According to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission FWC), cane toads are reddish-brown to grayish-brown, with a light-yellow or beige belly and can be uniform in color or have darker markings around the body. They have enlarged glands behind the eyes, which angle downward onto the shoulders. The glands secrete a potent milky-white toxin (bufotoxin) as defense against predators – including domestic pets. Cane toads generally range in size from six to nine inches in length. They can be confused with the native southern toad, however; adult cane toads are much larger than adult southern toads, which only grow to a maximum of approximately three or four inches. Cane toads do not have ridges across the head, as seen in the southern toad.

When someone brings up the largest animals in the Gulf, it’s standard to think along the lines of whales and sharks, or maybe a Goliath grouper. But one of the largest species in our waters can be found both on land and in the water. It is a green sea turtle, which can grow to […]

May through October is the official sea turtle nesting season in Southwest Florida. During these months, adult female sea turtles make an amazing journey home to nest and lay eggs on the very beach where they were hatched 20 to 30 years before. Barrier Islands located in Cayo Costa, Don Pedro, Gasparilla and Stump Pass Florida State Parks are vital habitats for returning sea turtles to nest and lay eggs. Currently Cayo Costa State Park has 548 nests/16,132 hatchlings and Gasparilla Island State Park has 57 nests/1,563 hatchlings. The most common nesting sea turtle on the Southwest Florida coast is the loggerhead, but other, rarer species have also been documented, including Kemps ridley and the green sea turtle.