Mangrove Periwinkle

The Mangrove Periwinkle
 
The Mangrove Periwinkle, Littoraria angulifera, has a small spiral shell that is commonly about 3 cm high (Hosein). Despite its colorful shell, this species of snail has a gray operculum. But its carapace is full of beautiful colors. The color pattern of the shell is a combination of green, orange, and yellow with black slanted markings. These markings decorate the shell from its opening to the top. Additionally, the 6 to 7 whorls that end in a pointed top give this snail an attractive look.
 
The mangrove periwinkle population spreads from South Florida to South America. They also inhabit the Caribbean Islands and spans in Africa from Senegal to Angola (Hosein). In these regions, the mangrove periwinkle, just like its name suggests, lives in mangrove areas. Here, juvenile periwinkles stay living near the tideline until they reach adulthood. After that, adult snails inhabit trunks, stems, roots, and leaves of mangroves trees.
 
The diet of this species consists of algae, fungi, and other plant materials, but this mollusk is also an important food source for various animals.
 
Works Cited: Hosein, Trent. “Littoraria Angulifera (Mangrove Periwinkle).” UWI: The Online Guide to the Animals of Trinidad and Tobago, 2015.
 
Photo Credit: Aymee Laurain
Author: Steven Marquez – Student, Valencia College
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Mollusks

Banded Tree Snail

Banded Tree Snail

Coffee Bean Snail

Coffee Bean Snail

Mangrove Periwinkle

Mangrove Periwinkle

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Water Birds

American Coot

American Coot

American White Pelican

American White Pelican

Anhinga

Anhinga

Double-crested Cormorant

Double-crested Cormorant

Eared Grebe

Eared Grebe

Gray-headed Swamphen

Gray-headed Swamphen

Limpkin

Limpkin

Moorhen (Common)

Moorhen (Common)

Pied-billed Grebe

Pied-billed Grebe

Purple Gallinule

Purple Gallinule

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Cranes

Florida Sandhill Crane

Florida Sandhill Crane

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Banded Garden Spider

Banded Garden Spiders, Argiope trifasciata, are large spiders native to North and South America. They produce webs throughout bushy areas. Females are larger than males who will construct a smaller web next to a female. Prey consists of larger insects such as wasps.
Sometimes, webs are found with designs inside called stabilimenta. Many theories exist as to why stabilimenta are created but researchers have found the designs reduce the amount of prey caught in the web nut decrease potential damage to the web.
Photo credit: Aymee Laurain
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Big Shoals State Park

Big Shoals State Park boasts the only whitewater Class III rapids in Florida. Located In White Springs on S.E. County Road 135 in Hamilton County, this state park has a canoe and kayak launch on the shore of the blackwater Suwannee River. The upper portion of the river provides a year-round opportunity for paddlers. The water level which varies throughout the year determines if the shoals are safe to pass through. The Class III rapids occur when the Suwanne reaches 59-61 feet above mean sea level.
Apalachee and Timucuan lived in the Big Shoals where they used limestone from a quarry to make tools essential for survival. In the early 1800s, European settlers forced most Native Americans out of Big Shoals. Throughout the years, the area was home to a scrub cattle ranch, a black seed cotton farm, and was later used for logging and turpentining. Today, you can still see the scars on the bark of Longleaf pines from catstripping to reach the turpentine. Later the White Springs hotel and bathhouse were built for guests to take advantage of White Springs which was first cherished by Native Americans for their healing properties. The springs dried up in 1990.
Between 1986 and 1989, land including Big Shoals was purchased through a joint agreement between the state of Florida, the Suwannee River Water Management District, and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Today, Big Shoals State Park is part of the Great Florida Birding Trail.
Big Shoals State Park has 28 miles of trails waiting to be explored. Hike, bike, or horseback ride while discovering the wildlife and wild plants that thrive there. Trails include a mountain bike trail and the 3.4-mile-long Woodpecker Trail which is a multipurpose paved trail. Be sure to hike the mile-long shaded Big Shoals Trail. The trail will lead you through the forest to limestone bluffs 80 feet above the Suwannee River. Enjoy the breath-taking view of the Big Shoals as the Suwannee rushes over agatized corals and limestone.
Bring your camera and/or binoculars. Look for greenfly orchids and magnolia trees. Watch for Swallow-tailed kites, bald eagles, and hawks soaring overhead. Wood ducks, herons, egrets, and other wading birds visit or make their homes near the water. Listen for owls and a diverse assortment of songbirds.
Bring your dinner and enjoy it at the picnic pavilion. Pets on a 6-foot leash are welcome.
Be sure to stay until sunset to see hundreds of Mexican free-tailed bats fly out of the bat house.
Photo Credit: Bobby Putnam
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Northern Crab Spider

The Northern crab spider, Mecaphesa asperata, can be found throughout central and north America and the Caribbean. These little spiders use flowers to camouflage themselves and will prey on insects visiting flowers such as aphids, spider mites, moths, aphids, bees, wasps, and flies. Females lay eggs in the folds of some leaves and will guard the eggs by remaining nearby.
Photo credit: Aymee Laurain
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Southern Plains Bumblebee

Southern Plains Bumblebees, Bombus fraternus, are found from New Jersey south to Central Florida and from the eastern coast to the Rocky Mountains. Females are typically smaller than males with the exception of the queen. Males can be distinguished by the two bands across the abdomen. These bees are active from spring through fall. They feed on a variety of native flowers including goldenrod, blazing stars, milkweed, and flowers within the Asteraceae family.
Southern Plains Bumblebees are endangered. The greatest threat to this species is declining habitat. By adding native flowering plants to your landscape, you can help create a habitat for this declining species.
Photo credit: Aymee Laurain
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Silver Garden Orbweaver

Silver Garden Orbweavers, Argiope argentata, are arachnids that are commonly found in yards, gardens, and parks. Look for them waiting in the center of their intricate web, head down, for a meal of insects including mosquitos. Look closely and you may find a Dewdrop Spider sharing the web.
Females are larger at up to 3 inches with legs spread out and more striking in color. After mating, they will kill and sometimes eat the male
Photo Credit: Dan Kon
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Great White Shark

Great White Sharks, Carcharodon carcharias, are the largest predatory fish that inhabit Earth. They can grow to 20 feet and weigh more than 2.5 tons. These endothermic (warm-blooded) fish are found in cool and tropical coastal waters around the world and have been tracked crossing entire oceans. Great White Sharks migrate across wider geographic areas than any other marine animal and have been tracked swimming from Newfoundland to Florida. This sleek grey shark gets its name from its white underbelly. They can travel at speeds up to 15 miles per hour and breach the surface when preying on a food source at the edge of the water.
Great White Sharks are carnivores. Their good sense of smell and ability to sense an animal’s electromagnetic field helps to locate their prey. Food consists of small fish, sea birds, seals, sea lions, and whales. Their 300 triangular teeth make it easy to hold their prey and rip it apart before swallowing the pieces whole. Researchers have learned that Great White Sharks are social animals. The scientists observed single sharks making a kill and sharing their meal with others. Humans are not on the Great White Shark’s menu. While some humans have been severely injured or killed, these incidents are extremely rare. It is now known that Great White Sharks will take a taste and quickly learn that humans are not suitable prey.
Females are larger than males and give birth to live young. During gestation, the mother does not feed her unborn via a placenta. Instead, she provides her young with unfertilized eggs. The new sharks are born as natural predators and will begin eating coastal fish immediately.
There is no accurate population count of Great White Sharks. They are currently listed as Vulnerable (VU A2bd) on the International Union for the Conservation of Nature’s Red List of Threatened Species. Threats include getting caught in fishing nets, inshore habitat degradation, and overfishing. Unfortunately, Great White Shark jaws and fins are often considered commodities. Killing Great White Sharks can be considered an achievement by unknowing or uncaring humans.
Every animal has an important role in our ecosystems. Refuse to buy animals parts. Educate other people about the importance of respecting Great White Sharks and why we need to peacefully coexist with them.
Photo Credit: Creative Commons ~Elias Levy
References:
National Geographic
Oceana
Marine Bio
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Poisonwood Tree

The Poisonwood tree (Metopium Toxiferum) is a medium-sized (25-35 feet tall) tree that only grows in South Florida but it is also native to most of the Caribbean. The color of the bark can have more than two colors, ranging from yellows and oranges to reds and browns. However, a primary characteristic of the poisonwood tree trunk is black blotches formed by urushiol resin that has oxidized.
The flowering season occurs all year long, but its peak is during the spring season. The poisonwood grows female and male flowers on separate trees. The female flowers produce oblong orange fruits that serve as food for many types of birds including the endangered white-crowned pigeon.
Nevertheless, the poisonwood tree is part of the family of the poison oak and contains oleoresin urushiol, the same skin-irritating compound that puts the poison in poison ivy. The toxin of the poisonwood tree is so toxic that standing under its leaves during a rainy day can cause irritation and rashes on human skin.
All of us need to be capable of identifying this tree during visits to the park or when going hiking to the beautiful natural places of South Florida and the Florida Keys.
Photo Credit: Dan Kon
Author: Steven Marquez – Student, Valencia College
Work Cited: Wild South Florida. “Poisonwood.” Wild South Florida 10/15/2021
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Great Blue Skimmer

Great Blue Skimmers, Libellula vibrans, are found in forested wetlands, swamps, and near lakes and ponds where still or slow-moving shallow water is present. These are large dragonflies that measure 2.3 inches and are often called King Skimmers.
The bodies of adult male Great Blue Skimmers are blue while the female’s body is brown. After fertilization, females pick up a drop of water to help eggs stay on the shore. Once the larvae hatch, they return to the water where they develop into adults.
Photo Credit Ted Koran
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Weedon Island Preserve

Weedon Island Preserve is a natural and cultural gem in St Petersburg on Tampa Bay. Comprised mostly of marine aquatic and coastal ecosystems, with a few upland exceptions. It is home to many native plants and animals, a rich cultural history, and an educational facility. The native peoples lived at this site for thousands of years. Much of the preserve contains mosquito ditches constructed in the 1950s. These ditches help connect sitting pools of water to larger bodies, allowing predatory fish to feed off mosquito larvae rather than use pesticides in the area. Currently, the Preserve preserves this land’s unique natural and diverse cultural heritages. This can be found in the Educational Center and the preserve. Today, Weedon Island Preserve is set aside as a 3,190-acre natural area managed by Pinellas County.

The largest estuarine preserve in Pinellas County is well known for its birding and fishing. The preserve provides over 4.5 miles of nature trails for hiking, 2 miles of boardwalks and paved trails that are ADA accessible, and the remaining 2.7 miles are natural trail loops. At the end of the Tower Trail sits the observation tower and at 45-foot-tall, it is the tallest of its kind in Pinellas County. You can see most of the preserve, Tampa, and St Petersburg if the conditions are right!

If you are tired of walking on land and want to spend time on the water, you are in luck! Weedon Island also includes a 4-mile, self-guided canoeing/kayaking loop called the South Paddling Trail. Meandering through mangrove tunnels and out to the bay. If you don’t have your own vessel, no worries; a company on site provides tours that take you through the maze of mangrove tunnels. Other activities include fishing from the pier, a boat launch at the end of the road, and picnicking at any designated picnic tables provided through the park and trails.

Don’t forget to check the Weedon Island Preserve Cultural and Natural History Center to learn about the natural history of the ancient native inhabitants of the area. Check the schedule of events because not only does Pinellas County sponsor events, UF/IFAS Extension agents also provide a wide variety of educational programs and events for the general public that are family-friendly and often free of charge. Monthly programs may include guided hikes, archaeology classes, speaker series, photography or birding meet-ups, and environmental sustainability workshops.

Amenities:
Educational Center
Wildlife Viewing
Lookout Tower
Information Kiosk
Guided Tours and Trails
Exhibits
Fishing Pier
Paddling Launch and Rentals
Parking Area
Restrooms
Interpretive Signage
Nature Trails, sand
Picnic Area
Seating Area, Pavilion
Bathrooms
Learning Center

Address: 1800 Weedon Drive Northeast, St. Petersburg, Florida 33702
For more information: http://www.weedonislandpreserve.org/

Photo Credit: Aymee Laurain
Author and Photo Credit: Bobby Putnam

 

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Scarlet-bodied Wasp Moth

The Scarlet-bodied wasp moth, Cosmosoma myrodora, is a stunning moth found throughout Florida and coastal areas in the southeastern U.S. Males have filament containing pouches on the abdomen called flocculence. During mating the male will hover over the female and discharge the flocculence, creating a net over her before attempting to mate. These flocculence’s are a visible white.
The larvae emerge from the eggs appearing as tiny white hair-covered caterpillars. These hairs are called setae and help form the cocoon. Cocoons are constructed under leaves and are mesh-like balls. Larvae feed on native hempvines.
Adult males feed on dogfennel and pass the toxin, pyrrolizidine alkaloids, obtained from the plant to females during courtship as a way to protect eggs from predation. Some parasites are still able to get past these defenses. These include Hyphantrophaga sellersi and Tetrastichinae parasitoids.
Photo credit: Aymee Laurain
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Texas Vervain

Texas Vervain, Verbena halei, is also known as Texas verbena, or slender verbena. It is a wildflower native to much of the southern US including Florida. Lavender-blue blooms appear on the slender branches that can reach 2 1/2 feet tall.
Look for Texas Vervain in fields, sandy soils, woodlands, pastures, and roadsides. Large numbers of native bees are attracted to its flowers. Cardinals and sparrows eat the seeds of this perennial shrub.
The butterfly-attracting Texas Vervain is a great option for xeriscaping. It loves the Florida sun, thrives in dry soil, and is drought tolerant. Propagation is by seed or root division.
Photo Credit: Aymee Laurain
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