Gallery | Everglades Day Safari

evergladesdaysafari

Aug 14

Let’s talk about Florida Softshell Turtles (Apalone ferox). Like all turtles, the vertebrae are attached to the shell but unlike most turtles, the carapace is flattened and leathery providing them with the speed and flexibility to navigate freshwater environments that are additionally occupied by American Alligators (Alligator mississippienis).
Female Softshells can reach lengths of over 2 feet – double the size of the largest males. Mating occurs from March to May with nesting taking place from March to July. A typical nest can have up to 24 ping pong-sized eggs and females can lay multiple nests per year making them the most prolific egg-laying reptiles in North America. Incubation takes about two to three months.
a turtle in the grass
In addition to the “soft” shell, the turtle has a long snorkel-like neck and despite a lack of teeth can inflict a powerful bite. (Their species name “ferox” means ferocious). Escorting a softshell off of a road can be difficult. The plastron (underside of the shell) is minimal, giving them the flexibility to reach back and bite the hands that are helping them. They give Snapping Turtles a run for their money. They also can release a nasty musk from their cloacae to fend off predators.
We see this turtle most commonly on the airboat ride and occasionally digging a nest in the soft shoulders of the highway.

evergladesdaysafari

Aug 12

Here’s a vulture’s eye view of the Western Everglades where we take our airboat ride. Zoom through Pond Apple swamps on the fan boat and discover alligators, turtles and many species of beautiful Florida birds!

evergladesdaysafari

Jul 24

As we ride out the COVID pandemic and plan for a safe re-opening in the next few weeks or months, I have been looking back at some of my favorite tour photos including this pair of "Palm Warblers" perched in a Cabbage Palmetto. It's an atypical plant (palms are not true trees!) for Bald Eagles to relax in but this pair has been doing it for years. Broad-winged birds often alight on branches of trees that are easy to land on and easy to take off from but these two are an exception. They are one of several pairs that make Lake Trafford in the Western Everglades their home. The difference is subtle, but the female is the larger bird on the right. The female is often the larger of the sexes in birds of prey.

evergladesdaysafari

Jun 9

The Black-crowned Night Heron (Nycticorax nycticorax) looks remarkably different as a juvenile bird then it does as an adult. For the first 2-3 years of its life, the juvenile has brown and white stripes and spots and an orange eye. As they mature to adulthood, the eye becomes red and new plumage grows in black and white. They look a bit like tree penguins. They are considered crepuscular feeders, hunting at dawn and dusk, but they will feed through the night. The orange and red eye assists their vision at night. During the day they roost in the trees and avoid other herons that are prone to attack them in defense of their territory.

evergladesdaysafari

May 13

American Alligators do the reptile waltz

evergladesdaysafari

Aug 1

What happened here!

evergladesdaysafari

Jul 26

EDS guide Zak spots a Barred Owl on tour today

evergladesdaysafari

Jun 21

A rare Short-tailed Hawk soars above the Everglades in the Florida Panther National Wildlife Refuge. These tropical hawks are found in Central and South America and Florida. Florida's population is roughly 500, dining on smaller birds that they capture by plunging upon them from above.

evergladesdaysafari

Jun 14

The long-legged Black-necked Stilt takes advantage of the end of the dry season (Dec-May) and nests on exposed mud flats where their eggs are well camouflaged. As the rainy season kicks in, a nest of four Stilt eggs becomes buoyant, delicately floating in the shallow marshes of the Everglades. Soon, red-legged babies will emerge and meet the parents that have been watching over them for the last 25 days.

evergladesdaysafari

May 14

One of my favorite grammatically incorrect “interpretive displays” in the Everglades.

evergladesdaysafari

Apr 26

An Everglades Snail Kite launches from a Pond Apple tree in search of an apple snail for breakfast. The endangered bird relies on a deeply curved beak to extract snails from their shells. Identification bands can be seen around both legs - markers that give biologists age, range and other useful information that help conservation efforts. http://arcinst.org/snail-kite #SnailKite #evergladesday #evergladesdaysafari

evergladesdaysafari

Apr 10

Fish heads for lunch anyone? The Osprey is loving it. #EvergladesDay

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