Wildlife
The Tick Terminator
Looking out my Florida room window into my backyard, I was pleasantly surprised to see North America’s only marsupial in my garden – the opossum. Normally, nocturnal, it must have been hungry to be out during the daylight scavenging for a bite to eat. There is plenty to munch on – frogs, lizards, snakes, large […]
Who’s That Sleeping in My Feeder?
Anyone who has ever fed wild birds shares the same frustrations as I, when the entourage of neighborhood squirrels wreak havoc at the backyard bird feeding station. The squirrels spill seed, chew feeders, and scare birds away. They are clever creatures and it seems that no matter how well you try to discourage them, they […]
Gentle Giants
We have seen them at Sea World and at Disney and even in zoological parks and they are impressive animals, but it is thrilling to see the West Indian manatees in the wild here in Florida. Manatees thrive in freshwater springs, salty bays, and river systems throughout Florida eating plants including sea grasses and freshwater […]
Cultivating a Future Naturalist
“Hi! Hi!”, I hear my 16-month-old granddaughter say excitedly in our Florida room. Wondering who she was talking to, I look into the room to see her face to face with a young eastern gray squirrel that climbed on the window ledge to peer into our house. The squirrel seemed as enchanted to see my […]
Lizard Sex
These brown anoles were being amorous on the sidewalk to my front door. The female will lay eggs in the moist soil of our flowerbeds. The warmth of the Florida sunshine is enough to incubate the eggs until they hatch about a month later. The little baby lizards are on their own to find insects […]
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