staberg_c_017's Identifications

I observed the bird on the bank of a shallow lake in Temple Terrace. It stood at approximately 2-3 feet in high with a wingspan of about 3 feet. It had a long neck with a sharp, pointed beak. It had a glossy black color with streak of white feathers edging both its wings and the bottom of its tail. It stood with its wings fanned out in a semi-circular shape to dry them (Cornell University, 2017). The Darters known geographic distribution are the borders of shallow lakes and ponds in tropical and subtropical regions.
https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Anhinga/overview

While on a morning walk around my neighborhood, I spotted a small, maroon colored millipede, which belong to the Trigoniulus genus. This animal was roughly 6-7.5cm long. Millipedes are a part of the Bilateral Subkingdom, Protostomia infrakingdom, and Ecdysozoa group. The Ecdysozoa group includes arthropods, nematodes, and tardigrades. Ecdysozoa’s have hard exoskeletons and soft interiors. They grow by ‘molting’ or shedding their exoskeletons through ecdysis. Under the Bilateral Subkingdom, this animal is considered a triploblast, displaying bilateral symmetry.

*Additional observation notes: 79 degrees Fahrenheit, Sunny

*Links: https://biologydictionary.net/protostome/

This appears to be a reddish-brown colored millipede that was about 2 inches long and a quarter of an inch wide and tall. I found this little fella outside my apartment’s porch and he was walking pretty fast away from me. I made this observation based on the information presented on biologydictionary.net/protostome/

This Cuban Tree Frog was photographed at the University of South Florida campus on a rainy night. It was about 1.5 inches long. It had bulging eyes, short fore-limbs and long hind-limbs which help it to hop around. Each limb extended to three long toes. It was greenish yellow color with light brown patterns on its body. According to https://www.evergladescisma.org/the-dirty-dozen/cuban-treefrog/ , "The Cuban treefrog (Osteopilus septentrinalis) is a large treefrog that can grow to 4–5 inches long. They vary in color, but are normally beige, white or brown. They may also be green or dark yellow, and may have darker markings on their back and legs. They have large toe pads, “bug eyes”, numerous small warts, and a yellow wash in their armpit and groin areas. The young have reddish eyes, a jagged line down each side of their body, and bluish-green colored leg bones."

Description: a reddish brown insect that moves very slowly and fluidly by undulating its many short, thin legs that line the underside of its rounded, shiny exoskeleton. It is approximately 4 cm long and has a distinct head with forward facing eyes and 2 short antennae.
Habitat: the specimen was found in an urban environment on the floor of a restaurant
Citation: Eaton, Eric R. “Species Trigoniulus Corallinus - Rusty Millipede.” Species Trigoniulus Corallinus - Rusty Millipede - BugGuide.Net, 2 Oct. 2008, https://bugguide.net/node/view/230605.

Skinny, brown, ran fast, able to climb trees fast, white belly. Maybe about 8-12 inches long, and only a couple inches wide. Bushy tail. I located him on campus after class.

https://www.pestworld.org/pest-guide/nuisance-wildlife/tree-squirrels/

• It is about less than one inch long and is a red color.
• It has many tiny little legs all along both side of the insect (bilaterally symmetrical).
• According to insectidentification.org millipede like to hide in dark moist areas. Some are flat in shape and others are tubular. Millipedes come in black, brown, red, ivory and white.
• The organism was found by mulch in a shady area around 9 in the morning (so while it was still cool out).
• Millipedes are found in the warmer climates.

Taken at 4:36 PM in a lightly wooded area next to my neighborhood. About 85-90 degrees Fahrenheit at the time of the photo. Both the seeds and leaves greatly resemble Caesar Weeds. Resource: Atlas of Florida Plants

• round shell, with light brown and dark brown spots patterns on shell
• non-webbed and stumped feet helps define it is in the gopherus
• it’s in the turtle (Teatudines) order which has a defining characteristics of a body encased in a bony shell
• reference: animaldiversity.org
• low grassy area with sandy/dirt soils
• found in lower coastal plains of the southeast (Southern South Carolina to Florida)

I observed this bird in the parking lot of Steak n’ Shake in Tampa. Of course this is not the bird’s natural habitat. I believe the bird to be the Cattle Egret (Bubulcus ibis), thought I am not familiar with this bird to know for sure. Bubulcus is best known for being in colonies in fields and pastures surrounded by cattle, as the name suggests. Florida has plenty of open fields and pastures with rural areas having cattle as well. There was probably a pasture nearby. The bird appears small for it size, I would assume that the bird was immature and has not yet reached full maturity. Not only was size an indication but when I searched more pictures of the Cattle Egret, it seems adults have more yellow feathers on top and on their breast. My bird had no yellow feathers on its breast and very little on the top of its head, almost like a streak. It’s common for birds in the Ardeidae family to have long necks, long beaks, and long legs, just as the Cattle Egret I photographed has. I used floridasnature.com to read about more information about the Cattle Egret. They stay year round in Florida, Mexico, and the Caribbeans.

Cabbage Palmetto in a disturbed lot near the road. No clear indications of trimming or irrigation. Evidence of another tall flowering plant in very close proximity to the roots of the cabbage palm. The cabbage palm had a green to orange gradient at the tips of each leaf on the older living fronds, dead fronds that indicated dehydration through light browning. Newer leaves closer to the center all leaves seemed healthy by solid green shading. There was no trunk exposed since this is a juvenile. Each limb had a thin branch into a curved frond leaf, the base of the leaves curve downward and back up again further out from the base.

Approximately a 2-3ft, yellow with four pinstripes, with distinctive weakly keeled scales. Their tails seems to be cut short, probably due to an old injury.
Reference: https://www.floridamuseum.ufl.edu/herpetology/fl-snakes/list/pantherophis-alleghaniensis/
Was found in friends back yard, inside a planter bucket, that was near a string of hardwood trees. Known for living in residential/agriculture areas that have forests nearby.

Tan colored adult moth with a wingspan of about 9cm. Distinctive eye imitating markings on wings. Found on the ground of a longleaf pine forest ecosystem.

Found throughout majority of United states, and parts of Canada and Mexico. http://entnemdept.ufl.edu/creatures/MISC/MOTHS/polyphemus_moth.htm

Small, 5-6 inches, dark red-brown with light stripes across its body, blue streaks on the snout. Distinctive features include dark red-brown coloration, pointed pectoral fin, and a rounded anal fin. Information gathered from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission https://myfwc.com/wildlifehabitats/profiles/saltwater/snapper/gray-snapper/. This snapper was caught in a coastal habitat near a string of mangroves.

Antigone canadensis
Sandhill crane
Located near a marshy pond with lots of trees and other wildlife. The sandhill appeared to be about 2-3 feet tall with elongated neck and beak. Also has very distinctive red mark on top of head. Drooling feathers form a bustle around its back end. “Tall heavy bodied bird with long neck and long legs, note red crown” (All About Birds).