News for the kids to learn about the bay? ou ready Are y of Tampa Bay! Got a Question? Winter 2017/18 Ask a Scientist! I saw a turtle in my backyard near a hole in the ground; In This Issue: • Learn about the Gopher do I need to bring him to the water? Tortoise • Meet and Greet: Friends of the Gopher Tortoise Not necessarily, it sounds like • Conservation Corner it may have been a gopher • Fun Facts tortoise! Not all turtles belong • Fun Activity: Key“stone” in the water. They should be Species Painted Rocks left in the environment in which they were originally found. Though they are all considered “turtles,” there are actually Mark your Calendars! three general types: turtles, terrapins, and tortoises. Most turtles spend most of their time in the water. They have modified feet with webbing or flippers and a flat shell to move easily through the water. There are both freshwater turtles, like your common yellow-bellied slider (Trachemys scripta), and 7 feet deep. They not only provide and sea turtles, like your leatherback protection for the tortoise, but also provide (Dermochelys coriacea). Terrapins are given a home for over 350 types of their name because of where they can be and insects. A few of these animals are found. The term terrapin is given to types the burrowing owl, indigo snake, gopher of turtles that usually spend their time in , pine snake, rabbits, Florida mouse, GREAT AMERICAN brackish water, the mixture of fresh and gopher cricket and many more. Gopher CLEANUP saltwater, like the ornate diamondback tortoises are labeled a keystone species Saturday, March 17 terrapin (Malaclemys terrapin macrospilota). because of the animals that rely on them Tortoises live only on land. They have and their burrows. A keystone species is an Pitch in for the Great a rounded shell, are slow moving, and that shapes an ecosystem. Without American Cleanup on have special stocky legs for digging and keystone species, the environment would Saturday, March 17 from burrowing. be very different and there would be a 9am - noon at Fort De negative impact on other animals living in Gopher tortoises are a species grey, brown, the area. The gopher tortoise is extremely Soto Park! This event or tan in color, which can get up to around important for our Florida wildlife. is family-friendly and 9-11 inches long. They are known for the open to all ages. Go to burrows they dig, similar to that of gophers, Sources: which is where they get their names. The arkive.org; conserveturtles.org; bioone.org; myfwc.com; tampabaywatch.org to fws.gov; livescience.com; nationalgeographic.org; burrows are usually around 15 feet long register as a volunteer. vieravoice.com (photo) Meet & Greet: Friends of the Gopher Tortoise!

EASTERN INDIGO BURROWING OWL GOPHER FROG SNAKE Athene cunicularia capito Burrowing owls are a small Drymarchon corais Gopher can be found couperi sandy-brown owl species that throughout Florida. They have Eastern indigo snakes are spends most of their lives bumpy, warty skin and their on the ground. Their lighter nonvenomous snakes found in coloration ranges from tan or brown, sandy coloration gives them Florida and other parts of the to grey, with black or brown splotchy impressive camouflage. They southeastern United States. They spots. prefer to live in dry sandy, are a shiny black or indigo color Gopher frogs got their fielded areas that lack trees with reddish faces. names because and vegetation. they, like many They are the longest snake in the They are known for making other animals U.S. and can get up to almost homes in abandoned gopher and insects, nine feet! Indigo snakes like to tortoise burrows. Unlike most use gopher live in similar habitats as gopher owls, burrowing owls are tortoise burrows as tortoises and use their burrows awake during the day time. homes for as shelter from harsh climates. They eat small mammals, shelter. They are important to humans reptiles, and because of their ability to eat insects. Many of the insects Gopher frogs venomous snakes. the owls eat are a bother to feed on some of the other humans, like cockroaches and Indigos are protected in Florida. organisms found crickets. Sources: fws.gov; srelherp.uga.edu; in the burrows animaldiversity.org; nature.org Burrowing owls are protected like spiders, beetles, in the state of Florida. worms, crickets, and small Sources: myfwc.com; fnai.org; frogs. defenders.org Sources: iucnredlist.org ufwildlife.ifas.ufl.edu myfwc.com; fws.gov Turtle Crossing: Proceed with Caution! Gopher tortoises love to live in dry sandy, pine These problems are not only affecting the and oak uplands and scrub environments. tortoises, but also the many other animals These types of areas are often found in people’s depending on them. backyards. The number one Being aware and keeping a negative impact affecting lookout for our tortoise friends these tortoises is their on the road when you or your homes being destroyed parents are driving is also a for land development, very important way to keep or people building their gopher tortoises safe. Tortoises homes, businesses, and are slow and it can take them roads where the tortoises awhile to cross the road. You already live. can help the animal by having There are a few simple a parent place them on the ways we can help out our other side of the road, in the tortoise friends if they are living near our homes. direction that they are moving. Give the tortoise space and keep pets away from Do not move the tortoise to a different area or the burrow. Try to avoid blocking, digging, mowing, put yourself in danger to help the animal cross. or disturbing the area around the tortoise’s home. Simple actions can have a large impact.

Sources: nrcs.usda.gov; gophertortoisecouncil.org; myfwc.com; floridastateparks.org

Fun Facts about Gopher Tortoises! Tortoises have been around for millions of years— even before the dinosaurs! Gopher tortoises can live around 40-60 years in the wild! Gopher tortoises usually feed within 160 feet of their burrow.

Sources: fwc.com; sciencedaily.com

A tortoise’s shell is not somethingDid that You it carries Know... around— it is made of bone and is attached to its body! Fun Activity: Gopher Tortoises Rock!! Paint rocks to look like your favorite key”stone” species! They make great decorations for potted plants and gardens! Supplies: Round smooth rocks, paint (recommended colors: green, brown, black, white), paint brushes, pencil. Note: Use paint pens or sharpies instead of paint for quick and easy cleanup! Instructions: 1. Take one smooth, rounded rock 9. Draw, in pencil, an and paint it green (or the body isosceles triangle along color of your choosing). Let the the front inner rim of stone dry completely. the outline of the shell. 2. Take the painted rock and draw a Continue to draw this circle on the top in pencil. shape on the right and left sides of the first 3. Outline the shape that you just triangle you drew until made in pencil moving slightly the entire shell is filled. inward to make the edge of your This is creating the tortoise’s shell. scales on the tortoise’s 4. Trace the shell you just created in shell. pencil with black paint. Let dry. 10. Paint over the pencil 5. Below your shell, in pencil, draw a with black paint. Allow small oval for the tortoise’s head. to completely dry. 6. Next to the head of your tortoise on both sides, draw 11. Inside the oval that you have painted for the head, two small half circles, the rounded part facing up for draw two smaller circles for the eyes. You can also its feet. You may also draw two more half circles on the give your tortoise a nice right and left sides of the back of your rock for back happy smile! Paint over legs. any remaining pencil 7. Without filling in the head and feet shapes that you just lines in black or whatever drew, thickly outline them with black paint. Connect you color you see fit. and fill in the outlines of the head and feet. This will 12. Add any additional make it look like the head and feet are inside the creative details you tortoise’s shell. would like! 8. Let all paint dry. Source: pinterest.com

Kids’ Pages is a quarterly newsletter supplement to the Tampa Bay Watch Log. Please get your kids involved and sign them up to be a member today! eMail [email protected] or visit TAMPABAYWATCH.ORG. Cover masthead artwork drawn by Sarah Kelly, one of Tampa Bay’s talented youth artists.