickly attaches to plant stems protected by surrounding vegetation. Inside the chrysalis, the adult butterfly is formed by metamorphosis and emerges to sip the sweet nectar from Florida’s flowers.

 

Time from egg to adult is five weeks. Adults lead a life of leisure, eating, mating, laying eggs, sleeping, and of course, escaping predators. Enemies of these gorgeous, day-flying insects are primarily human creations – vehicles, pesticides and parking lots. Others fall prey to disease and natural predators. Ants, particularly fire ants, along with other insects, arachnids (spiders) and birds are among the major predators of butterfly eggs and caterpillars.

 

Adult butterflies are capable of traveling considerable distances. During the fall, monarchs travel from southern Canada to central Mexico. In Florida, the monarch is not the only long-distance traveler. From August to mid-October, huge numbers of cloudless sulphurs, long-tailed skippers, common buckeyes, gulf fritillaries, clouded skippers and others come south with the rest of the snowbirds to spend the winter in Florida.

 

Column & photos by Sandi Staton – sandi.staton@gmail.com

 

Read the full Nature’s Reflections article in the October 2018 SECO News online.

Nature’s Reflections – Right Tree – Right Place

Right Tree – Right Place Make all the Difference

 

Like real estate, it’s all about the location. As many have witnessed firsthand during one of Florida’s thunderstorms, tropical storms, or hurricanes whether a tree becomes a blessing or a curse depends a lot on its location. Storms, trees and power lines do not mix. Falling limbs and trees are SECO’s second leading cause of power outages and they can cause severe, costly damage to homes as well.

 

Around homes and work places, trees work as natural barriers for climate control. Plant trees strategically to provide shade in the summer and act as a natural barrier against cold winds in winter. Planting deciduous trees to the south, southwest or west side of buildings offers summer shade. Trees planted on the north and west sides can block winter winds and reduce heating costs.

 

Trees add beauty to the landscape, provide shelter for wildlife, create a playground for children and clean the air we breathe. The most direct impact trees have on us as human beings is the conversion of carbon dioxide into oxygen. It has been said that one mature tree, in just one growing season, provides oxygen equivalent to that required by one adult for a year.

SECO Energy Nature's Reflections Trees are Natural Climate Control

 

Plan before you plant. Do not plan during summer’s heat – use this time to design your planting scheme for when the weather cools. It’s important to do your homework before making a selection. Decide what size, shape, location, and type of tree you want and its characteristics. Does it drop leaves or have little seedlings coming up all over? Is it brittle, does it become hollow or has invasive root systems that may interfere with underground utilities or clog septic systems?

 

Research the tree’s possible height when mature – never plant tall trees near overhead power lines. During storms, limbs may break or the tree falls completely, causing extensive damage or outages. Once a tree has grown into an energized line, it can conduct electricity and become a safety hazard. Consequently, trees that have grown into the power lines must be trimmed to maintain a safe clearance and prevent outages. Once trees are cut out of the right-of-way, they never look as good as those planted well away from the power lines. Shorter varieties should always be used around utilities. Many shorter trees also flower, attracting hummingbirds and butterflies.

 

The right tree in the right place adds beauty and can be enjoyed for years to come.

 

Column & photos by Sandi Staton – sandi.staton@gmail.com

 

Read the full Nature’s Reflections article in the September 2018 SECO News online.

Nature’s Reflections – Florida Osprey

The Fish Eagle – Master of the Catch

 

The osprey (Pandion haliaetus), Florida’s fish eagle, gets its name from the Latin word for sea eagle. These eagle-like birds of prey catch fish with impeccable precision and finesse. Measuring 21 to 24 inches in length, ospreys have long, pointed wings spanning six feet. The head, throat and undersides are white; the back, nape, tail and back of the head are dark brown with a black stripe located behind the eye. Ospreys have a conspicuous crook in the wing and a black “wrist” mark in flight which differentiates it from the Bald Eagle. Its usual call is a loud, whistle: chewk-chewk-chewk.

 

Found throughout the world except in polar regions, northern ospreys migrate to warmer climates. A year-round Florida resident, ospreys are often sighted near large lakes and rivers.

 

Feeding almost exclusively on fish, ospreys capture a meal by nose diving into the water. Its feet are built to grasp and hold fish. Ospreys’ reversible outer toe can rotate and extend to the foot’s rear to grasp its prey with two front toes and two back toes by plunging its strong, hooked claws to grip either side of its prey.

 

Osprey pairs breed at three years, and build a bulky nest of collected sticks and debris including seaweed, bones, driftwood, corn stalks and trash. It is a little smaller than a Bald Eagle’s nest. Ospreys have a fondness for high trees, towers and utility poles near the water’s edge and usually not far from where it was born.

 

Both parents incubate the clutch of two to three white, buff/pink eggs for 35 days. The young fledge at eight to ten weeks.

 

Ospreys are not neat carpenters; the large nests often appear on SECO pole crossarms. Nests, debris and often ospreys come in contact with electric lines resulting in power outages and possibly the bird’s death. During rain, or when nest material is wet, the damp material conducts electricity to the nest site.

 

Strictly following the requirements and limitations of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, SECO exercises extreme care to protect these birds and their offspring by installing fiberglass nesting dishes to keep ospreys’ stick-built homes away from power lines in heavily osprey populated areas.

 

By placing the birds and nests out of harm’s way, SECO aids the survival of a protected species and helps prevent unexpected disruptions to your electric service. Ospreys enjoy having this secure nest and members enjoy watching the birds raise their families.

 

Installing nesting dishes near active osprey breeding sites is one of several initiatives to help protect our environment and the creatures that live within it.

 

Visit SECO’s YouTube channel to see osprey nest protection in action at the Dead River in Tavares.

 

Column & photos by Sandi Staton – sandi.staton@gmail.com

 

Read the full Nature’s Reflections article in the May 2018 SECO News online.

Nature’s Reflections – Florida’s Burrowing Owl

A pint-sized owl that’s active both day and night

 

The burrowing owl (Athene cunicularia floridana) is one of our smallest owls, standing just nine inches tall with a wingspan of 21 inches. Unlike other owls, this owl is a ground dweller, preferring open fields and prairie-type areas well away from trees. It spends most of its time on the ground foraging or guarding its burrow which is where it gets its name. Camouflaged brown plumage helps it blend into its surroundings. It has bright yellow eyes, but no ear tufts and longer legs. This raptor needs open fields and short, herbaceous ground cover, like pastures, golf courses, or agricultural fields. It can be spotted during the daytime standing erect and on guard at the mouth of its burrow or perched on a fence post. Once disturbed, the owl clucks or chatters its displeasure and bobs its head in agitation. Burrowing owls often fly in a wavy, up and down fashion as if negotiating an invisible obstacle course. It can also hover in mid-air – an effective technique used for capturing prey. Florida’s warm climate provides this owl with plenty of its favorite foods: grasshoppers, beetles, mole crickets, small rodents, earthworms, lizards, frogs, toads, snakes, etc.

 

Florida Burrowing Owl imageIn Florida, burrows are used year-round. While the owls sometimes use gopher tortoise or armadillo burrows, most pairs excavate their own, which may extend four to eight feet underground. Burrows are lined with grass clippings, animal feces and decorative pieces of shell, feathers or trash.

 

Nesting begins in the fall and peaks in the spring. Four to ten unmarked white eggs are laid over a one-week period. Three to four weeks later, hatchlings are born covered with grayish-white down and eyes closed. Chicks emerge from the burrow after two weeks. Although proficient fliers at six weeks, chicks typically do not leave their parents until about 12 weeks old.

 

Both the eggs and young are at risk to predators, snakes, opossums, raccoons and skunks. Nests may be lost or
destroyed by construction activities, malicious destruction by people, or by flooding during heavy rains. This owl is classified as “Threatened” by the Florida Fish & Wildlife Commission primarily due to the loss of native habitat. Burrowing owls and their eggs are protected from harassment and/or disturbance by state law and protected by the federal Migratory Bird Treaty Act.

 

Column & photos by Sandi Staton – sandi.staton@gmail.com

 

Read the full Nature’s Reflections article in the April 2018 SECO News online.

 

Nature’s Reflections – Eastern Meadowlark

Easily identified by the black “V” on its chest

 

Florida’s Eastern Meadowlark (Sturnella magna) is a songbird found throughout rural areas of Florida. Its breeding range covers most of eastern North America and parts of South America. Experts say it is difficult to distinguish between the Eastern and Western species as it can be determined only by voice and location. Seventeen subspecies of the Eastern Meadowlark are documented.

 

Actually, the meadowlark is not a lark at all. It is a member of the blackbird family (Icteridae) which also includes cowbirds and orioles. Meadowlarks are easily identified by the bright yellow throat and belly. However, the most distinguishing mark in adults is the black “V” on its chest. It can often be seen on a fence post belting out its clear, melodious songs and whistles.

 

Adult birds weigh just over five ounces, are seven to ten inches tall with a wingspan of 14 to 16 inches. Both sexes are similar in size, although females are normally smaller with a shorter wingspan.

 

This bird prefers grassy fields, pastures, cultivated fields, golf courses and other open habitats. It is a good friend to the farmer/rancher and a bug-eating machine. Insects comprise more than 75 percent of its diet, with grains and seeds making up the balance. It is especially fond of grasshoppers and crickets, as well as insect larvae and grubs. It feeds on the ground, picking insects from the surface or probing the soil to reveal its prey. Meadowlarks also eat the seeds of many weeds.

SECO Energy Nature's Reflections March 2018 2nd photo

 

Males have two, sometimes three, mates at a time. Females build nests on the ground using soft woven grasses and hide them in the taller grass of an open field. The nest usually has an arched “roof” with a side entrance. A clutch of two to six grayish-white eggs speckled with brown and lavender may be laid any time from late March through July. Eggs are incubated by the female for 13 to 15 days. The young fledge at 12 days. The parents continue to tend them for about two weeks until they are able to fly. Juveniles are similar to adults, but the black “V” becomes prominent in adulthood. The meadowlark has been known to live ten years in captivity.

 

Numbers have declined drastically in recent years, probably because of habitat loss.

 

Column & photos by Sandi Staton – sandi.staton@gmail.com

 

Read the full Nature’s Reflections article in the March 2018 SECO News.

Nature’s Reflections – Florida’s Cabbage Palm

Many uses and the heart is considered a delicacy

The cabbage palm (sabal palmetto) was designated the Florida state tree in 1953 thanks to the Federation of Garden Clubs, who convinced the legislature that this palm was representative of all of Florida. The sabal palm, commonly called a “cabbage palm” is the most commonly found palm throughout the state.

 

One reason for its selection was its history. Early Floridians found a variety of uses for the sabal palm. The leaf bud of the tree provided food, the fibrous trunk was used for shelter materials and the fronds were used for thatched roofs. In fact, Seminole Indians are well known for constructing “Chickee huts” with thatched roofs made from the palm fronds. Chickee is the Seminole word for house, traditionally constructed using cypress logs and thatch leaves woven together with vines or thin ropes.

 

The leaf bud portion at the tree top is considered a delicacy by many. It is often sold in local restaurants under the name “heart of palm” or “swamp cabbage.”

January 2018 Cabbage Palm Nature's Reflections

 

Additionally, the tree provides food for wildlife. Florida’s black bears enjoy eating the heart of the palm, while the cabbage palm’s fruit, black colored berries, are eaten by gray foxes, squirrels and raccoons. Birds watch for the fruit to reach that “just right” ripened stage for eating. And, butterflies drink their fill of nectar when the small white flowers appear in early summer.

 

Cabbage palms provide shelter for fox squirrels, raccoons, frogs, lizards and insects. The palm thatch is used in nest building. Cavity nesters, such as flickers and red-bellied woodpeckers carve out homes in its trunk while others hide their nests among the fronds.

 

These prolific native palms with their fan-shaped fronds are widely used in landscaping. They are an erect tree that grows to a height of about 65 feet. Found throughout Florida, they are very adaptable to wet or dry conditions and transplant easily during any season of the year, although the warm, rainy summer months are best. It is a tree that weathers Florida’s seasons well.

 

Column & photos by Sandi Staton – sandi.staton@gmail.com

 

Read the full Nature’s Reflections article in the January 2018 SECO News.

 

Nature’s Reflections – Whooping Crane

This large bird still on the endangered species list

The whooping crane (Grus americana), is named for its unique trumpet-like call that can be heard for several miles. It is North America’s largest bird, standing 45 to 50 inches tall with a wingspan of 90 inches. Mature birds are pure white with black wing tips, dark legs, a long neck, a long, dark, pointed bill and a bumpy red crown. The bumpy red patch on the head, a trait shared with the close relative sandhill crane, serves to indicate the bird’s mood – becoming bright and expanded when agitated or excited. Whooping cranes and sandhill cranes are the only two cranes found in North America.

 

Whooping cranes are one of the most beautiful birds and one of the rarest. This endangered species once wintered in Florida, but habitat loss virtually wiped out most of its population. The birds were on the verge of extinction and a concerted effort has been ongoing since the 1990s to bring them back. Florida’s small whooping crane population is now mostly non-migratory.

 

Nature's Reflections Whooping Crane quote

 

A project to restore the migratory whooping crane began in 2001. Each winter, captive-raised and released whooping cranes are led by ultra-light aircraft from Wisconsin to Florida. The idea of the project is that once these birds are taught the north-to-south migration route, the birds will continue to make the journey on their own.

 

Whooping cranes mate for life, but will take a new mate if one dies. Whoopers live 22 to 24 years in the wild. Sexes are similar in appearance, although males are larger – weighing about 16 pounds. Nests are usually built over standing water and pairs return to nest in the same area each year. Females lay two blotchy, olive-colored eggs in late April to May. Incubation takes 30 days. Within twenty-four hours of hatching, the pale brown chicks leave the nest to follow the parents. Both parents care for the young. The young stay with the parents for a year, learning to forage for seeds and roots, insects, snakes, frogs and small rodents. They can fly at three months, and have their full adult plumage by the end of the second summer. At five years they are ready to choose a mate and begin a family.

 

To learn more about the ongoing migratory project, visit www.bringbackthecranes.org.

 

Column & photos by Sandi Staton – sandi.staton@gmail.com

 

Read the full Nature’s Reflections article in the December 2017 SECO News.

 

Nature’s Reflections-Florida’s Cattle Egret

The Cattle Egret (Bubulcus ibis), native to Africa and Asia, is believed to have traveled across the Atlantic to South America in the late 1800s. From there, it migrated north to the US in the early 1940s. Over the next fifty years, it became one of the most prolific herons in all of North America. Today it is found in almost every state and on every continent except Antarctica. It is a year round resident of Florida.

 

The Cattle Egret generally lives in pastures and wetlands. During the breeding season, it seeks out woods near water, but generally remains far away from water. This small white heron is commonly seen in groups along roadsides and in pastures as constant companions to cattle. Often it is seen perched on the backs of cattle where it gobbles up the bugs, ticks and other parasites that plague livestock – their diet benefits cattle, ranchers, farmers and themselves. It is an opportunistic feeder and will travel great distances to follow a tractor plowing, or mowing a field to catch grasshoppers, crickets, spiders and moths that are stirred up by farm machinery.

Florida's cattle egret profile

 

Both male and female are similar in appearance, standing eighteen to twenty-two inches tall with a three-foot wingspan. Coloration is generally white with a yellow bill and dark green legs. Breeding age begins at two to three years of age. During its twenty-day courtship, the bill and legs of breeding egrets turn a vivid red and display orange-buff colored plumes on the head and back. Non-breeding egrets remain white.

 

Cattle Egrets form colonies and prefer to roost and nest in trees near water. Males establish and defend a territory while the female lays two to six light blue-green eggs in a shallow, platform-like nest of twigs. Both parents incubate the eggs for twenty-one to twenty-four days. Down-covered young have dark legs and a black bill. The young leave the nest about three weeks after hatching and are on their own at six weeks.

Flock of cattle egret

 

In captivity the Cattle Egret has been known to live more than ten years – lifespan in the wild is unknown.

 

Column and photo by Sandi Staton

Nature’s Reflections – Arachnophobia Anyone?

Scary looking, but few are dangerous to humans

 

Spiders are arachnids, pronounced uh-rack-nids. There are reported to be more than 45,000 species worldwide and 1,200 in the U.S. Florida certainly has its fair share. While most species are never seen by humans, there are 29 that are common.

 

The largest, sometimes called the banana spider, is the Golden Silk Orbweaver (Nephila clavipes). Named for its large and impressive golden web placed at eye level, it will certainly give you a fright if stumbled into. Another large spider is the Yellow Garden spider (Argiope aurantia), which builds a web with a zig-zag design through the middle. Both are non-aggressive and seldom bite.

 

There are five small, yet dangerous spider species with strong venom. The Black Widow is native to Florida. The Red, Brown and Southern Black Widows and the Brown Recluse are newer residents. If bitten by any spider, try to preserve it in rubbing alcohol for identification. If the bite is from a Widow or Brown Recluse, seek medical attention immediately.

 

SECO Energy, October 2016 SECO News - Nature's Reflections, Arachnophobia Anyone?

 

Spiders come in a variety of sizes, colors and combinations. Females are bigger and live about a year; males are small and die soon after mating. Spiders have two body regions, no antennae, eight legs and up to eight eyes. Thankfully, most do not see very well. Tiny hairs on their legs enable them to feel when a bug is in their web. Tiny claws are used to cut the silk. Spider silk is being studied due to its tinsel strength. Some strands are sticky, to catch bugs, and some are dry. When the spider feels a strand jiggle, it races to find the bug that is caught. If it’s a leaf or a big bug that might tear the web, the spider cuts the strands, to let it fall away. Once an insect is caught, the spider injects venom and wraps the bug in silk. Spiders inject a digestive fluid into their prey and suck up the digested food. They can go for long periods without feeding. Spiders eat more insects than birds do.

 

Baby spiders, called spiderlings, are born from eggs in an egg sack. Once born, they shoot out a strand of silk and float away on a breeze. They are born colorless, making it easier to hide from predators.

 

Column & photo by: Sandi Staton