Florida Snapping Turtle

Here are some pictures of the newest addition to my turtle tank. He is a Florida snapping turtle (Chelydra serpentina osceola) and he was rescued from the middle of a busy highway. There wasn't any water nearby, so he must have been traveling for some time. He was so dehydrated when I got him that he couldn't submerge for about two hours. Florida snapping turtles are only found in Florida and Georgia and reach a maximum size of about 17 inches.

Taillight Shiner

Here are some pictures of a taillight shiner (Notropis maculatus). This is a fish that is found throughout much of the eastern United States. Unfortunately, very little is known about this fish and the only life history work was done in 1974. I've had this fish for about a year and I've found him to be a lively little fish that adapts well to aquarium life.

Striped Mud Turtle

The striped mud turtle is found throughout most of Florida and reaches a maximum size of around 4 inches. These turtles prefer still waters such as swamps and canals, with lots of aquatic vegetation.

Sheepshead Minnow (Cyprinodon variegatus)

These are pictures of a male sheepshead minnow. During spawning season he will sport a yellow/orange belly and pectoral fins.

My Fellow Fish Enthusiast

 
 
This is my 5 month golden retriever. He likes to study aquatic wildlife too! 

Great Egrets

So far this year, Central Florida's rainfall totals are about 5" below normal. This has caused water levels to fall drastically and in many places the fish are condensed into very small areas. This has turned many of our ditches into all you can eat buffets for wading birds such as the great egrets pictured here.

Raccoon

I was driving down a dirt road the other day and I came across four raccoons crossing the road. I pulled to the side, grabbed my camera and gave chase. Three got away but the fourth decided to climb a tree. Unfortunately for him the tree was only about ten feet tall. He just sat there with this "guess I should have picked a bigger tree" look on his face.

Sailfin Molly

Chances are you've seen sailfin mollies in your local petshop. Perhaps you may have thought that these fish come from some far away, exotic place? This isn't the case. Sailfin mollies (Poecilia latipinna) are found in fresh, brackish and costal saltwater habitats from North Carolina to Texas and the Yucatan Peninsula and is very common in peninsular Florida. This is a young male I collected in a local canal. Once he matures, he will have bright orange cheeks and a blue and yellow tail.

Dollar Sunfish

 
 
 
These are Dollar Sunfish (Lepomis marginatus). The top two pictures are of males and the bottom is a female. These are my favorite native sunfish and were also the first native fish that I spawned in my aquariums. You can view videos of these sunfish on my website at: www.floridaexplorer.org