Met this Leatherleaf Slug (Leidyula floridana) while working out in my backyard this weekend. My first slug sighting since I moved to Florida! I took a couple quick photos before moving it out of harm’s way.
Measuring under two inches, it isn’t the largest slug in the state, but with its crenulated foot, it is rather unique. This species is native to southern Florida but it has been expanding its range northward (slowly, I imagine).
After learning about the nearby fluorescent, bioluminescent waters last year I had to patiently wait for all the right factors to align (warm water, new moon, time off, cooperative weather, and synchronized schedules with friends). Luckily, everything worked out just right last night!
Katie, Lori, Arlene, Al, and I paddled out of the tiny Safety Harbor marina around 9:30pm (roughly an hour after sunset). I was eager with anticipation and it didn’t take long before we were all oohing and aahing over the mesmerizing display.
The light show is courtesy of millions of minute dinoflagellates (Pyrodinium bahamense) which emit a blue light when disturbed. The water was calm, a large ray flitted under us, dolphins swam by, and we were the only paddlers on the water. Though the camera on my phone barely captured the phenomena, it was magical. Thank you phytoplankton (and friends) for lighting up the night!
I was a bit surprised to see this snake swim by last night at John’s Pass. Sadly, after much fruitless searching, I still haven’t any idea exactly what it is. It certainly looked like a capable swimmer that knew how to hunt for food. Did you see it bump the algal clump (in the middle of the video), in an attempt to dislodge any hiding prey?
According to my research, there are not any sea snakes native to the Atlantic Ocean (and thereby, the Gulf of Mexico). Though there have been sightings of sea kraits and Yellow-bellied Sea Snakes in the past few years.
One hypothesis suggests that ships are responsible for these new visitors. It is possible that the snakes were suctioned up with ballast water in other tropical waters and then accidentally released here when the weight was no longer needed. There is documentation that other species have been introduced in this manner.
No matter what it is or how it got here, it certainly looked quite at home!
I’ve been picking up litter ever since I was little, it’s a hard habit to break. After all these years, I have a good eye for spotting trash and other oddities (things that seem out of place).
During the summer months, it’s fairly common to find curved, plastic-like structures on the beach. I will admit that my first summer here I presumed they were some kind of marine debris. Maybe from a fishing vessel? So, into the trash they went.
Last year, I didn’t pick them up. I still didn’t know what they were but I had a feeling that they were some sort of natural phenomenon. I was curious about them (but obviously not enough to take the time to photograph or research them).
A couple months ago, I was delighted to randomly come across an article that explained these strange shapes were not trash but were, in fact, egg casings created by the Shark Eye Moon Snail (Neverita duplicata). I tucked that important information away and waited for summer.
Last week I found my first egg casings (or sand collars) of the season. Each one contains thousands of eggs carefully secreted by the female snail into a protective, gelatinous structure. After a quick photo shoot, I carefully buried them back in the sand.
It takes them about six weeks to hatch so hopefully next month there will thousands of veligers floating in the water!
This bumper sticker certainly caught my attention, what a juxtaposition! Especially for down here in Florida…
While strolling the beach earlier this week I chanced upon my first Banded Tulip Snail (Cinctura lilium hunteria) shell. Carefully, I picked it up and turned it over. Most of the time when I find gastropod shells they are still in use by the sea snail. Other times they have been claimed by hermit crabs. In either case, I fling them back into the water so they can go about their lives in the sublittoral zone.
As decorative as it was, I was thrilled that this three inch long shell was devoid of inhabitants. There’s a lot going on with this shell: a thin, brown line spirals around the whorl while mauve and blue-gray streaks contrast against a creamy white background. Talk about eye-catching!
It now has a prominent place among my ever-growing shell collection. Did you know? A shell expert is a conchologist (if you were a researcher working with the live animals you’d be a malacologist).
If there’s anything I’ve learned in my two+ years living here, it’s that summertime weather in Florida is unpredictable. It will be sunny and hot and humid – that’s a given. But at any moment a storm could blow in. The thing that I’m the most concerned about is lightning.
Shortly after I moved here, a dad and his son were lounging on my favorite beach one sunny afternoon. They were struck by lightning, which killed the son and put the father in ICU. There was a distant storm far to the east that day. Here’s a PSA for you, did you know lightning can strike up to 10 miles away from the storm?
As a result, I check the forecast first thing every morning, I have two weather apps on my phone, and I’ve signed up for severe weather alerts from Pinellas County. Even with all that information, I only truly know the weather when I step outside. And, as they say down here, if I don’t like it, I can wait 15 minutes.
While relaxing in my hammock recently at Fort De Soto Park, I felt someone watching me. Turning carefully around, I encountered this intriguing-looking insect.
Despite the common name of Eastern Eyed Click Beetle (Alaus oculatus), the ovate white rings are not sensory organs. Instead, they are an example of a defensive mechanism designed to thwart predation.
At roughly two inches long this is not a tiny insect and those false eyes certainly make it appear larger. But that’s not all, as a click beetle it can also spring away quickly (which makes a loud clicking sound). I wish I had witnessed this action. Maybe next time!
I drove up to Ohio last month for my second cousin’s high school graduation party. The passage of time flabbergasts me, how in the world is Frankie old enough to head off to college? I definitely wanted to help celebrate that milestone, especially after a (non-voluntary) three year hiatus.
It was lovely to be back up in the farm country visiting with family, if a bit too brief. Hopefully it won’t be another three years before I return!
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