We are so excited to tell you about an easy and fun way to help Keep Tampa Bay Beautiful and Tampa Bay Watch! Both organizations depend on volunteers and local support to help keep Tampa’s neighborhoods, parks, and waterways clean and to restore and protect the natural beauty of Tampa Bay. They provide environmental education and volunteer opportunities that develop individual responsibility and environmental stewardship.
We have come up with a fun way to get your kids involved with this, too! One of OUR favorite things in Florida is the abundance of animals! Check out our slide show below and ask your kids, “What is YOUR favorite animal found in Florida?”
DOLPHIN: If you see a dolphin near shore or in a river it is most likely to be a bottlenose dolphin. This species is frequently found just beyond the surf line, but rarely in deeper waters.
MANATEE: Manatees must consume about 8-10% of their body weight each day – for larger individuals this means eating 23-41 kg (50-90 lbs) of vegetation a day.
WHITE IBIS: White ibis often feed and nest near humans, and are regularly seen probing for food on golf courses, lawns and in retention ponds.
SAND HILL CRANE: The sandhill crane is one of Florida’s largest birds— 1.2 meters tall, with a wingspan of about 2 meters.
FLORIDA SOFT SHELL TURTLE: Softshell turtles have soft flexible shells that feel like leather. They have powerful jaws that can give a nasty bite.
BLACK RACER: Black racers hunt during the day and are often seen moving quickly with their heads held high above the ground as they hunt for prey. They feed on frogs, rodents, and lizards.
BROWN ANOLE: Commonly called lizards, brown anoles were introduced to Florida from Cuban and the Bahamas and are now found throughout the state.
ALLIGATOR: Early Spanish explorers who encountered these reptiles named then “el lagarto” meaning lizard. Later, settlers called them “allagarto”, which was then corrupted to “alligator”. Alligators are found only in the southeastern United States, mostly in Florida and coastal portions of Louisiana.
GRAY SQUIRREL: In Florida they usually have at least two litters of up to six young per year, one between January and March, the second during June/July.
RACCOON: Raccoons are also one of Florida’s most common urban animals, frequently seen around parks, campsites and homes.
BLUE JAY: Blue jays are common in Florida. These conspicuous, noisy birds have a reputation for eating the eggs and nestlings of other birds.
MUSCOVY DUCK: Muscovy ducks are non-native dabbling ducks, common in suburban ponds and lakes. Originating in South America, muscovies do not swim much but have strong feet and claws for climbing and roosting in trees.
PELICAN: Brown pelicans have very keen eyesight and can spot fish from 50 to 60 feet in the air.
RING BILLED GULL: Ring-billed gulls are similar in appearance to the herring gull, but are smaller, with yellow legs and feet, and a dark ring on the bill.
SNOWY EGRET: Snowy egrets are common in Florida, where they forage in shallow water, searching for small fish and crustaceans.
GOPHER TORTOISE: The only native tortoise living east of the Mississippi River, and it is Florida’s only true tortoise. They can live to be 60 years old.
Here’s how you can how you can help:
1.) Take a picture of your favorite animal.
2.) Have your child draw a picture of their favorite Florida animal.
3.) Check out this cool A-Z Coloring book of Florida animals. Have your child color their favorite animal and take a picture of the colored in animal.
Post one of these pictures suggested above to Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram account with #FLfavorites. (You can even just name your favorite animal and use the hashtag #FLfavorites and they will STILL donate $1.00!) We’d love it if your tag us, too, so we can see your favorite Florida animals!Zephyrhills Natural Spring Water will donate $1.00 for each post with the #FLfavorites. That’s it! Easy and fun!
Aside from your own neighborhood, some of the best places to find Florida animals is in our State Parks. Check out the map below of all the local state parks where many animals can be found in their natural habitat.
Want to see even MORE Florida animals? Check out this link.
Thank you for helping to raise money for such a worthy cause!
Disclaimer: This is an promotion sponsored and compensated by Zephyrhills Water. We are proud to partner with them to raise funds for Keep Tampa Bay Beautiful and Tampa Bay Watch!
Zephyrhills Natural Spring Water is sponsoring a campaign to celebrate their 50th Birthday, and they’re asking: What do you love about Florida? Use #FLfavorites on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter and they will donate $1 for every post tagged (up to $50k) to Keep Tampa Bay Beautiful and Tampa Bay Watch!
