Spinning Tails About the Viera Wetlands

There is a wildlife haven in Brevard County—Ritch Grissom Memorial Wetlands (named after a deceased county employee), more commonly known as Viera Wetlands. This man-made habitat is as outstanding as any of Florida’s natural wetlands.

Viera Wetlands - photo Charlie Corbeil

Morning Fog - photo Charlie Corbeil

White Heron - photo Charlie Corbeil

Viera Wetlands - photo Charlie Corbeil

Mottled Ducks - photo Charlie Corbeil

Initially, visionaries planned polishing ponds to help with water purification and also create wetlands. Hopefully, wildlife would be attracted, especially waterfowl. Moreover, the nutrient-enhanced effluent from the primary treatment process would support the food chain. 
Today, the synergy of water treatment and wetlands transcends expectations. Flora and fauna thrive! In this sanctuary, simple dirt roads and grassy berms allow photographers, bird watchers, and local or foreign enthusiasts to enjoy a leisurely drive, walk, or restful stop among soothing surroundings. And one might just linger and chat! 

Vegetation characteristic of natural environments—trees, grasses, rushes, aquatic plants—provides nourishment and cover for various creatures. Deer and alligators are common. A discreet photographer may capture an otter frolicking with her pups in the water. On summer evenings, one may sight a partially-submerged pig frog as it bellows pig-like grunts. How about the bobcat that climbed the observation deck? 

Successful reproduction occurs in this refuge. I observed great blue herons utilize a cabbage palm for nesting. The female accepted sticks and twigs from the male and built the nest. Several days later, she lay three pale-blue eggs. Incubation was shared by both, and two nestlings emerged in 28 days. The unhatched egg disappeared the next day. The pair fed regurgitated fish and vegetation directly into their chicks’ bills. The younglings fledged in two months. 

Stunning insects abound! The exquisite zebra longwing, the designated state butterfly, is identifiable by its striking black wings with yellow stripes. It frequents the passion flower vine, a larval host plant. The spotted cucumber beetle, with its vibrant coat of yellowish green accentuated with six black dots on each wing, also embellishes the local foliage. 

Obviously, the wetlands is for all to conserve and enjoy. Recently, at the annual Viera Wetlands Nature Festival, Hailey Scalia, a second grade student at the Ralph M. Williams, Jr. Elementary School, received the top prize in both writing (poetry) and art at the Charlie Corbeil Conservation Awards. Her brothers Joseph and Evan were there to applaud her. “Conservation is good because you can see the beautiful nature,” claimed Hailey. Indeed, the future of nature is in caring hands!

Hailey Scalia - double winner at the Charlie Corbeil Conservation Awards, in writing and art

Spinning Tales About Pollinators

Honeybee on Rusty Lyonia - photo by Brett Pigon

Plants are vital to humans and many living things.  Through pollination and resulting fertilization, plants produce necessities, such as  food for nourishment, cotton for clothing, lumber for shelter, and seeds for reproduction.   

Pollination is the transfer of pollen in a flower from the anther (male) to the stigma (female).  It  may be intentional, incidental, or accidental.  Methods of pollination:  cross pollination (used by most plants)—the transfer of pollen from one flower to the stigma of another in a different plant of the same species by an insect, animal, wind, or water; self pollination—the transfer of pollen to the stigma within the same flower through shedding; artificial pollination—hand pollination by a human.

Carpenter bee on Buttonbush - photo by Brett Pigon

Honeybee on Rusty Lyonia - photo by Brett Pigon

Performance varies in pollinators.  Butterflies do not always efficiently pick up pollen with their bodies, legs, or tongues, although they are helpful with pollinating certain plants.  However, hummingbirds, with their long tubular bills, skillfully retrieve pollen from deep-throated flowers.  Actually, the exceptional pollinators are bees.  They intentionally collect nectar for energy and pollen for protein, and nature helps them gather this pollen with fuzzy bodies, special hind legs and abdomens, and electrostatic charge.  Furthermore, some bees, especially bumblebees, buzz pollinate—move flight muscles rapidly, causing vibration in the anthers to better release pollen in self-pollinating plants like tomatoes.  Because a large portion of food consumed is dependent on bees, they are worth billions to the global economy.   Supposedly, Albert Einstein estimated that humans would only exist four years if bees disappeared; therefore, the noticeable population decrease in these insects is alarming.  Habitat loss and degradation threaten wild species.  Consequently, growers rent or purchase bees (commercial crops are primarily pollinated by honey bees), but managed bees suffer from parasites, pathogens, and pesticides.  In some regions of China, where pesticides have discouraged bumblebees in apple and pear crops, artificial pollination is necessary.

Honeybee on Rusty Lyonia - photo by Brett Pigon

Most essential is the pollination of trees.  Besides providing food and shelter, trees are the lungs of the earth—they release oxygen.  They also furnish fuel—sunken, compressed trees ultimately become coal which fuels electricity.  How about pines (conifers) which produce turpentine through the distillation of their resin? 

Obviously, pollination is crucial.  The sudden urge to swat annoying bees or destroy any pollinators should be repressed—these beings may determine whether there are delicious apples to savor or colorful flowers to smell.  And these flowers will in turn attract needed pollinators!

Carpenter bee on holly tree - photo Brett Pigon

Carpenter bee on Buttonbush - photo by Brett Pigon

Honeybee on cactus flower - photo by Brett Pigon

Spinning Tales About the Florida Sandhill Crane

Photo - Charlie Corbeil

The Florida sandhill crane, a subspecies, is a year-round resident.  The common name is derived from favored habitats in sand hills.  The crimson patch of skin on its forehead and the long bill, neck, and legs distinguish this large gray bird.  The female is slightly smaller.  Life expectancy is twenty years; however, habitat destruction is a threat to survival.  An opportunistic feeder, it frequently seeks roots, seeds, insects, or snakes in local yards and wetlands.  Its presence is often disclosed by piercing trumpet-like calls, such as unison calling between mates.  Vocalization is also combined with energetic courtship dancing displays.  Nesting extends from December to August.  A mat-like nest made of dominant vegetation is generally built in wetlands; a nest established on dry land is simpler.  One brood is produced yearly.  Typically, two eggs are laid.  Thirty days later, precocial chicks are born—eyes open, covered in down, and able to leave the nest in twenty-four hours.  The older often intimidates the younger and parents must intervene.  The small family group can be observed foraging and roaming—often stopping traffic.  In approximately ten months, a chick is independent.  After two years, it might find a mate; such a pair is monogamous and sometimes mated for life.

Photo - Brett Pigon

Photo - Charlie Corbeil

The Ralph M. Williams, Jr. Elementary School recently held a photo contest for the sandhill crane, their mascot and campus resident.  Hopefully, these students will continue to respect and enjoy wildlife throughout their lives.  They are perfect candidates for the local Charlie Corbeil Conservation Awards. 

Danielle Haddox, third grade, won honorable mention for Cutest Baby Crane.  For the past three years, this nature photographer observed a pair of sandhill cranes nesting along the Viera Golf Course waterway behind her house.  She documented a chick from hatchling to toddler, using her father’s Canon camera.  Perseverance!

Kudos to the winners (and all who participated):  Anthony

                      Elena Kailani Juarez

                      Owen Kaufman

                      Andy Fernandez

                      Ronnie Peters

                      Danielle Haddox

                      Angelina Dominguez-Smith

Spinning Tales About Claws, Hooves, and Nails

What determined which creatures now display claws, hooves, or nails?  Evolution!  It provided for specific needs.  Originally, some creatures had claws, and their descendants still prevail with claws.  Meanwhile, species desperate to run from predators emerged from claws to hooves.  Primates progressed by developing grasping hands and feet tipped with nails.  These three appendages contain keratin, a key structural protein.

Red-tailed Hawk Talons

Many wild beings are equipped with claws—birds, reptiles, and mammals.  Comparable to nails, claws protect the digits.  Similar to hair, claws grow, cease, and restart.  For birds, claws furnish holdfasts.   Talons (sharp claws) enable raptors—like eagles, hawks, and owls—to prey.  Reptiles, such as alligators, may utilize claws to uproot vegetation.  Though



snakes are clawless, boas and pythons, primitive reptiles, exhibit remnants of hind limbs with spurs (claw-like projections) on the sides of their waste openings.  These spurs are employed for reproduction.  As for mammals, Florida black bears flaunt hefty, curved claws which facilitate climbing while chasing humans up trees, after reportedly sprinting up to 35 miles per hour.  And they are fearless!  A black bear, accustomed to roaming and feeding in Seminole County neighborhoods, was captured and killed in January, 2015.  Its record weight:  740 pounds.  By the way, remember when bear claws were pursued for ornaments?  Nowadays, bear claws are relished as pastries!  Finally, what about lobster or scorpion claws?  They are actually pincers (chelae). 

Mole Claws for Digging

Squirrel Claws for Climbing

Hooves (or hoofs) are enlarged, weight-bearing toenails.  Mammals equipped with hooves are classified as ungulates.  Most even-toed ungulates, such as deer and pigs, have two main hooves on each foot—together identified as a cloven hoof.  Two smaller hooves, dewclaws (false hooves), are situated slightly up the leg of most cloven-hoofed animals.  Larger dewclaws, as in deer, contact the ground for jumping.  Variation occurs in some species—equids, such as horses, have just one hoof on each foot.  Hooves grow continuously.  Wild ungulates trim them by sufficient ground contact.  On the other hand, domesticated horses are not as active and generally require maintenance—akin to human toenails needing a pedicure.  One can imagine soaking those huge hooves prior to trimming!

Regrettably, natural habitats are shrinking.  Animals commonly explore yards for nourishment.  Homeowners may detect hoof prints molded in upturned sod or under stripped hibiscus trees, including a few more tunnels clawed by the armadillos.  Still, these wild ones must survive!

-  photos by Brett Pigon

Spinning Tales About Eggs

Various creatures reproduce by laying eggs.  They are oviparous species including birds, reptiles, fish, amphibians, insects, arachnids, mollusks, and a few mammals (monotremes)—the duck-billed platypus and four species of spiny anteaters.

A bird egg is commonplace and often distinguishable by pigmentation, shape, location, markings, gloss, and size.  Composed of calcium carbonate, it may be white, or, if laid by a passerine (perching bird), it is usually colored.  Customarily, an egg is oval and somewhat pinched at one end from compression inside the mother—thus, it safely rolls in a circle when discharged.  Moreover, a cliff-nesting bird produces a highly-conical egg to avoid rolling off.  Interestingly, a bird that lays a spherical egg often builds a deep nest to inhibit the egg from rolling out.  Shells vary:  a duck egg is oily and waterproof; a group nester differentiates its egg by markings; a cavity nester does not need camouflage and usually produces a white egg; color or spotting provides camouflage, and spotting supposedly strengthens a thin, calcium-deficient shell.  Most captivating is the glossy, iridescent, colorful great tinamou egg (Central and South America).  The reflective shell might even protect the embryo from radiation.  One such egg (different species) was found in Darwin’s belongings.  And as for the smallest and the biggest bird egg…the bee hummingbird egg weighs about 0.2 ounces, and the ostrich egg exceeds 3 pounds.

 

Sandhill Crane with egg - photo Charlie Corbeil

Pesticides endanger an egg.  For example, the bald eagle, our national symbol, ingested fish contaminated with DDT which thinned the eggshell and depleted the population.  In her 1961 book, Silent Spring, Rachel Carson exposed this hazard.  Fortunately, the eagle rebounded.

How does a bird embryo survive?  It feeds on the yolk, and pores in the shell allow it to breathe.  Incubation is vital—sitting on the egg to maintain temperature and periodic turning of the egg for crucial development.  To emerge, the chick pecks out of the hard shell with its egg tooth—pipping.  Always a wonder to behold!

Yet, a bird egg might not produce a hatchling.  For instance, an unfertilized chicken egg is generally used for human consumption.  Also, a single pet female parakeet may lay and needlessly brood a clutch of unfertilized eggs (wind eggs). 

Besides birds, other intriguing creatures lay eggs.  The loggerhead turtle, familiar in Brevard County beaches, lays over 100 eggs at a time.  The queen honey bee may lay 1600 eggs daily during active seasons.  Recently, a Burmese python captured in the Florida Everglades carried 87 eggs.  Remarkably, a tenacious octopus spent 4.5 years brooding an estimated 160 eggs!  

Spinning Tales about Tails

Why does an animal have a tail? Evidently, this appendage provides skills for survival and quality of life. A tail is primarily displayed in a vertebrate. However, an invertebrate, such as a snail or scorpion, projects a quasi tail.

Generally, the tail maintains balance; for example, a squirrel's tail helps it scurry up and down a tree. Moreover, the flying squirrel can handle its tail as a rudder, allowing a change of direction in mid-air.

Leaping Squirrel - photo Brett Pigon

The prehensile (able to grasp) tail of the opossum enables it to seize a tree branch. It also serves as a fifth limb-the female loops her tail to gather nesting material. This animal is often depicted hanging from a branch by its tail; in fact, only the young are light enough to dangle briefly. Another creature, the harvest mouse, uses its prehensile tail for balance to climb a stalk while feeding on the grain. And it can be stated that a snake has a prehensile tail-or prehensile body!

Warnings and defenses are issued by tails. The white-tailed deer alerts its own by flashing the white underside of its short, erect tail (a scut) while fleeing. Caution is issued by the rattlesnake's rattling organ at the end of the tail; this rattle is made from keratin-also found in fingernails, hooves, and horns. Some creatures defend with their tails: the scorpion projects venom, and the alligator delivers a powerful swing.

To fly, a bird's tail functions as a rudder. The tail spreads to increase the surface and get more lift. To change direction, the tail twists. To terminate flight, the tail turns downward and serves as a brake. Infrequently, damaged tail feathers might prevent flight; fortunately, they do grow back. A bird also uses its tail for perching or bracing against a tree-like the woodpecker. And how about the spectacular mating display of the fully-spread turkey tail?

A few more tales about tails.. .The lizard encourages a predator to grab its tail, then casts it off to escape; customarily, the tail grows back, and it is darker. The fox wraps itself with its bushy tail to keep warm. The fish navigates by swaying its tail from side to side. The beaver often utilizes its large, flat tail as a rudder for swimming, a prop for standing, and a storage place for essential winter fat.

Why does a human not have a tail? Indeed, an embryo has a tail which is absorbed by its growing body. In rare cases, tail-like structures appear at birth. Actually, a human has the remnant of a tail-the internal tailbone which lends support to the body when sitting! -

Tales About Florida's Predators

What animals are predators or prey? These roles are determined by dominance on the food chain. For example, in Florida, the white-tailed deer survives on vegetation, rather than prey. However, the alligator, the Burmese python, and the Florida panther periodically feast on this vulnerable animal. Moreover, the Florida black bear, bobcat, coyote, and wild pig eat the fawns. Getting to know these predators... The alligator, an apex predator, can overcome the panther and the wild pig. Presently, the alligator confronts its equal in the Everglades-the Burmese python. Both prey on each other.   American alligator - photo by Shaw Frederick The Burmese python is an invasive imported species and is not welcome. It is suspected of causing a decline in mammals. For example, a sixteen-foot python crushed and swallowed a fully intact, seventy-six pound deer. Alarmingly, this reptile is merging north-a twelve-foot python was recently captured in Port St. Lucie where local cats disappeared. The panther (cougar) helps to limit the amount of pigs and raccoons. Invariably, the panther is misidentified with the bobcat, but the long tail of the panther and the short tail of the bobcat differentiate these species. Furthermore, the panther is massive. The black bear may include small mammals, carrion, and seasonal berries in its diet.. If the need arises, it is cannibalistic. Its sense of smell spans one mile; therefore, garbage cans should be secured. Beware! This creature can run and climb a tree. It is the only bear species found in Florida. The bobcat ambushes with a chase or pounce. It may target small mammals, livestock, and domesticated cats and dogs. Occasionally, the adult bobcat male consumes kittens of its species. This feline dauntlessly strolls in backyards or on sidewalks, yet it is uncommon for it to stalk humans. The coyote often hunts in pairs. It is relentless and may persevere for hours to conquer its game, such as small mammals, livestock, and pets. When food is scarce, a coyote may pursue a jogger or a child. It is a member of the dog family and is capable of mating with a dog. This canine releases a distinctive howl which signals the gathering of the pack or delivers a territorial warning. The wild pig is bold in large herds. Often, stray dogs are at risk. It destroys crops and seemingly harrows manicured lawns. In 1540, this pig was introduced to Florida (near present­-day Tampa) by Hemando de Soto. Today, the immense number of this nuisance in Florida is second to Texas. Indeed, predation is not automatically detrimental. When it controls population in the wilds, it is convenient. However, because of ongoing land development, some apex predators are coerced to live near humans. Will the fittest survive? American alligator - photo Charlie Corbeil                                       Florida bobcat - photo Charlie Corbeil