Days of our Turtles...

Like sands through the hourglass...so are the days of our turtles. Well, maybe that's a little dramatic, but we have had a lot of turtle business lately! It started about a week ago, when we released Tuck, our yellow-bellied slider (see post from April 6) into the pond behind the nature center. He was big enough to fend for himself, and was also bullying Buck, our peninsula cooter. He was pretty excited to live in the big pond, but you can see him here looking back at us - reconsidering his bad behavior! But, then he swam away to explore.

Then, on Friday, an A.I.P. employee brought in three young turtles. Someone thought they'd be cute pets, but didn't realize the size they'd grow to. This is an important consideration when you are looking for a pet! Many young reptiles are bought and then tossed out when their owners don't have enough space for them. It's very hard on the animal itself, and also on the environment. Non-native animals compete with natives for habitat and resources. They may also upset the whole balance of an ecosystem. These three were saved from a yard sale!

We released them into the pond behind the nature center as well. As we were releasing them, maintenance workers brought in a tiny baby Florida red-bellied turtle, named Rex after his rescuer. It was found in the breezeway by the game room, which is by the pool. It was obviously lost....a pool full of chlorinated water is no place for him, and neither is the ocean!

Since he's so tiny we decided to keep him with Buck. No worrying about him fending for himself against the bigger Buck - he gave him a nip to put him in place!

Amber's feast

Amber is a yellow rat snake who lives around the nature center. We welcome her around the control the rat population for us. On Tuesday he/she decided to give us a real nature show. Guests had been seeing her in front of the nature center all afternoon. All of the sudden Kathy, who works in the shop part of the nature center, started yelling for me to come. Here's what we saw...apparently Amber caught a meal! We watched as she kept her body wrapped around the unfortunate rabbit.

We thought it was too big for her to swallow, since snakes have to swallow their food whole. To our fascination, she managed to eat it.

Here you can see the "lump" in her belly. It will take her awhile to digest the meal...bones and all! She probably won't need to eat again for a month now!
this video shows her using her muscles to get the meal down her throat. Notice how she has stripes, but you can't see the other pattern of her scales until they are expanded to fit around the food.

Mickey's Great Escape

About a week and a half ago Mickey the baby possum (see post from July 31) got to explore a new cage. He took to climbing right away and explored every inch of his new surroundings.

Awhile later, we saw Mickey on top of his cage! I figured he had gotten out through the door, so I was putting some clothespins to hold the door more securely...when all of the sudden he was out again! How was he doing this??

This is how! We didn't think he was small enough to squeeze through the bars, but apparently we were wrong! Never underestimate a determined possum!

So he immediately graduated to the next size cage, where he tried but couldn't escape! Now that he's bigger (a lot bigger than in this photo - I can't keep up!) he cannot escape out of the smaller cage, so now I feel safe keeping him there at night! He is also using a litter box...which makes our lives much easier!

New Office Managers...kitty updates

If you've been following this blog, you've learned by now that the nature center office is managed by cats. Buster did a great job with his office assistant Pixie, but, being as cats are pretty lazy creatures, they decided to retire early. He tried to train Bandit, but as you can see from this photo, she's not the best candidate for new office manager, unless we want all our papers eaten. So, he decided to take her with him to his new forever home! Their new mom is a friend of an A.I.P. employee. Both cats are always up to something, so I hope she can handle it! Pixie got her new family with her sweet and fluffy charm. An assistant at the vets office fell in love with her during one of her checkups. Pixie welcomed the news with a purr! Bandit's brother, Smokey, was taken home by Mary Lee. She works at the Amelia Angler - located here at AIP. He's become fast friends with her husband.

We are so happy that all of our cats at the nature center found great homes, although we miss them terribly! So, we had to call in Mikayla and Ike to fill in (see previous post for their story). Today they checked out their new office and seemed pleased with the large space and toys that the other cats left for them. While they are busy "managing", we will be busy trying to find them homes!

A birder's delight...

Yesterday I took a nice guy - Jason from Grayson (GA) - out on a tour. We stopped by Egret Airport because it was high tide. And high tide in the summer is a great time to visit Egret Airport! If you haven't been on one of our nature tours you may wonder where this airport is and why the tide matters...

Well Jason found out as we saw dozens of Roseate Spoonbills (my personal favorite pink birds) as well as wood storks, wood ducks, night herons, and, of course, plenty of egrets. To top it off, a glossy ibis flew in! This was the first time I've seen one there. Ibis are fun to watch birds with long down-curved bills. White Ibis (who are actually brown when younger) frequent the golf courses and marshes of Amelia Island Plantation, and I hope to see more of the glossy (shiny greenish/black feathers) again!

Top photo: Roseate Spoonbill and Great Egret

Middle: White Ibis

Bottom: one White and four Glossy Ibis. All photos were taken at Merritt Island Wildlife Refuge, a place where some of our birds go during the winter. Top two taken by Amanda Clark, bottom by me.

Check out the August 2009 Amelia Islander magazine for more information on the marsh birds of Amelia Island - www.ameliaislander.com

Baby Animal "Know-hows"

Today, a very tiny baby squirrel was left outside the Nature Center after some guests found him on the ground outside of their villa . They placed him in a flower pot by the back door and left. Hours later another guest walked into the Nature Center asking what something was outside. I looked into the flower pot to find a pink, hairless baby animal. It turns out to be a newborn squirrel. However when I found him he was very cold and close to death. I placed him in a warm place and have nursed him back a little bit however there is no guarantee he will make it through the night. I thank the guests for bringing Lucky Rufus to the Nature Center but here are some tips in you ever find an abandoned baby animal to make his chances for survival increase.
1). Observe the baby for a couple of hours, if you see an adult around, do not pick up it up. A baby squirrel starts to explore its world around 5 weeks, mom is probably watching. If you see a small birds fluttering around it was probably just a fledgling learning to fly and chances are mom is close by (if it has no feathers, try to locate the nest and gently place the baby bird back in, the mom will come back). Baby rabbits start to explore their surrounds at about 1 month, and can feed themselves without mom's help. SO unless the animal looks injured or sick do not take the animal out of it's environment.
2). IF this baby animal is injured, sick, or you know for sure it too young to be alone, check around the area to make sure it is the only one. If a nest falls, typically they hold many babies at a single time. Once you find however many there are, place them a box with a lid but make sure there are air holes. Place a blanket/ t-shirt/ towel in the box, nestle the baby next to a tightly closed bottle/jar of very warm water or a heating pad set on low. Don't use grass, leaves, or anything of this sort for bedding because it could be damp and make the animal cold. The most important thing in keeping this baby alive and healthy is keeping it warm.
3). Find a local vet, nature center, or wildlife place to take the baby. Do not try to take care of this baby animal. Do not try to give it food or water unless you are 100% sure what it needs. Inexperience in this field can lead to fatality.

Now that it is hurricane season, there will be more babies falling out of trees from bad weather. So please be aware of your surroundings and check for babies. We want to save as many animals as possible however we want you to know the right tips to ensure their greatest survival. If you have any questions, contact your local wildlife rescue place and speak with someone who will be more than willing to answer any questions you may have. Thanks for all your love and hard work for nature!

Animal rescue updates

Last week we had a very sweet and adorable visitor - this baby raccoon, Gracie. She was brought in after falling out of a tree. I took care of her overnight then brought her to the Wildlife Rescue near Jacksonville.

While I was there Mickey got a checkup. He weighed 80 grams and is as healthy as a little possum should be. He is growing like a weed!

Catty Shack Ranch

On August 7th, the Naturalists visited Catty Shack Ranch for their night feeding. Catty Shack Ranch is a wildlife sanctuary who mostly caters to the big cats. It is located in north Jacksonville, FL. The dedicated volunteers rescue big cats from improper living situations and give them the loving home they deserve.

The Naturalists had a blast as they got up close and personal with Tigers, Lions, and various other big cats. It all began at 6pm as a personal guide showed us around and introduced us to all the residents. Around 7:45, after everyone got a great understanding of the big cats and their conservation, Curt brought out the grub. The cats went wild as the cart drove by with their yummy turkey. Curt went by all the cages tossing in turkeys and playing with the cats (from his own side of the fence, usually). One or two of the felines gave Curt a bigol' goodnight kiss before they ate.

It was fun to see these animals this close up, but our hearts went out to them at the same time. Most of them have never seen their native environment and therefore cannot continue the species naturally. But for their cats now, Catty Shack does all they can to give them a fantastic life. They depend on donations and fundraisers for money (they have just recently opened a thrift store) so these volunteers do as much as possible with the little materials available.

The website for Catty Shack - http://cattyshack.org/ - has all the information needed to learn about this wonderful sanctuary. We definitely recommend this experience to any animal lovers!
See the video bar on the right for our videos from the feeding!

Bandit Needs a Family!

Bandit is a female kitten around 8 weeks old. She is a rescue from the Nature Center - refer to June Blogs. She is a very loving and very playful kitten. Bandit loves to play with her fluffy mouse and feather boa or just about anything that makes noise or moves. After a few hours of playing, Bandit's favorite place to cat nap is on your chest just under your chin and purring away. She is litterbox trained and on solid Purina kitten food. She has had her first shots and tested Negative for leukemia and FIV. Her brother, Smokey, has just been adopted but she is still in need of a wonderful, loving home! If you or someone you know would love to give Bandit a loving home please contact us! If you are not sure how Bandit will take to the new home, bring her home and see how it goes --we are more than welcome to take her back in if things do not work out. Please spread the word!

Mikayla and Ike

In late May we found two tiny kittens near the Sunken Forest at Amelia Island Plantation. They were only a week or two old - still had their eyes closed. We raised them and now they're about 10 weeks old. They are very playful and sweet. Mikayla (originally Mike) is a girl, black and white, and Ike is grey and white.

A couple of weeks ago these two tested positive for antibodies of FIV (Feline Immunodeficiency Virus). It is similar to HIV in humans but is not transmittable to humans. It spreads mainly from deep bite wounds - which occurs mostly in un-neutered male outdoor cats.
From http://www.vet.cornell.edu/fhc/brochures/fiv.html: Infected cats may appear normal for years. However, infection eventually leads to a state of immune deficiency that hinders the cat's ability to protect itself against other infections. Infected mother cats transfer FIV antibodies to nursing kittens, so kittens born to infected mothers may receive positive test results for several months after birth. However, few of these kittens actually are or will become infected. To clarify their infection status, kittens younger than six months of age receiving positive results should be retested at 60-day intervals until they are at least six months old.

Mikayla and Ike are about 10 weeks old now and ready to be adopted. They will need to stay indoors, but should have long and healthy lives. They will be re-tested for FIV and hopefully will not be infected. Please research FIV before deciding against adopting a kitten that tests positive. These loving kitties deserve a good home, too!

Hatchling Sea Turtles on Amelia Island

The Amelia Island Sea Turtle Watch is a group of volunteers dedicated to the preservation of sea turtles that nest on the island. Volunteers mark the nests as they are laid starting in May. Once the hatchlings are ready, they dig up the nest to ensure that all the hatchlings make it out safely and count the babies, eggs, etc. They put the babies in a bucket and then carry it down to the surf and let them go into the ocean. You can go to www.ameliaislandseaturtlewatch.com to see the excavation schedule and are welcome to come and watch.

This picture was taken very early Thursday morning when Sandy (from the spa) went to watch an excavation of a sea turtle nest. This little fella, actually she said it's a girl, had gotten stuck in the nest wall when it probably became disoriented during the mad escape.

Upcoming International Beach Cleanup and Right Whale Festival

On September 19 the Ocean Conservancy is having an International Coastal Cleanup!
The efforts of volunteers are crucial to the success of the Cleanup. Last year alone, nearly 400,000 people from 104 countries and locations joined together to clear 6.8 million pounds of trash from our ocean and waterways. By joining the fight against the rising tide of ocean debris, you are helping address the most pervasive, but solvable, pollution problems facing the ocean today. We will be having a beach cleanup at Amelia Island Plantation, call us at (904)321-5082 for more details. If you cannot be there, please consider participating in a location near you. http://www.oceanconservancy.org/site/PageServer?pagename=icc_about

On December 5, there is going to be a Right Whale festival in Jacksonville Beach. There will be live entertainment, food, kids activities, beach cleanup, beach run, exhibitions, and much more...see the following link for more details:
http://www.oceanconservancy.org/site/News2?page=NewsArticle&id=13061

Right whales can reach over 50 feet long and have their babies (called calves) off the coast of Georgia and Florida from December - March every year. We've spotted mother/calf pairs from the beach at Amelia Island Plantation. To find out more about right whales while playing a fun game, see the following link:

http://www.oceanconservancy.org/rightwhalegame/rightwhale.html