RH Photo Adventures
Wherever there’s water in Southwest Florida, you can probably count on there being some birds and an alligator or two. Here’s a quick little guide to the most common wading birds you’ll encounter in this area. Click on each photo for full-screen view.
Wood storks are a threatened species of bird that can be found hanging out in wetlands in South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida. They are occasionally seen in all states along the Mississippi River and as far north as Ontario. Mostly they stay in the Southeast though.
Turtle or tortoise? If you want to get technical, all tortoises are turtles, meaning they belong to the order Testudines. However, not all turtles are tortoises. Tortoises are land animals, and they can’t swim. Though there are land turtles that are not tortoises, like wood turtles and box turtles. Are you confused yet? An easy way to tell the difference is to look at their feet. Tortoise feet look a bit like elephant feet, which is interesting because they’re called “elephantine.” That just means they’re columnar and not webbed like turtles’ back feet are. Turtles’ front feet are like flippers. Tortoises’ are not.
If you hike near water in Florida, chances are pretty good you’re going to see an alligator at some point. Those of us who are on the trails a lot are used to it, but it can be scary if you haven’t had much experience sharing the trails with these reptiles. Something that’s important to remember is that a healthy, wild alligator will most likely want nothing to do with you; so the best course of action is to just ignore them and let them go on their way. Alligator attacks in Florida are extremely rare. According to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission there have only been twenty-four fatal alligator attacks in Florida since 1973. Statistically, you’re more likely to be killed by a cow than you are an alligator.
You may have noticed I take some photos of some critters that some people feel would be better off left alone. I do this for a few reasons. I really just love nature. ALL nature. Even the parts of it that some people might deem scary, ugly, or dangerous.
RH Photo Adventures 