Note: ALL THE FORAGING WE DO IS PERFECTLY LEGAL. ALL OF THE NATURAL RESOURCES DISCUSSED ARE COLLECTED ON OUR OWN PROPERTY OR HAVE BEEN OFFERED UP BY OTHERS. Finally, it is important that we be aware of the impact of fishing and foraging on the environment. While it may be economically friendly, it is only sustainable to a point; the sharks, dolphins and other predators around us don't have a grocery store to fall back on! We must be mindful of the fact that we are often in direct competition with them. For this reason, we do not necessarily support this lifestyle as a long-term substitute for going to a grocery store!

Sorry it has been awhile, but we have been busy visiting Miami, looking at graduate programs and neighborhoods. 

Let’s see…..  So first off I thought I’d introduce some of the reptiles we see everywhere, none of them native.  The Cuban brown anole is probably the most common we see around here.  There is also a Puerto Rican crested anole, which looks very similar.  Both are usually on the ground and we are pretty sure they eat ants.  A clear difference is in the dewlap coloration and the fact that the crested, often have a crest along their back and a bumpy tail.  Also both can raise of lower their crests as well as coming in a variety of coloration and patterns, so it’s sometimes hard to tell them apart. 

The native green anole (the anole often sold in pet stores) has been out competed in our area, so I haven’t seen one yet.  

Brown anole that is hiding in my plants in the apartment

Puerto Rican crested anole

We also see knight anoles, which are shyer and MUCH larger.  They are always up in the trees and seem prefer hardwoods to palms. From working at a pet store I also know they are also prone to biting. 

Knight anole

At night we see Mediterranean geckos (we think, there are 3 invasive species, all very similar) around the apartment. and inside.  Geckos usually lay 2 eggs at once, and we have been finding some hatchlings!  When caught, they drop they tail and it wiggles around to distract the predator so the whole animal can escape.

 

Mediterranean gecko, caught in the parking lot

As Mike mentioned before, while I love fishing at night, I get really distracted by the plankton and larval fish that come up to the snook lights.  Every few days the assemblage changes, and I am fascinated by trying to figure out what they are!  If only I had a microscope…   So far we have seen pipefish, crab, and shrimp larva along with unknown plankton and arthropod ectoparasites.       

 

 You can see the long skinny guy is a pipefish, larval fish and an ectoparasite 

During the day I have found interesting juvenile fish as well! I use a small strainer to catch them.

Juvenile balloonfish

Juvenile trunkfish

 Sadly we currently are seeing the effects of a red tide.  A red tide is "population explosion of certain species of dinoflagellates, a kind of protozoan found in plankton. The dinoflagellates color the water reddish-brown and secrete a toxin that kills fish. Red tide usually occurs in warm coastal waters."  Currently there has been an abundance of Karenia brevis.  The water is an unpleasant shade of brown and there are dead fish.  Last night I counted over 200 dead mollusks.  We hope this bloom ends soon!