As Of September, The Sawgrass Nature Center And Wildlife Hospital Has Treated Over 800 Wild Animals.

One of the SNC’s permanent residents is a red rat snake we call Big Red. Red Rat Snakes are native to Florida and can be commonly found in the Everglades. All snakes have an ecological role to play in the environment, so even if you don’t like them, it is in our best interests to respect them and leave them alone.  

If you want to learn more about red rat snakes and how the SNC helps them, click the link: https://sawgrassnaturecenter.org/2014/11/07/lets-learn-about-rat-snakes/

Shoutout to our volunteers who managed to catch some great pics of a few of the SNC’s permanent residents. Featured is Cory the Red Rat Snake, Leonidas the Bearded Dragon, and one of the blue jays in our aviary. 

The reptiles featured here are used as educational ambassadors for their species. That means they’re used by professionals to teach visitors about their ecological roles and niche in the environment and why it is so important to protect their species. Leonidas the Bearded Dragon is used in particular as an example of an exotic species. Both reptiles featured here were surrendered pets that the previous owner could no longer care for. Used to a domesticated life rather than hunting for and sheltering themselves, these animals would not survive in the wild on their own. 

This orphaned baby raccoon was brought to the SNC after being found by a South Florida resident. Most baby raccoons do not have a fighting chance without their mom in the wild. Luckily, this little guy has grown quite a bit and will soon be ready to be prepped for release back into the wild. 

Often times, when people find abandoned babies in their neighborhoods it is because mom has died due to human activity. Wildlife rehabbers and nature centers are imperative to continuing breeding populations for wild animal species that are most impacted by human development and activity. 

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The head stabilization of an American Kestrel   

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Invasive Species and the Burmese Python

Have you ever heard the term, “invasive species”? Listen along to this month’s podcast from the Sawgrass Nature Center as our staff teams up with the Nature Conservancy of Southwest Florida to discuss invasive species and the Burmese Python problem in the Everglades!

https://anchor.fm/snc-wild/episodes/Invasive-Species-and-the-Burmese-Python-Part--I-e11n04k

Does that bird really need help? 

Located in Coral Springs, Florida, and operating for the past twenty-six years, the Sawgrass Nature Center and Wildlife Hospital (and its staff) have handled many wildlife encounters over the years. One of the incidents we and other nature centers see a lot of in the Spring are (not-so) abandoned baby birds. However, most times the bird calls we receive are not actually for birds that require assistance.

Baby birds have a natural part of their life cycle where mom prepares them to leave the nest. This means they spend a lot of time at the bottom of a tree outside of the nest. Now, because of the size and lack of developed feathers on these birds, many people see this as a sign for concern. But again, we assure you, this is entirely natural.

The last thing anyone should do when they see a baby bird is put it in a box and take it to a nature center. We know that it might seem scary to think that mom is not nearby, but parental birds are really good at hiding when they do not want to be seen. The baby that seems alone, may not actually be alone. Our best advice is to assess the situation from afar if you think there is cause for concern and call your local nature center. Your local wildlife rehabber will be best at determining whether or not the little guy is truly abandoned and needs to be brought in.

Birdnapping is more common than you might think. The Sawgrass Nature Center and many other nature centers like us, have received baby birds that did not need to be taken out of the wild. We never want to take a baby bird out of the wild for doing exactly what it is they should be doing at that point in their lifecycle. Again, as scary or unnatural it may seem to us for a baby bird to be on its own, it’s just as scary for them to be put in a box and brought in by humans.

A very rare Andean cat stretching out in front of wildlife cam 

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This mural was donated by the SNC’s artist in resident. It shows a typical Florida habitat full of common wildlife that can be found in our backyards. If you’re interested in learning more about the process of making the mural or the SNC, click the link below. 

https://sawgrassnaturecenter.org/2014/11/07/video-from-the-our-backyard-wilderness-mural-dedication-ceremony/

What is a Native Species?

Here in Florida, we are privy to a ton of unique and exciting wildlife due to our proximity to two very important natural features: The Everglades and the ocean. These two exciting ecosystems provide us with animals like Key Deer, the Everglades Snail Kite, and the Florida Panther that may not be found elsewhere in the world.

Any ecosystem or habitat in the world has native species. This means that the species arrived and has evolved in an area by only natural processes.  Other species in the ecosystem often evolved together and adapt to sharing an environment. For example, Florida Panthers and deer have adapted to sharing an environment together despite one being predator and the other being prey. It is a relationship they share and rely on to keep each other’s populations in check.

Unfortunately, not every animal we see in the wild is meant to be here. Take, for example, the Burmese Python in the Everglades.

An introduced species like the Burmese Python could affect the environment is several ways. They could adapt poorly in the new environment and perish, they could live within their new home and cause no major harm, or they could thrive with the lack of natural predators and outcompete native species. That scenario could mean that they could take the food, water, space, and other resources that would typically go to native animals. This would disrupt the natural balance in the ecosystem that has evolved over time. When this happens, the non-native species becomes invasive.

Wildlife hospitals like the Sawgrass Nature Center and Wildlife Hospital (SNC) take in and treat native wildlife, but it is illegal for the SNC and anyone else in the State of Florida to release non-native species into the local ecosystem. That means, the SNC can only admit injured or orphaned native animals for rehabilitation and release. Unfortunately, any non-native animal that might come our way would legally have to be euthanized or provided a forever home. Since we cannot always guarantee the space for all non-native animals and do not prefer to euthanize a healthy animal, we encourage finding other places that are specifically meant for taking in and sheltering non-native species.