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Split Oak Forest WEA

Wildlife

Wildlife viewing opportunities are highest along the hiking trail system, overlooks, and pasture areas. The gopher tortoise, Sherman's fox squirrel, and sandhill crane are a few of the state protected wildlife that can be seen on this area.

Two viewing platforms/overlooks are located along the hiking trail (one along the south loop and one on the lake loop overlooking Lake Bonnet). The wetland fringes offer excellent viewing opportunities for wading birds. Visitors may also see some of the white-tailed deer and wild turkey common on the area. Coyote, alligator, wood stork, red-shouldered hawk, gray fox, and box turtle are some of the additional wildlife species that are found on this area.

You may request a copy or download or print the Split Oak Forest Bird List .

Wildlife Spotlight: Gopher Tortoise

The gopher tortoise is a “keystone” species. Its burrow, dug in dry, well-drained soil and up to 9 meters long, is home to a host of other animals.

Nearly 400 species of animals, including the threatened Eastern indigo snake, gopher frog, and the rare Florida mouse use borrows of the gopher tortoise. Several species of insects are found only in these borrows.

Some scientists describe gopher tortoises as “cows with shells.” They exhibit two types of feeding behavior: gorging on grass or selectively eating herbaceous plants. Gopher tortoises locate food by both sight and smell, often sniffing before deciding to eat. Throughout Florida, the habitat for the gopher tortoise is shrinking because the high, dry ground it needs for its burrows is also desirable for residential and commercial development. The gopher tortoise was killed for food until 1987. Today it is illegal to kill, capture, own, buy, or sell a gopher tortoise.