This is the fifth year of FWC's frosted flatwoods salamander headstarting project and the first winter during this time the Apalachicola National Forest has experienced normal rainfall. Three of the previous four years suffered from winter droughts, and a fourth-year torrential flooding, causing amphibian biologists to conduct emergency egg and larvae rescues from the few remaining breeding sites. Happily, the weather cooperated this winter and the salamanders' breeding ponds have filled with rainwater, giving the eggs an opportunity to hatch. Nevertheless, FWC biologists collected over 1,400 eggs in November and December for rearing in controlled outdoor environments, where they will benefit from lots of food and zero predators. The salamanders will then be released into the wild at various intervals over the next three to four months.
The Plight of the Smalltooth Sawfish
FWRI's Dr. Gregg Poulakis joined the Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation (SCCF) for a YouTube chat last month discussing the smalltooth sawfish, how it became endangered, summarizing his team's research, and what the future holds for this unique species. Dr. Poulakis also discusses how state-of-the-art technology is helping to promote recovery of sawfish. This video is part of SCCF's virtual lecture series, "Evenings at the Homestead".
FWRI's Scat Sniffing Dog
Meet Cowboy, a two-year-old golden retriever who is trained to detect scat of long-tailed weasels, Everglades mink, and the spotted skunk for FWRI’s Wildlife Research group. Scat detection dogs are an active form of survey, beneficial for locating species with large home ranges, that occur in low densities. In Florida and the southeast, extensive live-trapping and camera-trapping efforts for weasels have been unsuccessful. It remains unclear if traditional methods of detection are insufficient or if weasels have declined to the point where they no longer occur in these areas. Biologists are determining if scat detection dogs are a practical method for detecting these species. Initial surveys look promising as Cowboy has already detected spotted skunk scat!
Panther Successfully Rehabbed and Released
After being struck by a vehicle, this Florida panther was transported to the Naples Zoo, where it was successfully rehabilitated. The panther was then released back into the wild. Read the full story from Naples Zoo. To help support panther research and conservation in Florida, consider purchasing a panther license plate.
New on MyFWC.com/Research
We hope you enjoy these articles that have been recently added/updated on our website:
Harmful Algal Bloom Task Force Meeting Information Annual Rescue Summaries (Manatees) Florida Horseshoe Crab Watch-Linked with Limulus Area Contingency Plans 2020 Manatee Mortalities 2021 Manatee Mortalities Red Tide Manatee Mortalities 2019-2020 Save the Manatee Trust Fund Annual Report Manatee Population Monitoring Manatee Synoptic Surveys Gulf Gag: Where Have All the Cowboys Gone? Internship Opportunities Amphibians and Reptiles Integrated Population Model for Southwest Florida
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