Hidden treasure

You may think this is a rather bland reef landscape shot taken whilst I tried and failed to photograph an identical pair of post-larval box trunkfish (think the world's smallest pair of fluffy dice only fish) but you'd be wrong. Can any of you eagle-eyed readers spot the reason I posted this?

Answers on monday.

Finally Florida Pythons

At last I get to a post I've been hoping to make for quite a while. Ever since I heard that a population of Burmese Pythons (Python molurus bivitattus) had established itself in southern Florida I was keen to go look for and photograph them. My first effort failed miserably but I went back recently. As most nature-lovers have probably heard this colony established itself due to releases by irresponsible pet-owners. About as irresponsible as it comes in fact - Burms are huge, among the largest snakes in the world and capable of getting up close to the 20 foot mark. In nature they are aggressive ambush predators willing to attack pretty much anything - we've all seen that alligator photo after all. So its potentially a disaster although how bad it will be we don't really know and some of the news coverage of the issue has represented scaremongering of the worst form.

If you want to find pythons a little online research will hook you up with better details than I can provide of how to do it. Suffice it to say if you go looking bear in mind a) the laws of the national park, b) other much smaller animals in the same area (I came across an array of awesome visual bycatch including 5 nocturnal bird species, 10 snake species and a coyote) and c) your own safety. Anyway I found one (just outside Everglades National Park if anyone is interested) and here it is posing with a Toyota Camry for scale.

Its worth noting that upon first seeing it I immediately thought python but then briefly pondered whether I'd come across the mother of all eastern diamondback rattlesnakes due to its tail shape and patterning. It was keen to be away from me but not bitey which was a pleasant surprise. Notwithstanding that a look from this dogfaced head gives one pause for thought in getting closer.

Collecting or controlling a snake this size is definitely a job for someone who knows what they are doing (and really to be truly safe this is something that should only be attempted when you have someone to act as back-up). Eradicating this population is going to be a collossal task. Burms are a lot faster on land than anaconda and in this scrub it was moving pretty quick. Its perhaps worth noting that African Rock Python, Anaconda and Boa Constrictor have all been found in the wild in Florida too (along with a few other unconfirmed tales of more ridiculous giant reptiles still) but these species appear to not be expanding their populations with the same success which is lucky. Burms are obviously well adapted for these conditions - I'd be pretty worried about a population of reticulated pythons if one were found (I think they'd be supremely suited to the 'glades) but I suspect temperature will prove a limiting factor if such a thing were to happen.

As you can see these guys have beautiful patterning. Below is the last shot I have of this beast. Immediately after I took it I walked away to deal with something briefly with the intention of coming back for more shots. When I returned 30 seconds to a minute later this huge snake had managed to completely disappear. Which is kind of scary.

So there you have it; an encounter with a truly impressive, not too mention beautiful, creature which will live and die in completely the wrong place causing untold ecological damage. Notwithstanding my pleasure at a mission accomplished this one left me with an uneasy feeling.

Wordless Wednesday: Yank Robin

What's going on

So the last few weeks' posts have been pretty scheduled and slightly lacking in spontaneity so I thought you all deserved a little update on what has actually been happening and what's (hopefully) going to happen. Well I'm now installed in my new little island and have been out and about. I've birded (and am up to 33 bird species on my new island list about which you'll hear more soon).It is cold and wet here and winter is firmly on its way - I'm loving the cold after so long in the heat but it has meant little is about especially in the way of non-birds. I also now have access to regular local bird information - I am no longer a lone birder in the wilderness, there are voices out there on the web telling me what is out there! I've also updated the cycad list page after the recent posts.

As for what's upcoming? Well there are a lot of things outstanding that I've been promising you all for a while now, those should all be online soonish including:

1. the third of the Floridian mega-beasts (later this week);
   
2. the story of what happened next to that baby Cyclura iguana;
3. a few more cycads (including the completion(!) of a couple of genera) and other relict plants;
4. mammals (I know; so rare on E, W & W) - I've had posts on some awesome south american mammals waiting for ages;
5. sharks, turtles and flamingos - the last few days in the island were good for me;
6. some fossils; and
7. ongoing updates.
   

Chicago's park trees and their residents

So even though I was in Chicago for the briefest amount of time I did manage to see a few birds other than those conveniently placed kinglets. Luckily for me, and Chicago's wildlife, the city has parks which make excellent provision for birds.

My first stop was a group of crab apple trees. I'd guess these were planted mainly for their floral benefits earlier in the year. At this time of year though they have a different attraction -fruit! This hermit thrush was taking full advantage of the situation.

In the same tree, a white-throated sparrow was also indulging in some tucker whilst staying fluffy and warm. Of course when you have a number of trees of this quality producing food it will attract a lot of birds which will take full advantage and will stay around to do so. as well as attracting insects and hence other birds. I understand October is late for ovenbird in this area but the one below was busy hopping around below the crab apples to get his share of the feast.

Planting fruiting trees is just one way in which Chicago's parks impressed me - I'll be talking about some of the other attractions in future.

Lightning-deflecting soul-protecting Stangeria

Since we haven't had a cycad in a little while, here's a special one. For years it wasn't recognised as such at all but Stangeria eriopus is indeed a cycad and a rather unique one. Sitting alongside the Bowenia species in the family Stangeriaceae, this is an old school primal species that was originally identified as a fern.

There are two "forms" of Stangeria eriopus; a grassland form with a couple of floppy small flat leaves and a big-leaved forest form. This specimen in Kew's palmhouse is presumably the forest form. There's a lot of trivia associated with this species too. My favourite snippet of Stangeria-lore is that planting one at each corner of your house will, according to Zulu tradition, ward off lightning strikes. At least one leading cycad expert has put this into practice and happily reports no lightning strikes to date.

Perhaps more seriously, Stangeria caudices are used (and poached to be used) in traditional medicines to ward off various things including spirit possession. As a cycad Stangeria is of course toxic so taking it orally will result in vomitting which may be the reaction traditional medicine practitioners are looking for. Personally I love its beautiful leaves and would love a Stangeria lightning rod.