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Handbook
Prairies
- Wire cordgrass
- Sawgrass
- Breakrush
- Needlegrass
Prairies are expanses of grasses with very few trees. Natural fires occur every 1-4 years and probably limit pines from growing. Ecologists recognize two types of prairies: dry prairies and wet prairies. Dry prairies are only wet after heavy rains. Wet prairies are typically wet from 50-150 days each year. Reptiles and amphibians abound in wet prairies. Both types are found within the panther's range. Dry prairies are home to the threatened Audubon's crested caracara, the endangered grasshopper sparrow, the burrowing owl, and the gopher tortoise. Much of the dry prairie within the panther's range is used for grazing cattle and some has been converted to citrus, vegetation fields and residential development. Improved rangeland is generally excellent deer habitat.
Audubon's Crested Caracara
Also called the Mexican eagle and Mexican Buzzard, the crested caracara has the appearance and the behavior of both vultures and falcons. It prefers cabbage palms as nesting sites and eats reptiles, birds, mammals, and carrion.
Florida Grasshopper Sparrow
Small, short-tailed bird that nests on the ground and feeds on grasshoppers, crickets, and other insects as well as seeds. Named for both its weak song, which some people think sounds like an insect, and one of its favorite foods. Most commonly found among saw palmetto and dwarf oaks. Avoids areas with dense trees.
Burrowing Owl
Also called the ground owl, the burrowing owl is common in the Great Plains, but in the East is only found in Florida and the Bahamas. They make their nests in burrows 30cm to 90cm underground. They are not as nocturnal as most owls and feed on rodents, small birds, and amphibians as well as insects. Like all owls, they can rotate their heads 180 degrees and look directly backwards.
Gopher Tortoise
The gopher tortoise lives in dry, well-drained soils where it digs long burrows (up to 9.1 meters). These burrows are occupied by the tortoise as well as a host of other organisms, including the Eastern indigo snake, the pine snake, the Florida mouse, and the gopher frog.
The habitat of the gopher tortoise is shrinking because the high dry ground it needs for its burrows is also desirable for houses. The gopher tortoise was killed for food until 1987. Today it is against the law to kill, capture, own, buy or sell a gopher tortoise.
Characteristic Animals
Birds:
Threatened Audubon's crested caracara, black vulture, burrowing owl, endangered Florida grasshopper sparrow, turkey vulture.
Mammals:
Cotton rat, eastern spotted skunk, least shrew, white-tailed deer.
Reptiles and Amphibians:
Black racer, box turtle, gopher tortoise, loggerhead shrike.
Invertebrates:
Butterflies
Characteristic Plants
Dwarf blueberry, fetterbush, gallberry, herbs, pawpaw, rushes, saw palmetto, staggerbush, wax myrtle, wiregrass and other grasses, wildflowers: bachelor's button, goldenrod, milkwort, sabatia.