Fire videos coming soon!

sorry for the delay...I am having some problems getting some fire video uploaded!

Landscape shots!

 So sorry I haven't gotten around to posting earlier in the week! Here are some pretty landscape shots to tie you over until my Monday post!

Left: Field of sunflowers 

Right: A short hydroperiod pond 

Left: One of the mesic pine flatwoods 

Right: Recreated area dominated by muhly grass in  bloom

Critter of the Week Feb. 14: Dusky Pigmy Rattlesnake (Sistrurus miliarius barbouri) VENOMOUS!

    The dusky pigmy rattlesnake is a short but thick snake, gaining lengths of just 12-24 inches. But don't let the size of this guy make you feel safe...they are a venomous snake as are all rattlesnakes. Many people feel this is a pretty aggressive snake, and one should respect it and give it a wide berth! All photos here were taken at a safe distance with a zoom lens. As you can see by the photo to the left, their camouflage works great! I almost stepped on this guy! Their rattles are small, and you don't typically hear them.

    The dusky pigmy rattlesnake is actually one of three subspecies of pigmy rattlesnake and is the only one found in Florida. The other two subspecies are the Carolina and the Western. All three subspecies have ranges overlapping in Mississippi.
    The rattles of rattlesnakes are pretty neat. They are actually formed from a series of nested hollow beads. These beads are actually formed from modified scales. Every time the snake sheds, a new rattle is added so the bigger fatter ones by the body are the newest. The very tip of the tail are the oldest rattles, and they do become more brittle as the snake ages and can wear down and break off at the tip. Newborn rattlesnakes don't have the ability to rattle until they shed their skin for the first time thus gaining an additional button for making the noise. Juvenile pigmy rattlesnakes actually have a yellowish-green tail tip (seen in the picture below).

      Dusky pigmy rattlesnakes can be found in a variety of habitats including pine flatwoods, prairies, ponds and lake edges, along canals, and freshwater marshes and swamps. They eat primarily small rodents and frogs but will eat insects as well.
       The female gives birth to 5-7 live young (ovoviviparous) and these newborns are approximately 6 inches long. Again, please respect these snakes and the important role they play in our ecosystems! And give them a wide berth for yours and their safety!!!

Prescribed Fire!

A picture of a prescribed fire in a pine flatwood

 This was, in this picture, a low intensity slow moving backing fire. 

 An example of a more intense fire from the same burn but later in the day. The fuel is different (saw palmetto as opposed to the earlier grasses). Winds were also picking up, thus adding more oxygen to fuel the flames. 

 The last leg of the fire. Classic example of how a pine flatwood burn with grasses understory would look. We wanted shorter flames that would not scorch the tops of the pine trees.

DISCLAIMER: We are doing these prescribed fires under certain climatic conditions and only after meeting criteria required by local fire departments as well as division of forestry. Staff have been trained on how to conduct these burns! Do NOT attempt these on your own property!

 

Update soon!

So we managed to get a prescribed fire done today. I will post some photos soon and give you some information about burning instead of a critter/plant of the week!

Critter of the Week Jan. 24: White-eyed Vireo (Vireo griseus)

 

The white-eyed vireo (Vireo griseus) is a small songbird, and a key characteristic is their....you guessed it...white eyed! You can find these pretty birds in overgrown pastures, shrub areas, thickets, woodland margins, and mangroves. They forage some fruits but primarily on insects. They hunt the insects by taking short hops or flights and punctuated by short pauses where they tilt their heads and look around for prey. They bathe by rubbing against wet foliage. 

The white-eyed vireo is often solitary or in pairs, and both sexes will sing their primary song in the winter time.  They are monogamous and have solitary nests. The nests are open cups suspended from a fork of a small branch in a shrub or tree, typically lower down closer to the ground. Bark, leaves, roots, etc. are used to make the nest which is held together by insect silk and spider webbing. They even decorate the outside of the nests with things like lichen, moss, and leaves. Inside the nest, there is a lining of fine grass or hair. Both sexes incubate the brood which is usually 3-5 eggs. After 12-16 days the little tykes hatch and are fed by both parents. After 10-12 days they leave the nest. cowbirds will often parasitize their nests.

Critter of the Week Jan. 17, 2011: Big Cypress Fox Squirrel

The Big Cypress fox squirrel (Sciurus niger avicennia)  is a subspecies of the Eastern fox squirrel. I am not sure what the population is on Panther Island, but I know of t least four individuals! Instead of reinventing the wheel, here is a link to information on this cool critter! Big Cypress Fox Squirrel