Florida Critter's
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Florida Critter's
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We see alot of animals in the wild and peoples yards while working. From the basic everyday Florida Alligator to Wild Parrots (seen the green ones in Cocoa Beach) the Wild Pigs North of the Barge tear up everyone's yards looking for white grubs. Seen Iguana's on the loose, in fact in Cocoa Beach this Winter after our Second hard freeze in late Jan I found a 5 foot one dead in a backyard off Cocoa Isles.
Peacocks: in Cocoa Beach Osprey Nest:
American Bald Eagle: Native to North America and is one of the largest birds in the continent, more than 80% of the bald eagle population in the southeastern United States is concentrated within the state of Florida, seen a few down on the south side of Merritt Island. The latest count by state biologists turned up 1,102 breeding pairs, up 5 percent from the previous year's 1,043.
Red Tail Hawk:
Porpoise: The Mullet are running away for the Porpoise
chasing em !
Manatee: Gators: We see em in alot of retention ponds, roadway ditches even back yards, most people call Animal Control so the big ones are in the animal refuge on Merritt Island. From This To This To This Out on the Cape Gopher Turtle: A Protected species the Gopher tortoises are the only tortoises native to the United States, and the only tortoise found in Florida (except the Everglades), also found from southeastern South Carolina through southern Georgia and through southern Alabama and Mississippi and the eastern "toe" of Louisiana. They also occur on coastal islands off Georgia and Florida. We see their burrows in Vero area mostly.
Rat Snake: Seen mostly on Beach Side Properties, the yellows are very pretty, they move real fast. Not too common but at least half dozen each summer
Indigo: A "threaten" species they are harmless, glossy black they can get real big 5 -6 foot & real fat like 4-5 inches round. They move slowly away to a dark hole but can move out if they want. Seen only a hand full, maybe 1 or 2 each year, mostly in the woody lot areas Merritt Island & Cocoa, last one is a shot of one out on the Cape.
Wild Boar or Hogs: Lot's of em on N. Merritt Island, Melbourne areas of Vero ..... they tend to dig up the yards looking for grubs
Poisonous "Critters" of Florida: We have alot of species one must be very careful not to handle or get in the way of. Io Moth Caterpillars: These Sucker ..... HURT .... they'll swell up right up .... with pain lasting 5-7 days
Florida Snakes: When we see a snake I try to encourage my guys to leave them alone, they were here first. We see a good variety of more common ones weekly, but the ones below are the "favorite". We Do NOT KILL SNAKES ...Even the Danger Ones! If you find a snake and you do not know whether or not it is poisonous, the safest thing to do is leave it alone. Most of Our snakes are not aggressive and, unless they are cornered, most will run away when we come stumbling along. Occasionally, you might encounter one that is reluctant to leave because it is basking in the sun to get warm. A lot of snakebite victims are bitten on the hands and arms when they are handling the snake or trying to catch it. I would say we would see alot more of any snakes, but while we are working a lot of noise & ground vibration is generated by our equipment. Eastern Coral Snake: 2-4 ' The Coral snake has a black nose while both the scarlet Kingsnake and the Scarlet snake have red noses. "If red touches yellow, it can kill a fellow' (coral snake) 'If red touches black, it is a friend of Jack" From Titusville to Palm Bay, only seen two while working. One up on a remote woody lot in Tittusville and than one in the back yard here on Merritt Island down off Plantation, both took off soon as I spotted them.
Florida Cottonmouth: Larger Snake 2-4' .... seen them down in the Melbourne area more of the Western Side of 95 n down in Vero .... they love to use Gopher Turtle holes as home. Dusky Pigmy Rattle: At most 18" in length ...this Snake is aggressive, the bite, while usually not life threatening, is extremely painful and can result in the loss of a limb or finger. We see them all the time in the summer, daily usually in the summer. I've seen them sunning on peoples front walkways here on the Island the last photo is one in my own walk way ....feisty little guy ....captured him n dropped off in swamp area for him.
Spiders: We see a large variety, running into a web can be "sketchy", but getting bite is no joke, most spider bites will produce some form of pain or reaction, like a serious wasp sting, dizziness, itching, etc. The Black
Widow: The female Black Widow is shiny black, usually with a reddish hourglass shape on
Brown Recluse: My partner got bite by one, swelled his arm up like a melon, vomit, sweaty, muscle pain, flu like ...not a good scene, he was up on North Merritt Island, these are not common as I have not seen one. I have seen many of the Brown Wolf Spider which is very common and can get to about 2.5-3 inches.
Fire Ants: Gotta Hate em' ........Fire Ants MUST Die.
Anyone who has lived in the South during the summer months has already had the unpleasant experience of being stung by fire ants. Recently control is being tested by releasing a "Phorid Fly" which will swoop down on the ants and pierce their outer cuticle, depositing an egg inside the ant. The egg hatches into a larva within a day or two. The larva moves into the ant's head--used as a protective case--where it completes its development. Once mature, the cycle repeats. Pretty COOL Stuff !! You can see it in the PHOTO. Hornets, Wasp & Bees: We see em every day ...every where. Bees aren't that bad as they usually mind there own business. We saw a nice "swarm" of them, (when a new queen leaves) down off Footman in Merritt Island, they were just hanging there in a large hedge about the size of a basketball. Its the Yellow Jackets that I don't like, they build the nest underground so you can't see it and if you step near it they come out! They get mad and will chase you in a pack. One time down off S. Tropical Trail I was coming onto a side yard and notices a "cloud" of em' around a weekwacker (it was still running!) seems a crew was working next door and upset a nest, they guy went to the hospital ... even a single sting can swell you up.
Hornets are scary to see .....their huge (like 3/4 inch), loud and look pissed off all the time! WE LOVE Killing Wasp Nest ......some get pretty big .....like the size of an Apple Pie.
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