Florida is the land of invasive species. Because of our status as a center for the importing of exotic pets and houseplants from overseas, and our neo-tropical climate, we have been invaded by everything from kudzu plants to Burmese pythons. One of Florida’s most famous invaders is actually a hybridized version of an earlier immigrant, one that has already been here for centuries.
Category Archives: Nature and Wildlife
Wild Florida–Coral Snake
It has the most potent venom of any animal in North America. It is spectacularly colored, with bright red, yellow and black bands. It is lots more common than many people think. Yet few people in Florida have ever actually seen a Coral Snake.
Getting Naked: How Early Humans Lost Their Fur
Humans have been called “the naked ape”. But how did we get that way? When did early humans lose their fur, and why?
Homo erectus reconstruction (photo from Wiki Commons)
Continue reading Getting Naked: How Early Humans Lost Their Fur
Florida’s Invaders–Cane Toad
The Cane Toad, from South America, is the largest toad species in the world. It also packs a wallop–the poison produced in the toad’s paratoid glands are powerful enough to kill dogs.
Wild Florida–Moray Eels
For decades, moray eels have had a bad reputation that they don’t deserve–even serving as “the bad guy” in the post-Jaws Hollywood thriller The Deep. In reality, morays are shy and retiring and not dangerous to humans, and don’t go around looking for scuba divers to eat.
Martha: The Last Passenger Pigeon
In the times before the Europeans reached North America, the entire eastern half of what is now the United States was covered with unbroken forest. It was said that a squirrel could run from Maine to Texas without ever touching the ground. And one of the myriad of species that lived in this forest was the Passenger Pigeon. One hundred years ago, the last Passenger Pigeon died in a cage.
Wild Florida–Little Blue Heron
The Little Blue Heron isn’t as big or showy as some of its cousins, but it is an attractive shorebird that can be commonly seen throughout Florida.
Florida’s Invaders–The Green Iguana
One of the more recent of Florida’s Invaders is amongst the largest lizards in the world, and the largest in the Western Hemisphere. It was one of the most popular reptile pets in the US of all time. And now it has invaded Florida. It’s the Green Iguana.
Wild Florida: Horseshoe Crab
Most people consider it horribly ugly. Some people think it will pinch or sting you. Even its name is wrong–it’s not a crab at all. But the Horseshoe Crab deserves a bit more respect than it gets–it is one of the oldest existing lineages of life on Earth.
Wild Florida: Ant Lions
The Ant Lion is a common insect in Florida, and indeed it is found in most of the United States. But despite its wide range and common distribution, most people have never seen the actual insect. Instead, we know it by the conspicuous cone-shaped traps that it makes, often in large groups, in suitable flat sandy areas.
Wild Florida–Orb Weaver Spiders
OK, most people don’t like spiders. Especially the big ones. But spiders play an important role in our ecosystem. Many of them have fascinating lifestyles and habits. And despite their large size, gigantic webs and fearsome appearance, Florida’s orb-weaving spiders are harmless to humans
Wild Florida–White Ibis
With its stark-white plumage, red face, and its long curved pink bill, the White Ibis is a familiar sight in Florida. Flocks of them can be seen wading in ponds, probing for food on lawns, or flying overhead.
Chicken Politics: Life in the Flock
In evolutionary terms, the humble domestic chicken is one of the most successful species on Earth. There are an estimated 20 billion chickens alive right now–almost three times as many as there are humans. Apparently, “tasting good to people so they’ll protect you” is a pretty effective evolutionary strategy–well, aside from that whole “they eat you” thingie. Statistically, every human on the planet eats the equivalent of 27 individual chickens every year. The only other terrestrial vertebrate that may rival the chicken in sheer numbers is the Norway Rat.
And even the lowly chicken has important things to teach us. It was through the careful observation of a backyard chicken flock that one of the most important principles of social biology was uncovered–one that applies equally well to humans.
Not such a dumb cluck after all….
Wild Florida — Key Deer
For most people who see a Key Deer, their first thought is “Awww, how cute!”. Not much bigger than a dog, Key Deer look like an ordinary Whitetail that got left in the dryer too long and shrunk.
Turtles on the Brink
One of the least-noticed and little-discussed environmental disasters has been taking place around the world over the past two decades, as turtle species have dwindled at an alarming rate. The problem all traces back to just one nation–and this time, it isn’t the US. . . .
Florida Softshell Turtle
Hidden History 