Because we are so creative with the naming process here at the SNC, Big Red is the name for our beloved red rat snake. Red rat snakes are a native species to Florida and can be identified by their gorgeous patterning. But if Big Red is a native species to Florida, why is he with the Sawgrass Nature Center and Wildlife Hospital? 

Surrendered Pet

The SNC’s mission with any animal we receive is to rehabilitate it (nurse it back to health or independence) and release it back into the wild. In 2020, the United Nations released a report claiming one million species may be pushed to extinction in the next few years. This means every animal life is extremely important and releasing it back into the wild to re-enter the breeding population and increase species numbers is a vital goal to have. 

That being said, the Sawgrass Nature Center and Wildlife Hospital cannot release an animal back into the wild if it is incapable of surviving on its own. This is the case of Big Red the red rat snake. 

When an animal becomes a pet, it loses the need and ability to fend for itself. It becomes dependent on its human caretakers for food, shelter, and water. This is the responsibility we sign up for when we take an animal into our home. However, certain animals (like snakes) are more commonly abandoned than others. This is because sometimes we do not realize all of the responsibilities that go into caring for that animal. 

Pets like snakes, tortoises, bearded dragons, and other things that are not as common as cats and dogs can rack up pretty expensive vet bills. They can also be pretty difficult to feed, sometimes because their food choice can be expensive, sometimes because people realize they aren’t comfortable feeding one animal to another (like a mouse to a snake). 

Want to meet Big Red?

Big Red lives inside the exhibit area in the SNC’s educational building. As one of our educational ambassadors, Big Red is often used for educational programs. Here you can get an up close look at many of our reptiles! 

Want to learn more about Big Red?

Contact our educational department at education@sawgrassnaturecenter.org to learn how to schedule an interactive program for you and your family. 

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Those of you that follow us on social media may already be familiar with Bumper and the reason he got his name. Bumper likes to bump shoes with the front of his shell. This is a territorial display that is meant to inform the keeper of the day that they are in his home and they are only welcome as long as there is food. 

Bumper is with the Sawgrass Nature Center because he is considered an exotic species. That means his species is not native to Florida. 

What is Bumper?

Greek Tortoise

The Greek tortoise is one of five of the Mediterranean species of tortoises. They can grow to an average size of 5-8 inches in length, making them one of the smaller species of tortoise. Even though they have an average lifespan of about 50 years, they have been recorded to live up to 125 years in captivity with proper care and treatment. 

Want to see Bumper?

Even though these guys are small in size, they require a pretty big habitat space to be kept happy and healthy. This includes lots of dirt and vegetation. That’s why if you come by the SNC to visit Bumper, you may have a hard time spotting him in such a large exhibit area. The best time to see Bumper is feeding time Tuesdays-Sundays around 11am-12pm. You might even get to see him do his famous “Bumper” display. 

Want an up-close look?

Contact the SNC’s education department about how to book an educational program for you and your family at education@sawgrassnaturecenter.org. 

Sinbad

A fan favorite at the Sawgrass Nature Center and Wildlife Hospital, is Sinbad, a yellow-naped amazon parrot. The main mission of the SNC is to rehabilitate and release native wildlife back into the wild, but sometimes we have to provide permanent residency to the animals that come our way. Sinbad is a great example of two of the usual three reasons. 

Previous Pet

In the wild, yellow-naped amazon parrots can live twenty to thirty years. In captivity, however, they can live sixty – eighty years. That means any potential pet owner of this gorgeous bird would have to plan for what is going to happen to their beloved parrot upon their death. Sinbad out lived two owners. The extended family of his owners reached out to the Sawgrass Nature Center for help and Sinbad became a permanent resident of the SNC.  Why can’t pets be returned back to the wild? Pet animals are usually captive bred and are totally dependent upon us for food, shelter, and water and may not be able to seek out these things for themselves. They most likely would not be able to survive on their own in the wild and may become easy prey to predators. This is why we should never just “let go of” an animal that we can no longer care for. 

Exotic Species

As their name implies, yellow naped amazon parrots are not from Florida. This means they did not originate from Florida and were brought to the area by human intervention. Unlike invasive species, this exotic species does not have an established breeding population in this region and is not causing any inherent harm to our environment. In fact, you are only likely to see this particular species of bird in a place like a zoo, living as a pet, or in a nature center. 

Because of the potential harm they can cause in our native ecosystem, it is illegal to release any exotic species into the wild.

Sanctuary Living

Sinbad, along with many other species, will spend the rest of his days being lovingly cared for by the dedicated staff at the Sawgrass Nature Center and Wildlife Hospital. He is provided a healthy and diverse diet of fruits, veggies, seeds, and nuts. One of his favorite things to do is serenade his caretakers in Spanish. He has also been known to give our Camp Director a scare or two by letting out a very good impression of a child screaming. 

Interested in meeting Sinbad? 

The Nature Center is open Tuesdays to Fridays 9am-5pm and Saturdays and Sundays 10am-3pm. To enter, a five-dollar donation for adults and a three-dollar donation for kids is greatly appreciated. 

Tomorrow an incredible natural phenomenon known as the super blood moon lunar eclipse will take place at 5:45AM EST. “In the United States, the total eclipse will begin at 7:11 a.m. ET and end at 7:26 a.m. ET, but will be partially visible from 5:45 a.m. ET to 8:52 a.m. ET,” (https://www.cnn.com/2021/05/25/world/may-full-moon-lunar-eclipse-scn/index.html). A lunar eclipse is described as an event where the Earth’s shadow blocks the sun’s light that reflects off the moon. 

Celestial events like a lunar eclipse have long caught the attention of humans throughout history. There are also many myths and legends about the full moon affecting human behavior. Whether it’s just a really cool event to watch, or something more, what is the connection between the moon and us? 

Scientifically speaking, the moon has a gravitational pull on the Earth’s oceans. The moon’s pull is what is responsible for creating the tides. The tide is essentially the rising and lowering of the ocean against the shore. The change in period between higher and lower local ocean levels is referred to as high and low tide. As the moon circles the Earth, it’s gravitational pull gets greater and weaker in the areas it moves closer to or further from. The greater the pull, the higher the tide, and vice-versa. 

Find your local high and low tide here: https://tidesandcurrents.noaa.gov/map/index.html?region=Florida/ 

In nature, many animal species have oriented themselves to respond to high and low tide. For example, sea turtles will come up to shore during a high tide to lay their eggs. Since other animal species have developed behavior that responds to certain aspects of the moon, it isn’t too crazy to believe that at some point down the evolutionary line, humans may have done something similar. However, there aren’t too many studies to prove this. 

While many studies have been done on how the Full Moon can affect sleep cycles in humans (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25266502/), this might be better chalked up to the slow adaptation to artificial light in the 21st century. And while there are many who believe that hospitals, emergency rooms, and even classrooms get crazier than usual on the day of a full moon, there isn’t much to prove that either. A better question to ask might be, is the superstition around the full moon becoming a self-fulfilling prophecy? Let us know what you think! 

Every year thousands of young animals are found by people. Most of these wild animals do not need to be rescued. Humans are always a young wild animal’s last hope for survival; never its best hope. A young animal should be removed from the wild only after you have received direct advice from a Wildlife Rehabber. 

Is the animal an orphan? 

An “orphan” is a young animal that is unable to care for itself and whose parents cannot be found or are known to be dead. It is natural for all young animals to explore the world alone once they leave the nest. If you have found a healthy young animal that is able to walk and is fully furred or feathered, it probably does not need your help. Its parents are usually nearby, even if they are not visible to you. Observe the young animal from a distance for some time before calling for help. 

Is the animal injured or weak?

If the young animal appears weak or injured, you should call a wildlife rehabilitator or nature center for further guidance on assessing the situation. If an animal has been attacked by a cat or dog, assume there is an injury even if it is not visible. 

Should I intervene?

The best way to determine if an animal is in need of your help is to contact a wildlife center BEFORE you intervene. Most times, people that believe they are rescuing baby wild animals are advised to place them back where they found them so their parents can do their jobs. Remember, parent animals will not go for their young while you are around, so don’t panic if you can’t see the mom. 

Questions about an animal you think is in need of help? Contact the Sawgrass Nature Center and Wildlife Hospital at 954-752-9453.

For those of you that know us, you know that the Sawgrass Nature Center and Wildlife Hospital is dedicated to rehabilitating and releasing native Florida wildlife. Or, in other words, nursing in-need wildlife back to health, so that they have a second chance at life in the wild. Sometimes we get animals that cannot be released back into the wild. Whether it’s because they have a permanent injury that keeps them from properly defending themselves in the wild or because they are considered an exotic/invasive species (not naturally from Florida) we legally are not allowed to release it. These animals, instead, are provided a permanent home in our Wildlife Sanctuary. 

This brings us to the second part of the SNC’s mission. The animals we provide permanent sanctuary to become educational ambassadors for their species. Their role is to provide the public with education on why their species is important and what their species niche (job) is in the environment. 

In order to make sure we are giving our permanent residents the best care possible, we need to make sure they have the best habitats possible. For a non-profit that runs almost entirely on donations, this can sometimes be hard to do. This year though, thanks to an incredible grant opportunity from The Batchelor Foundation, the SNC is able to reconstruct newer, better habitats for some of our residents. 

Please be sure to keep an eye out for construction during visiting hours. The areas will be marked off with yellow caution tape. Please do not let children climb over this. 

We hope you guys are as excited about the improvements happening around the SNC as we are! 

On April 10th and 11th, 2021, the Sawgrass Nature Center and Wildlife Hospital held its fifth annual Orchid Festival. This massive event is one of the best ways the SNC can fundraise for the hundreds of animals we take in every year.  What is Orchid Fest? Other than a fundraising event, Orchid Festival is an opportunity for vendors of beautiful, rare, and exotic orchid species to come together and sell their unique product on SNC property. Included amongst these vendors are art vendors, supply vendors, and educators! 

Guests are welcome to walk around the SNC’s unique exhibit area while perusing their favorite flower vendors. Guests that visit the SNC booth are treated to educational blurbs about our animals, mission, and staff. 

It is a great event that provides an opportunity for the Coral Springs and surrounding communities to come together and explore a new world of floral and faunal wonders. 

Located in Coral Springs, Florida, and operating for the past twenty-six years, the Sawgrass Nature Center and Wildlife Hospital (and its staff) have handled many wildlife encounters over the years. One of the incidents we and other nature centers see a lot of in the Spring are (not-so) abandoned baby birds. However, most times the bird calls we receive are not actually for birds that require assistance. 

Baby birds have a natural part of their life cycle where mom prepares them to leave the nest. This means they spend a lot of time at the bottom of a tree outside of the nest. Now, because of the size and lack of developed feathers on these birds, many people see this as a sign for concern. But again, we assure you, this is entirely natural. 

The last thing anyone should do when they see a baby bird is put it in a box and take it to a nature center. We know that it might seem scary to think that mom is not nearby, but parental birds are really good at hiding when they do not want to be seen. The baby that seems alone, may not actually be alone. Our best advice is to assess the situation from afar if you think there is cause for concern and call your local nature center. Your local wildlife rehabber will be best at determining whether or not the little guy is truly abandoned and needs to be brought in. 

Birdnapping is more common than you might think. The Sawgrass Nature Center and many other nature centers like us, have received baby birds that did not need to be taken out of the wild. We never want to take a baby bird out of the wild for doing exactly what it is they should be doing at that point in their lifecycle. Again, as scary or unnatural it may seem to us for a baby bird to be on its own, it’s just as scary for them to be put in a box and brought in by humans. 

With Easter closing in, the Sawgrass Nature Center and Wildlife Hospital feels it’s important to put out a reminder to not buy a bunny as a gift for your families. A majority of the bunnies bought as gifts around Easter time are abandoned shortly after the Holiday passes. 

Bunnies are adorable animals and they can be charming companions, but most people do not realize the amount of love and care that goes into these guys. Bunnies are long-time commitments. They can live longer than dogs and cats if given the right amount of care. Bunny vets can also be very expensive because they are not considered a “common” pet. It is also important to know that their nails and teeth are growing constantly. That means their nails are going to need trimmings, which is not a fun experience for any animal, especially an animal that is used to being prey. 

Because bunny teeth are constantly growing, they are going to need a healthy stream of hay in a day in addition to their regular diet. This means their cost of food can get pretty expensive for those who weren’t expecting to need a bunny budget. Bunnies are commonly mistaken as low-cost, beginner pets. The truth is that they are not. Like all animals, bunnies require research and forethought prior to committing to one.

Here at the Sawgrass Nature Center and Wildlife Hospital, we see babies year-round. Part of this is due to Florida’s subtropical climate, another part is that some animals (such as raccoons) have babies all year long. So what is so special about the Spring at the SNC? 

Regardless of what specific time of year animal species have babies, a majority of them seem to coincide with the Spring. That means many animal species are having babies all at once in the Springtime. Nature Centers just like ours are flooded with baby birds, squirrels, opossums, raccoons, and more. 

For the most part, these are all animals that have many babies at once. The reason they do this is to increase the chances that at least one of those babies will survive to adulthood. For the many of us that have seen abandoned baby animals, we know that the trials of infancy in the animal kingdom can be quite challenging indeed. This season reminds us why it is so important that we have community resources like wildlife rehabilitators to ensure that these animals are given the highest chance of success possible. 

With that in mind, there are some very important things to remember as we March into baby season. If you see a potentially abandoned baby animal, please do not touch it. Rescue is not always the best first step for these animals. Many baby animals are mistaken for being orphaned, when in reality, mom is usually close by watching. 

For example, baby birds experience a natural part of their life cycle on the ground by a tree as they develop necessary skills for independence and flight. While mom might not be immediately identifiable, most times, these baby birds are doing exactly what they should be doing. 

The best thing to keep in mind is that before you intervene with nature, always call your local nature center first for advice. What may seem like an emergency situation, may actually just be a natural part of an animal’s life cycle. 

Baby Season Wishlist: 

• Fleece blankets (NOT woven)
• Heating pads (NO automatic shutoff)
• Small ramekins
• Kleenex
• Paper towels