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| A very large alligator in Big Cypress National Preserve last week.
First listed as an endangered species in 1967, the American alligator was removed from the endangered species list in 1987 after the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service pronounced a complete recovery of the species. However, to prevent trafficking of look-alike reptiles the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service classify the alligator as “threatened due to similarity of appearance” since it resembles the American crocodile (see below). Wildlife in National Parks and Preserves may not be hunted.
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This week as Florida Republicans prepare to launch their Florida Black Bear Massacre it seemed appropriate to highlight the endangered species that are found in South Florida's National Parks, including the soon-to-be hunted Florida Black Bear.
The Florida Black Bear (Ursus americanus floridanus) is a subspecies of the American black bear that historically ranged throughout most of Florida and souther portions of Alabama, Georgia, and Mississippi. In recent years the bears have been increasingly seen in suburban neighborhoods in Florida as relentless development has destroyed their native habitat.
Black bears were on the state's Threatened Species List until just 3 years ago. However, under complete Republican control Florida swiftly moved to remove bears from protected lists and to initiate a bear hunting season which will begin on October 24 barring a stay from a court in one of the lawsuits filed against the 1-week-long bear hunt, the first in 21 years. Florida seeks to kill at least 10%, or 320, of an unknown number of bears (less than 3,500 are thought to survive in Florida today). There is no mechanism to stop many more bears from being slaughtered as Florida continues to issue permits (more than 3000 hunting permits have been issued. . .and counting). Voice your outrage on Facebook at: Stop the Bear Hunt and on the web at Stop the Hunt.
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In a state of 19+ million permanent residents and millions more daily tourists one would think the humans could figure a way to accommodate less than 3,500 bears. Apparently wildlife-hating Republicans do not agree.
At any time Florida could try and remove any of the species featured here from its threatened list and allow hunting of them as well.
It is recommended that humans stay a reasonable distance away from large wildlife. I obviously got much closer than 15 feet when I made these alligator images last week in Big Cypress National Preserve.
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| In this image I tried to make the alligator appear as artistic as possible, with a low Fall sun reflecting on the alligator's pond. |
The list below includes federal candidate species, proposed species,
and formally listed species under the Endangered Species Act.
This list includes only those species that are presently or formerly
known to occur within Everglades National Park.
Glossary of Terms
Candidate: A species, subspecies, or isolated population (hereafter "species") not currently listed as threatened or endangered under the Endangered Species Act, but is undergoing a preliminary review to determine status.Proposed: A species that—following a preliminary review to determine status—is proposed for listing under the Endangered Species Act as either threatened or endangered. Prior to listing a species, however, the proposal must undergo a formal public review.
Threatened: A species that—following a formal public review— is determined to be very likely to become endangered in the near future unless the species or its habitat is fully protected and managed for its survival
Endangered: A species that—following a formal public review—is determined to be in immediate danger of extinction unless the species or its habitat is fully protected and managed for its survival.
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The American alligator is an ecological success story. Nearly destroyed by hunters, it was placed on the endangered species list. Since then it has made a miraculous recovery. During the winter dry season, alligators become concentrated in the deeper pools and sloughs of the Everglades.
Photographer: Glenn Van Nimwegen. |
Crocodiles and alligators belong to a group of reptiles called crocodilians, which are the largest of the living reptiles. Of the 23 different species of crocodilians in the world, 2 species are native to the United States, and south Florida is the only place where both of these species coexist. The American alligator (Alligator mississippiensis) ranges throughout the southeastern United States, and Everglades alligators exist at the southern extreme of their range. American Crocodiles (Crocodylus acutus), on the other hand, inhabit coastal areas of south Florida where they are at the northern extreme of their range. American crocodiles also can be found on the islands of Cuba, Jamaica, and Hispaniola, as well as along both coasts of southern Mexico and Central America, south to Ecuador on the Pacific coast of South America, and Venezuela on the Atlantic coast.
At first glance crocodiles can be difficult to distinguish from alligators, but closer inspection reveals several important differences. The American crocodile is lizard-shaped with a long, muscular tail and four short legs that have five toes on the front feet and four on the back feet. Adults have grayish-green backs and tails and white to yellowish undersides. Their narrow snout is triangular in shape, and the fourth tooth on both sides of the lower jaw is visible when the mouth is closed. The ear drums are protected by moveable flaps of skin at the top of the head behind the eyes, and the nostrils are at the end of the elongated snout. Because of the location of the eyes, ears, and nostrils, a crocodile can be submerged with only the top of its head exposed and still be able to see, hear, and breathe. Male crocodiles are larger than females and can reach about 20 feet in length but rarely exceed 14 feet in the wild. Breeding females are about 8 to 12 feet in length.
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American Crocodile (Crododylus actus)
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List of Threatened Species
Everglades National Park
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Arctic peregrine Falcon (Falco peregrinus tundrius)
This streamlined flyer is one of several delisted threatened species of birds found in Everglades National Park. The crow-sized peregrine is a regularly seen winter visitor along the coastal mangroves and in Florida Bay. It feeds primarily on sea and shore birds and can be readily identified by its black sideburns.
Photographer: Mark J. Thomas |
Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus)
Only Alaska has more bald eagles than Florida. The bald eagle nests in the coastal areas of Everglades National Park, Big Cypress National Preserve, and southern Biscayne National Park. Because it cannot withstand human disturbance during nesting, large wilderness tracts are essential to the future of our national symbol.
Will Florida Panther Hunting Season be Next?
The Florida Panther (Puma concolor coryi) was once common throughout the southeastern United States. Today fewer than 100 Florida panthers are estimated to live in the wilds of south Florida. The current range of Florida panthers is less than five percent of their original range across Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Arkansas, and parts of Tennessee and South Carolina. Florida panthers were heavily hunted after 1832 when a bounty on panthers was created. Perceived as a threat to humans, livestock, and game animals (much like the Florida Black Bear today), the species was nearly extinct by the mid-1950s.
Today, the primary threats to the remaining panther population are habitat loss, fragmentation, and degradation. Urban sprawl, the conversion of once-diversified agricultural lands into intensified industrial farming uses, and the loss of farmland to commercial development combine to reduce the amount of suitable panther habitat. Other factors include mortalities from collisions with automobiles, territorial disputes with other panthers, inbreeding, disease, and environmental toxins. All these other factors, however, also are related to habitat reduction.
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| The endangered Florida Panther (Felis concolor coryi) Today, most of the remaining panthers live in Big Cypress National Preserve, the Fakahatchee Strand, and Everglades National Park. Photo: Helen Longest-Slaughter |
Like most animals, Florida panthers need food, water, shelter, and access to mates to survive. Panthers are strictly carnivores and eat only meat. About 90 percent of their diet is feral hog, white-tailed deer, raccoon, and armadillo. Occasionally they consume rabbits, rats, and birds, and occasionally even alligators. In south Florida, panthers prefer mature upland forests (hardwood hammocks and pinelands) over other habitat types. Upland forests provide dry ground for resting and denning, and prey density is higher than it is in lower habitats where flooding is more common. Much of the prime panther habitat is north of Interstate Highway 75, and panthers in that area weigh more, are healthier, and successfully raise more kittens than panthers that live primarily south of the highway and feed mostly on small prey. Panthers in Everglades National Park are smaller and fewer because much of the park consists of wetlands, while panthers need uplands in order to thrive. Although the Long Pine Key area within the park provides dry upland habitat, hogs are scarce in the park and deer are limited to dry or low water level areas. A panther has to kill and eat about 10 raccoons to equal the food value of 1 deer. To maintain their health and fitness, adult panthers need to consume the equivalent of about 1 deer or hog per week. Females with kittens may need twice this amount.
The recent history of the Florida panther documents the success of the genetic restoration program. Historically, natural gene exchange occurred between the Florida panther and other contiguous species of Puma concolor as individuals dispersed among populations and bred. This natural mechanism for gene exchange maintained genetic health within populations and minimized inbreeding. However, as the population declined, gene exchange between subspecies could no longer occur because the Florida panther had become isolated from neighboring subspecies such as the Texas panther. Inbreeding accelerated, resulting in genetic depression, declining health, reduced survivability, and low numbers. If action was not taken to address the loss of natural gene exchange, it was feared that the species would soon be extinct. In 1995 when the genetic restoration program began, the population of panthers had dwindled to only 20-30 individuals in the wild. In 1995, eight female Texas panthers were released in south Florida. Five of the eight Texas panthers produced litters and at least 20 kittens were born. By 2007, the Florida panther population had responded by tripling to about 100 animals. The genetic restoration program restored genetic variability and vitality for a healthier, more resilient population.
Mercury in Panthers
Scientists first became aware of the potential threat of mercury to panthers in south Florida in 1989 when a female panther from the park died. An immediate cause of death could not be determined, but later tests revealed that her liver contained high levels of mercury. That same year, the State of Florida found high levels of mercury in fish from the Everglades. Air pollution from metals mining and smelting, coal-fired utilities and industry, and solid-waste incinerators was determined to be the major source of mercury contamination. Although some of this pollution was coming from utilities and industries within Florida, some originates in other countries and continents. Summer thunderstorms scour airborne mercury out of the upper atmosphere and deposit it in the Everglades. Mercury in rainfall is transformed to methylmercury by bacteria in sediments and algal mats. Zooplankton feed on algae, fish and crayfish feed on zooplankton, raccoons feed on fish and crayfish, and panthers feed on raccoons. In the 15 months before her death, the panther with high levels of mercury in her liver fed only on small prey, primarily raccoons. As mercury moves through the food chain, it accumulates in ever-greater quantities in the tissue of each predator. The tissues of predators at the top of the food chain, such as panthers, typically contain the most mercury.
Subsequent studies found that mercury concentrations in panther tissues were lowest north of Interstate Highway 75 where adequate deer and hogs were available and highest in the Everglades and the southern part of Big Cypress National Preserve where consumption of raccoons was highest. Raccoons are thought to have been the major source of mercury in Florida panthers at that time. Since 1989, mercury concentrations in fish and birds in the Everglades have dropped by 60 to 70 percent. The drastic reductions are directly linked to the installation of technology that reduced mercury in emissions from industries in south Florida. Although mercury levels in the natural environment are a worldwide concern and mercury likely will never be completely removed from the environment, mercury reductions are expected to continue into the future. Monitoring, modeling, and research demonstrate the relationship between mercury detected in the air, deposited in waterways and sediments through rainfall, and concentrated in fish and wildlife.
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| Florida Panther footprints, along with my size-12 boot, for scale. |
Other Endangered Species
Found in South Florida's National Parks
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| Hawksbill Turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata) Named for its bird-like beak, the hawksbill is most frequently found near coral reefs and rocky outcroppings in shallow water areas like those found in Biscayne National Park. This turtle is critically endangered in part because it's shell is highly valued, especially by Asians ignorant of the specie's status. Particularly in Japan, the shell of the hawksbill turtle has ceremonial value. The Hawksbill Turtle has declined by over 80% in 30 years. Continued exploitation will result in the extinction of the Hawksbill Turtle. It is illegal to import or export turtle products, or to kill, capture, or harass Hawksbill sea turtles. Photograph: Anja G. Burns |
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| Green Turtle (Chelonia mydas)
Sea turtles have roamed oceans for millions of years. Worldwide populations of Green Sea Turtles are endangered due to loss of nesting and feeding habitat and exploitation for food and shells. The International Union for the Conservation of Nature has repeatedly listed Green Sea Turtles in its Red List as endangered species. Named for their green body fat, gree turtles were once abundante throught the Caribbean. National parks, such as Everglades, Biscayne, and Fort Jefferson National Monument help to protect important green turtle feeding and nesting grounds.
Photographer: Doug Perrine |
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| Loggerhead Turtle (Caretta caretta)
From May to September, increasingly few endangered female loggerhead turtles crawl onto the beaches of Fort Jefferson National Monument, Cape Sable, and the outer sandy beaches of Everglades National Park. There, they excavate nest cavities in the sand, lay their eggs, and return to the waters of the Gulf. After two months, loggerhead turtle hatchlings emerge and crawl down wilderness beaches to the sea, safe from human disturbance.
Photographer: Doug Perrine |
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| Schaus Swallowtail Butterfly (Papilio aristodemus ponceanus)
Only about 350 Schaus swallowtail adults are known to survive in the Florida Keys — this swallowtail’s only known home. To avoid extinction, this species needs to start repopulating other suitable habitat from Biscayne Bay to Matecumbe Key. This area also includes Key Largo and Plantation Key. First described by William Schaus in 1898, these butterflies ranged from Miami to Key West. Due to urban development and subsequent loss of hardwood hammock habitat, the species range is now limited to only a few protected areas in South Florida.
Photograph: Dr. Thomas C. Emmel |
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| Everglade Snail Kite (Rostrhamus sociabilis plumbeus)
The Everglade snail kite is a medium-sized hawk with a wingspan of about 45 inches, very similar to the marsh hawk but without wavering, tilting flight. Now officially known as simply a Snail Kite, the subspecies from Florida and Cuba (Rostrhamus sociabilis plumbeus) formerly known as the Everglade Snail Kite was listed as endangered in 1967. The range of the Florida population of Snail Kites is restricted to watersheds in the central and southern part of the state. Because of a highly specific diet composed almost entirely of apple snails (Pomacea paludosa), survival of the Snail Kite depends directly on the hydrology and water quality of these watersheds, each of which has experienced pervasive degradation as a result of urban development and agricultural activities.
The principal threat to the Snail Kite is the loss or degradation of wetlands in central and south Florida. Nearly half of the Everglades have been drained for agriculture and urban development. Everglades National Park preserves only about one-fifth of the original extent of the Everglades. The present-day system of canals, levees, and water-control structures has disrupted the volume, timing, direction, and velocity of freshwater flow. The natural sheet-flow pattern under which the Everglades evolved over the last 5,000 years no longer exists. The loss of freshwater to seepage, flood-control releases to tidal waters, and extraction for irrigation and urban water supply has led to salt-water intrusion in some places.
Photograph: Rob Bennetts
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| West Indian Manatee (Trichechus manatus)
Manatees were listed as endangered in 1967 concurrent with the creation of the Endangered Species Conservation Act, an act that pre-dated the federal Endangered Species Act of 1973. In addition to Florida, they occur in Georgia, Texas, Mexico, Puerto Rico, and elsewhere in the Caribbean. The population in Florida is currently estimated at 1,865 individuals. Accidental collisions with boats are the primary cause of death for these shallow water-inhabiting animals, followed by low reproductive rates and a decline in suitable habitat.
Everglades National Park monitors manatees by tagging them and tracking them through aerial surveys. In 2005, scientists observed 176 adults and 7 calves in park waters. The surveys revealed that manatees frequently enter tidal creeks to obtain freshwater for drinking and refuge during cold weather. Park scientists also evaluate manatee health by capturing individuals and taking biological samples for laboratory study.
Photographer: Doug Perrine
The Wood Stork (Mycteria americana) is a large, bald-headed wading bird that stands more than 3 feet (0.9 meters) tall, has a 5 foot (1.5 meter) wing spread, and weighs 4 to 6 pounds (1.8 to 2.7 kg). It is the only stork breeding in the United States and was placed on the Federal Endangered Species list in 1984. The species was downlisted from endangered to threatened in June 2014, reflecting a successful conservation and recovery effort spanning three decades.
The Wood Stork serves as an indicator species for restoration of the Everglades ecosystem. Indicator species serve as excellent messengers of the past, present, and future because their specific habitat requirements are so closely associated with one particular environment. The quality and quantity of the required environment directly determines the well-being and the number of that species. Because it is much easier to count and record the biology of one or more indicator species than it is to measure the more complex workings of an ecosystem, close monitoring of carefully selected species provides important information about the health of the entire system.
Although the status of the Wood Stork has been downlisted from endangered to threatened, the Everglades ecosystem is still endangered. Storks were once more abundant in the wetlands of south Florida than in any other region throughout the southeastern states. The Wood Stork used to thrive in south Florida because it is a specialized species that prefers tropical and subtropical habitats with distinct wet and dry seasons. A stork locates food—mostly small, freshwater fish— not by sight but by tactolocation, or groping with its bill in shallow water. Often the water is muddy and full of plants, conditions that obscure prey from sight. The stork sweeps its submerged bill from side to side as it walks slowly forward. Its bill snaps shut with a 25-millisecond reflex action—the fastest known for vertebrates—whenever it touches prey. Each breeding pair of these large birds requires about 440 pounds (200 kg) of fish per breeding season.
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We've Read and Watched:
Sometimes a stare involves the sequential opening and closing of one peeping eye as he or she drifts in and out of slumber. Cats do this for several reasons, such as keeping an eye out for predators. More than likely, however, your cat stares because you are the center of their universe and they want to know what you're up to. . . or in this case your cat wonders why you buried him in all those leaves.
You don’t need to wait for winter to appreciate Utah’s great outdoors. Fall is prime adventure time in the Beehive State’s five national and 43 state parks when summer’s desert heat has lifted and the snows haven’t quite set in. Shack up in a teepee hotel, brave some of the country’s most epic mountain biking, do paddle board yoga in a hot spring cave, and then toast it all with some Wild West whiskey.
Ecotourism has been hailed as a sustainable economic driver and a force for environmental conservation, but a new report says we also need to account for the possible adverse effects of visitation to relatively wild spaces.
In a new report published in Trends in Ecology & Evolution, "How Nature-Based Tourism Might Increase Prey Vulnerability to Predators," researchers said all of those interactions between wild animals and friendly ecotourists eager to snap their pictures may inadvertently put some animals at greater risk of being eaten.
In an aptly named Nature Plants study, Fecal Mimicry by Seeds Ensures Dispersal by Dung Beetles," researchers report that the nut seeds of Ceratocaryum argenteum, a South African plant, are probably meant to mimic antelope droppings. Anyone can see that the seeds resemble small turds, but the researchers found that their unusually unpleasant odor actually features some of the same chemicals that scent antelope poo.
The Walking Dead has done an fair job of keeping Rick lovable enough for the audience to root for him, but not so infallible that we don’t question his leadership. And after 5 seasons of questionable decision making (a baby in the zombie apocalypse?) we can agree it may be time for Rick to go.
No character, with the exception of the long-gone Shane, has pointed out these flaws more so than Carter in the Season 6:1 premier when he said, “So we are all just supposed to fall in line, before you?”
“How many more of us have to die before we do something?” he said while trying to secretly stage a (failed) coup. Yes, we Rick was OK in Seasons 1 and 2, but most of these are valid points. And without Carter pointing out that, hey, a trailer is not a strong enough buffer to repel a zombie horde in the thousands, Rick’s plan surely would have failed. In this case, Rick did not have everything figured out—and judging by some comments made by other lead characters, as well as the Season 6 promo played at this year’s Comic-Con, the group is recognizing Rick may not be the infallible leader they thought he was. Just because Carter is dead, doesn’t mean someone else won’t arise to take his place. Here are the top contenders. . .
Let's say you had to pick a new best friend out of Homeland: Season 5. Who would you want it to be? Astrid (Nina Hoss), of German intelligence, Allison Carr (Miranda Otto), possibly the soon to be ex-Berlin C.I.A. station chief, or the lone wolf assassin Peter Quinn (Rupert Friend)? All are appealing choices but you know its got to be Quinn.
In Episode 5:2, Carrie, true to form, gets into an explosive situation and discovers that it is she who has the target on her head, not her über-narcissisitic boss, Otto Düring (Sebastian Koch).
Don't even get us started about how shameless it is to make those poor models hawk your face chemicals, Tyra. 44-year-old Tyra Banks has apparently been watching repeats of "Weeds" and has decided it a good idea to launch a multi-level marketing company to sell her name brand, tested-on-animals, face chemicals. Not cool. Its bad enough that she made the contestants on her reality show "America's Next Top Model," help with her music video to launch the company but its worse that she was mean to deaf contestant Nyle DiMarco. After 22 seasons Tyra has finally found a breakout star in Nyle and she can't be happy with him. No, say it isn't so!
Tyra says her company involves "Direct Selling Cosmetics". . .but we know that most economists agree that there are few moneymakers except for the person at the top of "direct selling" business models. Watch "Weeds" Season 5: Episode 7, "Where the Sidewalk Ends" to revisit the fictional "You're Pretty" direct marketing make-up company and note the similarities to Tyra's new brand.
Tweet Tyra @tyrabanks to give her your impression of Nyle,
face chemicals, exploiting reality TV contestants. . .whatever.
Read more at: The Fine Line Between Legitimate Businesses and Pyramid Schemes: Companies say sellers can make six-figure salaries; critics call multilevel marketing firms a scam. and Forbes' Can You Really Make Money in Direct Sales?