Hobbies And Interests
Snakes
Snakes are members of the scientific class Reptilia and primarily live in temperate and tropical areas. They are limbless animals that have elongated, cylinderlike bodies, forked tongues and scaly skin. Of the 2,700 species of snakes, approximately 45 species inhabit Florida. The copperhead and eastern indigo snakes are two common varieties in Florida.
Copperhead Snake
Copperhead (Agkistrodon contortrix) usually grows up to 36 inches in length, with the longest recorded at 53 inches, as of 2011. In Florida, copperheads are exclusive to the Panhandle region, especially around the Apalachicola River. Even though copperheads can occur on hillsides, they prefer wet, low-lying areas near habitats such as swamps and river bottoms. Copperheads are venomous, but are generally not life-threatening.
Eastern Indigo Snake
The eastern indigo snake (Drymarchon couperi) is widely distributed throughout Florida, with the exception of the Panhandle region, where they rarely occur. These nonvenomous snakes grow up to 74 inches long on average, with a record length of 103.5 inches. They generally inhabit prairies, hardwood forests and areas close to cypress ponds. Eastern indigo snakes are registered as a threatened species by the state and federal government.
Sharks
Sharks are a type of fish, categorized in the class Chondrichthyes. With a size range of 2 to 50 feet, sharks are exclusive to marine waters and have a skeleton composed of cartilage. Of the more than 200 shark species, at least 50 species inhabit the waters of Florida, including the spinner shark and lemon shark
Spinner Shark
The spinner shark (Carcharhinus brevipinna) grows up to 6 feet in length, is a fast swimmer and often leaps out of the water in a "spinning"-type motion. It is prominently found in coastal waters, and feeds on small rays, other sharks and fish. In addition to its spinning leap, these sharks are distinguished by their dark-tipped anal fin. Spinner sharks are categorized in the family Carcharhinidae.
Lemon Shark
The lemon shark (Negaprion brevirostris) is yellow-gray in color and primarily inhabits areas around the southern coastal waters of Florida, in addition to freshwater areas and estuarine waters. Growing up to 11 feet, lemon sharks consume small fish and crustaceans. They are grouped in the family Negaprion
Alligators
Alligators are aquatic reptiles. Though closely related to crocodiles, they differ in a number of ways. For example, alligators have blunter, wider snouts than crocodiles. Alligators also have the appearance of a more triangular head due to their snout difference. Additionally, crocodiles have functioning salt glands on their tongues, whereas alligators do not. A few crocodile species inhabit Florida. However, there are only two living species of alligators in the world, including Alligator sinensis found in China and Alligator mississipiensis located in Florida and other southern regions of the United States.
The American alligator primarily lives in sluggish streams and swamps. It generally grows up to 9 feet in length and 600 lbs. Alligators live up to 80 years in captivity and 50 years in the wild.