Floridaanimal

Green Anole

Green Anoles (Anolis carolinensis) are native to Florida. They are found in natural and suburban areas throughout our entire state.

Adult Green Anoles grow to 5-8 inches long. Males have a solid pink throat fan known as a dewlap. Anoles can quickly change from bright green to a dull brown color to blend into their surroundings. Their favorite foods are roaches, beetles, flies, spiders, and other small invertebrates, which makes them beneficial to your garden.

You may find these lizards hiding in shingles, under tree bark, or in rotting logs in cool weather. In warmer weather, look for them basking in plants, on fence tops, or on rooftops. Females lay single, round eggs in rotting wood or moist soil throughout warmer months. The tiny lizards emerge from their eggs, looking like miniature adults.

The biggest threat to Green Anoles is the introduced Cuban brown anole. Because they are great climbers, Green Anoles move vertically up in their habitat, which allows them to decrease competition by claiming the higher habitat among the trees as their own.

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House Sparrow

House sparrows were introduced at various stages throughout New York (Barrows 1889), Maine, Massachusetts, and Nova Scotia. Some of these releases were a sentimental connection to the homeland of many European immigrants. Others were to help control cankerworms or linden moths(Marshall 2014). In some cases, the release of house sparrows failed and the birds died without breeding. One of the more successful attempts was in Nova Scotia. This population spread and the presence of other populations in the U.S. Northeastern states may have helped them thrive.

Today, house sparrows have spread throughout all of the United States, most of Mexico, and the southern parts of Canada. They have even made their way to South America. In most regions, they are considered an invasive species due to their aggressive and territorial tenancies. They will even go to such extremes as to damage the nests of other birds. They out-compete many native birds for food and reproduce at a rapid rate making them difficult to control. Oddly enough, many places in Europe are seeing declines in house sparrow populations. The United Kingdom has a 71% reduction since the mid-1990s. This decline has been linked to avian malaria and areas of increased nitrogen dioxide. Italy experienced a 49% decline in house sparrow populations from reductions in nesting sites, reduced food availability, and possible disease. Paris reported a 12.4% reduction by year primarily due to city gentrification. Yet, these birds continue to thrive in North America.

One way you can help is by providing a nesting box for house sparrows. If eggs are laid you can simply poke them with a pin to prevent the eggs from further developing. Removing the eggs entirely can cause the female to produce more eggs at a faster rate. Removing an entire nest could force sparrows into more wild landscapes and could pose a greater threat to native birds. While we might never be able to fully eradicate house sparrows from Florida, it never hurts to try and reduce the growing population.

House Sparrows are sexually dimorphic with the male having a classic black mask across his eyes. The photos below show a male (Left) and female (Right).

Photo credit: Aymee Laurain
Reference:
Barrows, W.B. (1889). “The English Sparrow (Passer domesticus) in North America, Especially in its Relations to Agriculture”. United States Department of Agriculture, Division of Economic Ornithology and Mammalogy Bulletin (1).

https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rsos.182197

https://www.theguardian.com/…/pollutionwatch-city-sparrows-…

https://www.researchgate.net/…/230139769_Recent_declines_in…

Malher, F. and Maintigneux, P., 2019, The House Sparrow in Paris: decline and monitoring, AGIR pour la biodiversité.

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Bobcat

The Florida Bobcat (Felidae Rufus Floridanusare) is one of two predatory cats native to the Florida region. Despite being the only two native wild cats to Florida, Bobcats and Florida Panthers diverged from two different lineages. Bobcats are a species of lynx. The lynx line diverged from a common ancestor 7.2 mya. The Puma lineage which the panther diverged from did not appear until 6.7 mya. Twice the size of domestic cats and weighing 12-28 pounds, Bobcats are often mistaken for the larger endangered Florida Panther.

Florida Bobcats are immediately identifiable by their short tails or bobs.  Fringes of fur outline the sides of their heads. Their tails have white on the underside and black markings on the top side. They have spots of white fur on all parts of their body which can range in color from reddish-brown to grey. 

Female bobcats require approximately 5 square miles of range while males require 15 to 30 square miles.  The mating season occurs from August to March with the peak time occurring in February and March.   The den can consist of a hollow tree, cave, rock outcropping, or other open shelters. Dense shrub thickets and saw palmetto provide cover for private dens. One to four spotted or mottled kittens are born in the early spring.  Coyotes effectively regulate the Bobcat population when they prey on cubs. Florida Bobcats live up to 14 years.

Bobcats can swim and climb trees with ease, two factors that prevent them from falling prey to natural enemies besides human hunters. Bobcats usually hunt at night but can often be spotted during the day. Dinner consists of birds, carrion, rats, rabbits, raccoons, opossums, and squirrels.  Towhees, thrashers, catbirds, and other ground-dwelling birds provide winter treats.  Florida Bobcats play an important role in the ecosystems they inhabit by helping to control their prey animals’ populations.

This native species is abundant in Florida and can be found in forests, swamps, and hammocks. Though bobcats are stealthy, elusive, and show no interest in people, they are often seen in suburban yards and even city streets from time to time.

Bobcats typically do not approach humans but will do so if fed and taught to associate people with food. When living with Bobcats, we must do our part—secure chickens and other small pets in an enclosed pen. Domestic cats and dogs should not be left alone in your yard or on a screened porch. Always walk your dog on a leash. With just a little common sense, we can truly coexist with these magnificent cats.

Connect Respect Coexist

Photo Credit – Lynn Marie

 

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Florida Reef Gecko

The Florida Reef Gecko (Sphaerodactylus notatus) is the smallest lizard in the United States. They are tiny, only growing to 2 – 2.25 inches. They have a rounded body with large, overlapping scales on their backs. The body and tail are covered with dark spots on a brown background. Females have three broad, dark stripes on their heads.

The Florida Reef Gecko is found in the Dry Tortugas, Florida Keys, and southeastern mainland Florida. They can be found in pinelands, hammocks, and vacant lots. They are active at dusk and feed on tiny insects and spiders. Females lay one egg at a time. When born, hatchlings are over an inch long.

The Florida Reef Gecko could be impacted by human development as well as competition from introduced geckos. The only native gecko in Florida, the Florida Reef Gecko abundant within its range.

Photo credit: FWC

 

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Little Grass Frog

The Little Grass Frog (Pseudacris ocularis), is the smallest of frogs. They are only 1/2 an inch long and range in color from light beige to dark brown and tan. They have dark eye strips extending along the side of the body and thin white strips above the lip and below the eye.  Their pads are tiny and their long toes are slightly webbed. Despite the frog’s size, The Little Grass Frog can jump 20 times its body length.

The Little Grass Frog will lay between 1 to 25 creamy brown eggs on vegetation or submerged debris. The eggs hatch in less than 2 days.  From tadpole to frog, metamorphosis lasts only 10 days. 

Look for the Little Grass Frog in wet prairies and flooded grassy meadows. They are active during the day and can be found climbing among the grasses.

Listen for The Little Grass Frog’s high-pitched chirp in grassy areas.  It is difficult to hear. If you hear the chirping, it is usually at night when the humidity is high or when it is raining.

To hear the Little Grass Frog call go to:
https://srelherp.uga.edu/anurans/sounds/pseocu.mp3

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Florida mouse

The Florida mouse (Podomys floridanus) is the State’s only endemic mammal. This mouse is a microhabitat specialist, centering its activities on gopher tortoise burrows in sand pine scrub or longleaf pine, turkey oak habitats. Florida mice construct their own burrows within the larger burrow of the gopher tortoise. Each adult female mouse uses about two tortoise burrows, alternating her residency with successive litters. Females begin to breed when they reach a weight of approximately 27 grams. Litter size is between 2-4 and the young mature very slowly. Occasionally two adult females will use the same tortoise burrow. Their diet consists of crickets, ticks, fruit, seeds, and berries. A baby of a Florida mouse is called a pinkie, kitten, or pup. The females are called does and the males are known as bucks. A Florida mouse group is called a nest, colony, harvest, horde, or mischief. They are listed as Vulnerable, considered to be facing a high risk of extinction in the wild. It is on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. They are not on the federally protected species list. They average between 5 to 8 inches long, and their tails are between 2 to 3.5 inches long, weighing between 1/2 ounce to 1 ounce. The Florida mouse has soft silky fur that is brown or brownish-orange in color. Its underparts are white. Their ears are large and furless. Their tails are long, and their back paws are large in size and have 5 pads. Their teeth are sharp, and they use them for gnawing. They are nocturnal, resting in their nest during the day and active at night searching for food. They communicate by emitting high-pitched squeals, and when they are excited, they thump the ground with their front paws producing a drumming sound. The Florida mouse also has a distinctive odor, almost like a skunk. They are also known to carry several diseases such as hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, salmonellosis, leptospirosis, and tularemia, which can be transmitted to humans.
If one should enter your house, be sure to use a live trap and release the Florida mouse outside where Nature intended.

 

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