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Gopher Land Tortoise

1/26/2022

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We learned of the protected Gopher Land Tortoise last year while in Englewood, FL. As curious nature lovers we kept our eyes open hoping to spot one in the wild but never did. Not too surprising as gopher land tortoise spend most of their time (approx. 80%) underground. We did find their tracks in the sand along with a few tortoise dens near the dunes while exploring Stump Pass Beach.
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This year, we were fortunate enough to spot several gopher land tortoise. Our first was along the roadside on Manasota Key. We were headed to Stump Pass Beach our favorite spot on the key. Unfortunately, we couldn't stop to take a photo. The road is narrow with a 25 mph speed limit & we had a string of vehicles behind us. 

It's a one mile walk from the entrance of Stump Pass to the southern most point of Manasota Key. We walked the beach looking for shark's teeth & other sea treasures. The wind was at our backs so we didn't realize how breezy it was until we turned to head back. Whoa! We decided to take the nature trail back which follows along the bayside of the key to shelter us from the wind. It was on our walk back that we hit the jackpot. A gopher land tortoise next to its den.
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Gopher land tortoises are native to the southeastern region of the United States. Only 5 tortoise species are native to the U.S. and gopher land tortoises are the only tortoise found east of the Mississippi River. They are protected in Florida & listed as "Vulnerable" on the Endangered Species List. In Florida, all gopher tortoises must be safely relocated before any land disturbance is allowed to take place. Land owners are required by law to obtain a permit before doing so.
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​There are many protected animals & native plants in Florida. The state does a great job alerting the public to their presence. We found signage posted at every park & pubic nature space we visited. Florida also includes educational information on their signage. We love that!
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​Gopher land tortoise are considered a "Keystone Species." A keystone species is any organism that helps to define an ecosystem. Gopher land tortoise play a crucial role within their ecosystem. It's mainly due to their dens. ​Many species rely on gopher land tortoise dens for their own survival.
​Gopher tortoise burrow as far as 50' into the ground and their dens may be up to 10' deep! These burrows protect the tortoise from heat, sunstroke & bush fires. It's quite common for gopher tortoise to share their dens with snakes. In fact, over 350 different species of animals are known to share gopher land tortoise dens. During bush fire events, these burrows are essential for the survival of the ecosystem.
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Gopher land tortoise tend to feed within 160' of their burrow. They forage on low growing plants such as broadleaf & wire grasses, gopher apples and legumes. Gopher tortoise average 9-11" in length but can grow up to 15" long. Their average lifespan is 40-60 years in the wild. Gopher land tortoise can live 90+ years in captivity. 

Breeding season runs March to October. Male gopher land tortoise sexually mature within 9-12 years of age while females require 10-21 years to reach sexual maturity. Females lay their clutch of eggs between the months of May & July. Their eggs are about the size of pingpong balls. Baby tortoise emerge in August through November after 80 to 100 days of incubation. Adult gopher land tortoise provide NO maternal care to their young.
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​Several days later we were lucky enough to spot another gopher land tortoise while walking to Manasota Beach. He was very close to the footpath but hard to spot in the dune grass. I might have walked right past him had Jason not pointed him out. ​The tortoise was busy digging in the sand & paid no attention to us. We were able to get several great shots. From a safe distance, of course!
I wondered if the tortoise was working on a new burrow or just digging the beach like me? We'll have to check this spot for a tortoise den next year. We shot a few seconds of video showing the tortoise in action before we continued on to the beach. Check out the clips below.
Later that night I used our photos & video clips of the gopher land tortoise to create my very first TikTok video. We're up to 692 views so far with 7 likes. Well on our way to TikTok fame... at a tortoise pace, of course!
Stay tuned. We have more nature & wildlife posts coming soon.
Follow us on Facebook for updates.
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Brohard Beach

1/18/2022

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At first glance Brohard Beach in Venice looks like most Florida Gulf Coast beaches. Turquoise water, sunshine & blue skies, clean sandy beaches filled with seashells, shark's teeth, cool birds & plenty of beachgoers. But there's something special about Brohard Beach that makes visiting truly unique. It tops our list of favorite beaches.
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​There are many public beaches on Manasota Key. All of them are fabulous. Venice, Casperson, Brohard, Manasota, Blind Pass, Englewood & Stump Pass Beach are all within a few miles of each other. So, what makes this beach special? Well, Brohard Beach is a designated doggy beach!
Access to Brohard Beach is through Brohard Paw Park. The park is a large fenced-in play area divided into two sections for large & small dogs. Brohard Beach & Paw Park is open daily from 7:00 am until dusk. All breeds are welcome, admission is free and so is the parking!
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Double gates at the rear of Brohard Paw Park accesses the boardwalk to the beach. It's a short but scenic walk down a wide concrete sidewalk to the wooden boardwalk. The walkway is flanked by a small lake on one side & swampland on the other so there's a good chance you will see wildlife. Don't worry, everyone is safe within the fencing. We came prepared but if you decide to pop in on a whim there are plenty of trash cans & doggy-doo bags conveniently located here.
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We didn't take any photos of Brohard Paw Park. Our hands were always full of leashes, beach gear & two extremely excited (or tired) puppies. But we all agree, the paw park is an awesome spot for families to enjoy. There is a pavilion, benches & picnic tables for humans. A drinking fountain, bathing station & plenty of room to run for the furry kids. Dogs are allowed off-leash once inside the fencing!
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Tucker & Roxie's excitement level was off the charts when we arrived. New people to greet, fur friends to make & so many new sniffs! It was fun to watch their reactions to the ocean & doggy park. So many new sights, sounds & smells. Boxers are extremely smart. They understood this vacation was special time for our pack to enjoy together. Both were on their best behavior. Mama was so proud. Our two little country hounds were experiencing "city dog life" for the very first time. Living their best life and digging it! 
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The pier in background is the Venice Municipal Fishing Pier, a 700 foot pier that offers free fishing without a license to all Florida residents & guests. It's located on Venice Beach in front of Sharky's on the Pier. More on that later in another post.
Tucker has been with us since he was a pup. We purchased him from a wonderful breeder near Port Huron, MI. We met on the road & took our little nugget back to Grandma & Grandpa Pillywiggins' farm for the weekend. It was there Tucker met my "sister" Belle, a whopping 100 pound Mastiff/Pitbull mix. Tucker immediately fell in love with Big Belle. She was his 1st girlfriend. Tucker has had an eye for the big girls ever since!
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Tucker & Big Belle
Roxie was a year old when she came to us. She made the rounds as a pup! Born in Arkansas, she moved to Florida then to Midland, MI all in her 1st few months before our friend Marla found & rescued her. Unfortunately, Roxie was too high energy for Marla's two older Boxers. She asked us if we would give Roxie a good home. She's been with us 3 years now.
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Tucker & Roxie's 1st Meeting
​Tucker & Roxie are best buddies!
So, imagine my surprise when our 2 bonded Boxers found new friends to play with at the beach & completely ignored each other! Upon arrival Tucker wanted to walk the full length of the beach to greet everyone. After he scoped out the scene, Tucker would choose the biggest female on the beach & try to goad her into playing. Tucker befriended a huge Great Dane on our first visit. He went crazy over her! In the video clips below Tucker makes friends with a female Rhodesian Ridgeback.
Roxie wasn't as picky with her playmates. She didn't bother to walk the beach. The first person or puppy she spotted with a ball was her new best friend. Period, end of story. Male, female, person or pup. Roxie did not care. She was going to push her way into the ballgame & play!
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​Brohard Beach & Paw Park both have a really great vibe with a diverse mix of people & pets. All were friendly, relaxed & having the best time playing together.​ We took the kids to the beach several times during our month-long stay. It was fun for our whole family. No hassles, long lines or cranky children. I think it's time for Disney to give up the title. Brohard Beach is surely the happiest place on earth!
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If you're familiar with Boxers you know they are HIGH ENERGY dogs that require a lot of exercise & attention. They prefer to spend time with their people & they want to be included in everything! Boxers are also very expressive with their emotions. They tend to get their nose out of joint if they feel they're being left out of the fun. They will look for mischief when bored. It's not much of a problem at home but when you're staying in someone else's fabulous home...it's something to consider.
Brohard Beach proved to be the perfect solution for us. When Jason & I wanted to go somewhere without our dogs, we'd start our day at Brohard Beach. It only took an hour or so to wear our kids out completely. Once home they would happily sleep the day away allowing Jason & I time to enjoy other activities.
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If you're considering a fur family vacation, check out the the Englewood/Venice area. Several resorts, VRBO & AirB&B rentals on Manasota Key allow pets although some do have weight or breed restrictions so be sure to check before booking.
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​Because we have large dogs that require a lot of exercise, we chose to stay on the north end of the key. It's quieter & more spread out. The south end of Manasota Key is more densely populated with bars, restaurants & people but they do have pet-friendly lodging available. We recommend booking at least a few days at Beachcomber of Manasota Key with or without pets. It's an awesome resort!
​Taking our furry kids on vacation was a great choice for us.
We had a wonderful time made even better because we were together.
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Cruisin' on Dearborn

1/14/2022

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Hot rods & cool classics gather on Dearborn in Old Englewood, FL on the 1st Saturday of each month for Cruisin' on Dearborn. It's a fun, FREE car show event. Jason was excited. He misses most of the car shows in our area because of work. I'll admit, I was a little excited too. I love the cool old muscle cars from my childhood days.
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We parked a block off Dearborn & started walking with our cameras in hand. We entered the show near a parking lot full of Corvettes. ​I was eyeballing the cool, old red Corvette above when a man approached me saying "Aww, you don't like that old piece of junk, do you?" He hustled me over to his much newer Corvette insisting I get in & check it out. He wouldn't take no for an answer. He was awfully proud of his car so I didn't want to burst his bubble but... I still prefer the old model.
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We wandered around admiring all of the cars on display. We took a ton of photos but I doubt we were able to catch them all. The street was lined with cars, the parking lots were filled and quite a few cars cruised Dearborn revving their engines. 
Which cool car would you choose for a cruise?
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Julie's Pick
If I could drive away with any of the cars at the show that day, I would have chosen this beauty! A 1970 Chevrolet Chevelle SS. They don't make cool cars liked that anymore.  What a bummer. I would burn up the asphalt in that baby!
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Jason's Pick
Jason's dream ride was this 1969 Hurst Oldsmobile Cutlass 442 Convertible. Oh yeah, I could drive this baby around too. Jason made fun of my tire squawking & vrroom-vrroom sound effects as I day-dreamed of drag racing around town. 
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You Know You're a Landscaper When...
You attend a cool car show & take photos of sod.
Jason & I couldn't get over the condition of this recently installed sod. It was so dry you could almost hear it gasping for water & not an irrigation line in site. OMG those seams! And they're parking on it too?!?!
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Danny's Cream Pies 
Where Cars, Desserts & Craziness Collide
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Danny Duncan's YouTube videos may not appeal to everyone's taste but his ice cream & cream pies will. Jason was aware of Danny Duncan's YouTube page. I didn't have a clue but you can't miss Danny's Cream Pies stand on Dearborn St. in Old Englewood, FL. Daredevils & "Jackass" fans will be entertained by his videos but I think I'll stick with the desserts.
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Creepy Doll Christmas Carol Hearse?
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The 1st time I saw this hearse I was shopping in Venice, FL. It was traveling down the main drag blaring Christmas music from an external speaker. If that wasn't strange enough, every window of the hearse was filled with creepy dolls & spooky masks. It was truly bizarre. I wasn't as surprised when the Creepy Doll Christmas Carol Hearse made an appearance at the car show.
I wish he would've parked with the other cars on display.
I have so many questions!
It wasn't in our plans but we did end up purchasing a vehicle while we were in Florida. We stopped at a yard sale between Venice & Englewood one afternoon. She was parked at the very back of the garage. A bargain we just couldn't pass up. She's a classic & a real beauty.
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Now that we have our transportation covered, where are we headed to next? We're off on one of our many day trips to Venice, FL with our fuzzy kids for an afternoon of fun at a designated doggy beach. Care to join us? We'll race ya there!
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  Pillywiggins Garden, LLC
  • Welcome
  • LANDSCAPING
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  • EVENTS
  • Pilly...what?!
  • ABOUT
  • CONTACT
  • BLOG
  • Welcome
  • LANDSCAPING
  • EMPLOYMENT
  • EVENTS
  • Pilly...what?!
  • ABOUT
  • CONTACT
  • BLOG
Welcome to Pillywiggins Garden.
​Please visit often to see what's in bloom.