FLORIDA WILDLIFE
Our state has a rich and diverse collection of wildlife. For hundreds of years these creatures have co-existed with us and continued to flourish and thrive in their habitat. But, with urban sprawl overtaking all of our state, and encrouching on our area, the animals that call this home face challenges as they try and cope with us. The white-tailed deer has developed the ability to live well in close proximity with humans. Deer are highly adaptable. They are less affected by development than just about any other species of wildlife in the country. Since the deer's only predators are bobcats and panthers, both of which are in short supply, they survive with out a lot of worries.
The species most impacted by human development is the bears. They have learned to wander into urban areas to feed on garbage, and even when they are trapped and moved into a forest area, its just a temporary fix. They generally move right back to their original territory. Unfortunately, when the same bear generates three complaints, they must be euthanized. Foresty people are trying to secure the help of we homeowners by using bear-resistant trash containers. We are asked to not leave food scraps on our grills, and to not leave pet food out overnight.
We have a new addition to our area :coyotes. They are extremely adaptable, and just about any type of forest or rural area provides a suitable habitat. Watch your small pets in these areas. Wild hogs are a real bother. They can destroy any area with their rooting. They are considered trespass livestock. They can be hunted or trapped. Since they are quite prolific, they multiply rapidly.
Bees become endangered due to our use of pesticide. Also, as land is bought by developers, the bees lose their habitat, and the bee-keepers lose a place to put their hives.
Loggerhead turtles depend on our area beaches for nesting sites. The growing public use of beaches has decreased the number of locations available for turtles, nesting shorebirds and other wildlife. Erosion control through beach nourishment and armoring, beachfront development, artificial lighting, and non-native vegetation all are threats to the loggerheads.
