ISSUE NO.

EDG6931

FLORIDA
WILDLIFE

INTERVIEWS FROM
THE FIELD

PLANTS

FISH, ANIMALS,
AND BIRDS

Hear from someone who has worked

with turtles and birds in Southwest
Florida.

Mangroves, and .....still standing strong

Florida

Our unique species make our great state

special.

A Non Fiction Project by Maddie McClinton

In this Issue
Welcome to the first issue of Florida Wildlife. For this month's
magazine issue, we will be focusing on wildlife that you may find in
Southwest Florida. As you explore your surroundings and our
beautiful state, take a moment to learn about what also calls this
land and water home. This issue features our featured monthly
columns, such as Turtle Talk with Skip, Species Spotlight,
Mammal Moments, and In the Bird's Nest. We will also share facts
and tips about our fine state through sharing monthly resources
from our experts at the University of Florida IFAS. We will also
share "spotted" photos of wildlife! Send in your images to
floridawild@gmail.com

About the Author and Editor

Maddie McClinton is a graduate student at the University of Florida. She
has a passion for preserving Florida and the wonderful creatures that
inhabit it. As an aspiring educator, she hopes to bring this appreciation
into her future classrooms. She believes all Floridans should know what
else also calls this great state home, including the plants, animals, and
trees that make up our diverse landscape.

ImagebyMaddieMcClinton

Math Task 1
In Marco Island, Florida, the water temperature varies by month. Using the following bar
graph, determine the temperature for each month given. Complete the comparisons
between the months. You must write the average temperature next to the month given
prior to making your comparison. Use the <, =, and > symbols to record each comparison.
January ______________

February _______________

What is the VALUE of the digit 3 in each months temperature?

In January, the value of the 3 in 66.03 is ______________
In February, the value of the 3 in 66.34 is _____________
July______________

August _______________

What is the digit is in the hundredths place in the July temperature? ________________
What is the VALUE of the digit in this place? _________ ________

SPECIES SPOTLIGHT

WHITE PELICAN
Pelecanus erythrorhynchos
The White Pelican is a bird that can be found
during the winters in Southwest Florida. Some
members of the species complete a migration to
the sunny Florida shores during the winter
months. A migration is a seasonal movement of
animals from one location to another. White
pelicans travel from the North, including states
like Minnesota and Idaho. When it warms, they
make their return journey to the North. This
migration happens every year. The Southwest
Florida Water Management District estimates
that 1,500 birds travel to the area from October
to March.

Seeing something
that most people
may never see, we
are so lucky to be
able to see them
during their
winter migrations.
It is exciting when
they take off and
you see their black
wing tips exposed
under their white
exterior. A rare
sight

White pelicans do not dive into the water to catch

fish, like other birds might. They instead forage on
the surface of the water dipping their bill into the
water to scoop up fish. A pelican's bill is its beak,
however, it has a large pouch that opens wide and fills
with water and fish while they are hunting for food.
The image below shows a white pelican with its bill
and pouch showing. The white pelican is one of the
largest birds in North America. They have a 9-foot
wingspan. Their feathers are white, indicative of their
name. However, white pelicans also have black wing
tips that are exposed in flight.

As Seen in the Wild

Photography Submission by Susie McClinton. She spotted this

White Pelican taking flight over Cape Romano, just south of
Marco Island, FL.

Math Task 2
A colony of White Pelicans is nesting on an island in South Florida.
They travel every day to search for food. Today, one group of
pelicans traveled 3km to a nearby beach. Another group of
pelicans flew a distance to search for fish. The remaining pelicans
traveled 15km to a nearby island. If the pelicans traveled
5,3000m altogether, what distance did the second group of
pelicans travel?

MAMMAL MOMENTS
NORTH AMERICAN RACCOON
Procyon lotor

The North American or common raccoon can be found in Southwest Florida.

These raccoons are known for the black stripe that covers their eyes. It appears
to look like a mask. Raccoons are nocturnal creatures, preferring to be active
during the night hours. Their diet is inspired by what is available for them.
In cities, they often scavenge the trash for food.Raccoons have moved closer
and closer to humans due to the availablity of food. Females raccoons have
babies, or kits as they are called, in the spring. They have a 65-day gestation
period and give birth from 2 to 5 kits.
Fun Facts: Raccoons have 40 teeth! Christopher Columbus is the first person
known to have written about raccoons. They weigh 8 to 20 pounds on average.
Raccoons can swim!

As Seen in the Wild

"We were out

fishing by the
mangrove trees. I
looked back and
saw the little guy
swimming to the
other bank.
Raccoons are very
curious, they
always want to see
if you are catching
fish"

Photography Submission by Scott McClinton. A

local fisherman, he spotted this curious
raccoon while fishing in the Ten Thousand
Islands.

IN THE BIRD'S NEST:MARCO ISLAND

Burrowing Owl Population:
Something to Give a Hoot About
Have you ever taken a drive down one of the
residential streets of Marco Island? Have you ever
noticed empty lots? Ever stopped closer to notice a
small wood T in the ground? Perhaps you have seen
a Marco Island Burrowing Owl popping its head out
of a hole in the ground? These burrows, or homes for
burrowing owls, have grown in number throughout
the island. On vacant lots and empty areas, the
burrowing owls have found Marco Island a pleasant
place to live. Just as the Island has found great
growth, so have the owl population. Now, thanks to
Audubon of the Western Everglades, they will be
monitored even more. Since 2001, the City of Marco
Island has collected data and monitored the owl
burrows. Now, by partnering with Audubon, there is
a new program in place, Owl Watch that will
promote awareness and monitoring through
community volunteers. The project began on March
5 according to journalist Sue Keller of the Marco
Island Sun Times. This corresponds with the owls
nesting season, as the volunteers will monitor them
throughout the summer. Protecting their homes are
laws that prohibit removal or relocation of their
burrows without a special permit.

The burrowing owl is the only species of owl to

live underground. The Florida Fish and Wildlife
commission describes the owls, stating that the
average size is 9 inches tall and the wingspan is
about 21 inches. They are both active during
the day and the nighttime. This is unlike other
species of owl, which are predominately active at
night. You may see the owls active during the
day if you look closely on the island! They can
be found with their mate or offspring close by to
their burrows. Sometimes they are sitting atop
the T stakes marking their burrow.
The Marco Island Sun Times reports that there
are over 158 burrowing owl sites on Marco
Island. Have you been lucky to spot one?

PhotosbyJeanHall
Fromcollieraudubon.info

AN INTERVIEW

TURTLE TALK
WITH SKIP
What is a National Estuarine Research
Reserve?
"A National Oceanographic and Atmospheric
Administration (NOAA) site dedicated to the
protection of and research of the local habitat.
Rookery Bay protects acres.
What did you do during your time at Rookery
Bay?
I completed an internship with scientists and
researchers at Rookery Bay. We used boats to search
for sea turtle nests along the Southwest Florida coast.
We collected data and monitored many species.
How many types of sea turtles are there in
Florida?
We looked at sea turtle nests that typically houses
Green Turtles. The only species that commonly lives
near the coast of Florida is called the Kemps Ridley. It
is the most endangered of all the sea turtles. While
living around the coastal water, it does not nest here.
It nests in Mexico. Other turtle species like the green
turtle come to Florida to nest and have their eggs.
They will stay around the coast of Florida for a few
months lying between 1 and 3 batches of eggs."

What does the Reserve do to protect sea turtle

nests?
We will go along shorelines and beaches to look for
crawls. A crawl is the marking that a green sea
turtle makes in the sand as it crawls on the shore.
They are very distinctive and can be seen from a
boat. If we see a crawl, we land and get off the
boat to follow it. Next, we have to read the crawl
marks n order to find where they laid their nest.
This can be very difficult, as some turtles will go to
great lengths to disguise where their nest is hidden.
Sometimes, they will not even lay a nest at all?
Once we verify where a nest is, we have to verify
that there are eggs there. We dig gently into the
sand looking for a hard layer left by the mother sea
turtle. Under the hard layer, there is a very soft
layer where the eggs will be. Once we know there
are eggs present, we dig around the eggs and put a
cage above them.

ImagebyMaddieMcClinton

Why do the sea turtles bury

their eggs under the sand?
The sea turtles bury their eggs
under the sand for two reasons.
They want to keep them hidden
and protected from predators. They
also want to incubate them.
Incubate means to keep warm. The
gender (male or female) of the egg
is actually determined by the
temperature. The warmer the nest,
the more females there will be. So,
in Rookery Bay, because it is very
warm, the majority of eggs hatched
are female.

TURTLE TALK
WITH SKIP
What can people do to best
protect these animals?
Humans should not disturb the nests
or the eggs. If you are staying at a
hotel on the beach, you should turn
your lights off of close your blinds at
night.

Why are sea turtles attracted to

light after they hatch?
Why do you need to put a cage
Right after sea turtles hatch, they
over the eggs? Around Rookery
must travel from the nest on the
Bay, there are a lot of people, and
beach to the water. They follow the
where there are people, there are
moon to help guide them to the
raccoons. Raccoons will attempt to
water. Today, there is so much man
dig up the nest to eat the eggs.
made light on beaches, especially in
They are scavengers. Other animals
Florida. Hotels, restaurants, roads,
may damage the nest as well. We
and homes all shine lights. This can
must protect the nests so that they
confuse the turtles. They may crawl
are left undisturbed.
in the wrong direction.

What is the coolest thing

about sea turtles?
I think it is amazing how
far sea turtles travel! They
hatch from the beaches and
then travel out to sea. They
go extremely far distances
over their lifetime.

ImageFrom;
http://travel.nationalgeographic.com/tr
avel/travelermagazine/photo
contest/2011/entries/44351/view/

Skip McClinton is currently a graduate student

at The College of William and Mary in Public
Policy focusing on Environmental Policy. He
graduated from the University of Miami with a
degree in Marine Affairs. He has worked with
many government agencies that work with the
environment, including the Environmental
Protection Agency's Office of Water and the
Government Accountability Offices Department
of Natural Resources and Environment.
Imagefrom:
http://www.floridasee.com/v_newsletters/newsletter_819641.htm

Math Task 3
Did you know that every year along the Florida coast, sea
turtles annually make between up to 84,000 nests? 14,500
of these nests hatch in June. The remainders of the nests
hatch during the next four months of the nesting season,
July, August, September, and October.
How many nests will hatch per month if they are divided
evenly among the rest of the nesting season?
Write an equation with a letter representing the unknown
quantity and solve the problem.
Explain your thinking in complete sentences.

TREE TALES

RED MANGROVE
Rhizophora mangle
The red mangrove is one of the few
mangrove species found in the United
States. It is commonly found in the
Southeastern United States and even in
Southwest Florida. It is found in the
tropics and subtropics. They thrive in
salty environments. The red mangrove
graces the coastline and protects the
waters edge. This allows them to serve
as a nursery for fish and other marine
creatures, including crustaceans. The
protection provided by their roots. These
roots look like long, reddish fingers
that extend into the water from the base
of the tree. These roots average about 3
feet long before they reach the soil. On
average in Florida, the trees are about 20
feet tall . When many mangroves are
together, the roots intertwine, creating a
mystical web of roots that can become
very dense. When looking at mangroves
on the waters edge, one can see that
these trees are teaming with life.
Animals, like raccoons and wading birds,
scurry through the roots, graceful egrets
and herons sit atop the roots searching
the water below for a catch. Nesting
birds that inhabit Southwest Florida sit
on the high tops of the trees.

Mangroves are crucial to a healthy

coastline in the tropics. They serve as
nurseries and nesting areas for marine
life and birds. In addition, the trees serve
as buffers during storms and hurricanes.
They protest the coast from erosion. The
Florida Museum of Natural History
explains the importance of mangroves,
stating, An estimated 75% of the game
fish and 90% of the commercial species
in south Florida are dependent upon the
mangrove system during at least part of
their life cycles. Unfortunately; there
are threats to these trees. If a storm is
too strong, the winds and waterpower
can damage the trees or destroy them.
Habitat destruction is also a major
threat to the red mangroves. As society
continually wishes to develop the
coastlines, mangroves are destroyed to
do so. The Florida Department of
Environmental Protection recognizes
the need to preserve mangrove trees. In
1996, the Mangrove Trimming and
Preservation Act was enacted. This
makes it illegal to remove, trim, or
disturb the trees with out a permit from
the Florida Department of
Environmental Protection.
PhotobyMaddieMcClinton

THE FLORIDA PANTHER

OURSTATEANIMAL
The Florida Panther was elected as our state animal in 1982 by a
vote by students! It is also one of the most endangered animals
that call our state home. They are one of most rare mammals on
Earth. There are only 100 to 160 Florida panthers.

The Florida Panther

National Wildlife Refuge is
located in Southwest
Florida!

An endangered species is a
species, of any kind of plant or
animal that is at risk for
extinction. This means that
they are in danger of
disappearing forever. If there
are no animals left of a species,
it becomes extinct.

FRESH FROM FLORIDA

BOOK REVIEWS
Author Carl Hiaasen takes readers on a truly Floridian adventure! Check
out burrowing owls, as featured in "In the Bird's Nest", in a fictional setting
as this tale follows young Roy Eberhardt as he ventures to save the owls
from a local pancake shop development.

"a great read"

Sally, Age 11
"a funny adventure
for a great cause"
Joe, Age 12

10

Grade Level 6-8

Genre: Comedy, Mystery
Source:http://www.carlhiaasen.com/book
detail.shtml?bid=10

InfographicSource:http://gardeningsolutions.ifas.ufl.edu/plants/plantof
themonth/monthlyinfographictwo.html

Did you know that the University of Florida is home to

some of our state's master gardeners? The University of
Florida's Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences
(UF/IFAS) Garden Solution's program has partnered with
"Florida Wildlife" to bring you monthly updates of what
could be flowering in your garden!
11

SPoTTED
A curious manatee
spotted by local
fisherman Scott M

Roseate
Spoonbills seen
on the
mangrove tree
tops by Marco
Island visitor
Susie M
12

Sources
http://www.coastalbreezenews.com/2016/02/28/launch-of-audubon-burrowing-owl-watch-project-onmarco-island-public-invited-to-special-presentation-and-training/
http://myfwc.com/wildlifehabitats/profiles/birds/owls/burrowing-owl/
http://www.marcoislandflorida.com/story/news/2016/03/25/volunteers-keep-eye-marcos-borrowingowls/82270840/
http://myfwc.com/wildlifehabitats/profiles/birds/owls/burrowing-owl/
https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/American_White_Pelican/lifehistory
http://www.carlhiaasen.com/book-detail.shtml?bid=10
http://www.istockphoto.com/vector/vector-watercolor-map-of-florida-isolated-on-white-backgroundgm187297923-29427990 http://www.clker.com/clipart-turtle-black-silhouette.html
http://www.floridasee.com/v_newsletters/newsletter_819641.htm
https://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/southflorida/habitats/mangroves/species/
https://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/southflorida/habitats/mangroves/mangrove-life/
https://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/southflorida/habitats/mangroves/conservation/
https://www.nwf.org/Wildlife/Wildlife-Library/Plants/Red-Mangrove.aspx
http://www.dep.state.fl.us/coastal/habitats/mangroves.htm
http://floridapanther.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/Panther-Fact-Sheet-grade-school.pdf
http://dos.myflorida.com/florida-facts/florida-state-symbols/state-animal/
http://www.fws.gov/refuge/Florida_Panther/about.html
http://gardeningsolutions.ifas.ufl.edu/plants/plant-of-the-month/monthly-infographic-two.html
https://www.swfwmd.state.fl.us/education/interactive/southerncoastal/popups/whitepelican.html
http://www.audubon.org/field-guide/bird/american-white-pelican
http://www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/raccoon-nation-raccoon-fact-sheet/7553/
http://kids.sandiegozoo.org/animals/mammals/north-american-raccoon