Jones/Hungryland - Wildlife

Canal levees and trails provide good opportunities to see wildlife. Bobcats, turkeys, deer, hogs, alligators, river otters, softshell turtles, cooters, various snakes, and coyotes are found on the area. Commonly seen birds include osprey, red-shouldered hawks, northern harriers, catbirds, robins, wood storks, white ibis, herons, great and snowy egrets, limpkins, and sandhill cranes.

Wildlife Spotlight: River Otter

The playful river otter is a common inhabitant of the ponds and wetlands on Jones/Hungryland. They use their short, powerful legs, webbed feet, and strong tails to dive underwater to hunt for fish, their main prey. They also eat crayfish, frogs, turtles, and aquatic invertebrates. Although primarily aquatic, the river otter also travels across land, often in search of a mate. In the early 1600s, King James I of England kept a family of tame otters to catch fish for the royal table.