Blog Number 1; 4/23/2021; Land Mammal Inspectors

  Vlog: https://youtu.be/eMMRMc0rlm8

Natural ecosystems are vital to the growth of society. Some may see them as primitive and archaic, but they increase the spiritual level of the people who live by there. There is no better feeling than hanging out in the woods, looking for animals. It is always important to check an ecosystem’s health, and the best way to do that is through its inhabitants, the animals. Everything in an animal’s world revolves around an ecosystem, they know its health better than any one else. The question is, how do they tell us? They indirectly tell us through behavior, markings, calls, scat, and many more signs. For this project, I am specifically focusing on the Everglades. The Everglades, in my opinion, is the best national park in America. With coral reefs, big cats, beautiful birds, and large mammals and reptiles make this one of the most biodiverse places in North America. However, while the Everglades is protected in Florida, there are many equally as diverse places surrounding it that are being destroyed for development. The ecosystem is in trouble, and we need to read its messages so we know how to help it. Each week I will be covering a category of animals that live in and by the Everglades, explaining the signs they leave behind to grasp the health of this beautiful place. For this week, I will be covering land mammals, specifically the Florida panther, nine-banded armadillo, and the North American bison.

Panthers are what are referred to as “umbrella species”. This means they control the wildlife population of their area. Most top predators are umbrella species, and help maintain the balance of an ecosystem. However, these animals ae quite illusive, but certain signs can show their existence. For instance, panthers often can not eat a large carcass such as a hog or a deer at once. To conserve the food from their kill, panthers will burry it under brush and leaves to store it. This shows a panther is in this spot enough to bury a carcass here. If you spot a panther making a high-pitched “mew” sound, that means other panthers are close by. Either their caregiver, mate, or kittens are nearby. Panthers can be seen making a face where they curl their lips, crinkle their nose, and have their mouth partially open. This is an extremely healthy sign. It is a male panther smelling the urine of a female to tell if she is ready to mate. Even if she is not, the fact that a male and female panther live in close vicinity is very promising. However, not all panthers get along. Males panthers will often fight each other with growling and clawing if one trespasses on their territory. If a panther is found dead with its nasal arch region to be enlarged, he is most likely a fatality of a conflict. Urban development is making suitable spaces for panthers to reside smaller and smaller, making encounters like these all too often. If panther scat is found broken into blunt or round ended segments, it means the panther’s diet consisted of more hair and bones than usual. This shows us that there is a lack of prey in the area, causing the panther to eat more scraps in order to survive.

Nine-banded armadillos are a relatively newcomer to Florida. During the 1800s, armadillos had a natural migration from Texas to the South-Eastern USA. Despite this, is has adapted to living in Florida, and even having benefits for endemic endangered species. Armadillos are known for their digging capabilities. They can manage up to twelve burrows at once, and abandon them to escape predators. This has offered homes for endangered burrowing owls, and protection for small animals during hurricane season. This task used to be taken up by the gopher tortoise. However, they became endangered due to people using their meet for stew. While they recover, the armadillo has been filling in as nature’s contractor. When foraging for food such as ant and termites, armadillos can smell the ants and termites underground. To eat them, armadillos dig a five-inch pit and use their long tongue to slurp them up like an anteater. If these pits are found, it means the soil of the area is very fertile.

Historically, bison were very prevalent in Florida. However, due to the bison massacres of the 1800s, they went extinct from the Everglades. However, resent re-introduction programs have put a small population in the everglades in hopes of them repopulating their former numbers. When bison raise their tails vertically, that means they are getting ready to charge. This is a defense mechanism, which means either the bison’s mate or children are nearby. If a female bison is well fed and seen standing far away from the herd, it is a sign that the bison is about to give birth. Normally, young bison are hunted by panthers and red wolves. However, if one of these predators are seen attacking a full grown, healthy bison, it means there is a lack of prey in the area. An easy way to tell is a bison was previously in your location, one can look for horn marks on trees. Horn marks are a long, vertical strip of the tree that is naked. This means the bison was sharpening his horns for the mating season.

All around, these three mammals can give us useful information about the health of an ecosystem. The Everglades and surrounding wilderness are now more fragile than any other point in human history. If we are to keep these places for future generations, we must be able to check the ecosystem’s health. Luckily, we have animals to help us with that.