Natural history: Herping in South Florida

 

My family and I just returned from a visit with the in-laws in Delray Beach, FL.  Amidst the suburban sprawl that is south Florida lies tucked an amazing gem, Green Cay Nature Center and Wetlands.  Part of the Palm Beach County parks system, this 100 acre preserve features a mile and half of elevated boardwalk over wetlands with a stunning density and diversity of wildlife.  We took the kids, slathered on sunscreen, and set out to see what we could see.

And see we did!

I was excited to spot this Florida softshell just off the boardwalk. Check out the characteristic dark blotches on the carapace. Apalone ferox is larger than our other softshells, so at 10" or so this individual could be a small female or a large male.

Florida softshell turtle, Apalone ferox



Pig frog, Lithobates grylio

Pig frogs were abundant in the area, calling everywhere but seldom seen.  We did finally manage to find one.


 

While looking for pig frogs in a patch of water lilies, I noticed an alligator right under the boardwalk beneath my feet.  This good sized gator was at least 6' long.  We watched it cruise through the water and over to the lily pads where we'd heard the pig frogs.  Look out frogs!

American alligator, Alligator mississippiensis



Kids checking out said gator under the boardwalk 

The invasive brown anole, Anolis sagrei, is now the most common anole in south Florida. We spotted a female first and then, just a few inches away, a male. The dewlap is orange rather than the pink we see in our native green anole. 

Brown anole, Anolis sagrei, male

Anolis sagrei, female

 

Several turtles were out, swimming and sunning. Although some were difficult to identify, being mostly underwater or covered with algae, a few were distinguishable as Florida redbelly turtles, Pseudemys nelsoni, based on the thick red bars on the carapace and relatively few lines on the head.  

Florida redbelly turtles, Pseudemys nelsoni

The highlight of our visit was watching a great egret, Ardea alba, capture and consume a skink.  Scads of egrets and herons were around, and we'd spent plenty of time watching them already.  In a small upland area, we came across a great egret so still that the kids thought that maybe, just maybe, it was a statue.  Then the statue moved.  Just a bit.  Then statue again.  Then, pounce!

Great egret, Ardea alba, with southeastern five-lined skink, Plestiodon inexpectatus

When the egret raised its head again, we could see something writhing in its beak.  A lizard!


We watched in awe, and I snapped some photos hoping to identify the lizard later.   My non-herpetologist spouse confirmed that it was shiny with a long, but not blue, tail.   An adult skink of some sort.



Fortunately, a couple of photos showed the underside of the tail well enough that, when zoomed in, I could see that the scales were of uniform size.  This feature, along with the lined pattern on the dorsum, convinced me that the unfortunate victim was a southeastern five-lined skink, Plestiodon inexpectatus.

Southeastern five-lined skink, Plestiodon inexpectatus, in the beak of a great egret.  The scales down the middle of the tail's underside are similar in width to those on either side.

The skink put up a good fight -- thrashing, writhing and biting at the giant bird's beak.  Eventually we noticed that the tail seemed to have detached.

Great egret (Ardea alba) and southeastern five-lined skink (Plestiodon inexpectatus)      

But tail autotomy was futile.  Rather than allowing the ill-fated squamate to escape, the egret deftly held both tail and body in its beak, then rapidly dropped the tail and downed the body in a gulp.  The skink's tail thrashed on the ground at the great bird's feet, until the egret leisurely plucked it up and manipulated it into its maw.  Then the egret strode slowly away as our attention turned to a racoon a few feet away.


We continued along the boardwalk, observing more egrets, herons, cormorants, anhingas, stilts, gallinules, and even a roseate spoonbill.  But those are birds, so you won't hear about them here.



Am I a juvenile Florida redbelly turtle (Pseudemys nelsoni)?  Probably, but this algae on my carapace makes it hard to tell.

When we finally left, the kids were tired of walking and ready for their overdue lunch.  But we were filled with great memories and stories of our fabulous finds.



http://www.co.palm-beach.fl.us/parks/locations/greencay.htm

http://myfwc.com/wildlifehabitats/nonnatives/reptiles/brown-anole/

http://srelherp.uga.edu/turtles/psenel.htm