Coyote

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One of South West Florida’s newest predators is the coyote. Coyotes are apart of the dog family. “Coyotes are larger than foxes but smaller than wolves.”  (Coates) The lengths of their bodies are usually 39.4 to 59.8 inches. “Adult coyotes weigh twenty-four to thirty-seven lbs”. Coyotes have very strong eye sight, good hearing, and a sensitive sense of smell. These attributes help the coyote hunt. Coyotes mostly live in the marsh. There diet consists of “rodents, rabbits, lizards, snakes, insects, grasses, fruit (watermelon, persimmons, and wild berries), grains, fish, and carrion.” (Coates) Female coyotes mate once a year in the winter. Their litters can be from two to twelve pups. The number of female wolves breeding, and the amount of pups in the litter, depends on the food ratio of that year. Coyotes are more active during the night then during the day, but do come out during all hours of the day and night. Coyotes travel individually or in groups of two or three. “Coyotes are both carnivores and omnivores and feed on a diverse range of food items and are potential competitors or direct predators on many indigenous species, like bobcats and foxes.” (Coates) The average life span of a coyote in the wild is five to six years.

For more information on Coyotes visit,
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/uw127
 

 

Alligator

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Alligators are another animal in South West Florida. An alligator has a tail that is half his length. “It helps propel the alligator through the water, is used to make pools of water during the dry seasons (gator holes), is used as a weapon, and stores fat that the alligator will use for nourishment during the winter.” (Col) Alligators are cold blooded reptiles, and use the sun to get warm. “The American alligator grows up to nineteen feet long, and up to six-hundred pounds.” (Col)  An American alligator only lives in the Southeastern part of the United States. They can be found in canals, marshes, swamps, and lakes. Alligators use calls to communicate with other alligators. “These calls are used in mating, to define territory, and as distress calls.” (Col) In the wild, alligators usually live between thirty and thirty five years. Alligators breed during the spring time. A female alligator can lay up to fifty eggs. “Alligators are among the most nurturing of the reptiles.” (Col) Alligators are nocturnal, which means they sleep during the day, and are active at night. This means alligators hunt at night. Alligators are carnivores and have around eighty teeth, but swallow their prey whole.

For more information on Alligators visit,
http://www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/Alligator.shtml


 

Black Bear

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In Southwest Florida, the black bear is said to be a separate species, which came to be named the Everglades bear.  It is said to be a subspecies because “its long skull and highly arched nasal bones distinguished it from black bears in other areas.” (McCown) “Black bears are large-bodied and have short tails, prominent canine teeth, and plantigrade feet (the entire foot strikes the ground when walking) each with five digits, and each digit bearing a short, curved, nonretractable claw.” (McCown) A black bears’ coat is usually black, but during the summer the coat can have a brownish tint. An adult, male black bear weighs between one-hundred and fourteen to one-hundred and sixty kilograms. An adult, female black bear weighs between sixty to eighty-two kilograms. Bears can grow bigger because of a long growing season and the availability of garbage. “The largest bears on record in Florida are a 624-lb male killed on a county road in southwest Florida and a 400-lb female killed on a road in northwest Florida.” (McCown) Black Bears breed between the months of June to August. A black bear usually has two cubs. Black bears live in “a mixture of Flatwoods, swamps, scrub oak ridges, bay heads, and hammock habitats, thoroughly interspersed.” (McCown) Black Bears are omnivores. They are active from day to dusk, but do most of their traveling during the day.

For more information on Black Bears visit,
http://www.eoearth.org/article/Florida_Black_Bear

  

Florida Panther

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Another animal of South West Florida is the Florida Panther. “The Florida panther is one of the most endangered animals on Earth, with only 80-100 individuals remaining.” ("Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission")  The Florida Panther is protected by the Endangered Species Act, but the Florida Panther is still threatened by loss of habitat. “Since the 1930’s, at least one-third of the forested land in south Florida has been cleared for agricultural and residential development.” ("Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission") The loss of habitat is the Florida Panthers biggest threat. A Florida Panther is a subspecies of a Cougar. Panthers have a tan color fur and lighter fur on their inner legs, chest, and stomach. “Panthers have long round tails (nearly two-thirds the length of their head and body). Tails help balance the body, especially during ambush pounces on prey.” ("Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission") Male panthers weigh between one-hundred and one-hundred and sixty pounds. Female panthers weigh between seventy and one-hundred pounds. The skull of a panther is what makes it different from other cougars. “It is relatively broad and flat with highly arched nasal bones, giving the profile a rounded appearance as it transitions from the forehead to the tip of the nose.” ("Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission")  Panthers are carnivores. “About 90 % of their diet is feral hog, white-tailed deer, raccoon, and armadillo.” ("Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission")  Panthers are rarely observed in the wild because they are private animals. Panthers are usually relatively quiet animals, but they do sometimes vocalize.  “Sounds they make have been described as chirps, peeps, whistles, purrs, moans, screams, growls, and hisses.” ("Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission") Breeding for the panther happens mostly during late spring.  Panthers are polygamous. Polygamous means that they mate with more than one partner. A litter usually consists of one to four kittens. In the wild, panthers usually live for twelve years or more. Between 1978 and 1994, there were twenty panther deaths documented and six injuries caused by a car hitting them. "When Alligator Alley (State Road 84) was converted to the divided 4-lane I-75 in 1993, underpasses were constructed to allow panthers and other wildlife to safely cross underneath the flow of traffic. A smaller wildlife crossing design more suited for two-lane highways, was developed and installed on State Road 29 north of I-75. There are 36 wildlife underpasses on I-75 and 6 underpasses on State Road 29 protecting the heart of panther habitat."
("Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission")

For more information on the Florida Panther visit,
http://www.floridapanthernet.org