Camoflage

The dictionary defines camouflage as "the use of materials, coloration or illumination for concealment, either by making animals or objects hard to see (crypsis), or by disguising them as something else (mimesis)."

In military operations, camouflage is one of the most highly developed and effective forms of defense. Camouflage design for uniforms and equipment has become a very serious area of warfare. The new stealth technology makes the F22 Raptor aircraft virtually invisible to enemy radar. This is also a form of camouflage.

In nature, camouflage is also one of the most highly evolved and effective defense mechanisms available. Most insects, small reptiles, birds and baby mammals are on some predator’s dinner menu. The ability to blend into their natural surroundings (crypsis) makes it much more likely they will survive and pass on their genes to future generations. Juvenile camouflage is effective in many species, but may morph into beautiful mating plumage and markings in adults.  Some insects have evolved large eye patterns on their wings or backs to make them appear threatening to their predators. (mimesis)

But not only prey use camouflage. Many predators hide themselves in order to surprise their wary or faster victims.

The American alligator is a great example of the use of prey and predator camouflage. Baby alligators, less than 10 inches long, have yellow spots on brown bodies that allow them to blend into the detritus around the marsh’s edges. As adults, gators are primarily dark grey or black. They can hide among fallen trees and branches in the blackwater lagoons, motionless and capture the much more agile fish and birds.

Perhaps the masters of all camo techniques, are the anoles and chameleons. They can actually change their skin color depending on the color of their surroundings.  They have evolved special cells called chromatophores which can change pigment strength based on hormone signals from the brain.

Now we’re gong to have a little fun. Study the following eleven pictures, which are of various animals using camouflage to hide. Try to identify the following:

A Baby Gator

An Adult Gator

A Green Tree Frog

A  Walking Stick

A White Peacock Moth

A Green Lynx Spider

A Grasshopper

A Night Heron

A Brown Anole (lizzard)

A Picture without any animals (just to make it harder)

Picture 1

Picture 2

Picture 3

Picture 4

Picture 5

Picture 6

Picture 7

Picture 8

Picture 9

Picture 10

Here are the answers:

Pic 1-Green Tree Frog (Easy)



Pic 2 -Grasshopper (harder)

 

Pic 3- Baby Alligator (easy)

 

 

Pic 4- Night Heron

  

 Pic 5- Beautiful Myakka River

 

Pic 6- Brown Anole (the master of camo)

 

 Pic 7- Walking Stick

 

Pic 8- Moth

  

Pic 9- Adult Alligator

 

Pic 10- Green Lynx Spider

As we can see, evolution has provided these animals with the ability to blend in with their habitat and survive.

But what about this Lubber Grasshopper? This bright yellow and red large grasshopper is both flightless and slow moving. He almost begs to be eaten by birds and small mammals.

 

Obviously camouflage was not needed for this species to thrive. So how is it that he has survived?

The Lubber Grasshopper emits a foul smelling secretion when he is disturbed. It’s likely this stink inhibits predators from considering him for dinner. He is the skunk of the insect world.

So odor can be an effective defense mechanism as well as camoflage. More on this later.

Mockingbirds

By far, the most intriguing of all animal classes are birds. Their colors cover the complete rainbow. Their calls and songs are more varied and beautiful than perhaps all other animals’. They mate for life. Most are fiercely territorial and will protect their young with unbridled courage.

And….they can fly! Geese have been seen at 30,000 feet where the air is so rare, that humans would pass out from oxygen deprivation. Yet they can fly for hours and even days without stopping. Birds are and have been a source of awe and inspiration for humans for thousands of years. It’s no wonder that bird watching is the most popular outdoor pastime in America.

In southwest peninsular Florida, the Mockingbird (Mimus polyglottosis) is the prevalent species of bird. It is also awarded the noble distinction of State Bird. But not all appreciate the birds’ special characteristics. Messy, noisy, pesky and infesting are occasional descriptions. But love them or dislike them, they are a native species and probably here to stay.

Northern Mockingbird



I have discovered a small mocking bird nest in a shrub bordering my garage. It is made of dried twigs and about the size of a softball. This was on April 24. Two days later, two blue speckled eggs appeared. By April 27, there were three eggs. I noticed the small female leaving the nest every time I opened the garage or walked by. I thought, “What a dumb place to make a home”. But then I thought, “What an opportunity for me to follow and photograph a young mother mocking bird raising a family”! So here I begin. I hope to chronicle over the next month or so the stages of mocking bird birth and growth and maternal nurturing.

Well Hidden Nest
 




Mockingbird Eggs

April 28: A total of 4 eggs now occupy the nest. The mother is spending a lot of time incubating them, with only brief excursions for food. The gestation period is 12 to 13 days, so if all goes well, I can expect hatchlings between May 6 and the May 11.  I worry that my daily excursions will frighten her into abandoning the nest. But I think she is getting use to me being around. Every time I walk by, she flutters away and returns minutes later when the coast is clear.

4 Eggs Now

May 1: The female continues to incubate the eggs with short trips away to feed. The male is also always nearby. Neither wanders more than couple of hundred of feet from the nest. Their favorite tree is a small oak very close to the shrub. It was initially hard to tell the mother from the father. (Other than only the mother sits the nest.) But I can now spot their differences. The mother is grey with a white belly and only a slight splash of white on her wings. She is a little plump. The male is no bigger, has the same general coloring, but appears to be more aerodynamic, with a sharper beak. A more obvious splash of white is on his wings.

Female



Male

May 4: The mother is still sitting on the 4 eggs, seeming to know what will soon happen. A third mockingbird appeared in my side yard today. He (or she) was not welcome. Both the male and the female dove at the intruder, squawking, and continue to pester him until he moved to the top of a neighbor’s house. A few days ago, my resident male literally attacked a grey squirrel that had climbed onto the roof and apparently invaded their territory. The squirrel left. I am amazed at the bravery these small creatures are showing to protect their unborn young. So far, I have not been attacked. But things might change when the eggs hatch. If that happens, I will have to use a different exit and entrance to the house.

May 8: Day 12 for the first eggs in the nest. I expect them to hatch at any minute.

 One of the amazing talents of the mockingbirds is their abilty to mimic (mock) other birds. They have a variety of calls, shrieks and whistles. I have even heard them mimic frogs and crikets!

May 10: Two chicks hatched early this morning right on schedule, 13 days! They are about the size of a marble. Mother and babies are doing fine. They are moving and she is making many trips to and from the nest, only leaving for a couple of minutes. She’ll be very busy when two more chicks arrive in a day or so.

Two Chicks, Hours Old



May 11: Now there are four very hungry hatchlings. Mother and father are both very busy bringing small insects, worms and pieces of fruit back to the nest. The next several weeks are critical in their chicks’ survival. They are quite defenseless. At this stage, fortunately, the babies are silent. This may help them avoid being noticed by predators.

One Day Old Chicks Sleeping

"Feed Me" 

May 12: Mother and father are very active, flying back and forth, "bringing home the bacon."

 Why did the mother pick this spot to build her nest? Most mockingbirds will build five or six trial nests and then pick one in which to lay her eggs. So she obviously preferred this location, right next to my garage. Mockingbirds are very intelligent. In a study, they were shown to recognize humans who had been around and were non-threatening.  So, perhaps she considered me and my house as her protector, like a feudal lord and his castle. The larger predators (hawks, owls, raccoons, etc) don’t normally venture close to people. So, for now, the chicks are safe.

May 15: At five days, the four chicks appear to be healthy and growing. Their eyes are closed, and they are covered with blue-grey fuzz which will be replaced by feathers soon. They are still silent.

A critical time will occur just before they leave the nest, when they still can’t fly. An intruder (like me) or sudden scare could cause them to fall from the nest and be susceptible to a variety of misfortunes. I’ve noticed the mother always leaves the nest when I get within about 10 feet. The chicks will likely try to follow at some point. So I intend to abandon my close up shots of the nest when they get close to flying.  If one should fall out and be unable to fly, I will consider putting in back in, even though this might scare the others into jumping the ship.

 

5 Days Old

May 17: This morning I heard the first little cries from the nest. Small muffled peeps are coming from one or more of the chicks.

May 19:  At 9 days old, the 4 chicks are vey active. Their eyes are open and they are growing feathers. Mother and father are working very hard.

9 Days Old

 

May 21: Sadly, this will be my last update to this post. The nest was empty this morning. I looked all over the yard and under the nearby bushes for any sign of the chicks, but to no avail.

Day 11-Empty Nest

Yesterday afternoon and into the evening we had severe thundershowers, over two inches of rain and wind gusts to 50 mph. I suspect the chicks and possibly the mother became unnerved by this new and strange disturbance. They must have either fled or fallen from the nest. But at 11 days, the chicks were not yet ready to fly. Any number of air borne or ground predators could then easily have found and eaten them.

Later in the morning, I saw the mother and father in the side yard flitting about. She swooped to the ground and appeared to be picking up a small insect. But no, she was picking up a dry twig! She flew to a small oak tree in my neighbor’s yard. This amazing creature was building another nest! No time for remorse…just the pure survival instinct powering her to start over and try again. With a life span of 8 years in wild, this mockingbird will definitely have many more opportunities to successfully raise a brood or two.

With what I have learned from this chronicle, I must now rank Mockingbirds high on my list of respected and admired birds. Correction, I must now rank Mockingbirds high on my list of respected and admired species.

 

Six Mile Cypress Slough Preserve

I decided to check out Six Mile Cypress Slough Preserve, about an hour’s drive south of Venice, near Ft Meyers. Its main attraction is a 1 ¼ mile boardwalk through a freshwater cypress marsh, called a slough. A slough (sloo) is a slow moving shallow creek that can be many miles wide. Flow rates are commonly 100 feet per day or less.

Entrance

The park was easy to find, right off busy Ben Pratt Parkway, about 2 miles from I75. At 10:30 in the morning the parking lot was starting to fill. I put 2 bucks into the honor parking machine, visited the head and began my leisurely trek into the marsh. 

Map Of Park

1 1/4 Mile Boardwalk

 Benches and viewing areas are located at strategic points. Engraved famous musings about nature are a nice touch. 

 Mid-March is the height of the dry season, so the water levels along the walk varied from zero to about two feet. But even where there was no water, the black earth was wet. The predominant tree in the marsh was the Bald Cypress.

Bald Cypress

Slash Pines and Oak were growing where the ground was a little drier. The predominant understory was ferns, Wax Myrtle, Saw Palmetto and Prairie Iris,  which thrive in the shady humid environment. Numerous Air Plants and Wild Pines were attached to the branches and trunks of the trees.

Prairie Iris

Quill-Leaf



Observing animal wildlife is always more fun (for me) than studying greenery. So I focused on spotting movement in and around the boardwalk. I noticed right away that the birds here were abundant and not shy. Great Egret, Anhinga, Ibis, Tri-Color Heron and even a Night Heron were feeding within a few feet of the boardwalk.

White Ibis

 Young Night Heron (look close)

  Even the normally very shy smaller wrens and warblers were close and plainly visible. I’m not sure to what to attribute this unusual boldness. My guess is that this 2000 acre park provides a protected oasis for them to feed and breed. Also the park is located in a suburban environment and the birds are obviously not afraid of people.

Several open ponds were located along the path. I spotted otters, turtles, and gators here. A young Green Water Snake with unusual spots was seen sleeping on the sunny bank. 

Green Water Snake

This park offers better than usual bird sighting opportunities. It is a great example of a cypress marsh, although the trees are relatively young. Like much of Florida, most of the original old growth cypress was cleared in the last century. Replanting was done in the 1990’s when the park was first opened. I did however find one example of a cypress that missed the woodsman’s axe.

500 Year Old Cypress

It is difficult to estimate the age of a tree based on its diameter alone. Lots of factors affect the growth rate. But based on studies of cut trees, the Bald Cypress will add an inch of trunk diameter at breast height (DBH) every 7 to 8.5 years. That means this 6 foot diameter cypress was born about the time Columbus “discovered” America.  

The park and the boardwalk are well maintained. Guided walks are available twice a day. There is also a chalkboard with recent spottings. 

 I’d rate Six Mile Cypress Slough an 8 out of 10.  Had it been a little bigger, more remote and less crowded (I’m selfish), I’d give it a 10.

Gopher Tortoise

One of the lesser known nature parks in Venice is the Venetian Waterway Park.  Even though it can be seen from US 41 and the Circus Bridge, getting to the parking lot next to the waterway requires going about a mile out of the way, skirting around the abandoned Venice Circus Arena, and down a “dead end” dirt road.

Side note: It’s worth slowing down to take a quick look at the Venice Circus Arena. It may be gone soon. The Arena was a significant show place for the Ringling Bros. and Barnum and Bailey Circus from 1962 to 1992. Here they practiced and premiered new shows to largely home crowds before taking their shows on world tour. The 65,000 square foot building is now sadly in severe disrepair and the City of Venice has voted for its demolition. But a small group of avid contributors and entrepreneurs are trying to remake the building into a modern convention center.  See the linked article. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YNBZzx9I2TQ   The Flying Trapeze Park to the rear of the arena is still functioning (occasionally) as a school for aspiring high wire aerialists.

Venice Circus Arena

 

Built in the 1990’s, the Venetian Waterway Park is a series of connecting concrete paths along the banks of the Intracoastal Waterway.

Venetian Waterway Trail

The mile long stretch on the west bank, between the Circus Bridge and Caspersen Beach is unique for one reason-Gopher Tortoises! Here, today, I counted 32 Gopher Tortoise burrows in a half of a mile and saw 4 adult tortoises catching morning rays at their burrow entrances.

Tortoise Burrow



Good Morning

The Gopher Tortoise (Gopherus Polyphemus) is a species of land turtle unique to the southeast US.

Side note: All Turtles are reptiles of the order Chelonii characterized by a bony shell that acts as a shield. Tortoises are the land-dwelling family of turtles.  But common usage has allowed turtle to refer to only the aquatic species and tortoise to the land species.

 

The Gopher Tortoise eats primarily vegetation and lives in dome-shaped tunnels it digs into hills of sand or loose packed dirt. These tunnels provide habitat and protection for more than 300 other animal species. For this reason the Gopher Tortoise is known as a keystone species.

Mainly because of habitat destruction, the Gopher Tortoise is classified as “Threatened” by the state of Florida. This means their numbers are declining. But not here. Four years ago, I’d be lucky to see 1 tortoise. Something is allowing them to thrive here. What is it?

The loose pack dirt on these banks is dredging from the canal bottom. Digging burrows in this area must be fairly easy. The southeast face of the bank provides early morning sun warming. The plentiful low shrubs and grasses growing here are ideal food. Predators, mainly raccoons and foxes, eat the eggs, which are laid outside the burrow in the sand. Perhaps the loose pack allows the eggs more protection here. But the main reason for the tortoise’s success here must be the absence of construction and agriculture in the park.

So, once again we see in a semi-urban environment, along a concrete walking trail within sight of busy US Highway 41, this threatened species has been able to thrive. Efforts to set aside protected land are paying off, and in relatively short time.