the_curious_naturalist's Identifications

The bird had very streamline feathers similar to a duck. A red neck with a black head and a black/yellow beak. Also had decent size talons. The stocky figure with a daggerlike bill. The bird was found in a river environment. The green heron populates areas of North America, Central America, the very northern tip of South America and a tiny bit of Europe.

This turtle has a dark green shell with a yellow looking underside. It’s head was a dark green as well with yellow markings. It was a little over a foot long and and could walk relatively quickly. It was found a couple streets over from USF. As a reference I used- https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/39820-Pseudemys?locale=en-US

Visual description- There was no stench near the area. I located this mold right behind a Publix building where usually water is stagnant. The mold appeared to only cover the top of the mulch and not penetrate to the soil. The upper part of the mold was of a orangish color and it became pale yellow at the bottom.

Habitat- Urban area with a very close water source or wetland

Reference used- https://www.discoverlife.org/mp/20q?search=Fuligo+septica

Visual description- There was no stench near the area. I located this mold right behind a Publix building where usually water is stagnant. The mold appeared to only cover the top of the mulch and not penetrate to the soil. The upper part of the mold was of a orangish color and it became pale yellow at the bottom.

Habitat- Urban area with a very close water source or wetland

Reference used- https://www.discoverlife.org/mp/20q?search=Fuligo+septica

These Sandhill Cranes had a baby with them seen in the grass off to the right.

Description: A large grey bird with large wings and a red forehead. The bird stands on two legs and has an emu like quality with its long neck. These birds are usually found in Florida and are common in grasslands and wetlands.

Reference:

“Sandhill Crane Identification, All About Birds, Cornell Lab of Ornithology.” , All About Birds, Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Cornell University , https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Sandhill_Crane/id.

Snake. Lettuce Lake Park. 2/22/20 at 3:46pm. 21°C (70°F). Animalia.
The snake was about 1 foot long. The color pattern includes thick tan bands with a few dark brown spots and thin dark brown bands. The head was broad, and the body was slender. The head was dark brown on the top and tan on the bottom. The snake was not largely distributed since there were not any others nearby. It moved at a fairly quick pace. It is located in the pine flatwoods habitat. The snake is common in the wet areas of Florida but sometimes moves away to different areas (Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission).

Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission. 2020. “Cottonmouth/Water Moccasin”. Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission. https://myfwc.com/wildlifehabitats/profiles/reptiles/snakes/cottonmouth/

Small black insects with red head. Two love bugs combined by their rears. Found on a blue-green wall in a residential neighborhood.
Source: https://www.insectidentification.org/insect-description.asp?identification=Lovebug