Wildlife Viewing in the Everglades

January 25, 2018 by

wildlifeIt’s that time of year again! Wildlife view season in the Everglades. Sure, you can see birds and animals in the Park year-round, but more species migrate to the area during this winter, dry season. Unlike other areas of the country, the Everglades remains warm and since it is the dry season, there are also low water levels, which creates the ideal environment for many species to spend there time in…and even breed.

If you’re looking for an alligator, birds, or freshwater wildlife, your best bet is to head to Shark Valley, the Anhinga Trail (at Royal Palm) and Eco Pond. If you love birdwatching, Snake Bight (near Flamingo) and Chokoloskee Bay (Gulf Coast) are great spots to see water birds feeding.

The Everglades is a fragile habitat. From natural weather disasters to human development, the wetland has been stressed to be a healthy ecosystem. As humans, we are a guest in the Everglades; these animals and birds call this area home, so we need to respect them. They are wildlife, not pets, so it’s important to be respectful of all living creatures in the park, along with the Park itself. Bothering the animals could potentially stress them out or make them fearful or agitated. You do not want an animal angry with you, but also you do not want to upset an animal, because it could migrate or breed elsewhere (or not at all).

For this post, we wanted to share with you some wildlife viewing rules and tips while in Everglades National Park. Although some of these rules seem like no-brainers, it’s always good to refresh your memory. These rules come straight from the National Park Service.

  • Keep a good distance away from all wildlife.
  • Use binoculars or spotting scopes to get a berry view of any creature.
  • Never chase or corner an animal.
  • If an animal/bird seems agitated, back away, and even leave the area if it does not calm down.
  • Stay on the trails. You don’t want to disturb nests and dens.
  • Do not need wildlife.
  • If you find a sick or hurt animal or bird, leave it alone. If you’re concerned, fine a Park ranger or employee.
  • Do not bring your dogs onto the trails; they are not allowed.
  • Respect the environment if you do choose to go off the trails.

You can either view wildlife by foot or by airboat! Come do some wildlife viewing by airboat on a ride with Captain Mitch. Captain Mitch’s Airboat Tours give you a glimpse of the Everglades like no other. To book an airboat ride, click here or call 800-368-0065.

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Everglades Mammals Profile: The Least Shrew

January 18, 2018 by

least shrewWhat’s a shrew? A shrew is a small mouse-like mammal with a long, pointed snout and tiny eyes. The Everglades happens to be home to a few different families of shrews. For this article, we wanted to focus on sharing some facts about the North American Least Shrew.

  • This shrew is one of the smallest mammals, growing up to only 3 inches in length.
  • It has dense, grayish-brown (or reddish-brown) fur with a white stomach.
  • Its fur is lighter in the summer and darker in the winter.
  • It is a member of the Soricomorpha family.
  • Its ears are completely hidden by its fur.
  • This shrew has very small eyes.
  • Although mostly active at night, this shrew is active all day long, as well.
  • This shrew digs through loose soil and leaf litter to find food.
  • It hunts its prey by smell and touch.
  • This shrew feeds on caterpillars, beetle larvae, earthworms, centipedes, slugs, and sow bugs.
  • It will sometimes eat fruit or seeds.
  • They often share their food with other shrews, and can eat more than its body weight each day.
  • You can find this shrew in burrows or shallow runways under flat stones or logs.
  • The least shrew is a social creature.
  • This shrew’s breeding season is from March to November.
  • A shrew usually only lives for about a year.
  • Along with the Everglades, you can find the least shrew in Canada and Mexico and throughout much of the eastern United States.
  • Owls, foxes, raccoons, hawks, skunks, and snakes eat shrews.
  • To defend itself, the least shrew has a venomous saliva. It will aim for its enemy’s legs and try to cripple it.
  • This shrew is only considered dangerous in the state of Connecticut, due to coastal habitat development.

The Everglades is full of mammals for you to catch a glimpse! Come explore the Everglades on an airboat ride with Captain Mitch. Captain Mitch’s Airboat Tours bring you around the Everglades in a way you can’t experience by foot. To book an airboat ride, click here or call 800-368-0065.

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Everglades Animal Profile: Seminole Bat

January 11, 2018 by

seminole bateThe Everglades is full of creatures including the Seminole bat. This bat is considered to be a “medium” -sized bat weighing in at only 8 to 15 grams with an 11 to 13-inch wingspan. This bat is a deep mahogany in color that is frosted at the tips. Males and females are similar in color. This bat has fur from the tip of its tail to its arms and wrists and shoulders.

These bats are considered their own distinct species (Lasiurus seminolus) in the family Vespertilionidae.

In the springtime, the female Seminole bats give birth to usually one baby bat (pup), which means they mate in late fall or early winter. These baby bats stay close to their mother and begin to fly about 3 to 6 weeks after they’re born. After 2 to 3 months after birth, the baby bats can fly and search for food on their own.

Seminole bats are commonly found in pine trees, oak trees, hickory trees, and Spanish moss; they prefer to live in forests. They have also been spotted in lowland cypress stands, river swamps, islands and prairie edges. They can be spotted in the early evening when the temperatures are about 70 degrees. Not only is this bat found in the Everglades, it can be found in many regions of the United States, including: Louisiana, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas, Tennessee, Arkansas, and North Carolina.

These bats like to eat flies, beetles, bees, ants, wasps, moths, and leafhoppers. They eat primarily insects.

These bats do not hibernate or undergo large migrations.

These bats have been found by professional moss gatherers inside clumps of Spanish moss. It is believed that moss gathering may threaten these bats (because it’s their habitat), but there has been no studies done on this, as of yet.

If you’re a fan of bats, you’ll want to visit the Everglades closer to the evening to spot them. If you don’t like bats, there are plenty of other animals and birds for you to spot on a trip through the Everglades. Come explore the Everglades by airboat on a ride with Captain Mitch. Captain Mitch’s Airboat Tours give you a glimpse of the Everglades like no other. To book an airboat ride, click here or call 800-368-0065.

 Photo courtesy: http://nwdistrict.ifas.ufl.edu

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The Pros of Riding in an Airboat

January 4, 2018 by

airboatCaptain Mitch has been zipping through the Everglades on an airboat since he was a little tike. He followed in his family’s footsteps and began his own airboat touring company more than 30 years ago. As most people know, airboats are pretty iconic in the Everglades. Airboats are great way to travel in the Park that allow guests access to areas that are not accessible by foot.

For this article, we wanted to share with you the many benefits/pros of airboats in the Everglades.

  • Airboats are considered safe for riders, wildlife, and plant life.
  • Airboats don’t redirect natural water currents or alter surface hydrology as much as regular boats.
  • Airboats, unlike regular boats, don’t cause soil and organic particles in the water to rise up and affect plants, fish, and other wildlife in the water.
  • An airboat can go anywhere, whether its shallow or deeper waters.
  • Airboats do not have any moving parts under the water, which makes it safer in the water for fish and plants nearby.
  • If there is a collision with plants or animals, an airboat will cause far less damage than an average boat because it does not have a propeller.
  • Airboats are stable, so you can move without risking the vessel tipping over.
  • On an airboat, you get a great view of your surroundings because of the raised seating.
  • Airboats go fast, which is great if you end up in an area you shouldn’t be in by mistake.
  • Airboats can easily handle dense vegetation, sandbanks, dam walls, floating grass islands, and rocks in the water.
  • An airboat is easy to launch. In fact, only one person is needed to get the trip started.
  • An airboat doesn’t need a slip or ramp to be launched into the water.

Come explore the Everglades safely in an airboat. It’s a truly unique experience. For many, it’s an once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Captain Mitch’s Airboat Tours give you a glimpse of the Everglades like no other. To book an airboat ride, click here or call 800-368-0065.

 

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