We woke up this morning to a quick breakfast of bagels, fruit, and poptarts before packing camp to start the journey home.

Breakfast at camp

On our way north, we stopped to pick up Lindsay from Jason H.’s caravan, since he was staying with his group to collect more data for several hours. When we met up with them, they showed us an exotic, invasive Madagascar Day Gecko (Phelsuma madagascariensis) that they found. The Geico gecko appears to be modeled after this species (or another of the day geckos), so I’ve always found it odd that he has an Australian accent.

Madagascar Day Gecko, an invasive, exotic species

After leaving the other group, the trip home was relatively uneventful. We saw several iguanas early in the trip, and picked up two more DOR raccoons while we were still in the Keys.

Our third DOR raccoon of the trip

The fourth (and last) DOR raccoon of the trip

We woke up to a beautiful sunrise coming into the tent door.

Morning view from within our tent

Since our two groups elected to camp at different sites, we headed to a park between the campsites to meet up where Jason made some delicious pancakes. While we were eating, we got to watch a black racer (Coluber constrictor) slither around the parking area.

Jason making pancakes

After breakfast we drove around liking four suitable ringneck snake habitat to search. On our drive we saw several iguanas and came across the first Key deer that we saw this trip. It was very young, and shortly after we saw an adult nearby.

Our first Key deer of the trip

The same Key deer, closer

The Key deer populations crashed in the early to mid 1900s, largely due to over-hunting. At their lowest, researchers believe there may have been as few as 25 individuals remaining, but their population size has increased due to improvements in their protection both from governmental entities and the support of the Keys residents and community. They are still considered endangered and at risk for extinction, and UCF had partnered with FWC and local managers to research the Key deer biology and better understand how to manage their populations.

As we continued our search for ringnecks, we came across a six-lined racerunner (Aspidocelis sexlineatus) that was too quick to photograph and a buck Key deer.

A male Key deer in someone's yard

Finally, Jason H. and his group found two ringnecks that we went to collect tissues and photograph. Ringnecks in the Keys have a very reduced or absent ring around their neck when compared to mainland populations, which has led some researchers to consider them a different group. Ringnecks across their range are known for their impressively-colored bellies which researchers believe they use to distract or deter potential predators. We also found two invasive, exotic flowerpot snakes (Ramphotyphlops braminus) while searching the area where we found the ringnecks.

One of the ringneck snakes, notice the faint ring around its neck

The two ringneck snakes, from the top

The same two ringneck snakes, one with its bright belly visible

After the success of the ringnecks, we looked for good habitat to find water snakes at night. I took a photo of one of the habitats that we decided to search to give you an idea of how convoluted and tricky it can be to maneuver and find snakes.

Prop roots of red mangroves where we hope to find salt marsh snakes

We stopped for a relaxing dinner at Mangrove Mama’s before some early evening road cruising. We found 1 live and 4 DOR mangrove salt marsh snakes (Nerodia clarkii compressicauda). We hiked through some marshes fruitlessly before heading back to camp for the night. On the roads we saw several Key deer, for a total of 10 (maybe more) on the day.

A dark-phase mangrove salt marsh snake

A DOR orange-phase mangrove salt marsh snake

A DOR mangrove salt marsh snake

A DOR mangrove salt marsh snake

The last snake for the night, DOR mangrove salt marsh snake

Our first day on this trip turned out to be surprisingly successful. 10 of us left from Orlando at 7:30AM in two vehicles, both so that we could fit everyone and the gear and so that we could split up and cover more area. Jason, Hollis, Vicki, and I drove in one vehicle while Jason H., Lindsay, Matt, Alex, Kelly, and Tom rode in the other vehicle. On our way down, we picked up Karlie in Miami for a total of 11 researchers.  Our objectives were to get samples from raccoons (Procyon lotor), water snakes (Nerodia sp.), and ringneck (Diadophis punctatus).

We saw 29 bird species on the trip down, the most exciting of which (for Jason and I, because we’d never seen one before) was the Magnificent Frigate Bird. We collected tissues from 2 road-killed raccoons and saw one live one that we weren’t able to sample.

First DOR raccoon of the trip

Second DOR raccoon

Upon arrival, we checked into our campsites and saw a plant stem with lacewing eggs attached to it.

Lacewing eggs attached to a piece of plant material

Once we were settled in, we began searching for the night. Since water snakes tend to be more active after dark, we started out scouting sites and liking for ringneck snakes under debris. We didn’t find any snakes early, but we spotted a box turtle (Terrapene carolina) and a leopard frog (Lithobates sphenocephalus).

Searching for snakes around a pond

More searching for snakes

Box turtle that we found

Leopard frog that we found

After our relatively fruitless search, we stopped for dinner (Jason grilled hot dogs) and spotted a huge, orange iguana in a tree across a canal. Jason H. and I set out to get a closer look at this exotic, invasive animal but instead found ourselves soaked and outwitted.

The sun set as we finished dinner, so we started our search for water snakes. Our approach included road cruising and wading through mangrove swamps and marshes, searching the shores. Ross cruising turned up several red rat snakes (Pantherophis guttatus) for Jason H. and his group, but we found nothing in our vehicle.

We were all much more successful walking through marshes. We found 14 mangrove salt marsh snakes (Nerodia clarkii compressicauda), several iguanas, and jellyfish, brown anoles, and a light-colored raccoon that got away before we could take a sample. Mangrove salt marsh snake populations are often highly variable in appearance, as demonstrated by the many colors and patterns that we observed tonight.

A red-phase mangrove salt marsh snake

A darker, but still red-phase mangrove salt marsh snake

Jason H. holding all 14 mangrove salt marsh snakes that we find for a photo to demonstrate the variability. Notice the differences in color and color pattern.

Kelly holding an iguana that Alex found (he wanted to keep looking for snakes rather than pose for a photo)

Hollis (right) holding an iguana while putting a snake that she simultaneously grabbed into a pillowcase (held by Karlie)

After a successful night, we went back to camp where we saw an invasive, exotic Cuban treefrog before going to sleep.