Holiday Festival 2011

On 12/10/11 We had a big party for all out guests! Myself and another volunteer ran the turtle display where people could learn the difference between Gopher Tortoises, Florida Box Turtles, Florida Snapping Turtles and South American Red Legged Tortoises. Lots of pictures were taken. I didn't let people hold the turtles because I'm concerned about any diseases people may have on them. I don't let people hold my snapping turtle anyway, I mean it has some sharp claws and could bite for some unknown reason.

10/29/11 Young Raccoons and Gopher Tortoises

     Today I brought my pet Florida Snapping Turtle to visit the hospital. Many of the volunteers there had never seen him. I took two baby Gopher Tortoises to a field to graze on native plants. Then I took two adult Gopher Tortoises to graze. Then I gave medicine to two cages full of mid sized Raccoons. I collected the day's cardboard for later recycling. At one point a wild Squirell ran up to me and stood on my shoe.

A Red Rat Snake Rescue

      I posted this also in my "Mother Nature" Blogger Blog. In recent evenings the air has been cool, which causes snakes to come out to lay on the still warm roads. I try to do my driving around then so I can rescue as many as possible.
     I passed this baby 8 inch Grey Rat Snake and had to go back for it after my mind recognized it for a snake and not a stick. I took it home, fed it on baby mouse, took it to work to show it to a lot of people and right now it is back at my house resting. I'd like to grow it to about a foot long then when it can defend itself better, release it.
     This is one of the wildest snake babies I've had. Although harmless, every time I pick it up, which is not often, it has a crazy fit. It spins around, wiggles like a worm and bites me over and over.
     One of the reasons I wanted to post this snake picture is because I didn't want Back to Nature to look like a turtle hospital. They work with birds, mammals, reptiles and anything else native. I blog mostly about turtles because that is my specialty.

A Mud Turtle Release

     This Mud Turtle was dropped off to the Wildlife Hospital. It was unharmed and quite actice. So right away they gave it to me and and half an hour later it was swimming in a clean cypress swamp.
     When I released it into the flooded woods behind my house I had to be quick about it. This was not because of the Mud Turtle, it was because of the cloud of mosquitoes that are active right now. Recent rain and flooding has caused the mosquitoe popluation of explode. It was all I could do to stay still long enough to take a picture.

A Softshell Turtle Release

     On October 8th I realeased this big Softshell Turtle into my swamp. It is from Back to Nature Wildlife Refuge and has a long scratch down it's back. The scratch may be from going under a fence. While in captivity it was pretty wild. But when I released it, it slowly took it's time. This enabled be to take several good pictures. Often my pictures are a blur or some animal's butt as they make a break for freedom.

A New Baby Gopher Tortoise

     Today I stopped in to check if a small Spur Thigh Tortoise had been adopet out. I was going to ask Dr. Pritchard if he wanted it. I did see a new baby Gopher Tortoise one of the volunteers rescued off a road. This one looks about four years old. It was of the dark variety I see sometimes.
     I also stopped in to observe the Box Turtles. It was sunny and hot and everyone of them was hiding.
     I picked up the days cardboard also.

Peninsula Cooter Rescue

     I was driving in to work early this morning and saw two Peninsula Cooter Turtles stuck on a road. One was already dead and this very large female was on the side. I swung my car around and went back for her.
     I was able to get to her in time, but her boyfriend didn't make it. I walked her over (in the same direction she was going) to a nearby lake and set her on the shoreline, where I took this picture with my phone.
     This is the first time I have used my phone to post a picture on the internet. I took the picture, then posted it on facebook, then from facebook to a desktop computer and lastly to this blog.

Softshell Turtle Rescue

     Over the last few days I finished a rough draft of the October BTN online newsletter. I took this over as the last one is a year old. I never though working with animals would push me to become more computer literate. I've learned how to save a document in several versoins of WORD. I've leaned how to save pictures in different levels of pixalation, both with my camera, my computer and now my "smart" phone.
     At the hospital I helped put up a tarp on the Screech Owl cage to prepare for a coming rain storm. I worked on a Armadillo's wound. Flies had laid eggs which now had become maggots. I delicately picked off every one with of them with tweezers after drowning them with mineral oil.
     In nature I see beauty and I see horror. Animal rehab is not for the faint hearted. Someone asked me one time, "What difference does it make if you save one turtle off the road?" I told them, "To that turtle it made all the difference."

     I was returning from recycling a car load of cardboard from Back to Nature when I spotted this 8 inch Softshell Turtle in the middle of Reasearch Parkway Road in Orlando. I drive down this road often, because I often see Penninsula Cooter Turtles trying to cross the road here. It was unharmed. :)
    (Three Days Later) This little Softshell Turtle stayed with me for a few days. It wouldn't eat live goldfish. On the last day, I took it to work and to an environmental meeting. Twenty or so people got a close look at it and took pictures. After that I put it into Lake Mills which is a nice clean swampy lake.

A New Armadilo

     Even though Armadillos are an exotic/invasive species the staff here are full of love for them too. I took this one out for a bug search in the grass. I put antibaterial lotion of some cracks in his shell. It was dragging its back legs but seemed otherwise able to move freely.
     I held (Izzy) a sweet Opossum for half an hour. The whole time it slept in my arms. I was eating a brownie and dropped crumbs on him. It did not seem to mind as I searched it's fur the the brownie bits.
     I took a baby Gopher Torsoise for a grazing walk. I know what plants it likes, so I look for a spot where the plants are and it is sunny. It started eating as soon as it touched the ground. Baby Gopher Torsoises seem to prefer tiny plants with round leaves. They only rarely eat grass.

A new baby Gopher Tortoise & Box Turtle Watch

     One day after we turned over our last baby Gopher Tortoise to a perserve north of us, an even younger one got turned in to us. I took this tiny baby to a sunny spot with the same round leafed plants I've seen other baby Gopher Tortoises eat. As soon as it hit the ground it started eating, continuing for half an hour.
     I took a load of trash to the dumpster and collected the day's cardboard for recycling.

     I stop in and observe the Box Turtle each day. Above is a picture I took of an Eastern Box Turtle. I don't handle them very often, like I do the Gopher Tortoises, Spur Thigh Tortoise and Red Legged Tortoise. I'm watching the Box Turtles to see what they eat, how much sun they like etc. I'm raising four babies so I'm interested in learning any lessons I can from this small colony of adults. I do know that babies hide more than adults do in the wild.

A Gopher Tortoise

     This little Gopher Tortoise was rescued by a Back to Nature staff from certain road crossing death. I later found out was captured right up the street from my house! So I took this one home and released it deep into my private forest. I know of only one other large Gopher Tortoise that lives there. Little baby tortoises have all been killed by "outdoor" feral domestic cats.
     Today I also took the other Gopher Tortoise out for a half hour free range plant buffet. I gave the large goat named Jennifer a back rub, I held the resident Oppossum for half an hour to keep it socialized. My car is packed with three days of BTN cardboard, which I'll take to a recycling center tonight.
     I got a good picture of a Green Anole. Even though I have many pictures of them, it makes me happy to get one more.
     (next day) I put the Gopher Tortoise under a canoe, where he could come and go, but feel safe. It was kind of an emergency den. The next day it was still there. So I soaked it in water for a few minutes to be sure it wasn't thirsty and set it out in the sun. I came back several hours later and it had not moved. So I put it back under the canoe. It has been cool so I think it just wants to dig in and wait for a warmer day.

10 more Doves and 1 Sparrow

      I released ten Doves and one Sparrow for the hospital yesterday. I went inside my house for one minute, came back out to make sure they had flown away and a feral cat had showed up out of nowhere. I was  unable to catch the cat, but I did scare the whiskers off of it.
     One Dove was still sitting on the ground when I walked out after dark to check on them. So at least I know the cat didn't come back. I recaptured this Dove as it is just very fat and not injured. I think as soon as it loses some weight it will be able to fly then I'll re-release it.
     If some native animal like a Hawk or Raccoon attacked the Dove I'd just look the other way. But for a feral cat to eat one means war. For every hour I spend helping to raise native speices I spend 10 hours fighting exotics.

Earlier at the Hospital...
     I took the baby Gopher Tortoise out to a field to graze. At fist it was shy but as soon as I put it on the ground it chowed down. I've noticed most Gopher Tortoises eat for about a half hour and then stop and this tiny baby did that. I had to pick it up three times while it was eating becuase extoic/invasive Fire Ants (Solonopis invictas) kept finding the baby and attacking it. You know I stommped those Fire Ants.
     I hand fed the one adult Gopher Tortoise we have left, the Spurthighed Tortoise, Red Legged Tortoise some watermellon and the Emu some grapes. These animals eat more healthy than I do.
     I swept some of the side walks and took the recycling cardboard.
     I took home the above mentioned Dove and Sparrow.

Recycling

     Today I fed the two Gopher Tortoises, the large Spurthighed Tortoise and the Red Legged Tortoise all a few pieces of water mellon. They all know me well and come to me as soon as I approach. It was a cloudy day and I observed the Box Turtles for awhile. The Box Turtles come out when the sun is not very hot. The River Cooter with the badly cracked shell has been taken to a vet. They want to secure the shell in place before trying to seal it.
     I collected a pile of cardboard and a large bag of plastic, both for recycling. Recycling is not only good for the environment, it also means BTN has to empty their dumpster less often. Each time they empty it they have to pay. The University I take the cardboard to, makes money on it. This creates a demand for recycling.

A Newborn (hatched) Gopher Tortoise

     I visited on Friday evening to see if I could help out. I cleaned the large bird cages (Bald Eagle, 2 Barred Owls, Turkey Vulture, Great Horned Owl). I hand fed the Emu some blueberries. 

     I hand fed Water Mellon to the Spur Thighed Tortoise, Red Legged Tortoise and two adult Gopher Tortoises. One of the Gopher Tortoises' was so sweet it climbed up into my lap. 

    There is a new baby Gopher Tortoise. It is still mostly yellow meaning it is very recently hatched from the egg. I held it in my palms for a long time warming it up. It slept there only occasionally looking up at me. As I was warming the baby tortoise there a Raccoon was trying hard to untie my shoe. 

10 Doves are Released

     Today 9/8/9 I fed the two remaining Gopher Tortoises some watermellon. They know me well now and come to me as soon as I come near. I fed the large Spurthighed Tortoise and Red Legged Tortoise too. All these animals get regular (more healthy) feedings by the staff. I'm just hand feeding them for the tortoise's enrichment/entertainment/socilization. The Box turtles on property are not as friendly yet.
     I captured the ten best flyers from the Dove enclosure and took them home for release. On transport I covered their cage with a dark sheet and didn't play the radio. I didn't want to do anything that might scare them anymore than they already were from riding in a car. I take my Water Snake and (Snapping and Box) Turtles in the car often just for short rides. Just to get them used to the experience. So when I take them to do classes they don't arrive all freaked out.
     I released the Doves right by my front door. There is lots of native Beauty Berry and Sycamore Tree seeds close by. In fact these are the plants I've been taking seeds off of to train these same birds to eat native foods. I someitmes brake off branches so the birds at the hospital would see the seeds on the branch rather than in a feeding tray.
     I also found some lost keys that were dropped when someone was looking for a large Spurrthighed Tortoise that has been seen in a close by neighborhood.
     I also picked up a pile of cardboard for recycling.

A Broken Turtle Shell

     We have a large River Cooter Turtle with a long zig zag crack across the back of its shell. I'm researching how to repair the shell. I know how to use fiberglass, I've repaired surfboards before. I need to solve the problem how to keep the liquid curing fluid from seeping into the wound. This would block the shell from growing back together again.
     While recycling cardboard I found a female Green Anole. I check the cardboard before putting it into my car. I've found everything from Green Anoles, Black Widow Spiders, Fever Moth Caterpillars, Roaches, Fire Ants, Ear Wigs and other interesting creepy crawlies. 

Watermellon for everyone

     This is a picture of a South American Red Legged Tortoise. This one is friendly and not aggresive. When hand feeding it you do have to watch your fingers.     
     On Monday (8/22/11) I went to BTN to help out. I picked up a load of cardboard for recycling and took out some trash. I fed watermellon to the Spur Thighed Tortoies, Red Legged Tortoise, 1 Gopher Tortoise and an Emu. The staff there have food out for all these animals, but I like to feed them by hand to spoil them and socialize them. I fed two Flicker birds also and swept the sidewalks to keep things looking professional.

6/5/11 Gopher Tortoises and Baby Birds

     I tried two new things today. The large pen our Gopher Tortoises are in has no grass left in it. The Gopher, (African) Spur Thighed and (South American) Red Legged Tortoises have eaten it all. So today I packed up four adult Gopher Tortoises in a cart and took them to a far end of the property where the grass grows thick. Three of them began eating as soon as they hit the ground. One did not eat at all. About 30 minutes later they were full and wanting to be in the shade.
          I also leared how to make baby bird food. There is a "Starter" pouder which you mix with water. It is kind of a very watery bean paste. The Logger Head Shrikes, Crows, Blue Jays, Wrens and Grey Cat Birds all liked it.
     I put fresh Water Hyacinths in the Red Eared Slider pool. The plant which is a very invasive exotic, is also great turlte/toroise food.

6/3/11 A Big Black Racer Snake

     Back to Nature Animal Hospital wanted me to release a five foot Black Racer Snake. For some reason this snake’s tongue would not go back in. I've never seen this type of injury before. The tongue was just hanging limp out of the right side of its mouth. But it was otherwise fully healthy and has been eating well. Also very unlike Black Racers this snake was very tame. It even let us (while being restrained) open its mouth to see what the problem was. When an animal does not fight you, that could be a sign it has been a pet or it is not feeling well. When I released it into some high grass it took off like a Black Racer should, letting me know everything was fine. Sometimes the best thing to do is nothing.

Back To Nature Wildlife Refuge and Hospital

    Back to Nature Wildlife Refuge is located in Bitho Florida. It is a native animal hospital with a focus on returning animals back into their native habitats. In this blog I will log in my work there to support their goal.

5/24/11
     Red Tailed Hawk
     Just a few days ago I was wondering why the hospital never gets any Crows. Well I went in today and there are two Crows there. One is big and bold acting, the other small and shy. I took a turn feeding the baby birds, they always act as if no one has ever fed them before. Even if I just fed them, then another rehab worker walks by they cry out, "I haven't ever beed fed in my whole life!" We seperated the Grackles who were getting agressive, now its the Blue Jays that are the yard bullies. One Blue Jay even bit me because I fed another bird first.
     I held an adult Red Tailed Hawk as Debbie the head rehab worker, changed dressings on the bird's feet.
I have done this before and this time the Hawk was very calm despite the fact we were pulling scabs off of it's feet, which I know hurt. Even releasing the Hawk back into its cage went smooth, that park of the handling can be a little scary. Birds can remember who you are and how you have treated them.
     The Iguana is doing better, it is an old one and health issues may be more frequent. People do interact with it, but it does not like to be picked up.
     They took the one Red Eared Slider turtle with bad shell damage out of the water to let its wounds dry out. I fed it some tangerine and water hyacinths, it seemed happy to see me, coming over to me when I came over to the drying pool. They will put some topical antibiotic on the wounds to ward off infections.

5/22/11
     Water Hyacinth Plants
     Today I went to Blanchard Park and collected some exoitc/invasive plants (48 Water Hyacinth Plants, 15 Water Lettuce Plants). I brought these to Back to Nature to feed to the Red Eared Slider Turtles. At BTN I took all the old plants from the Slider Pool and replaced them with new plants. I did witness one slider eating the leaves of a Water Hyacinth Plant. I had been wondering if they were just trampling the plants or actually eating them. To my suprise the Spur Thighed Tortoise also ate a Water Hyacinth Plant.
     I took a turn with the baby birds, spent some time wtih Zema the Western Couger, took out the trash and took a pile of carboard and a bag of plastics for recycling.
     We tooked at the large Green Iguana too. It has swolem limbs, some dirarea and has been spending a large abount of time in water. I've had Iguanas before and suspect Metabolic Bone Disease. I'll be researching this this week.
    
5/20/11
     The Chelonian Insitute
     Today I made an unannouced visit to Peter Pritchard PhD. He was very friendly and showed me all sorts of things about Turtles and Tortoises. I learned so much I had to think about it for a while to absorb it all. I helped him care for a Austraian Eastern Snake-necked Turtle (Chelodina longicollis) that had a broken piece off of its rear shell. He does not do relocations of Red Eared Sliders, so I'm back to searching for a way to send them home.

     Later at Back to Nature
     (The above picture is of a baby Loggerhead Shrike Bird)
     Today I fed the three Red Eared Slider Turtles, the African Spur Thighed Tortoise (Geochelone sulcata), the South American Red Foot Tortoise (Geochelone carbonaria) and several of the Florida Gopher Tortoises. I changed the water in the Turtle pool too.
     I took a turn with the very cute baby birds (Loggerhead Shrikes, Cardinals, Blue Jays, Mocking Birds, Flickers, Doves and Grackles). We don't seem to get any Crows.
     I spent some time with Zema the Western Mountian Lion. This Cougar is friendly and like to purr. It is shedding some fur as the Florida days become hotter. This giant kitty is one of my favorite animals.

5/19/11
     The Red Eared Slider Population Increases
     Today I went in and went right to work with the Turtles and Tortoises. There is now 3 exotic/invasive Red Eared Sliders. I've been calling the local Turtle expert Richard Pritchard PhD, but have not gotten through. I'm going to visit his Turtle Research Facility on Friday. I'm looking for a home for the sliders, or some way to mail them back to the Missisipii River. I'm considering building a Red Eared Slider colllection/holding facility at my house. Collect a whole herd of them, then drive or mail them back to their home range.
     I took a turn feeding the baby birds (Flickers, Grackles, Blue Jays, Brown Thrashers, Grey Cat Birds and Brown Thrashers. Often I help care for animals I've never seen outside of the hospital. For example even though I've fed many Brown Thrasher birds, I've never seen one in nature.
     I packed up a bunch of recycling cardboard and took it home.
     I worked some more (second day) on the big pile of yard waste. I want to get rid of this big pile because it is both a fire hazard and makes the hospital looks less professional. Another volunteer has donated a large trailer to pile it all in.
     I've been collecting exotic/invasive Cuban anole (Anolis sagrei) for years. Today I brought two in to feed to the soon to be released yound Raccoons. The sooner they can get off of dog food and back on wild food the better. Back at my home where there are no cages and where there are many Raccoons and Opossums being rehabed, thier main diet is road killed animals or exotic/invasive animals and plants I've found.

5/16/11
     Red Eared Slider Turtles
     Today I fed two Red Eared Slider Turtles some water mellon. These Turtles are native to the central part of the United States and an exotic here in Florida. I am working on finding a way to send them back to their native territory. One of the Sliders will eat right out of my hand the other is more shy.
     I took a turn feeding the large collection of baby birds too. Blue Jays, Grey Cat Birds, Mourning Doves, Northern Flickers, Grackles, Cardinals, Brown Thrashers and more. I find the Grackles to be the most aggresive, they sometimes push the other birds I'm trying to feed out of the way.
     I spend an hour moving a large pile of brush into a large trailer.
     I sat outside the double fencing of Zema the Western Mountain Lion. She likes me a lot and comes over to the fence and begins purring like a giant 100lb kitten.

5/15/11
     Soft Shell Turtles

     Today I released a large Softshell Turtle for BTN. I own a property that is bisected by the Big Econlockhatchee River. So I took the Turtle home in a big pet carrier, carried it down to the river and set it free. Sometimes turtles I release make a fast run for freedom, sometimes they take their time and allow me to get a good pitcture.

     Earlier today I saved another large Softshell Turtle off of a gravel road and put it into a pond. It must be nesting season because a lot of Turtles are being found crossing roads.

4/10/2010

     An Red Rat Snake is Rescued
     In the evenings snakes start hanging out on the roads trying to stay warm. I'm driving home and find this six foot Red Rat Snake stretched across the street. I was able to drive over it without touching it with any tires. I pulled over and stuffed it into a snake bag. I carry snake bags, a snake stick, pet carriers, small jars, leather gloves and an aniaml first aid kit in my car to rescue animals.

     Today I brought the snake to work to show people. I do this to teach people all about native animals and build their appreciation for them. I fed this friendly Rat Snake two mice then released it back into the swamp.