Wildlife Spotlight: Limpkin
Commonly seen poking around in the shallow water along the Wacissa
for its favorite food the apple snail, the limpkin is a good indicator
of water quality. A species of special concern in Florida, the limpkin
finds food by both touch and sight, an easier task in clear water. Apple
snails thrive on sawgrass and prefer specific water levels. Excessive
water levels that result in blooms of non-native invasive plants are
harmful to apple snails and in turn to limpkins.
The limpkin’s name is derived from its characteristic “limping”
walk. Sometimes called the “crying bird,” the limpkin has
a loud wailing call often heard at night and on cloudy days and thought
to resemble the sound of a human in distress.
The endangered snail kite found in southern Florida also feeds on apple
snails, swooping down and snatching the snail and then carefully extracting
the snail from its shell with its specialized bill. The limpkin cracks
open the shell and then eats its inhabitant. By looking at discarded
shells, researchers can easily distinguish snails eaten by limpkins
and those eaten by snail kites.
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