Most of us have heard the saying, “Build it and they will come.” Can we apply this to attracting butterflies? If so, what are we building? The answer to the first question is definitely yes. The answer to what we are building is a little more complicated. Before you create a butterfly garden you must … Read more
Want to get to know Key West wildlife? (And no, we’re not talking about nightly festivities at Sloppy Joe’s on Duval Street.) If you’re the kind of person who always puts the local zoo on your travel itinerary, or who fumbles over your camera every time a squirrel or lizard make an appearance during vacation, … Read more
Iguanas and Key Deer are plant eating animals and will eat many kinds of plants. In particular, they like flowering shrubs, like hibiscus, berries, fruits and vegetables, like tomatoes, strawberries and figs. The best way for eliminating iguanas is to keep them out of the garden in the first place. This form of iguana control … Read more
Florida’s Spiny Lobster season kicks off Aug. 6 and, once again, commercial fisheries are trying to get their hands on these savory critters. FIU marine scientist Heather Bracken-Grissom offers insight on one of the state’s most iconic and economically lucrative marine animals. Lobsters are large marine crustaceans. They have a hard, external skeleton that supports … Read more
The 2018 Florida spiny lobster season opens with the two-day recreational sport season July 25 and 26, followed by the regular commercial and recreational lobster season, which starts Aug. 6 and runs through March 31. Planning on catching some of these tasty crustaceans? Here is what you need to know before you go. No one … Read more
Learn how to report a tagged – entangled manatee and how to tell the difference between a GPS tag and an entanglement. GPS tags are deployed on a small number of manatees to provide us with valuable information on individual movements and habitat use that is helpful in promoting the recovery of the species. Because … Read more
American Crocodile in Key Largo Canal. It has a tag with the number 2. The American Crocodile (Crocodylus acutus) is a species of crocodilian found in the American tropics. It is the most widespread of the four extant species of crocodiles from the Americas. Populations occur from the Atlantic and Pacific coasts of southern Mexico to South … Read more
Nature’s Corner is featuring a four-part series in June to introduce you to sharks. We’ll cover a bit of their anatomy and behaviors, some species you’ll see here in the Florida Keys and what dangers sharks might pose. For some people, their perception of sharks make them an animal of people’s nightmares. However, once you … Read more
The Miami Blue Butterfly population once flourished, spanning along the eastern and western seaboards of mainland South Florida as well as throughout the Florida Keys, in the 1970s. The following decade, though, due mainly to heavy coastal development that destroyed its host habitat, the species plummeted. After that time, it was only known to exist … Read more
The Florida Keys Beaches are very important to Florida Keys Wildlife. Follow these tips to ensure the protection of our Florida Keys Beach Wildlife. Respect posted areas, even if you don’t see birds inside them. Birds, eggs and nests are well-camouflaged with the beach environment, and disturbance by people can cause the abandonment of an … Read more
Key deer were almost hunted to extinction. By 1950, as few as 25-50 of the animals were left. But the creation of the National Key Deer Refuge on Big Pine Key and protection under the Endangered Species Act have led to a comeback. The most recent population study estimates the herd at 900 to 1,000. “They … Read more
The white-crowned pigeon population in Florida is estimated around 7,500 pairs, according to the National Audubon Society. The migratory species is designated by the state as threatened, mainly due to the degradation of its preferred habitat of hardwood hammocks and mangrove islands situated throughout the Florida Keys. At the Key Deer National Wildlife Refuge in … Read more
It’s that time of year again. It’s sea turtle nesting season so if you are planning a trip to the beach, be careful where you step. Sea turtle nesting season begins in May and lasts through the end of October. It’s a critical time when people can help keep sea turtles and hatchlings safe. The good news … Read more
The commercial harvest of the Florida Keys’ most lucrative sea creature Florida Lobster was up this year, but the price fishermen were paid was way down, they said. The recreational and commercial harvest of spiny lobster will close at midnight Thursday, March 31. The commercial harvest is expected to be about 5.9 million pounds, up about … Read more
Scientists at Nova Southeastern University in Broward County have been tracking two male makos they tagged last May and were intrigued to see the fish like to stay off the east coast between Massachusetts and the Carolinas. Bruce and Matt J, named after the people who sponsored their satellite tags that pinpoint their location, were … Read more
Public and private gardens, including the green places (Wildlife Corridors) in each individual’s yard, play a wide role in wildlife and bird conservation. They create an urban or suburban corridor to enhance migration. For instance, in Key West there is a corridor from the Botanical Gardens on Stock Island to the salt ponds beside the … Read more
It’s a beautiful day and the fishing is good. Suddenly, the line snags on something as the cast is made. A bird is hooked. Don’t panic. There’s a way to get that bird released. Reel Remove Release “The first thing to know is don’t cut the line,” said Kevin Oxenrider, a biologist with the Florida Fish … Read more
Do you know how many parks there are in the Upper Florida Keys? Me neither. Between the City Parks: Islamorada’s Founders Park and Anne’s Beach, Monroe County Parks: Harry Harris, Florida State Parks: John Pennekamp and Lignumvitae and the National Parks-Refuges-Sanctuaries: Everglades, Crocodile Lake and the all encompassing Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, you are … Read more
Wayne Carter may be one of the busiest professionals in the Florida Keys, working as chief executive officer of the Marathon and Lower Keys Association of Realtors. But he’s a got a side gig: Working as a crocodile response “agent” for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. “As a teenager, I worked for a … Read more
The Turtle Hospital at mile marker 48.5 bayside in Marathon admitted 172 sea turtles last year — nearly double the number of 2014, hospital staff says. Manager Bette Zirkelbach said cases of fibropapillomatosis, a debilitating herpes virus specific to sea turtles, are increasing, especially among juvenile green sea turtles. “Marine turtles with FP have external … Read more