Raccoons are mammals that are readily recognized because of their black face-mask and ringed tail. They are seen regularly in urban as well as in wild places – especially near water or accessible garbage. A raccoon’s mask serves much the same purpose as the charcoal rubbed beneath a football player’s eyes – it reduces glare from bright sunlight, thus enhancing vision. For the raccoon, the glare is often reflections of sunlight from shallow water white the raccoon is wading in search of food. The ringed tail breaks up the outline of the raccoon, making it less visible to predators in weedy habitats.

What’s in a name? Giving anything a name such as “strangler fig” immediately conjures up negative feelings towards the creature. Our “strangler fig” – a native of Florida – has the scientific name Ficus aureus – a name given to it for its quarter-inch diameter golden yellow fruit shortly before they are ripe. Yes, we have a native fig. So why aren’t its fruits larger? The large figs we buy at the supermarket are the product of human selection. The name “strangler fig” was given because birds and other animals eat its fruit and the seeds can pass through an animal’s digestive system and be deposited with a bit of fertilizer. A bird sometimes bites into the fruit with great pressure, causing seeds to pop out. Some can get stuck to the outer surface of a bird’s bill and the bird will wipe them off on a branch – where the sticky juice holds them in place. In either case, with rain, a seed can germinate and a new plant begins to grow – producing leaves that make use of the sun’s energy to produce roots. The roots are influenced by gravity and grow straight down, typically blowing in the wind until they reach the ground. While blowing in the wind, they often get wrapped around the tree trunk –which led to the name “strangler fig”. In some cases, they can kill a tree – but only after a very long time. Many 600-year-old baldcypress at Corkscrew Sanctuary are still very much alive, while encircled by Ficus aureus roots. The relationship between the fig and its “host” tree goes both directions. Once the fig roots reach the ground, they contribute to the stability for the pair during hurricane winds. Our “strangler fig” also often grows from seeds that have fallen to the ground – it doesn’t have to “strangle”. Why not recognize the positive roles it plays in Florida’s wetland ecosystems? It provides food for many species of birds, mammals, and other creatures. Perhaps we should change its common name to “Golden Fig”.

Before there was writing, rhyming poetry was an important tool for remembering things and relating them to others. It still is – as evidenced by the works of poets from centuries ago. Modern science demonstrates that many early poets recognized the distinctive plumage, habitats, and behaviors of birds. In this week’s Wild Things I focus on some of the early poets and present some poetry of my own as well as photos of the subjects of the poems.

The American Crocodile is one of 18 species of crocodiles found in tropical wetlands of the Americas, Africa, Asia, and Australia. They are the largest of living reptiles. Once hunted for their skin and flesh, the American Crocodile is now protected as a federal and state threatened species. Crocodiles are more wary of humans than are alligators, but both can be a potential threat to humans. Observing them should be done at a distance.

All bird species lay eggs, but the size, shape, and color of those egg shells varies greatly as a result of adaptations that camouflage the eggs, making them less conspicuous to predators. Egg size varies with the size of the bird – and that influences the condition of the bird at hatching and increases the length of time that an egg is incubated. Larger birds can lay eggs that contain a lot of nutrients, thus the chick that emerges from the egg is more developed. In the case of birds like Killdeer, Bobwhite, and sandpipers the chick leaves the nest within a few hours and finds food on its own. On the opposite extreme, small birds like wrens, warblers, woodpeckers, and sparrows must lay small eggs because of the adult’s small size – thus most development takes place in the nest after hatching and requires considerable parental care.

Geckos are small lizards usually seen at night and often near a light. There they run up walls and across ceilings to capture insects – including mosquitos -- attracted to the light. Their ability to cling to a ceiling or smooth wall is astounding and unique among lizards. It is a function of the intricate structure and pattern of tiny scales on their broad toes. Another unique behavior of geckos is their ability to vocalize -- producing chirping like sounds. The name “gecko” comes from the perceived calls of the Tokay Gecko of Asia.

The Queensland Umbrella Tree is named for the state of Queensland in Australia, where it is native, but it has been spread to warmer areas around the world through the horticulture trade for the beauty of its evergreen foliage and unique umbels of flowers and fruit. Unfortunately it is also an invasive exotic that has spread out of control wherever it has been introduced. Even its home country – Australia – considers the Queensland Umbrella Tree an invasive exotic. Queensland Umbrella Tree fruit is abundant and easily available to the diversity of birds and other animals that feed on it. In Florida Northern Mockingbirds often defend the fruit supply, but other birds manage to partake of it. Eastern Bluebirds, Red-bellied and Pileated woodpeckers, and many other species take advantage of it. After feasting, the seeds pass through a bird’s digestive tract and are deposited with a bit of fertilizer – facilitating growth of new trees elsewhere.

Blackbirds in the New World are members of the Family Icteridae and include not only some black birds such as our cowbirds, grackles, and Red-winged Blackbirds, but also more colorful birds such as our Baltimore and Orchard orioles, and Eastern Meadowlarks -- each of which has a slender pointed bill. Even among the blackest of blackbirds, females have plumages that are more “earth-toned”. Use of the name “blackbird” for this group is well established, but perhaps unfortunate in that many other birds are all or mostly black. Common and Fish crows, for example, are solid black – but are in the same family as Blue Jays and Florida Scrub Jays. Common Grackles and Boat-tailed Grackles are sometimes confused, but Boat-tailed Grackles are always larger and males have a distinctly long tail that has outer tail feathers raised higher than inner ones – creating its “V” shape. Florida Boat-tailed Grackles characteristically have dark eyes whereas those farther north have light-colored eyes more similar to the eyes of Common Grackles.

The White Peacock is one of Florida’s most common butterflies. It is also one of our easiest to identify because of its white wings that are marked with an orange and brown wave-like pattern and a row of black spots, each circled by yellow. Those yellow-circled black spots are referred to as “eyespots” – markings that attract the attention of predators. A predator may see the eyespots as real eyes and a vulnerability for the butterfly, but for the butterfly it is better to lose a piece of wing, than to get eaten. White Peacocks can be seen year round in Florida and adults feed on nectar at a great diversity of native and introduced flowers. Their caterpillars are more specific in their diet, feeding on leaves of Water Hyssop, frog fruit, and wild petunias – all of which grow near water – thus that’s where these butterflies are most common. The caterpillars of White Peacocks begin life as tiny black creatures with scattered black spines. These may deter some predators, but are harmless to humans. As they grow, White Peacock caterpillars develop orange spots among the black spines. Adult Males and females are similar in appearance, but males are significantly smaller.

Florida’s wetlands and sub-tropical climate provide a perfect home for a great diversity of orchids. In this week’s “Wild Things” we’ll explore the nature and diversity of orchids the beauty and diversity of their flowers, their commercial value (such as the beautiful hybrid orchids so readily available in market places), some have commercial value in products that emerge from them – such as vanilla. Some are subtle, such as the green flowers of the Toothed Rein orchid, some have subtle beauty in their colors, such as the Dingy-flowered Star orchid. Some are truly spectacular, such as the Ghost Orchid.