Over spring break, I traveled to the southern Gulf Coast of Florida. I stayed at a friend’s house in Port Charlotte and together we went to a number of beautiful beaches, about an hour away each. This climate is warm and humid year-round, allowing for countless bright green, flowering, and leafy species to grow all year long.
I encountered many wildlife species, including a Gopher tortoise, pelicans, crows, seagulls, various fish, squirrels, and the Seagrape tree.
For my research, I decided to explore the wildlife at Boca Grande. This beach was in an upscale neighborhood with many visitors and tourists, but its ecosystems were nonetheless fascinating. A tallgrass ecosystem lined the outer premise of the beach, which I spent most of my time there investigating. I found many ant colonies in construction, seagrape seeds, and shells, but my favorite sighting was a set of mammal tracks lining the edge of the tallgrass, as pictured below. Because I am unfamiliar with native Florida species, I cannot say with confidence which animal made these prints, but the ‘X’ shape in the negative space and diagonal-esque pattern suggest that they could have been left by a red fox.
