[pirate girl]

I forgot to mention the otters- they seem to be more common in my area than in years past.

And I have seen those monkeys at Silver Springs......... I believe some wealthy person bought an island in the Oklawaha River in the 1930s and thought it would be "neat" to have monkeys there- whomever it was didn't realize that monkeys can swim!!

[BlueWillowPlate]

Originally Posted by SouthernBelle3

Another wild animal is the coyote. Around Leesburg, I have seen where they eat watermelons growing in fields. Real messy too.

Yes, there are coyotes here too, but I have only heard them (yip-yip), have never seen them, though others have.

[Suncoaster]

Awhile back, we were startled to see an otter-mama and her youngsters come out from under our house! Neighbors came out to watch, too. The little band of otters went from yard to yard, probably trying to find its way back to the retention pond.

This is in suburban St. Pete. Had no idea there were otters here.

There are coyotes here, too - although I haven't seen one yet. I think I may have seen a fox running into some brush last week, not sure.

Sueilp posted a pic of an immature lubber grasshopper. Now, those bugs are as gross as palmetto bugs - when they're mature, they can be 4 inches long and quite hefty.

Birds - we have seen anhinga and roseate spoonbills nearby. We are also blessed to have cardinals come to our birdfeeders, but my favorites are the nanday conures that come to the feeders - beautiful green parrots with jet-black heads, ebony beaks and red feathering around the legs. And ibises - they are frequent visitors to the garden. How beautiful they are when they take flight.

[riveree]

Suncoaster,

Have you ever seen the documentary on the parrots of Telegraph Hill (conures)? Great documentary!

I have yet to see a conure living out in the wild, but I live with one in my home - a Cherry-head.....they are funny, smart birds.

Glad to hear of all the otter sightings, we have plans to go kyacking soon and I'm definitely going to keep an eye out.

Love the Ibis too and the Blue Herons and the Pelicans.....some of my favorite birds.

[BlueWillowPlate]

Originally Posted by riveree

Suncoaster,

Have you ever seen the documentary on the parrots of Telegraph Hill (conures)? Great documentary!

.

I enjoyed that movie.
I too love all the water birds.
Never get tired of watching the pelicans.

[sunrico90]

Last night we had a black bear in the area. This is due to the dry conditions and lack of food. This one loves garbage and was returned to the woods by the cops. Is anyone having this type of problem?



STATUS:
Although the population of Florida black bears is drastically declining, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has not listed them under the Endangered Species Act as threatened or endangered. However, they are listed as threatened by the state of Florida.

DESCRIPTION:
These black bears often have a white band of fur across their chest. The distinct shape of their skull differs from those of other black bears.

SIZE:
The average weight of a Florida black bear is 350 pounds for males and 150 pounds for females. However, they can range in weight from 150 to 600 pounds. They are 4.5 to 6.5 feet long, making them larger than any other subspecies of black bears.

POPULATION:
It is estimated that there are between 2,500 and 3,000 Florida black bears.

LIFESPAN:
Male bears usually live from 15-25 years, while females can live up to 30 years. Most Florida black bears live for several decades.

RANGE:
Most of Florida�s black bears occur in five major populations located in the Ocala/Wekiva River Basin, Big Cypress National Preserve, Apalachicola National Forest, Osceola National Forest and Eglin Air Force Base.

HABITAT:
Florida black bears can be found in a variety of habitats throughout Florida, including mixed hardwood pine, cabbage palm hammock, upland oak scrub, and forested wetlands, such as cypress and riverine swamps.

FOOD:
The Florida bear is an omnivore and enjoys a wide variety of foods, including berries, acorns and fruits. They also eat insects, such as carpenter ants and termites, as well as armadillos and carrion.

BEHAVIOR:
Florida black bears do not truly hibernate. Instead, from late December to March, they have a period called "wintering." During this time, pregnant females give birth in the den and go without food. Males and non-pregnant females sometimes leave the den for short periods of time.

OFFSPRING:

Every two years during January or February, females give birth to 2 to 4 cubs. Their dens may be high in a tree, in a hollowed out stumps or in a forest floor protected by vegetation. The cubs are dependent on the their mother�s protection for nearly two years, during which time she teaches them lessons of survival.
THREATS:
The biggest long term threat facing the Florida black bear is loss of habitat as a result of development and urbanization. Vehicle-caused mortality (or "road kills") is the number one direct cause of death for this species. Habitat fragmentation is another danger as highways built through bear habitat can bisect and isolate large areas of habitat that bears depend on for food, water and shelter. Habitat fragmentation also makes it difficult for bears to find mates and limits their chances to move into more suitable habitat.
http://www.defenders.org/flbrart1.jpg (broken link)
PROTECTION:
Although Florida black bears currently receive no protection under the Endangered Species Act, they do receive some protection by the state of Florida.

[Lisa_from_Debary]

I often read about it and my daughters teacher said they have one in their neighborhood, which boarders a huge plot of unspoilt wooded area.

I feel terribly for them when they can't find food and wander into an area with people in the hopes of handouts...

I have yet to see a bear but I would love to be able to get a picture, safely from the car of course with my ZOOM lense.

[Florida_Gone]

Possums love mole crickets and will damage your lawn it to the point it ruins your grass roots. get a good mole cricket bait from a hardware store and say bye bye to Mr Possum

Did not see too many notices about Gators. Hate them, but guess they gotta live some where too.

[tao]

In my neighborhood there are lots of wild rabbits hopping around. They're so cute! We moved here from Miami a couple of years ago and what I was surprised to see was armadillos. I'd never seen one before until I moved to Port St. Lucie. We also have a few poisonous snakes here.

In Florida besides "normal" animals like squirrels, lizards, iguanas, snakes, dolphins, manatees and birds of all kinds I've seen foxes, alligators, possums, parrots, etc. but still haven't seen a Florida panther.

[cmsvmom]

The Florida panther are rare, and they are very reclusive. If you see one in a backyard, unless it is a very rural backyard, something is probably wrong.

They are beautiful animals.