26/02/2019
Recorded Temperature: around mid 30’s (35 degrees)
Location: Florida Coast Gulf University Centre and Naples Botanical Gardens, Naples, FL.
Florida Coast Gulf University Research Centre moved locations several year ago, originally being based in the Ohio State University. Their overall goal just like any other university is to ensure teaching, research and service is of standard. Also ensuring that they contribute to the restoration and conservation of the wetlands in Floridas Everglades, but also in wetlands around the world.
We entered the university research facilities with a guided tour around the science labs they have, what some of the machinery does and how these instruments work. We where also showed posters from past research projects that had been carried out there as well as in a variety of different countries.
We received a talk from a previous student, explaining she had previously researched the relation between methane gases from the cypress trees and the swamps.
Leaving the FGCU research centre we quickly moved onto the Naples Botanical Gardens which collaborated with the research centre. The Gardens mission is to develop and conserve collections and habitats which are representative of the flora and cultures between the 26th latitudes. They also pride on ensuring the discovery, research and sharing of knowledge about these particular plants. Finally the gardens want to engage and inspire everyone to care for plants which are constantly around them and ‘Become stewards of the environment’
Labelling occured through the whole of the gardens, these labels indicated whether or not this species was endangered, red indicating they where globally endangered, and green meaning they are not yet endangered.
These also provide an idea on their own individual data sets, showing their age and their location they came from.
While on the boardwalk of the bank next to the water myself and a colleague identified a southern water snake (Nerodia fasciata) also known by the name banded water snake. This is mostly aquatic and is not venomous. We observed it for several minutes while it basked in the sun.
We entered the butterfly gardens, where we where able to observe several native species to Florida in an enclosed environment.
We where able to identify the Viceroy Butterfly (Limenitis archippus) which can be found in the majority of the states as well as parts of Canada and Mexico. This butterfly is a Müllerian mimic meaning it is distasteful to predators.
We also where able to identify the Julia butterfly, this particular butterfly we observed was a female, due to the lack in vivid orange colouration. This species is unpalatable to birds and belongs in the Batesian mimicry complex for this behaviour.
Finishing our walk around the Naples Botanical Gardens we headed to loop road on our way to the everglades. Loop road is a twenty four mile long tourist attraction dirt path which took us about two hours, renowned for affluence of wildlife.
While at loop road we where able to stop and view a variety of American Alligators (Alligator mississippiensis) of all different sized basking in the midday sun.
we where also able to see plenty of male and female anhingas sat up in the branches basking to dry their wings out.
While here a couple of my colleagues took water samples, filling a distilled bottle four times before finally filling it with a water sample.
Getting back into the car and continuing our journey to the everglades!
We reached the Everglades, heading into Coppertown the supposed ‘Original Airboat Tour’. This is a popular tourist attraction in Florida for its ease for seeing wildlife rightin the centre of their habitat.
We where provided with a talk with one of the rangers, where he handled several types of reptiles. He spoke about the issues Florida has with the invasive species, Burmese python (Python bivittatus), this is one of the five larges species snakes. The Python was introduced into Florida from the pet trade. He also exhibited a small snapping turtle (Chelydra serpentina) which he held his finger behind its head, threating it, forcing it to lash out at his fingers, this was induced to demonstrate the ability the turtle has to move his head backwards.
Once the talk was over we headed to the Airboat rides themselves, each boat holding an approximate 20 people maximum.
Heading off we where provided with cotton wool to shove into our ears, unhealthily. The airboats themselves used rudders at the back and a large fan to allow them movement.
While on the boats we where luckily enough to see several species although the sound of the large fan frightened the majority of the species away. We roughly saw around four alligators which the tour guide pointed out, but I myself saw a grand total of nine American alligators the majority of them scared off by the largely fanned boat.
Leaving the boat ride we where handed a small baby American Alligator to hold and take a photograph with, myself and many others of my colleagues refused this offering and headed back to the buses to write what we had seen today.
Daily Species List and Acknowledged Behaviours –
- American Alligators basking in the sun as well as one in the water
- Red shouldered Hawk sat in a tree observing us
- Black vulture using locomotion (flying)
- Turkey vulture using locomotory behaviours (flying)
- pied billed grebe locomotory (swimming)
- Anghina basking in the sun.
For Further Information Visit: https://www2.fgcu.edu/swamp/
Florida Wetlands 2019 