Wolf Spider Encounter

Spiders are an everyday occurrence especially during the hot summers in Florida. While I am mostly surrounded by banana spiders right now, we still have a wolf spider that seems to want nothing more than to get into my house. Wolf spiders are very common and usually found on the ground, where they are well-camouflaged. The hairy, fleet, wolf spiders are very common outdoors under leaf litter, rocks, and logs. When they come inside, they normally stay on the ground floor and are active in dim light. Large Wolf spiders often frighten people. If handled, they give a painful bite but it is not dangerous. The Carolina wolf spider, at 25 mm to 35 mm, is the largest in the United States. These spiders do not spin webs but some dig burrows or hide under debris. Like other hunting spiders, they have good eyesight and are sensitive to vibrations. For more information on spiders be sure to check out the spider link on Floridian Nature

Florida Crocodile dies while trying to be captured

Florida is well known for its reptiles including the famous Florida alligator and crocodile. There is virtually no fresh waterway in Florida that does not have the potential to have gators in it. As Florida natives, we take these large reptiles for granted, but that does not mean they do not cause any harm. In a story this week from Coral Gables two swimmers were bitten by a crocodile. The crocodile nicknamed Pancho had been living in the canals in the area for some time. Reports state the FWC had tried to relocate him, but he always returned back to his familiar canals. Unfortunately the 12-foot, 300-pound crocodile died on shore after being retained. This is a sad tale for both humans and Floridian nature. Nature lovers in the state make every effort to co-exist with Florida nature, but sometimes living in such close proximity to wildlife ends in tragedy like this. For more information about Florida Crocodiles visit Floridian Nature's page on crocodiles and don't forget about our alligator page too!

Floridan Nature Blog

In an effort to provide more current information to the readers of our website Floridian Nature, we are starting a blog where readers will have the opportunity to ask questions and interact with us concerning currents events in Floridian nature. We hope you enjoy our blog and look forward to hearing from our reader!