heron53520's Identifications

Shorth, thick body. Light and dark brown stripe-like markings perpendicular to length of animal. The body is mostly dark. Light underbelly. Stayed very still with neck wedged into sediment and keeping head vertical. At one point, the body started drifting with the light current. It was in a stream amongst mangroves. When it opened its mouth, it revealed a wide jowl. Tail becomes narrow, about 4 to 6 in before the end.

Cottonmouth. Florida Fish And Wildlife Conservation Commission. (n.d.). https://myfwc.com/wildlifehabitats/profiles/reptiles/snakes/cottonmouth/

Able to decipher between water snake because if its defined brow ridge.

Visual: The crab seemed small, about 2-3 inches, it had colors of red on the claws and a spotted black and brown body. The eyes were fairly large for the body size and spread apart. It seemed like the colorations of the crab were meant to be used for camouflage since it was found on the branch of a mangrove tree.

Habitat: This species was found in a salt flat mangrove swamp habitat on the branch of a mangrove. The range of this species is in costal regions of north america, especially around the Gulf of Mexico, and on the east coastlines of South America.

Reference:
World Register of Marine Science
https://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=422190
iNaturalist
https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/84965-Aratus-pisonii

Visual Description: This plant was huge, probably about 6 feet in diameters. Each frond was about 4 feet long. The pinnae were 5-8 inches long and relatively narrow. They had a single central vein and then smaller veins running diagonally to the edges.

Habitat Description: Freshwater Swamp Forest. This fern was found in a flooded forest. The was was about 4 inches deep. The predominant tree species were oaks and maples. This species is found in peninsular Florida.

References:
(n.d.). Fern Structure. FS.USDA.gov. https://www.fs.usda.gov/wildflowers/beauty/ferns/structure.shtml.

(n.d.). Acrostichum danaeifolium. FNPS.org. https://www.fnps.org/plant/acrostichum-danaeifolium

Visual Description: The trunk of this oak tree was covered in these lichens. The center of the lichen was a bright pinkish red, which was ringed by pale gray. The outside was surrounded by another pinkish red border. Most of the lichens were a few inches in diameter.

Habitat Description: Forest. The oak that the lichens were growing on was found in a sandy, drier patch of forest that was surrounded by swampy forest.

Reference:
(n.d.) HERPOTHALLON TOBLER. WaysofEnlichenment. https://www.waysofenlichenment.net/lichens/Herpothallon/.

Visual Description: This plant was growing as a shrub about 3 feet tall. The leaves were a few inches long and a shiny green color on the top side. They had very strong veins running from the center to the edges. The plant was not currently fruiting.

Habitat Description: Forest. This plant was found growing in a drier hammock area with a lot of oak trees and a thick understory. This species is found in peninsular Florida.

Reference:
(n.d.) Psychotria nervosa. FNPS.org. https://www.fnps.org/plant/psychotria-nervosa.

The observed animal was a medium-large sized bird covered in all black feathers with exposed orange skin near the beak. The bird exhibited a long flexible neck as well.
Defining characteristics include the black feathers, long neck, and exposed orange skin near the beak.

“Double-Crested Cormorant Identification, All about Birds, Cornell Lab of Ornithology.” , All About Birds, Cornell Lab of Ornithology, www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Double-crested_Cormorant/id#. Accessed 31 Jan. 2024.

Double-crested Cormorants are water birds found mostly in freshwater areas but are also in coastal areas and lakes.

Double-crested Cormorants are found in most of North America ranging from Alaska to Mexico

Located near the seawall in the Bayboro Harbor outside of Nelson Poynter Library. Bayboro Harbor opens up to Tampa Bay. Short, all-white body with black legs and a slender bill with yellow feet and yellow around eyes that closely resembles a mask. The back of its neck, chest, and tail have longer, shaggy plumes. It appeared to be scoping out the area and wading through the water. These birds are permanent residents in Florida. They are seen as migratory birds in the Southwestern United States. It is common to see them in coastal areas.

References
https://myfwc.com/wildlifehabitats/profiles/birds/waterbirds/snowy-egret/
https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Snowy_Egret/id#
https://www.animalspot.net/snowy-egret.html

Visual Description: Smaller than nearby laughing gulls. White outer primary feathers and black ear spot indicate a winter plumaged Bonaparte's gull as well. Relatively pure white on primaries suggests that this is an adult.
Habitat description: Coastal. Found feeding in an inlet near the exit to the ocean. Bonaparte's gulls are found throughout North America, breeding in the northern part of the continent and wintering on the coasts.

References:
Sibley, D. A. (2014). The Sibley Guide to Birds (2nd ed.). Knopf.
Dunn, J. L. & Alderfer, J. (2017). Field Guide to Birds of North America (7th ed.). National Geographic.