Life and Death on the Florida Prairie

Florida and prairie are two words not typically associated with each other. Yet, just outside Gainesville, in north central Florida is a 21,000 acre prairie where wild horses and bison roam. This prairie is unlike those of the U.S. central plains in that much of it is flooded and it is home to abundant alligators. […]

Ratsnake Hunting Behavior

Ratsnakes are large snakes (over 6 feet as adults) found in the eastern United States. The Virginia Herpetological Society reports that they are the most commonly seen snake in Virginia. This is the case because they move around a lot and are often found near human habitation (such as barns and old buildings) where their […]

Toad Toxicity

Amphibians are generally small, soft, and many bigger predators like to eat them. A few groups have evolved chemical defenses which make them toxic and therefore unpalatable to predators. One such group is the toads (family Bufonidae). Herping (verb): the act of searching for amphibians and reptiles. Several weeks ago, in the Everglades, I decided […]

Alligators and turtles

Alligators and turtles are both heavily armored reptiles. In December of 2023, I witnessed an interesting interaction between an American alligator (Alligator mississippiensis) and a Florida softshell turtle (Apalone ferox). The setting was Depot Park in the city of Gainesville, Florida. In this urban park there are a series of retention ponds. Paved trails, which […]

Incredible wildlife amongst ruins of an abandoned zoo

Key Biscayne is a small barrier island less than 5 miles from downtown Miami. About half the island consists of a park (Crandon Park), which itself contains a golf course, a world-class tennis facility that formerly held the Miami Open, beautiful white sand beaches, and an abandoned zoo which is now a botanic garden. While […]

Encounters with snapping turtles

Snapping turtles – big, powerful and with long claws, snake-like neck, and beak-like jaws – are an impressive sight to behold. The common snapping turtle (Chelydra serpentina) is abundant in freshwaters across most of the United States. With a shell length up to 20 inches and weight of 35 pounds, they are the largest turtle […]