Eagle Extra 941.312.0665 | ISSUE 3 | DECEMBER 2023
Otters in the Landings: Elusive and Fascinating By Hans Hawrysz
One of the key features and attractions of living in The Landings is the ability to see all kinds of birds, fish, reptiles, and amphibians living in our lakes. But, what about mammals? If you have been lucky to hear a different sort of high pitch scream or chatter, you might have come across one of the otter families that live in The Landings. The river otter (Lontra canadensis) is one of our most interesting but elusive inhabitants. Despite their cute looks and playfulness, they are apex predators, with hunting abilities, skills, and personality to match. River otters are carnivorous mammals in the subfamily Lutrinae and the overall Family the Mustelidae which includes weasels, minks, wolverines, fishers, and martens and all are renowned for their energy and fierceness. The entire subfamily of 13 species including river otters, is built to succeed in an aquatic environment. They have long bodies, flat heads, and super dense fur to glide effortlessly through water, powerful tails, short legs, and webbed feet. Their eyes are equipped with clear lids for underwater vision and their ears and nostrils close underwater. Their lungs allow them to stay submerged for up to 8 minutes and their hearing is so acute that they can hear fish underwater. They have long, stiff, and highly sensitive facial whiskers that aid in locating and capturing prey in dark and murky waters. On land, river otters can run as fast as 16 mph. A very formidable animal. This level of environmental adaptation has allowed them to live and succeed in all continents except for Australia and Antarctica. However, hunting and loss of habitat is shrinking the population. River otters have a long history in Florida, but given their waterproof pelts, they were almost hunted to extinction in the 19 th and early 20 th Century and are still considered to be endangered in Florida. In Southwest Florida, River Otters can be found in a variety of aquatic environments including streams, lakes, marshes, estuaries, and mangrove forests. They can approach 4 ft in length and weigh up to thirty pounds. They have a very powerful bite, 615 lbs. per square inch, twice as much as a pit bull and the same as a lion. If you encounter one, it is better to keep your distance. Otters are very energetic, high metabolism carnivores, so they need to catch and eat about half of their body weight each day. As a result, they are always on the hunt for food. The mainstay of their diet is fish, but they will eat
anything they can catch, crayfish, mollusks, insects, rodents, frogs, and turtles. They hunt singly or in pairs and although otters forage in water they are equally at home on land where they rest, groom, and eat. They are also very mobile, sometimes traveling between 10 and 18 miles in search of food. River otters are highly social animals and are often found in family groups called “rafts” which typically consist of a female otter, her offspring, and occasionally a male otter. They exhibit a high level of playfulness and a variety of vocalizations, ranging from whistles and buzzes to twitters, staccato chuckles, chirps, and growls. When threatened or frightened, they can emit a hairraising scream that can be heard up to 1.5 miles. Females give birth to one to three “kits” in a den near water and young otters are ready to swim in about two months, taught solely by their mother. Predators of the North American river otter include bobcats, alligators, coyotes, and large birds of prey. Otters are primarily nocturnal and shy away from humans but occasionally you can see them in the day. Key spotting areas in The Landings have been the lake banks and swampy areas like the Treehouse Lagoon. Also, river otters do not like polluted water so, spotting them in The Landings is a good indication that our water quality is high enough to attract otters.
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The Landings Eagle
DECEMBER 2023
941.312.0665
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It’s All Happening at The Landings! January
Monthly bike ride outing
February
Landings Holiday Charitable Foundation event
Bike ride outing tours Myakka State Park
March
Kayaking thru the intercoastal & exploring Siesta Key homes
Triple tennis turnout organized by George Ulrich
Line Dancing with Marc Mitchell
Enjoying the sounds of The Driveway Band
Super Bowl Watch Party
Chili Cookoff
Annual Dog Parade
The Landings Art Show
Fishing at the Gazebo
Golf Outing
IL Penne Cooking Class
Rock & Roll Party
Karaoke Dance Party
Baseball Outing
Pickleball
April
May
3.0 Women’s Team
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DECEMBER 2023 27th State Media, LLC
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June
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Collaborative Art Open Studio Show
Earth Day Volunteers
Summer Sendoff
Triple Tennis
Bowl Vibrations
Happy Hour
Memorial Day
Establishing a Compost Station
July
August
The Eagle takes a trip to Cambodia.
The Eagle goes on vacation to Puerta Playa, Dominican Republic.
September
Back-to-School Pool Party
October
Landoliers
Library Time
Junior Tennis Outing
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The Landings Eagle
DECEMBER 2023
941.312.0665
www.islandvp.com
Marvelous Magical Mangroves By Maralyn Kaufman David, Environmental Committee Chair The mangrove ecoregions of red, white, and black mangroves, like the ones we have in The Landings, have been “in the news” during the recent hurricane season. Why? Because mangroves are recognized as key to mitigating storm surge, land erosion, and flooding, thereby decreasing the destructive and monetary impact of storms. But what IS a mangrove, anyway?” Classification in the botanical world is not straightforward. According to an expert in the field (Peter J. Hogarth, The Biology of Mangroves and Seagrasses), true mangroves are species that occur exclusively in mangrove habitats. Worldwide, there are approximately 50-70 species of these mangrove trees or shrubs that belong to 20 genera in 16 families (primarily Rhizophoraceae, Acanthaceae, Lythraceae, and Combretaceae). But, in most cases, these genera and families also contain non-mangrove members!! And, unlike most plants and trees, the term mangrove does not reflect a phylogenetic divergence from a common mangrove ancestor. So, mangroves are more of a lifestyle than a plant grouping. They love frequent inundation with salty water and plenty of heat and sun. They do well in dense sandy soil and muck that has low oxygen content. Is it magic? Indeed, yes, it is the magic combination of the tangled root systems and
dense leafy vegetation of mangroves that provide (1) natural barriers to protect against the full force of storm water surge by absorbing and dissipating the energy of incoming waves (measured rates of storm surge reduction through mangroves range from 5 to 50 centimeters water level reduction per kilometer of mangrove width) and high velocity or strong gusts of wind (surface wind waves are known to be reduced by more than 75% over one kilometer), (2) a natural drainage system that absorbs and stores significant amounts of water, which naturally reduces the risk of flooding, and (3) natural binding of organic matter from fallen leaves etc. to mangrove roots, thereby providing sediment stability and reduced likelihood of coastal erosion and overall resilience of the coastal ecosystem. And even when there isn’t a storm, mangroves are marvelous as co-partners of coral reefs by providing shade to diminish coral bleaching, as well as nursery and feeding habitats for fish, birds, crustaceans, insects, reptiles, etc. Also, don’t forget mangrove soils are exceptional carbon sinks that can sequester and store large amounts of atmospheric carbon dioxide, helping mitigate climate change by reducing greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere. Mangroves can also improve water quality because they act as natural filters that remove pollutants (e.g., pesticides, heavy metals) and sediment from water runoff.
Now, if you are duly impressed and want to identify the important mangroves on your walks along the nature trail at The Landings, here are some hints. Red mangroves need to have their feet in water and grow within the tidal zone. They have dark red trunks and limbs covered with gray bark, tangled reddish prop routes growing down from branches, giving them the name “the walking mangrove”. They have smooth-edged, elliptical leaves that are shiny and dark green. During spring and summer months, they have clusters of white to pale yellow flowers. Black mangroves have dark, scaly bark and leaves, with shiny upper sides and whitish undersides, from which they excrete excess salt. You can often identify them by tasting the underside of the leaf; it will be very salty if the mangrove is close to the tidal zone. Black mangroves have white flowers that bloom in spring and early summer. They also have ‘breathing tubes’, called pneumatophores, that emerge from the soil around their base and provide the plant with oxygen. White mangroves are smaller than the red and black varieties, with broad, flat, light yellow- green leaves that have two glands (sugar nectaries) located at the base of the leaf where the stem originates. White mangroves have no visible aerial roots. Enjoy and protect the marvelous magical mangroves!
Mangrove habitat owned by the LMA.
Happiness is…the Holidays Oh, the weather outside is frightful…just kidding. We’re in sunny Florida! But the holiday season is here and with it comes shopping, menu planning, gift giving, and gatherings with family and friends. All pleasures that define this time of the year. Abel’s Ice Cream is here to help with hard-to-buy-for friends and family. Their wide selection of nationally recognized gourmet chocolates from Sweet Shop USA are a treat for anyone on your list. These amazing chocolates also make wonderful hostess and teacher gifts. And when you find a moment to get away from the hustle and bustle, stop into Abel’s to relax with a cup or cone of one of our award-winning flavors. Or try out one of our specialty seasonal
flavors like Peppermint Flash (Refreshing and vibrant-Peppermint ice cream filled with peppermint candy), Egg Nog (Sweet and delicious-a holiday favorite!), or a taste of Rum Raisin (Fantastic Rum flavored Ice cream loaded with raisins), a truly traditional touch of holiday spirit. The Abel’s family wishes you and yours a wonderful holiday season, filled with love, laughter, and ice cream. Happy Holidays! Abel’s Ice Cream is located at 1886 Stickney Point Road, Sarasota in the South Bridge Plaza. Open Sunday through Thursday from Noon-9:30 pm, and Friday and Saturday from Noon-10 pm. Learn more online at www.abelsicecream.com or connect with them on Facebook and Instagram.