Snakes and Things

Tuesday December 10th

Big Soft Shelled Turtle at Six-Mile Cypress Slough Preserve

Yesterday I found myself checking out some of the habitat at Lovers Key for any Racerunner Lizards. Dipped on the lizards, had seen them at Long Key State park earlier this year. No photo.  They are so quick.

Curly tailed Lizard

But down in the Keys there are a lot of lizards to be found. Curly Tailed Lizards are everywhere, and they will pose for you.  Seems every time I return to the Keys, these invasive lizards are becoming more numerous. 

Green Iguanas are everywhere too.

A male African Agama

A male African Agama

A female African Agama

Another interesting invasive lizard is easily seen at Matheson Hammock Park in Coral Gables, are African Agamas. The males can be brightly colored and these lizards can be found sunning themselves. This location also hosts, Green Iguana, Knight Anoles, Basilisk Lizards, all invasive

Green Iguana are everywhere in south Florida

I have yet to come across a wild Nile Monitor Lizard, but master birder Eary Warren, trapped one in his back yard in Cape Coral. Defidently an unwanted invasive.  Right up there with the Burmese Python.

Green Anoles are natives, but Cuban Brown Anoles are aggressive invasive that are out competing the green.

A native Green Anole

A Large Male Brown Anole Displaying a Dorsal Crest

This Knight Anole was observed in a Mango Tree

Well what about Snakes? Have a few.

Ribbon Snake

Ron Bishop spotted a small mass of Brown Water Snakes

 sunning on some rocks at Harns Marsh

A Pair of Water Moccasins sharing a cozy spot

Florida Reptiles

Friday, June 15th

Mama Gator with Hatchling at Apple Pond Trail on Sanibel

Southern Florida is currently in our annual Birding Doldrums. Its the slowest time of the year to enjoy birding activities.  We do have many species which are either residents like Rosette Spoonbills or summer visitors here for nesting such as Gray Kingbirds or Swallow-tailed Kites. Migration has ended for now and so many wintering visitors have left to nest in the North such as Yellow-rumped Warblers or American Avocets. Later, as the summer progresses lots of birders will augment the slow
birding by with observations on Dragon Flies and Butterflies.

This American Crocodile was found along a canal in Miami-Dade County

 I, also, like to make observations on the reptile life we have here in Florida. We have native and many exotic reptile species inhabiting every possible eco-system. Here a few of the species I have managed to photograph. 

Box Turtle displaying a very wore shell, seen at Babcock-Webb

House Gecko (exotic) can be found on the exterior of many buildings

Yellow Rat Snake from Six Mile Cypress Slough Preserve

Black Racer - Very Common Species

Water Moccasin - Six Mile Cypress Slough Preserve

Ring-necked Snake

A healthier looking Florida Box Turtle

Puerto Rico Crested Anole (exotic) seen in Coral Gables

Bark Anole (exotic) seen in Coral Gables

Knight Anole (exotic) Seen in Coral Gables

African Rainbow Agama (exotic) seen in Coral Gables

African Rainbow Agama seen in Coral Gables

Green Iguana (exotic) are rather Common in South Florida

Basilisk Lizard (Exotic) seen in several counties in south Florida

Scarlet Kingsnake

Gopher Tortoise

Ornate Terrapin seen at Ding Darling NWR

Florida Ribbon Snake seen at Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary

Spiny Tailed Iguana (exotic) seen in Miami

Brown Cuban Anole (exotic)

Brown Cuban Anole seen at Six Mile Cypress Slough Preserve

A Northern Curly Tailed Lizard (exotic) found in the Florida Keys

Green Anole

A Visit to the Conch Republic and Vicinities - Part 4

Sunday, May 25th  Memorial Day

White-winged Parakeets

Just spent Monday morning visiting a few spots around south Miami before heading back to Ft Myers. As today is a national holiday, the University of Miami campus in Coral Gables would be a good place to start the day looking for exotics.

No classes today, so the campus was very quite. And we were hopefully to finally experience the blue and yellow macaws that can sometimes be seen here. We  did see or hear the macaws, but we did find a pair of Common Hill Mynas, a couple of White-winged Parakeets, a single Red-masked Parakeet and lifers in seeing two pair of Scaly-headed Parrots (Pionus maximiliani). They scaly-headed parrots are species from South America.  All of the birds mentioned are local populations of escaped caged birds and their off-springs, that have managed to find a home in sub-tropical Miami.

A pair of Scaly-headed parrots 

Scaly-headed Parrots

Red-masked Parakeet

Affectionate Common Hill Mynas

Black-crowned Night-heron hunting small crabs in the rocks

A Green Anole

We moved on to recheck the campus of the Kendall Baptist Hospital and found the Mitred Parakeets busy feeding in the palm trees. A couple of Egyptian Geese were found at the smaller pond away from the Muscovy ducks, Graylag Geese, Swan Geese and other domesticated ducks on the larger pond.  Bob thought that the Egyptian Geese may have been nesting. 

Last stop for the trip was a location along Snapper Creek Canal for the nesting Cave Swallows seen there. Several were seen flying in and out from under the bridge. We also spotted what I think are Spiny-tailed Iguanas sunning themselves along the canal. 

From here it was time to end the birding and head home. We didn't get all of the photographic opportunities we were looking for, but it was a successful weekend. Next year need to go a few weeks earlier.

Egyptian Goose in Kendall

Great Egret at Kendall

Mitred Parakeet feeding in palm tree

 We found close to a hundred bird species including most of the Florida Keys avian specialties, many south Florida exotic birds and lizards and other south Florida native fauna including Bottle-nosed Dolphins, Key Deer and American Crocodile.

Spiny-tailed Iguana at Snapper Creek Canal

Monday's Bird List Swan Goose (Domestic type) Graylag Goose (Domestic type) Egyptian Goose Muscovy Duck Mallard (Domestic type) Great Egret Snowy Egret Tricolored Heron Green Heron Yellow-crowned Night-Heron White Ibis Common Gallinule Rock Pigeon Eurasian Collared-Dove Common Ground-Dove Mourning Dove Red-bellied Woodpecker White-winged Parakeet Scaly-headed Parrot Mitred Parakeet Red-masked Parakeet Gray Kingbird Blue Jay Fish Crow Cave Swallow Northern Mockingbird Common Hill Myna European Starling Northern Cardinal Common Grackle Boat-tailed Grackle House Sparrow