Floridian Critter Experts ??

Normark

Normark

Joined
Nov 7, 1999
Messages
6,651
Hey Guys….

I found this trail on the property of our hotel, that went from the waters edge of the lake along a wall and under a bush…

Now I’m usually curious enough to crawl around in there and figure out what is making the tracks,, however,, Florida is out of my element and don’t want a nasty surprise awaiting me at the other end…

Since the trail is muddy,, I’m thinking TAIL of some sort..

I was hoping that some of you native Floridians would have an idea of what made this trail?

trail1.jpg


trail2.jpg


trail3.jpg


I also seen many of these different holes,, both along the lake and on the beach at Cocoa Beach..

I’m thinking Crab, possibly Fiddler crab,, but not quite sure.. I poked around in the holes some with a thin stick ,,but didn’t see it’s inhabitants..

Any Ideas ??

hole1.jpg


Lots of new and Interesting things to find.. I wish I had a chance to do a walk with a local who knows all of these different things..

Anyone interested, I can be packed and in the truck in 1 hour!! LOL

Ttyle

Eric
O/ST
 
Trail could possibly be a gator, though they normally like tall grasses/palmettos. A trail like that would also most likely be leading towards a nest, though they don't usually nest near human habitation. Not really sure what to tell you about it... I honestly dont think it's a gator, but its possible. If it were a nest that were currently occupied no one would be able to get anywhere even remotely close to it. Gators are extremely territorial when it comes to their nests.

The hole could be a crab...

In the pic with the hole theres a track below it. Looks like it could be a raccoon track, which might lead me to believe that a raccoon was looking for a crustacean meal...
Theres a very small shelled mussel (dont know what its called) that burrows into the sand and just leaves a very small pinhole on the surface. Raccoons commonly dig them up and eat them. Could be...
 
Hey Guys..

absolutindian

Yaa thats what I was thinking as well Gator,, however,, looking in the muddy areas,, I would have spotted a track, espcially with the claws on a Gator...

What about a larger lizard ??

Small Monitor maybe ?

As for the hole...

Yes there were coons there,, as well as Otters... I wasn't sure if they were Coon or Otter tracks, as I didn't see any elongated rear foot tracks...

The holes I seen were similar to holes that I seen on Cocoa beach. More than likely, but not impossible coons wouldn't be wandering the beach...

Interesting..

Thanks

Eric
O/ST
 
The trail is probably from a small gator, BUT, you guys do have a problem with Burmese pythons down there, and there's a possibility that could be it; they get quite large. The holes are probably from a muskrat or other large rodent.
 
Monitors and pythons are actually pretty rare down in FL... you still hear stories about them but I know I've never seen one of either. Especially near human habitation.

Otters have slightly webbed feet, dont they? If they were otter tracks, wouldnt you be able to see evidence of the webbing?

From the picture, the hole doesnt look very deep. If it were a rodent, the hole would be more of a burrow rather than just a hole. And i don't think they would be dispersed in the sand out in the open on the bank of a lake or on the beach.
 
Also, gators tend to slide across slippery ground, especially when heading back into the water... they sort of get a walking start and then lift their feet off the ground and slide the last several feet into the water. This would probably pretty effectively erase a lot of animal sign.
 
Since its near water, that hole is most likely where a fresh-water turtle of some kind has come up to lay its eggs. A few years ago, I watched one lay eggs in a hole just like that before covering it up. I kept an eye on it, thinking I'd get some photos but a giant granddaddy crow started digging in and eating the eggs. Raccoons could do the sme thing of course. And it could also be an armadillo gone grubbing that made it as well.

This is actually the same type of turtle that I saw with some photos of raccoons and crows going at egg nests. Florida Softshell turtle


My first thought on that trail, being that it leads from water to underbrush, is that its a python that made it. Where in Florida did you see this, Normark?
 
I think a Monitor would leave a less linear track than that. I think a gator is the most likely, could you not make out any claw marks in the muddy area near the water where it first came out ?
 
I would suspect a gator,dam place is craweling with them now,crossing roads in the middle of town,absolutly every where,and gabbibing a few folks every once in a while.
Every pond,almost every puddle can conceal them.It has gotten rediculous.
If the hole is about 2" it could be a bird after a bug or crab. Tampa:cool:
 
The only problem I see with it being a gator, especially one heavy enough to leave that kind of marking, is that- if it was one- I'd expect to see the trail veer off a bit away from the old wood and cinder blocks I see there. Not much room for feet/body to the right of that trail.

Can you get a photo of the transition area at water's edge? Usually, its real easy to spot a gator slide.
 
I'll send this thread to Joezilla. If anyone would know, he would. He is the REPTILE KING!

Steve
 
I'm going with the deadly Floridian Garden Hose:eek: Any chance someone was pumping out a flooded basement, etc...? I guess we're ummm gonna need you to ummm sack up and get in dem bushes:D

Dave
 
I'm of the belief that it's not a gator. The trail goes a bit far from the water, the width doesn't jibe, etc. Would also bet against it being from an armadillo or turtle. Looks like it's been traveled a bit (worn). I like the theory of otter or some water-related rodent...
 
absolutindian said:
Monitors and pythons are actually pretty rare down in FL....
Click to expand...
It just depends where you are at. We've found 5 pythons in one night. You just have to look in the right places. Monitors are all over Key Biscayne as well.

As far as the track goes, it looks too linear to be a gator, but I'm not sure. Is there alot of dirt pushed up on the sides like something heavy was there? Maybe some thrown up on a left side or right side. If not, and the vegetation looks like it has been trafficked, it might just be a well used rat or mammal run, that took a turn for the worse on a muddy night.

That hole, if near the water, has got to be a crab hole, probably of a ghost crab. Check it out at night with a spotlight, hold it by your head and do sweeps of the area, whistle or make a noise so that you can get any mammals to look at you. You'll be able to see the eyeshines. If you are wondering about gators, take the light out there at night and scan the water, you'll get their eyes shining back as well.
 
Ah-ha, otter would be a great bet! good call!
 
I'm going to go with SteelUser and say that's probably not a gator track. Firstly, gators on dry land don't usually drag their bodies - they get up on all four and walk. Second, If gators were prone to leaving tracks you (or those of us who grew up in Florida) would see them everywhere near fresh water. In my experience gators just don't travel the exact same path every time in a way that would create such a path - not on a lawn at least. (In general I don't think they are smart enough to repeat much of any behavior in an organized fashion.)

My first thought was raccoons. Racoons are very much creatures of habit, they will come through a neighborhood an a nightly schedule and are very fond of the water. They will eat anything they can catch out of the water and also like to wash their food before eating it.

The hole looks like crab to me. One of the telltales is usually small clumps, or balls of sand around the hole. That's how alot of them excavate the hole - they use a mucous secretion to bind the sand into little balls then carry them out of the hole. The best way to find out exactly what is inside is bring a chair at sunrise or sunset, sit a few feet away, and wait...

I'd exercise caution when crawling through the bush in Florida - not so much for gators or snakes (they usually avoid anything they hear coming) but mainly for ticks - the thickets, especially anyplace you have a decent rodent population, are loaded with them.
 
Possibly an iguana. We have seen and heard them when in South Florida. Our mistake was not looking up in the trees or brush. We would follow there track on the ground and it would disappear. Look up and there they were sitting up there watching us.
 
When we lived in South Florida we had several run-ins with Cuban Anolls. They come over on the ships. They get big, and have a wicked scary attitude. I'm not saying thats what made the trail, but its a possibility.
 
Coon tracks over a crab hole....you can see where his front feet were and his rear feet
stradled the crab hole.Coon and small game trail.
 
I would say that it is probably not a gator. Rat/raccoon/possum/armadillo maybe? The hose idea is pretty good. If someone was draining their pool into the marsh and left the hose there for a few days, it might look like that.
 
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