Gopher tortoise

It seems like all my cool wildlife sightings have been in the same place lately. Today in St. Augustine, Florida, at the GTM National Estuarine Research Reserve, I saw this gopher tortoise.

He or she is definitely hiding because I was walking by and stopped to take a photo. It was just hanging out on the trail, and wasn't in a hurry to move as I passed (so typically tortoise). It pulled its head into its shell, but not all the way, so I could take this photo. 

American Dagger Moth Caterpillar

The other day as I was walking down the street in Chicago, I saw a big bright caterpillar making its way across the sidewalk. This critter is an American Dagger Moth (Acronicta americana) caterpillar. It looks soft and fuzzy, but those "hairs" will sting you if you pick it up! They release toxins when they break off, a nice little defense mechanism. The caterpillar will get lighter in color as it gets older, and will turn into a moth as an adult.

Rattlesnakes, oh my!

I was super lucky and got to see multiple snakes in one day on a recent fieldwork day in St. Augustine. Just off the trail at the GTM National Estuarine Research Reserve sat an Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake. It was rattling!

Then on the way back down the same trail, I saw a pygmy rattlesnake. If you're afraid of snakes, you don't have to worry here: it was less than a foot long! But it is venomous. I almost stepped on it. Good thing I didn't!

A lizard that walks on water

There is a lizard that people call the Jesus Christ lizard because it can walk on water. Another name for them is basilisk lizard, and there are a few different types. I've seen them in mangroves a few times in Panama, and here's a photo of one I saw yesterday. This one was not walking across the water, but was sitting in a tree. It's a plumed basilisk lizard--see all the cool fringe stuff on its back? This is a male. The females do not have all the fringe.

Mangrove Roots: Aboveground and Underwater

Red mangroves have roots that grow aboveground, called prop roots. Red mangrove roots often have lots of cool marine organisms living on them--the roots provide structure and space for oysters, sponges, tunicates and algae. It's really fun to look at what is living on the roots underwater. Take a look yourself.

The bright orange stuff is fire sponge, so don't touch it!

From above, you might not know about all the life competing for space on the mangrove roots.

Gone crabbin'

We went crabbing today. In trees. If you're saying to yourself, "don't those guys on Deadliest Catch go to the Bering Sea to catch crabs?", you are right. Lots of crabs live in the ocean. Some live on land too. And some live in trees in mangroves. It sounds crazy, but mangrove tree crabs (Aratus pisonii) climb up trees, from the water to the tops of trees. They are pretty small crabs, so you're not likely to see these on your dinner plate anytime soon. Despite or maybe because of their small size, they are really fast and really hard to catch! They hang out on aerial roots or the trunk of a tree and creep around the other side when you approach, and it seems like they can see you coming a mile away. The mangrove tree crab below is one we caught and put in a bucket, hence the white background:

Fun times in the mud...plus animal sightings

Today I was in the mangroves, collecting leaf samples (like you do). I started to reach for a leaf when I saw something move, and luckily it didn't run away but froze. It was a green anole, a native Florida lizard!

Then I was driving out of the site when I hit a really muddy patch and got the Smithsonian van stuck in the mud. Oops. I noticed the muddy patch on my way in, but managed to get through without getting stuck. Not so on the way out. 

I called the lab manager and he came to the rescue; thank you, Hugh! He brought a tow rope and pulled the van out with a pickup truck--yeah, Ford F150! =)

While I was waiting around for help to come, I noticed a cool slug crawling under the van in the mud. Apparently there are only 3 slug species native to Florida, but 11 exotic slugs. Exotic slugs! Who knew? 

This is the native Florida leatherleaf slug. Some of you may be asking--why are you getting so excited about a slug? Slugs are like snails but with no shell. They are gastropods and hermaphrodites, so they have both male and female reproductive organs. Cool!

If you're curious about all the other slugs in Florida, there is a key here. Seen any of the other ones?

Pileated woodpecker

You have to look closely, but it's there!

Pileated woodpecker in Washington Oaks State Park, St. Augustine, Florida

Jumping Spider in Fort Pierce

Warning: SPIDERS!

Isn't it pretty? Jumping spider (Phidippus sp.)

Yikes another mosquito-borne virus!

As if dengue fever and crocodile bites weren't enough to worry about, here's another peril of working in the tropics: chikungunya virus. It is a mosquito-borne illness that causes flu-like symptoms and arthritis-type pains. Chikungunya started out in Africa and is also found in Asia, but has recently been spreading in the Caribbean for the first time. Luckily, it is rarely fatal.

More here:
http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/bodyhorrors/2014/01/15/chikungunya-virus-americas/#.UusWbHddV4w

Mangroves on the move

If you keep up with mangrove news, or you read the New York Times, you may have already seen this. But in case you missed it:

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/12/31/science/without-winter-freezes-mangroves-are-marching-north-scientists-say.html?_r=0