Pets/Wildlife

Tom Hammen ‘snapped’ this photo of an alligator catching its breakfast, at the pond on 17th Street, off Lock Street, in Dade City. It appears to be a capybara caught in the gator’s jaws.

If Luna and Shadow aren’t chasing each other through the house, they like to lay outside by the pool and wait for little geckos and baby snakes so they can bring them indoors to play with. These two beauties live with Sabrina Schwiesow in Zephyrhills.

This doe and her fawn were spotted on the 11th fairway of the golf course at Lexington Oaks in Wesley Chapel. The photographer, Sandy Smith, thinks she may have interrupted their breakfast.

Cody loves to chase balls, visit the dog park at Del Webb Bexley, and sit on the bed and watch birds at the bird feeder (which is what he is doing in this photo.) Cody lives with his proud parents, Linda and Craig Nowicke, in Land O’ Lakes.

Calm water provides the perfect silhouette of this great blue heron in Lake Bernadette in Zephyrhills. Michael Lambirth captured the photo of one of Florida’s most recognizable wading birds.

Woody is a working dog that always patrols the property for lizards and squirrels. He loves to run the fence line when delivery trucks drive by. Sometimes the trucks race him to see how fast he can go. Woody lives with Yvette and Rick Dubaj in Dade City. They aren’t sure what breed he is — maybe a Rhodesian mix. 

June Robinson snapped this photo shortly after she and her husband moved to Lakeshore Ranch in Land O’ Lakes. Robinson said she loves the wildlife and they have always lived on the water or conservation areas. She spotted this heron in one of the retention ponds on one of her morning walks.

Charley and Lucy are the spoiled fur babies of Faye and Wayne Parker, of Land O’ Lakes. Charley likes to chase lizards on the lanai, while Lucy enjoys the sunshine.

Nicole Magazu, of Land O’ Lakes, caught these juvenile limpkin siblings just hanging out together. Limpkins specialize in eating apple snails, which they hunt both day and night, and they often leave telltale piles of snail shells at the edges of freshwater wetlands where hunting is good. 

Bear is an 8 ½-year-old Chesapeake Bay retriever/border collie mix and a certified service animal. When Bear is not working, he likes riding on the canoe and having his owners paddle him around Lake Myrtle and going shopping and to restaurants. When at home, Bear is a trusty companion, doing whatever his owners do. Bear’s favorite pastime is opening daily packages that arrive because he thinks they are presents for him! Bear lives with his parents, Wendy and Carl Osborne, in Land O’ Lakes.