Pete Balfour of Ecorp tells me he has been studying Florida water snakes (a non-native speces) in the Folsom area. See this creature at: http://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/herpetology/fl-guide/Nerodiafpictiventris.htm Pete also has a Northern water snake, found …

This photo (see adjacent) captures a pheasant on the Conservancy’s Silva tract preserve. The photo is not doctored or enhanced in any way. And the reason for including this on the blog? Check out the bright colors. I have never seen such bright colorat …

I’ve noted on previous occasions that Great Horned Owls seem to like the Conservancy’s preserves. Mostly because they are rich in wildlife activity, and thus provide prey for this top-of-the-food chain (or nearly so) creature. These are truly majestic …

The adjacent photo is of the first kid and its mother goat at the Conservancy’s Silva preserve this year. The Conservancy maintains a small herd of goats to do the “soft path” vegetation management around giant garter snake-sensitive areas. Goats are l …

Slowly but surely, beavers are taking down David Island on the Conservancy’s Silva tract. See the photo for recent evidence. There just aren’t any predators to keep their numbers in check. These trees are intended to be nesting trees for the Swainson’s …

The Conservancy has lost several goats this winter to disease. The expert we use on the subject says the cause was likely attributable to something called coccidiosis. Coccidia parasites get into the goats when they are ingested by grazing. During this …