Regional Volunteer Program biologists and FWC volunteers assist Wildlife Habitat Management biologists with preseason wood duck nest box maintenance and installation at Everglades and Francis S. Taylor WMA. FWC photo by Andy Wraithmell.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) appreciates our volunteers and their incredible gift of time, energy and enthusiastic support to sustain Florida’s wildlife and habitats. In this quarterly edition, we share how volunteers and FWC staff work together to protect native wildlife in South Florida. We also share ways for you to get involved and support the FWC's volunteer programs. There is no time like Florida Volunteer Month to get involved and explore wild Florida because together, we can positively shape the future of our fish and wildlife resources.
— Sharon Tatem, Volunteer Program Manager
Trapping black spiny-tailed iguanas helps conserve Florida burrowing owls
By Andrea Pereyra
Caroline Jordan and Shannon Granger, FWC volunteers, set-up a trap to capture the black-spiny tailed iguana. FWC photo by Andrea Pereyra.
Black spiny-tailed iguana tail drags. FWC photo by Andrea Pereyra.
Often seen basking in open, mowed areas or sticking their heads out of burrows, black spiny-tailed iguanas seem to enjoy a stress-free lifestyle. South Florida is a dream destination, not only for tourists and winter vacationers but for nonnative species as well. The black spiny-tailed iguana is one such species with everything in its favor to establish in south Florida, and thus, it has done so in Dade, Broward, Collier, Lee and Charlotte counties. The subtropical climate and a shortage of predators are some key factors lending to the success of this prehistoric looking lizard.
Adult black spiny-tails are primarily herbivorous, but they can eat small animals. This species will feed opportunistically on insects, lizards, fish, bird eggs, nestling birds and hatchling sea turtles. Black spiny-tailed iguanas are not too finicky when going “house hunting” and will not miss the opportunity of a “free house.” Spiny-tails shelter in burrows and have been observed utilizing the burrows of the Florida burrowing owl and the gopher tortoise, both listed as threatened species in Florida.
Though we haven’t unraveled all the impacts of black spiny-tailed iguanas on the threatened Florida burrowing owl, management actions for spiny-tailed iguana populations are recommended. In collaboration with the FWC’s Wildlife Impact Management Section, the South Region Volunteer Program captures and removes spiny-tailed iguanas from areas with the presence of burrowing owls. Armed with binoculars, live traps and cat food, volunteers go to urban areas, such as parks and schools, in search of iguanas. If no iguana is seen in the open, these eager volunteers put on their detective hats and look for tail drags (the marks iguanas leave with their tails when they walk) at the entrances of burrows and around cracks found under sidewalks or buildings.
Once volunteers determine where the spiny-tails shelter and identify the common pathways that the iguanas use, they bait the traps with cat food, set the traps in strategic locations and wait patiently from a distance until a hungry iguana walks into the trap. Trapped iguanas are then transported to an FWC facility to be humanely killed. No special permits are needed to capture and remove iguanas from private properties, but once captured, it is illegal to release them back into the wild.
With the assistance of volunteers and continued collaboration between FWC staff, state agencies, private organizations and the public, we hope to increase our trapping success rate to a level that could limit spiny-tailed iguana populations and thus reduce the risk they pose on the threatened burrowing owl.
Florida burrowing owl. FWC photo by Carol Rizkalla.
Black spiny-tailed iguana in trap. FWC photo by Andrea Pereyra.
What is hiding in the marshes?
By Andrea Pereyra
Daniel Marchio, FWC volunteer, during a spotlight survey. FWC photo by Andrea Pereyra.
The daylight fades away while the last rays of sun reflect on the flooded marshes of our public lands, unveiling a vibrant and colorful piece of art. Volunteers and staff traverse bumpy roads, stopping to allow basking cottonmouths to get to safe refuge, and often being caught by surprise by mourning doves flying right in front of your windshield. Volunteers wait patiently until it is dark enough to start looking for a bright green-yellowish reflection among the vegetation. Sitting on top of the vehicle and holding a spotlight, volunteers carefully scan the area to find that reflection. But, what are they looking for? What is hiding in the bushes that volunteers are so eager to find?
White-tailed deer! White-tailed deer are a popular harvested species and an important food source for the Florida panther. Volunteers search for the reflection of the deer’s eyes that glow like lightning bugs in the dark night. In the Everglades, spotlight surveys are used as a management tool to indicate the stress level of the deer population. Volunteers record the location, number, sex and age (fawn or adult) of the deer observed. This data, along with water levels, is factored into the decision-making process of when to reopen flooded wildlife management areas (WMA) to public access.
In the Everglades and Francis S. Taylor, Holey Land, and Rotenberger WMAs, spotlight surveys are conducted weekly, on levee routes, during high water events. The driest patches of land during high-water events are represented by levees and tree islands. The longer a high-water event lasts, the more stressed wildlife become. This is especially true for white-tailed deer, a skittish species that does not typically congregate in big clusters. When deer are nervous, they can run off in all directions exposing themselves to predators, vehicle hazards and exhaustion. When deer are restricted to higher ground, their food sources are limited, adding to their stressed condition.
The challenge of spotting a deer through the sometimes-tall dahoon holly, saltbush or willow keeps volunteers motivated to endure mosquito bites and chilly wind whiplashing on their faces. When you are out there, it feels that the saying “practice makes the master” was written by an eager observer conducting a spotlight deer survey. The more deer you spot, the easier it becomes to determine the sex and the age. Regularity and commitment are crucial for these surveys, something that volunteer Lucy Carrizales realized quickly and managed perfectly.
Lucy has no time to lose; she is studying environmental science and working two jobs. The first time she volunteered with the FWC was to assist with a spotlight survey, and since that moment she has never missed a survey. After her fourth survey, she was skillful enough to spot a deer in one of the trickiest portions of the Rotenberger WMA route. This segment of the route is a narrow strip of land, covered with high and dense vegetation, where deer congregated this past fall when water levels were at the maximum. For Lucy, the feeling of contributing to the conservation of South Florida public lands and the access to remote beautiful areas, while learning land management techniques, were rewards worth getting back home at midnight.
Volunteers and staff from the FWC's Wildlife Habitat Management Section working together results in quality data that guides management actions to protect deer in our public lands. We extend special thanks to Lucy Carrizales, Jesse Suarez, Hailee Rech and all other volunteers who assisted the FWC with deer spotlight surveys.
White-tailed deer spotted on a survey. Photo courtesy of the FWC's Wildlife Habitat Management Section.
In addition to your generously donated time and talent, we welcome tax-deductible monetary contributions. Visit the Fish & Wildlife Foundation of Florida to make a donation. Indicate FWC Volunteer Programs under the subheading Donation on behalf of / In Memory of within the section Make a Tribute or Memorial Gift. Your support will help us expand volunteer opportunities as we work to foster a statewide network of conservation volunteers. Thank you for supporting Florida's fish and wildlife resources! | 
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