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One of the first close-up wildlife experiences for typical suburban kids may have come in the form of a “turtle oasis” purchased at the local pet store. I had turtles. They lived in our Florida room in a round plastic container filled with fresh water. The habitat had a raised center area, filled with sand and adorned with a plastic palm tree. The turtles, who were always named “Tommy,” would swim in circles around the ring, and climb out to dry off in the center. The turtles were of the slider variety, so designated because they slide into the water when approached. I fed them hamburger meat and turtle food. Though they can live 20-40 years with proper care, my turtles died.  A young Spur thighed tortoise retreats inside its protective hard shell. Red-earred sliders and Yellow-bellied sliders are the typical species of turtle you will find at the pet store. The yellow-bellied variety is native to North Florida. Yellow-bellied sliders are recognized by the yellow markings on their belly and neck. The non-native Red-earred slider gets its name from the red stripe around its ears, and is included in the list of the world’s 100 most invasive species. Well meaning folks who have out-grown their need for a pet turtle, have released their pets into the wild, only to have let loose a non-native turtle that can out-compete native species. Don’t do that.  A Yellow-bellied slider emerges from the pond for a gulp of air. They are excellent swimmers and can hold their breath for up to 30 minutes.  Though turtles live near the water, they lay their eggs on land. On the other hand, in a world of disappearing natural spaces there is a lot of competition for a place to live. That is why it is great to create home landscapes that have natural habitat where wildlife can live. My neighbor Penny Dinsmore’s home is dominated by a water feature that naturally incorporates plantings, rocks and ledges to be as close to resembling a natural occurring pond as possible. The building contractor excavated the length of the property between the house and the street, creating a tidal pond 8-10 ft. deep. There is a raised rocky area in the center, and sloping walls that meet a ledge just above the water level. A foot bridge leads up to the house; shades of Monet’s Giverny in Key Largo.  A Yellow bellied slider turtle showed up in a water feature at Ocean Reef. The homeowner named the turtle “Mystery.” A total of four adult turtles live in the pond, and babies have been spotted this year. The sound of moving water and lush foliage cascading down the sloping banks completes the tropical oasis, or shall we say “turtle oasis,” after the pond caretaker brought a turtle named “Tiggles” to live in the pond. A second turtle appeared, so Penny named it “Mystery.” Two more of the same species “Ginny” and “Raptor” were purchased. The turtles are Yellow-bellied sliders (Trachemys scripta scripta). Penny is a true turtle mom… She provides a great turtle habitat, with lots of hidey holes where turtles can be out of sight, or protected from the weather, as well as regular feedings; even when she is away. Small turtles have been spotted recently, so the turtle family is becoming established in a very special place. In 1513 Ponce de Leon encountered the seven coral reef islands 70 miles off Key West, and named them “Las Tortugas” (The Turtles) for the bounty of turtles found there. Subsequent explorers found the islands lacking fresh drinking water, and they changed the name to “Dry Tortugas.” The earliest maps of Key West show that people kept turtles along the shores of Key West. The early settlers captured green sea turtles and stored them in “kraals” until needed for meat, eggs or soup. Krall comes from the Dutch word for “corral,” and were shallow water enclosures with wooden poles spaced close enough to keep the turtles in, yet allow water to flow through.  This Red-footed tortoise is native to South America. A turtle is a reptile which has a bony shell. Turtles live in the water, but lay their eggs on land. Tortoises live on land. All tortoises are in fact turtles, but not all turtles are tortoises. Florida has a native tortoise called the Gopher tortoise, and it lives in northern Florida. They create burrows in the ground which provide homes to a range of other creatures in addition to the tortoise. Though the native Florida Box Turtle lives on land, and often wanders into residential neighborhoods, it is not considered a tortoise. They prefer damp environments such as wetlands and swamps, but they do not enter water deep enough to swim.  A box turtle is rescued from the middle of the road and placed in the brush near Crocodile Lake. They prefer damp environments such as wetlands and swamps, but they do not enter water deep enough to swim. Box turtles live on land, and often wander into residential neighborhoods.  An 86 year old Male Spur thighed tortoise and 16 year old female “playing” around. These tortoises are from Africa, and despite the female producing eggs, they do not hatch due to unsuitable conditions in South Florida.  Turtle shells are made of bone that develops from ribs that grow sideways, and form plates that join to protect the body. The shells are covered in scales made of keratin.  This Spur thighed tortoise weighs about 100 lbs. Its feet are covered with spur-like scales made of keratin. You can encounter non-native tortoises such as the Spur Thighed tortoises from Africa and Red-footed Tortoises from South America at wildlife centers and zoos. The Everglades Outpost located in Homestead, used to be a place to encounter reptiles, including tortoises, however the growing sprawl of new housing developments creeping closer to the Everglades has forced its closure.
Spur thighed tortoises can live to more than 100 years old. In fact, one was donated to the nature center at Ocean Reef after consideration by family members who decided it should not be included in a man’s last will. Maybe a turtle trust?
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As a loyal Florida Gators football fan, I always root for the Gators and anyone playing against Florida State. It’s never easy watching your favorite team on a losing trajectory, especially after living through their glory years, including National Championships in 1996, 2006 and 2008. So when in 2025 University of Miami defeated Florida State football team, I rooted for the Miami Hurricanes. When Miami found itself in the 2026 National Championship, I was leaning toward Miami, but open to Indiana whose quarterback Mendoza has deep Miami family ties, and is a very good guy. It was a good game, ending with Indiana winning after intercepting a Miami pass, stopping a Miami scoring drive. Not particularly fond of the Hurricanes quarterback, I figured the good guys won.  The scarlet ibis has a long, curved bill which it uses to probe in the mud for insects, crustacean, frogs and fishes. The Miami Hurricanes mascot is the White Ibis named Sebastian. Though Sebastian looks a bit like a duck, an ibis is a way better mascot than a “hurricane.” What kind of dance would a hurricane do? Would it run around and expel wind? The mascot was chosen by the student body in 1926. According to legend, the ibis exhibits bravery (or stupidity) as it is the last bird to depart the area in advance of a hurricane. As the storm passes the ibis is the first to reappear, exhibiting resilience. The ibis is often called the hurricane bird, or the storm bird, as they keep an eye on the weather. They are an unofficial storm warning system, especially when you see a lot of them flocked together.  Wading in shallow water, in search of marine worms and other aquatic creatures. The White ibis (Eudocimus albus) is the most numerous wading bird in South Florida and in the Everglades. It is found from the southern half of the US East Coast (Virginia, the Carolinas and Georgia), along the Gulf Coast states (Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana and Texas) and south through most of the Caribbean coastal regions of Central America. Their breeding range runs along the Gulf and Atlantic Coast, and the coasts of Mexico and Central America. The White ibis doesn’t mind being in urban settings. It is becoming more of a suburban bird, and can be found almost everywhere the Florida Keys, Homestead, Redlands, Naples, road margins, artificial ponds, downtown Miami, and, yes, at the University of Miami campus where they congregated long before there was population in Miami to attend one.  Juvenile and mature ibis. The ibises call sounds like a foghorn… nothing pretty about it. They croak and quack, like a duck with nasal congestion. They walk in shallow pools, slowly with their heads down, sweeping their bill from side to side, looking for crabs, crustaceans, marine worms, frogs, fish and other wetland creatures. They traverse backyards and road shoulders, probing as they go, capturing by touch worms and insects found in the ground cover. Thousands nest annually on a small island at Crandon Park near Key Biscayne. In the morning and evening you can see them flying overhead, heading to and from their feeding grounds in yards and parks. Within eye and earshot of a bustling populated Miami, these ibis are a testament to adaptiveness.  Reflection of a juvenile while ibis. Adult White ibis are easy to recognize by their bright white feathers, pinkish-red bill, and curved posture. Immature White ibis are brown with a white belly. There is another ibis who is cousin to the White ibis called the Scarlet ibis. The Scarlet ibis (Eudocimus ruber) looks exactly like the White except is is bright red, and is the only shorebird with red coloration in the world. It is the national bird of Trinidad and Tobago. It is numerous in Central and South America, and the Caribbean.  Ibis are social birds, traveling in groups. They are spooked by my presence and the camera. The Scarlet ibis is red because they eat of lot of red crustaceans. I photographed the Scarlet ibis at the Brevard Zoo in Melbourne, Florida. The aviary there is 20 foot tall and 4,000 square foot, and visitors walk among the birds as they wade in ponds, and roost in trees within the enclosure. Natural threats to the ibis include jaguars (haven’t seen to many of them lately…unless you are referring to the vehicle) and birds of prey. A greater threat is due to population growth and loss of habitat, though they are adapting. Or if you are a Miami fan, the White ibis was overpowered by the “red” of Indiana. Go Gators. I actually think my Florida Gators can jump out of the water and chomp on the ibis… but that is for another year.  A flock of mature white ibis. There's a bird that is everywhere, but is generally under appreciated... it's the seagull. This group of 47 species is one of the most recognizable, despite there being no such species as a “seagull”. These members of the gull and tern family are common near coastal beaches and waterways. If you mention “seagull” to a Keys resident who likes to fish, they’ll tell you if you see a line of seaweed, with flocks of seagulls flying over it, chances are there will be mahi or tuna nearby.  Close-up of a “Laughing Gull”, a year-round resident of South Florida. My photos of the Laughing Gull (Leucophaeus atricilla) were taken from the stern of a sightseeing boat, while touring the wooden stilt houses of Stiltsville in Miami about a mile and a half offshore Key Biscayne. These birds are named for their calls that sound like a laugh. Gulls are opportune feeders, adept at fishing and scavenging. The passengers were throwing saltines into the air, to the gulls in our wake. These superb flyers managed to catch the cracker before it (or the bird) hit the water. Key Biscayne is connected to Miami by a causeway called Rickenbacker Causeway, named after Capt. Eddie Rickenbacker, the legendary WWI flying ace, Commander of the 94th Aero Squadron and innovative fighter pilot who devised new ways for how American pilots engaged the enemy. The nation cherished Capt. Rickenbacker, and he was a true American hero. After the war he started a car company, founded Florida Airways, purchased the Indianapolis Motor Speedway from Carl Fisher, and founded a comic strip called Ace Drummond. Eddie’s nickname after World War I was the ‘Ace of Aces’. But all those accomplishments pale in the eyes of Capt. Rickenbacker who was grateful for a seagull that saved his life and the lives of 6 other men who survived 21 days adrift at sea.  January 1935: Capt. Rickenbacker assisting Mrs. Woodrow Wilson, after completing her first extended flight aboard Eastern Airlines. He revolutionized air travel. In October 1942, Eddie boarded a B-17 Bomber in Hawaii headed to see General Douglas MacArthur. Capt. Rickenbacker was a passenger and envoy on this secret military mission, when the plane had a navigation malfunction, got lost, ran out of fuel, and ditched in a remote part of the Central Pacific Ocean. The crew was adrift aboard three rubber life rafts; food and water ran out after three days. On the eighth day of being lost, Rickenbacker fell asleep only to be awakened by the feel of a seagull that had landed on his head. He reached up, grabbed the bird’s feet, wrung it’s neck and it became dinner for the men. The intestines were used for bait and by using the bones as hooks, they were able to fish and survive for 13 more days. After 21 days and 400-500 miles floundering at sea the men were rescued. Capt. Rickenbacker had lost 40 pounds and was too weak to stand when he was lifted aboard the rescue plane.  Gulls are opportune feeders, adept at fishing and scavenging, even catching saltines in mid-air  He recovered and went on to achieve personal and financial success. But despite all his accomplishments, and the accolades of a nation, Rickenbacker never forgot that incident, and chose to be grateful for that one bird… a seagull… who gave hope both physically and spiritually to the survivors.. For the remainder of his life (he lived till age 82), part of “Old Ed’s” routine every Friday evening about sunset was to go to a South Florida pier with a bucket of shrimp to slowly and methodically feed the seagulls. He’d reflect on events of that fateful day a half decade earlier, and express gratitude to the bird who gave of itself without a struggle. He’d walk to the end of the pier alone, but soon would be surrounded by dozens of seagulls, screeching and squawking, flapping and fluttering and in a few short minutes the bucket was empty.  These superb flyers managed to catch the cracker before it (or the bird) hit the water. As the sun goes down, the old man whispers “thank you - thank you” to the gulls, as he lingers in thought, transported to another time and place, then turns and slowly walks home. To the unknowing, his actions would appear strange or unusual. You never know about the quiet old souls, and the great things they have done during their lifetime. Miami was grateful for Capt. Rickenbacker. In 1935, Eastern Airlines was headquartered at Miami International Airport in unincorporated Miami-Dade. Eastern Airlines was the first airline to operate without a subsidy from the Federal government. Rickenbacker revolutionized air travel.  The Rickenbacker Causeway, opened in 1947, made possible public access to Key Biscayne and Crandon Park, expanding Miami-Dade’s parks and recreation opportunities. On Nov. 9, 1947 the Miami Commission dedicated “Rickenbacker Causeway,” the road connecting Miami with Key Biscayne. Rickenbacker’s good friend and commissioner Charlie Crandon was instrumental in the acquisition and expansion of parks throughout Miami-Dade, including his namesake park (Crandon Park), and the new causeway made public access possible. Rickenbacker would feed the Laughing gulls on Key Biscayne Beach until his death in 1973. Guess he had the last laugh when his prayers were answered in 1942 when the seagull saved his life.  My photos of the Laughing Gull (Leucophaeus atricilla) were taken from the stern of sightseeing boat, while touring the wooden stilt houses of Stiltsville in Miami about a mile and a half offshore Key Biscayne. |
CAROL ELLIS
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