Corkscrew
Swamp Sanctuary
Along the
Boardwalk
February, 2010 www.corkscrew.audubon.org
Ed roasted, honored at annual Corks & Storks event
When Ed Carlson first came to
Corkscrew as a research biologist, he
lived in a trailer on site with few ameni-
ties. The first time his parents visited,
they looked around and asked, “When
are you going to get a real job?”
That was 35 years ago, and that first
job became a lifetime passion.
Ed’s years of leadership at Cork-
screw and with National Audubon So-
ciety were recognized at the sixth an-
nual Corks & Storks affair, held Janu-
ary 20 at the Naples Hilton.
A crowd of 240 attended the ben-
efit dinner, sponsored by Panther Island
Mitigation Bank, the Barron Collier
Companies, Fifth Third Bank, Eugene
and Georgia Mosier, and Susan
Schumann-Skehan.
The evening netted over $20,000,
which will be used at Ed’s discretion
to further his work at Corkscrew.
Quick ID Guide: four Smilax species (a.k.a. Catbrier, Greenbriar, Bamboo Vine, Blaspheme Vine)
Four species of Smilax vines are
along the boardwalk. Most have spines
Smilax bona-nox
Smilax glauca
After the dinner, tales of adventures
and experiences with Ed began. Eric
Draper, acting director of Audubon of
Florida, was first, followed by Andrew
Mackie, executive director of the Land
Trust of the Upper Arkansas River and
former assistant manager at Corkscrew.
Andrew regaled the audience with a fic-
tional history of Ed from birth to Cork-
screw, noting how storks were respon-
sible for bringing Ed into the world and
for preparing him for Corkscrew.
Norm Brunswig, Audubon of
South Carolina Director and one of Ed’s
first bosses spoke next of the “early
Ed.” Ray Judah, Lee County Commis-
sioner and fellow C.R.E.W. board
member, followed, praising Ed for his
work and dedication to all of Southwest
Florida’s environment. Commissioner
Judah also singled out Collier County
Commissioner Donna Fiala in the au-
and many common names, so it’s bet-
ter to learn scientific names at the start.
S. bona-nox has numerous large sharp
brownish thorns on a thick vine, which
distinguish it. Many of the heart-shaped
leaves have prickles along the edges.
S. auriculata has visible grooves along
the leaf margins and sparse small thorns
along the stem. A pinkish color on the
lower stems help distinguish it.
S. glauca is identified by a distinctly
grayish-white cast to the undersurfaces
of the ovate leaves, which have slen-
der prickles.
S. laurifolia has alternate, simple ob-
long leaves and many small thorns
along the stem. Raised midveins on the
lower leaf surfaces help distinguish it.
Andrew Mackie, Laurel Chaplin, and Ed Carlson
reminisce at the conclusion of the dinner.
dience for sharing their dedication to
conservation on the C.R.E.W. board.
John Graham, who with Dorothy
Blair was one of the main movers mak-
ing the Blair Audubon Center a reality,
spoke next, followed by Ann Paul, Re-
gional Coordinator for the Florida
Coastal Islands Sanctuaries. Ms. Paul
illustrated some of the physical simi-
larities between Ed and Wood Storks.
Ed closed the evening, thanking the
many people who continue to work tire-
lessly to further the cause of conserva-
tion in general and to help Corkscrew
in particular.
For their contributions of time, en-
thusiasm and talent, event co-chairs
Doug Machesney and Candace Forsyth
credit volunteers Susan Schumann-
Skehan and Joe Ambrozy, and staff
member Debbie Lotter for making the
event a success.
All are native and have berries that are
excellent food sources for wildlife.
Smilax auriculata
Smilax laurifolia
 In Case a Visitor Asks
When will those birds breed, and how soon before we see chicks?
Barred Owl
breeding season December-April; fledge ~ 42 days
Swallow-tailed Kite
breeding season February-June; fledge ~ 38 days
Red-shouldered Hawk
breeding season January-May; fledge ~ 40 days
Wood Stork
breeding season January-April; fledge ~ 53 days
Great Egret
breeds all year but mostly April-August; fledge ~ 60 days
Little Blue Heron
breeding season April-September; fledge ~ 28 days
Yellow-crowned Night Heron
breeding season March-June; fledge ~ 25 days
Black-crowned Night Heron
breeding season January-August; fledge ~ 42 days
Red-bellied Woodpecker
breeding season March-July; fledge ~ 25 days
Brown-headed Nuthatch
breeding season March-May; fledge ~ 18 days
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
breeding begins in May; fledge ~ 14 days
White-eyed Vireo
breeding season February-March; fledge ~ 14 days
Northern Parula Warbler
breeding season April-August; fledge ~ 10 days
Source: Florida Breeding Bird Atlas (www.myfwc.com/bba/species.htm)
Note: Birds do not always read books and follow published schedules

January Sightings

An adult Baled Eagle soars over the wet prairie A Diamondback Rattlesnake tries to find some A Brown-headed Nuthatch begins excavating a
near the wildlife crossing (January 5). warmth in the sun on a cold day (January 12). cavity near the wildlife crossing (January 22).

The Education Department contin-
ues to receive an increasing number of
requests for guided programs, class-
room curriculum for students, and op-
portunities for university classes to en-
gage in meaningful field experiences.
At first, the demand exceeded the
limited number of staff and volunteers
available to lead programs. An innova-
tive “Partner Educator” program was
established to provide an invaluable re-
lationship between Corkscrew and
teaching professionals at local schools
and at Florida Gulf Coast University.
The “Partner Educator” program,
generously supported in part by school
sponsors, provides the necessary struc-
ture for elementary teachers and uni-
versity faculty to become successful
Education Report
field interpreters for their students.
Collier County School District’s
Science Coordinator supports their pro-
grams by paying teachers to attend
workshops and provides transportation
to the field trip.
Florida Gulf Coast University sup-
ports the program by training additional
FGCU student naturalists and by ar-
ranging continuing education opportu-
nities for faculty.
Corkscrew staff provides orienta-
tions, teacher workshops, year long
guidance and evaluation for participat-
ing partners, and coordinates all pro-
gram schedules.
The Corkscrew education volun-
teers continue to be instrumental in de-
livering field programs and assisting
“Partner Educators” that are guiding for
the first time.
Boardwalk naturalist volunteers
can also assist by supporting teachers
on the boardwalk by helping to iden-
tify wildlife as the students travel
through their outdoor classroom
To recognize the efforts and com-
mitment of those in the Partner Educa-
tor program, all partners receive mem-
bership benefits at Corkscrew, which
enables them to return with friends and
family during the holidays, weekends,
and summer.
We are very excited as the program
grows, and we will continue to share
the successes of programs in the Cork-
screw Swamp Sanctuary’s Education
Department.

Big Cypress Fox Squirrel
Sciurus niger avicenna
Fox Squirrels are found through-
out most of Florida except in the Keys.
Three subspecies of Fox Squirrels
live in Florida: the Big Cypress Fox
Squirrel is found from the
Caloosahatchee River in Lee County
south and then east to the southern part
of Dade County; Sherman's Fox Squir-
rel is found in the rest of the peninsula;
and the Carolina Fox Squirrel is found
in the panhandle and northwards.
Contrary to two common names
sometimes given – Mangrove Fox Squir-
rel and Everglades Fox Squirrel – the
Big Cypress Fox Squirrel is not com-
mon in either mangroves or Everglades.
They are most common in open
pinelands, live oak forests, and stands
of bigger bald cypress.
Fox Squirrels have large overlap-
ping home ranges and are non-territo-
rial. Ranges vary from 8-32 acres de-
pending on habitat conditions. Males
have larger home ranges than females.
They spend more time on the ground
than Gray Squirrels and are slower mov-
ing, so they require habitats with an open
understory.
Fox Squirrels weigh from one to
three pounds and color variations range
from a buff to gray to an orange-brown,
and in some instances black. The under
parts are usually lighter, and the noses
are typically white with black
faces. They have long, bushy tails and
strong hind legs which allow them to
leap easily from tree to tree.
They are highly adapted for climb-
ing trees and fatal falls are rare. The tails
are used for balance when running and
leaping between trees, and are held over
the back when resting.
Fox Squirrels have a wide field of
vision and very good eyesight even in
dim light. They also have well devel-
oped senses of smell and hearing. As
with other rodent species, the incisors
continuously grow to compensate for the
enormous amount of wear that comes
from a herbivorous diet.
Profile
Fox Squirrels may mate any time of
year, but they typically have two breed-
ing seasons. Males collect in the home
range of a female when she begins es-
trus. Dominance hierarchies form
among the males to determine mating
privilege. Mating chases involve one
female and a number of males, with the
successful male guarding the female to
prevent others from mating with her.
Both sexes remain reproductively
active throughout their lives. Males
reach sexual maturity in 10-11 months
and females in about eight months. Fe-
males can produce two litters in a year,
although one is the norm.
Fox Squirrels nest in cypress, cab-
bage palms, and pines, and they typi-
cally use three different types of nests:
winter dreys, summer dreys, and dens.
Dreys are round conspicuous twig
and leaf nests generally built in the up-
per third of the canopy and are seldom
in isolated trees. They are waterproof
and made of an outer layer of interwo-
ven twigs with a softer inner lining of
moss, bark, leaves, fur, feathers, lichen
or other similar material. Summer dreys
are less elaborate than winter dreys and
may be no more than twig and leaf sau-
cer shaped platforms.
Tree dens are another nest. These are
holes or cavities in the main trunks of
trees which are also lined with soft ma-
terial. Squirrels often use dens in winter
months and dreys in summer months.
After a month and a half gestation
period, young are born, weaned in two
months, and independent in three
months. Males do not help raise the
young.
Juvenile males are more likely to
leave the natal area and disperse than are
juvenile females. Dispersal usually oc-
curs during the fall and is a high cause
of mortality among males, which results
in a slightly female biased sex ratio.
Squirrels threaten one another by an
upright stance with their tail over their
back, followed by a quick flick of the
tail. Scent-marking is another form of
intraspecies communication.
When threatened or alarmed, they
make a barking call or chatter while rap-
idly waving the tail from side to side.
The Gray Squirrel shows similar behav-
ior, but its call is of higher pitch.
Fox Squirrels are generalist feeders;
diet depends on the area in which they
are found. They forage on the ground
and in trees, eating pine and cypress
seeds, cabbage palm fruit, berries, and
figs. Nuts are opened by a levering tech-
nique of the lowering incisors.
They will also eat the inner bark of
trees as well as flowers, fruits, seeds, and
buds from a variety of trees including
maple and oak. Fungi are also consumed
when readily available in summer. Ani-
mal food items include bones, bird eggs,
nestlings, gall insects, moths, beetles,
frogs, and even dead fish.
Feeding territories are marked with
scents from glands on the sides of the
mouth that are rubbed against trees.
Fox squirrels are scatterhoarders
(they cache seeds in a scattered fashion).
Nuts and seeds are carried in their jaws
and buried in various locations within
the home ranges. Olfaction and memory
are used in locating their caches, but only
a portion of the nuts they bury are found,
so they plant many species of nut and
seed producing trees and shrubs.
Fox Squirrels live from four to seven
years of age on average in natural con-
ditions. Owls, hawks, foxes, the coyote,
and the bobcat are major predators.
Big Cypress Fox Squirrels are a
threatened species and Sherman’s Fox
Squirrel is a species of special concern.