Endangered Species
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 Loggerhead Sea Turtle - This turtle gets its name from its exceptionally large head. Adult loggerheads are typically 32 to 41 inches long and weigh up to 350 pounds with a reddish-brown upper shell and dull brown to yellow lower shell. Placed on the Threatened Federal Register, July 28, 1978. For more information visit http://www.ocean.udel.edu/ or http://www.ecological-associates.com/ |
 Leatherback Sea Turtle - A few nest on the east coast of Florida each year and is the champion of sea turtles. It grows the largest, dives the deepest, and travels the farthest of all sea turtles. A mature leather back typically reaches about 4 to 8 feet in length and weigh from 650 to 1,300 pounds. Designated as Endangered on the Federal Register, June 2, 1970. For more information visit http://www.cccturtle.org/. or http://www.ecological-associates.com/ |
 Gopher Tortoise - The upper shell of the tortoise is brown or tan, with growth rings evident on younger individuals, but are worn away on adults. The under shell is unhinged, dull yellowish in color, with the soft parts being grayish brown. The feed of the tortoise are stumpy without webs and their heads are large and blunt. His food consists of low vegetation and he spends most of its time foraging and grazing areas with good supply of grasses and low herbs. He will occasionally eat wild fruits and berries. It takes up to 100 days for the eggs of this tortoise to incubate. Adult tortoises require 16 to 21 years to mature and can live 40 years or longer. Placed on the Endangered Federal Register, July 07, 1987. |
 Florida Scrub-Jay (Aphelocoma coerulescens) is non-migratory and completely indigenous to the Florida scrub oak environment which is prime building land for humans, thus shrinking their habitat. The scrub-jay does not have a crest on its head, its back is brown colored and there are no white wing markings. They behave differently in that they remain around their nest after they have matured and help parents feed later broods. Because of this characteristic their environment is rigidly restricted and young birds must often wait until a breeding bird dies or, they are able to expand their parents' territory through competition with other breeding birds in order to continue to procreate. Young Scrub-Jays probably increase their chances of survival by remaining with their families during this waiting period. They forage in low-growing, open shrub habitat by hopping through the vegetation or along the ground beneath the vegetation, visually searching for prey in the shrubs, palmettos, leaf litter, or bare sand. They live mostly on crickets, grasshoppers and acorns. The numbers are declining due to habitat loss. Placed on the Threatened Federal Register, June 03, 1987. |
 Scrub Lizard (Scleporus woodi) This threatened lizard is common to the scrubs and sandhills at Lake Wales Ridge State Forest, but only found in 10 other counties in Florida. Photo by: Anne Malatesta |
 Eastern Indigo Snake (Drymarchon corais) Indigo snakes are massive, blue-black snakes that are a real treat to encounter in the wild. They are the longest snakes in the United States, with some individuals reaching a total length of almost nine feet. The indigo snake's huge size and gentle demeanor have long made it a favorite with carnivals, sideshows and animal dealers.
The commercial popularity of the species caused its numbers to decline dramatically. In 1978, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service listed indigo snakes as a threatened species in all portions of its range; federal protection has helped to stop collection of these snakes from the wild. These snakes live in a variety of habitats, and historically were found along with gopher tortoises in sandy scrub habitats. Indigo snakes are active snakes that spend a great deal of time foraging for food and mates. They are one of the few truly diurnal snake species, meaning that they are active during the day and rest at night. During times of inactivity, such as at night or during cooler months, indigo snakes often hide in gopher tortoise burrows (the tortoises don't seem to mind). For the complete story click here! Written by Tony Mills, photos provided by David Scott. |
 Gopher Frog - Gopher frogs spend their days in the cool protection of gopher tortoise burrows. They venture out at night to hunt insects. In the springtime gopher frogs migrate up to a mile to isolated ponds where they sing, mate and lay eggs. Their breeding song is a resonant snore that can be heard for a mile on calm, rainy nights. When gopher frog tadpoles transform into little froglets they must leave the pond and find a tortoise burrow. Captured outside the safety of his adopted burrow, this gopher frog would like the world to go away! (Actually, this head-hiding behavior is probably a defensive response to protect the head and make itself harder to swallow.) The State of Florida lists the gopher frog as a Species of Special Concern, which is not quite as vulnerable as Threatened, and even less vulnerable than Endangered. If you approach a gopher tortoise burrow quietly and quickly peek into the opening, you can sometimes catch a glimpse of a gopher frog perched near the burrow entrance. |
 Florida Mouse - Photo by: Anne Malatesta |
 Lakela's Mint - Found only on the Atlantic Coastal Ridge and has been ranked by the Florida Natural Areas Inventory to be "critically imperiled globally, of extreme rarity (5 or fewer occurrences or less than 1000 individuals) or because of extreme vulnerability to extinction due to some natural or man-made factor". Placed on the endangered Federal Register, July 23, 1984. |
 Sabellariid Worms form drab, monotonous and rounded clusters, mounds and platforms that grow upward and outward from the durable substrate from which their colonies develop. They're primary food is microplankton and they need plenty of wave and current action to bring them a constant supply of food and to wash away their metabolic wastes. They can withstand several hours of exposure to the atmosphere during low tides and can retain enough sea water in their tubes to maintain body temperature and supply of oxygen for several hours. Visit http://www.floridaoceanographic.org/ for more interesting information on this phenomenal worm reef builder! |
 Short-tailed Snake (Stilosoma extenuatum) The rarest snake species in eastern North America. Few have ever seen this 18" constrictor that apparently occurs only in scrub and sandhills habitats in central Florida. Short-tailed snakes are smooth-scaled, shiny and very slender. They really do have a short tail compared to other snakes. The short-tailed snake is thought to be related to the kingsnakes. Herpetologists (those who study reptiles and amphibians) believe that short-tailed snakes are burrowers that spend most of their time under ground, but most specimens (fewer than 200 are known to science) have been found crawling on the surface, usually in autumn.
In captivity, short-tailed snakes eat small lizards and snakes, especially crowned snakes (Tantilla relicta). The State of Florida lists the short-tailed snake as a Threatened species. |
Green Sea Turtle - It is also called a "black sea turtle" due to its very dark colored shell. They reach up to three feet in length and average about 300 pounds in weight. Placed on the Endangered Federal Register July 28, 1978. For more information visit