Temperature: 75 degrees F
Partly cloudy, slight breeze present
Objective: To visit our park for the 2nd time and observe additional animals and habitats that are present on the island.
History: Egmont Key was surveyed by Spanish explores in 1757. In 1761 the English named the island for the Earl of Egmont. For decades it was passed off between Spain and England, eventually the United States gain ownership in 1827. In 1850 the island became an internment came for captured Seminole Indians. In 1887, the island was used as a quarantine station during a yellow fever outbreak in Key West.
Trip: With the weather being much more tolerable there was clearly more life on the island than our original visits. In our first visit there was no reptiles, no gopher tortoises and almost no birds present. On this trip the island was literally crawling with gopher tortoises. The park ranger stated there is 1,800 + gopher tortoises on the island. They are the second most abundant animal next to the laughing gulls.
Gopher tortoise is a key stone species on the island. They are adapted to this habitat due to their ability to create burrows which help them escape a fire.
There are invasive species on the island one very common one is Air Potato, and Brazilian Pepper.
Over all, there was more animals available for observation within the habitats on the island.
No comments:
Post a Comment