More Wonderful Wildlife of Hillsborough County
In honor of World Wildlife Day on March 3rd, let’s take a look at
some of the wildlife that call Hillsborough County home. You won't have to
search hard to find them; these spectacular creatures can be viewed throughout
Hillsborough County at your nearest conservation park or nature preserve. In
1987, Hillsborough County leadership thought it prudent to conserve land,
waterways, and wildlife, ensuring the preservation of these resources for
future generations to enjoy. Because of the wisdom of our community leadership,
wildlife thrives in our backyards.
Here is a sampling of 10 mammals, reptiles, birds, and fish you
may encounter in the untamed, undeveloped lands of our County Parks and
Preserves.
Black Crowned Night Heron
Despite
being named because they are most active at night, these birds can be seen in
many of our conservation parks during the day. These short, stocky birds live
in Florida year-round and primarily eat fish. They’re a communal bird and don’t
mind who their neighbors are – they’ll nest in groups with ibises, egrets, and
other wading birds. They also don’t mind which waterway they’re near – fresh,
brackish, or salty will all do, so they can be seen at many different parks and
preserves.
Northern Flicker
Colaptes auratus
A woodpecker of a different color, Northern Flickers and their beautiful speckles are a delight to observe, and they may surprise you as they fly up from the ground. They nest in cavities of trees just like other woodpeckers, but prefer to ground forage for their favorite foods of beetles and ants. You’ll also notice their beak is curved. Unlike other woodpeckers who have pointed beaks made for boring into trees, the Flicker's beak shape helps them dig into dirt. They still drum on trees and other objects with their beaks to communicate their territory or when looking for love.
Pipevine Swallowtail
Battus philenor
Often mistaken for Zebra Swallowtails, but missing their distinctive stripes, Pipevine Swallowtails are gorgeous butterflies with black, orange, and iridescent blue coloring. These butterflies like low woodlands near water, so rivers and swamps surrounded by forests with nearby fields are their perfect home. Their orange spots warn predators, such as birds, that they’re not going to taste pleasant and may even be toxic. They have evolved a chemical defense using the acids found in the plants they eat.
Green Lynx Spider
This tropical garden spider easily blends in with host plants while looking for insects to eat. Lucky for us, it’s a predator for many pests that would do harm to plants. Harmless to humans but nonetheless fascinating to see, these spiders are ambush predators that subdue their prey with venom. They lay bright orange eggs and mothers will protect the eggs and young fiercely against other spiders, insects, or birds that may think they are an easy snack.
Great Egret
Ardea alba
While we think all egrets are pretty neat, this one is Great. Their gorgeous white feathers nearly led to their extinction in the late 1800’s, when the feathers were coveted for fashion. The desire to protect these and other birds from being hunted to extinction for their feathers is part of why the Audubon Society was founded, and why the Great Egret is now their symbol. These birds hunt fish, stalking above the water much like their bigger, bluer cousin the Great Blue Heron. They can be found in several of our parks and preserves, and Lettuce Lake Conservation Park is a great place to look for them.
Southern Flying Squirrel
Glaucomys Volans
These adorable Florida natives spend their days snuggled up together in nests of Spanish moss and leaves tucked into tree cavities in oaks or in old snags. They emerge at night to glide between the ground and the trees, collecting acorns, mushrooms, wild grapes, and seeds. Despite their name, flying squirrels do not fly, they glide using a membrane between their front and back legs called a “patagium.” They’re smart, adaptive, and adorable. Unfortunately, their cuteness leads them to being poached and smuggled for the pet trade globally.
Red Drum (Redfish)
Sciaenops ocellatus
Named a “drum” fish because males make a knocking or drumming sound with their swim bladder during spawning, these fish are a favorite of local fishermen and can be found in many of our inshore parks and preserves. They feed on smaller fish like mullet, minnows, crabs, and shrimp. Their young hang out in mangrove estuary inlets and saltmarshes until big enough to handle the high salinity of the bay and gulf. Despite large red drums being called “bulls,” it is the females that grow the largest of the species.
Bottlenose Dolphin
Tursiops truncates
Sometimes we’re spoiled in Florida to have species like Bottlenose Dolphins in our “backyard.” These curious mammals play along the shores of our bay-side parks and preserves, following the fish into tidal creeks to catch dinner while dazzling kayakers. They communicate with each other using whistling noises. Each individual has their own unique whistle that functions like a name and helps them keep strong social bonds even when separated for long periods of time. Dolphins are frequently seen by kayakers at Upper Tampa Bay Conservation Park and E.G. Simmons Conservation Park.
North American River Otter
Lontra canadensis
The North American River Otter plays and lives in many of our parks and preserves. While they look cute and cuddly, these predators come with sharp claws and teeth used to hunt fish, frogs, small turtles, and crayfish. They use their whiskers in the water to help them feel out fish and have a transparent third eyelid (called a nictitating membrane) that covers their eyes when swimming, just like a pair of built-in googles. Alligators and many bird species share this adaptation.
Southern Ring-necked Snake
Diadophis
punctatus
One of the smaller snake species, the Southern Ring-necked Snake
likes to live in leaf litter on the forest floor. They’re small snakes, growing
to only 15 inches maximum. Their black bodies feature a yellow ring around the
neck and a bright orange to yellow belly, suggesting danger to predators.
They’re venomous but do not pose a medical threat to humans, and it is believed
that their venom was evolved strictly for feeding and not for defense. They are
easy to catch by hand but this should be avoided unless you want to be covered
in a foul smelling musk.
