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. 

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!

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.)

The Turtle and the Tree

Sea turtles nesting in Florida had to contend with an invasive tree on their beaches, the Australian pine. The pine was taking over beaches and deterring turtles from nesting. Here's a cute little restoration success story from NOAA:

http://oceantoday.noaa.gov/turtleandthetree/welcome.html

Results!

I would like to share some results from my Florida experiment. Without going into all the nitty gritty details, I can show you some clear differences between my treatments. Check it out:
On the left, plants are growing tall and happy. On the right, plants are not as tall and not as happy. Plants on the left are in freshwater; on the right, very very salty water. These are only 2 of my 27 tubs, so there is a spectrum of heights and leafiness but this is a pretty nice visual!

Benefits of working in Florida

Being surrounded by my study organisms, and growing the plants in a climate they can tolerate, is the main appeal of working in Florida. However, this has some not-so-obvious perks:

1. Beach biology. The other day I woke up and saw turtle tracks on the beach from my window. I checked it out and can confirm that a turtle nested there. Will I be patrolling the beach at night with a red-colored light in 55-60 days, watching for little turtle hatchlings? You betcha.

2. Cost of living. I am renting a 2 bedroom beachfront condo for less than I rented a viewless studio in Oakland. And the water is swimmable!

3. Florida food. Local delicacies include fried alligator and fried pickle chips. When in Rome, right? Fried alligator is pretty good, like a less slimy calamari. And fried pickle chips should be on the menu everywhere. Take sliced pickles (like you would find on your hamburger), fry them up like potato chips or french fries, and voila! A delicious, vinegary, vegetable-based appetizer!

4. Endless summer. You may think 90+ degrees is a little too much, but for all you California residents who had nothing in the way of summer this year, a couple months of heat doesn't sound so bad, does it?

The Orange Peel Gazette

Yesterday in small town Florida, I happened upon the Orange Peel Gazette, billed as "the hottest little paper in town." In between its covers are 12 pages of ads and jokes. No kidding. Local advertisements and one-liners. That's it. Here are some of the better ones:

When a clock is hungry it goes back four seconds.

Two silk worms had a race. They ended up in a tie.

Proper attire is required in the cafeteria at the University of Maine. To enforce that rule, the management posted this notice: "Shoes are required to eat in this cafeteria." Next to it, a student added, "Socks can eat wherever they want."

Mangroves and Manatees

We went searching for mangroves, and we found manatees! The sign said "Do not molest the manatees." We made sure not to.