FWC Research Updates: August 2025

Celebrating National Dog Day Happy National Dog Day to our favorite four-legged field biologist, Cowboy! This year, Cowboy had a record-breaking season sniffing out mink and spotted skunk scat across Florida. Thanks to his nose, researchers are learning more than ever about these elusive and imperiled species. His work has helped uncover important details about their diet, distribution, and even disease. Including a recent sample that revealed cranial brain worm. When he’s not in the field, Cowboy is a great ambassador. He helps spark conversations about conservation and never fails to bring smiles to the office. You can learn more about Cowboy and his work in our video "In the Field with Cowboy the Scat Detection Dog" on YouTube. Watch Video RARE Recapture Alert! On Opening Day of the 2025 Red Snapper season, Captain Brian Lambert of Fishhawk Charters landed a tagged red snapper first released 9 years ago by FWC biologists in the MERR lab, a research collaborative between FWRI and UF. Photo Credit: Captain Brian Lambert View Post Manatee Rescue in Reddington Beach Sea turtle nesting surveyors spotted an adult female manatee stranded on the beach, lethargic and breathing rapidly. Several other manatees were observed in nearby waters. A rescue team from FWC, Clearwater Marine Aquarium, ZooTampa at Lowry Park and the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office worked together to move her out of the surf and safely load her into a rescue box truck for transport to ZooTampa. View Post Spot a Rainbow Snake? Let Us Know! Rainbow snakes are among Florida’s most elusive reptiles. If you find one, it’s the pot of gold at the end of a rainbow. These harmless, non-venomous snakes live in freshwater and brackish habitats like streams, lakes, springs, and tidal marshes. They’ve earned the nickname “eel moccasin” because they specialize in eating eels. Rainbow snakes spend most of their time out of sight, hiding in aquatic plants, under tree roots, or among rocks along the shoreline. Even our expert herpetologists rarely see them in the wild, so if you do, we want to hear about it. View Post It’s hatching season for American crocodiles in South Florida! In the spring, female crocodiles lay and bury 20-60 eggs. About 85 days later, hatchlings call their mother from inside the eggs telling the mother crocodile to dig up the nest and help the hatchlings emerge. Hear the call at 00:12 in the video! American crocodiles are a native, threatened species in Florida. Keep your eyes peeled for Florida’s next generation of crocodiles! Watch Video New on MyFWC.com/Research We hope you enjoy these articles that have been recently added/updated on our website: Red Tide Current Status Red Tide-Related Hotlines and Information Sources 2025 Manatee Mortalities Red Tide Manatee Mortalities Annual Rescue Summaries [Manatee] HAB Task Force Meeting Information American Crocodile Amphibian & Reptile Publications Internship Opportunities New Publications Our Mission Through effective research and technical knowledge, we provide timely information and guidance to protect, conserve, and manage Florida's fish and wildlife resources.

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