Q: How can you tell if an alligator is male or female?
Baby alligators stay close to their mother for protection.
A: There are three ways. Two are easy; the third is not.
The first easy way is to gauge the length of an adult alligator. If it measures 10 feet or more, it’s a male. Females don’t grow that long. If it’s less than 9 feet in length, it could be either a male or a female.
The second easy way is to see if there are lots of small, newly born alligators around the adult. They will stay by their mother for up to a year and she will protect them. A male gator could eat them, even if he’s the father, so the mother usually won’t let him anywhere near the babies.
There are minor physical differences in head and body shape, but basing a decision on those alone is risky at best.
So much for the easy.
To be absolutely certain of an alligator’s gender, it’s necessary to either feel or visually identify the copulatory organs that are hidden inside the alligator’s body in the cloaca, or vent, on the animal’s belly. It is a slit located between the rear legs.
For newly hatched gators, the sex organs can only be seen with a magnifying glass. The baby gator is turned on its back, the vent is opened using a tweezers, and the organs are illuminated by a magnifying glass. If they fill the entire cloaca and are dark pink to
dark red, it’s a male. Female organs are half that size and are light pink or white.
For a larger alligator, the gator must be flipped over and a person must insert a clean finger into the vent and feel for the copulatory organ which is pulled out, measured and examined. This procedure does not harm the alligator if performed correctly; however, large alligators don’t allow themselves to endure such a demeaning intrusion.
So unless an alligator is over 10 feet long or it is protecting baby gators, there’s no way to be sure if an alligator is male or female.
Below are first hand observations from our volunteer Dick Brewer. Who does weekly visits to Bird Rookery Swamp and very week sends us incredible stories of the magical 12 mile loop. If you would like to see more of his observations visit: http://www.dickbrewer.org/CREW.html
By Dick Brewer
“Below are observations from BRS on June 6. Great day for butterflies with 19 species identified, plus three more skippers that I don’t know and haven’t identified. The attached photo shows two Silver-spotted Skippers, one Dun Skipper, and one Ruddy Daggerwing all feeding on the same Buttonbush plant.
The juvenile Barred Owl was on a limb over the pond at marker 6. It flew down into the grass one time where it caught and ate something very small; then, it flew back up to its limb and began hissing for an adult to bring it more food.
The otter family was in a water hold blanketed with Duckweed but each otter was quite successful at catching fish. The second photo shows one of the otters really chewing a fish it caught, first on one side of its mouth, then the other, and finally chomping with both sides.
The tail of the fish is still hanging out of the right side of its mouth in the fourth panel.
Below are first hand observations from our volunteer Dick Brewer. Who does weekly visits to Bird Rookery Swamp and very week sends us incredible stories of the magical 12 mile loop. If you would like to see more of his observations visit: http://www.dickbrewer.org/CREW.html
“It was a so-so day for birds but a great day for butterflies and mammals, River Otters especially. I saw seven– a family of five and two other individuals in separate places. The family retreated into what was probably their den in two fallen tree trunks, a nice
two-story place. Once inside, there was some grunting and huffing, and two of the juveniles peeked out, one from the second story and one from the ground level (photo). Another young otter was on its own a little past Ida’s Pond and alternated between catching fish and
watching people watch it.
The Water Moccasin was between markers 6 and 3. It was small, perhaps three feet, but it was easily irritated because it was ready to shed its skin. The milky blue eyes meant it was close to sightless, so it over reacted to any movement, sound or vibration. A couple from South
America bicycled by as I was watching the snake; the husband stopped but when his wife heard the word “snake,” she put her head down and quickly pedaled on by. He said snakes were not on her favorite critter list.
By Dick Brewer
The young Red-shouldered Hawk was low in a maple watching the world go by. Mullet and its sibling have fledged and are no longer at the nest near marker 3. ”
By Dick Brewer
BIRDS
Anhinga – 6
Great Blue Heron – 1
Great Egret – 14
Little Blue Heron – 2
Black-crowned Night Heron – 3
Black Vulture – 41
Turkey Vulture – 19
Red-shouldered Hawk – 26
Common Ground Dove – 4
Red-bellied Woodpecker – 16
Downy Woodpecker – 2
Pileated Woodpecker – 3
Great-crested Flycatcher – 9
Blue Jay – 2
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher – 3
American Crow – 1
Tufted Titmouse – 11
Carolina Wren – 6
White-eyed Vireo – 19
Red-eyed Vireo – 2
Northern Parula – 3
Northern Cardinal – 24
Shoreline Fishing Spider (Dolomedes triton) By Dick Brewer
Q: Do all spiders bite, and are they poisonous?
A: There are two problems with this question: a technicality, and a set of false assumptions.
First, the technicality. “Poisonous” and “venomous” are two different things. No spider is poisonous — harmful to eat, breathe, or touch. Mushrooms are sometimes poisonous, but spiders are not. Spiders are venomous; their toxins are proteins which only work when injected.
Second, all spiders do bite, but most local spiders are harmless because they are not aggressive and will not bite indiscriminately, or their fangs are simply too small to nip through our comparatively thick skin. Just because they are venomous does not mean they are
dangerous to people.
Spider venom does not exist to harm creatures which are too large for spiders to eat, like humans. The purpose of spider venom is to subdue the spider’s prey, almost always insects. In brief, it’s an insecticide.
Nevertheless, all larger spiders with a body length of a half inch or more should be treated with caution. Avoid flicking them away from your body. People allergic to bee stings may react more strongly to the bite of a spider than an ordinary person.
Bees and wasps kill more people in the United States in one year than spiders and snakes combined kill in ten years, and dogs and cats kill or injure more people each year than bees and wasps. Yet most people like dogs and cats and fear spiders and snakes.
Below are first hand observations from our volunteer Dick Brewer. This is a special week as we are luck to get Dick’s observations from all three trail systems. If you would like to see more of his observations visit: http://www.dickbrewer.org/CREW.html
Red Rat Snake By Dick Brewer
Monday, May 11 Marsh Trails- 6:45 am-8:30 Cypress Dome 8:35am-10:30
Great Egret………………………………………………… 6………………………………………………………………
Black Vulture……………………………………………… 3………………………………………………………….. 25
Author Bernard F. Master chronicles his adventures as a medical professional, businessman and legendary birder in No Finish Line.
Bernard Master is a avid hiker of the CREW Trails, a phenomenal birder, and a great educator. We have been lucky to have him as a leader in our Strolling Science Seminar series. He lead Birding with the Master at Bird Rookery Swamp in March 2015 and will be returning in our 2015-2016 series. Below details Dr. Master’s new book.
No Finish Line, Discovering the World’s Secrets One Bird at a Time, is one man’s epic journey through life as a successful doctor, businessman, lifelong birder and internationally recognized conservationist. Readers will be mesmerized with his travel adventures spanning six continents and 105 countries. He shares his most exciting adventures searching for the rarest birds in the world. He is the first American to see a representative from each of the 229 bird families in the world, as well as Vireo masteri, a bird in Colombia named after him.
Whether he is meeting Queen Noor of Jordan to discuss birds and world conservation or attending a special dinner in his honor with Prince Bernhard of the Netherlands to receive a commendation in recognition of his world conservation efforts, there is always an interesting story to tell. His forays take him to exotic locations including Venezuela where he rediscovered a bird that had been absent for fifty years. Additional adventures include a thwarted kidnapping in Brazil. His quest to see a representative from all the bird families takes him to Rwanda, the Arabian Peninsula, Cameroon and China, providing readers with photos of extraordinary birds and accounts of his 7,800 species to date.
In between birding trips, Dr. Master was busy building two thriving companies, Health Power, Inc. and its sister company, the MEDCenters. His thirty-five year medical career begins with a tour in Vietnam as a battalion surgeon in a combat unit and a year as post surgeon for the U.S. Army’s Military Intelligence School. Obstacles and successes are the narratives he shares outlining the intricacies of founding a healthcare company and ultimately taking it public on the NASDAQ.
“My own life has been one amazing adventure after another with no finish line in sight.” Author Bernard F. Master currently resides in Worthington, Ohio.
No Finish Line, Discovering the World’s Secrets One Bird at a Time is available on amazon.com.
Like to bike? Come out to Bird Rookery Swamp on February 27th, 2015 from 9 am- 1pm and join CREW Trust volunteers Peter Tomlinson and Jan Watson for a guided tour of the picturesque 12-mile loop.
View beautiful scenery, great wildlife, and enjoy the company of like-minded souls.
Activity Level: Strenuous-This is a trail ride on uneven, soft, grassy/sandy trails. Ground level with swamp on both sides of the trail.
BRING YOUR OWN BICYCLE: Mountain, hybrid or fat tire bikes are recommended. Not appropriate for road bicycles. CREW does NOT provide bikes for this tour.
Space is limited to first 20 riders that register, so use the link below and sign up fast:
Q: If raccoons are out in the daytime, are they dangerous?
Raccoons are destructive little creatures whose only saving grace is that they can be cute. They are wild animals and should be treated as such. Photo and caption by Dick Brewer.
A: Raccoons are often seen during the day, causing some people to ask, “I thought raccoons here only active at night and the only ones out in the day were rabid. Is it safe here?”
Raccoons are wild animals, and like all wild animals, from small snakes to big bears, they should be regarded with caution and treated with respect. But they are not inherently dangerous. It’s all about predator avoidance.
Raccoons, like all animals, want to survive. They want to get food rather than to be food, so they must minimize the chances of being killed by predators while foraging.
In the more peopled areas, raccoons tend to be more active at night because that’s when they encounter fewer predators and obstacles to getting food such as people, cars, big dogs, and more.
In Florida’s wild areas, their most dangerous predators — alligators, panthers, and bobcats — are most active and most efficient at night. In those habitats, the best chance for a raccoon to survive is to hunt during the day.
This morning (6/25/2014) a one-year old, uncollared, female Florida panther was hit and killed by a vehicle on Corkscrew Road just north of the CREW Cypress Dome Trails. Florida Fish and Wildlife officials have the panther and will be sending it to Gainesville for a necropsy. According to FWC, this is the 17th panther death in 2014, the 12th from vehicle collision.
CREW is a wildlife corridor and provides essential habitat for panthers, bears and other wildlife. Unfortunately, the proximity of these protected lands next to Corkscrew Road and the all-too-often speeding traffic along it means wildlife deaths are inevitable. The CREW Trust encourages everyone who travels Corkscrew Road (CR 850) to observe the panther speed limits (55 mph in daylight, 45 mph at night) and to be extra-observant for all wildlife. If you don’t travel that road, please remind your friends and neighbors who do to watch for wildlife and drive the speed limits.
If you see a dead or injured panther on the road, report it immediately to FWC Wildlife Alert at 888-404-3922.
Visitors and volunteers to CREW’s Bird Rookery Swamp got a shock on Wednesday, March 5th, when they discovered two resident water moccasins had been killed – heads smashed – and left by the side of the trail. The two moccasins had been visible sunning themselves on a log or by the base of a tree for weeks in the same spot near the old railroad tie exhibit along the south tram. They had become regular sightings as well as a good teaching tool for guided walks. Then, suddenly, they were dead – killed on purpose by humans.
It is beyond our comprehension that any visitor who cares at all about the environment and the wildlife of Bird Rookery Swamp would think it OK to take the lives of two creatures who make their home there. While snakes are often the objects of fear for many humans, they rarely strike at people who keep their distance and respect their space. These two snakes belonged in Bird Rookery Swamp, maintaining the balance of nature and acting in the role they were born to play. Now, they are gone.
The primary purpose of the Corkscrew Regional Ecosystem Watershed (CREW) project is to protect the land, water, and wildlife resources within the watershed. Recreation and public access is a secondary goal. Water and wildlife come first – always. So, it is the responsibility of each visitor to be respectful and to give all wildlife (and plants) the space they need to go about their business with the least stress possible. That means giving the alligators a wide berth (and NOT throwing sticks at them), being careful not to step on snakes crossing the trail, keeping dogs on leash and children under control, and taking photographs from a respectful distance. Our personal safety and the safety and well-being of all the animals which reside there is the responsibility of each and and every person who visits the trails. Educate your friends and family. Do your part. Be respectful. Leave the animals to live their lives in relative peace.
FWC law enforcement officers do patrol the CREW trails, but they can’t be there at all times, so it is up to each visitor to honor the place and the animals and show the respect they deserve. If you see anyone harming plants or animals within CREW, please report the violation immediately to the FWC Hotline at 1-888-404-FWCC (3922). Information leading to an arrest can make you eligible for up to a $1000 reward.
Let’s make sure the trails remain open to the public by protecting the animals that live there and share their space with us!
