Pets/Wildlife

Ranger and Bear, 1-year-old pugs, and their friend Beef, an English bulldog rescue, enjoy a pool day together. Ranger and Bear live with Robin and John Phillips in Land O’ Lakes, and Beef resides with Amber and Sean Phillips in Tarpon Springs.

Paul Dinwiddie, of Wesley Chapel, snapped this photo of a monarch butterfly in his vegetable garden. The monarch butterfly, or simply monarch, has other common names, depending on the region, including milkweed, common tiger, wanderer, and black-veined brown. The monarch is among the most recognized, studied and loved of all of North America’s insects. 

Daysun Stewart snapped this photo of two sandhill cranes in his backyard near a preserve. Sandhill cranes are large birds that live in open habitats, so they’re fairly easy to spot. Their bugling calls are unique and can be heard from miles away, which can help alert people to this species’ presence, particularly as they pass overhead on migration.

Caitlyn Porter, of Zephyrhills, snapped this photo of a tobacco hornworm. The tobacco hornworm is a common pest of plants in the Solanaceae family, which includes tobacco, tomato, pepper, eggplant, and various ornamentals and weeds. Despite their alien appearance, these hornworms are native insects that contribute to local food chains and eventually transform into beautiful Carolina sphinx moths. These large-bodied moths have five-inch, coffee-colored wings that enable them to hover over flowers like hummingbirds

Maggie Mae is a 7-year-old Cavachon female who considers herself the mayor and primary greeter in Tampa Bay Golf and Country Club — saying hello with a furious tail wag and lots of conversation. Always a good citizen, Maggie Mae is seen here ‘reading and heeding’ the community dog park rules. A cart ride, lots of socializing, and a good chase of the ever-elusive lizard are a few of her favorite pastimes. Maggie is the home-run hit of Don and Diana Christman’s first attempt with a dog as a pet.

Will Kuhns captured this photo of an Eastern Meadowlark at Long Lake Ranch in Land O’ Lakes. Male meadowlarks sing beautiful, flute-like songs from exposed perches, such as fence posts, treetops and utility lines. Eastern Meadowlarks walk on the ground, often concealed by grasses or crops, and live in farm fields, grasslands and wet fields.

Miss Mittens is a petite Cornish Rex. “Mitt,” for short, is curious and smart, but due to her lack of fur, she is always rather cold. She has a passion for heated blankets and can complete skillful acrobatics when playing with her wand toy. Miss Mittens lives with Lillian Woeste in Lutz.

Carol Wolfe snapped this photo of a white peacock butterfly near her home on Lake Le Clare Road in Lutz. Wolfe said she has lived on the same property for 49 years and has seen many birds, butterflies, insects, frogs, owls, foxes and more. White peacock butterflies stay low to the ground because their favorite plants also are low to the ground. This type of butterfly is very common in Central America and the Caribbean, as well as southern Texas and Florida.

Cathy Vitone caught this honeybee, covered in pollen, hard at work on her ligustrum bush at her home in Land O’ Lakes. No doubt about how bad seasonal allergies can be here! Honeybees are important pollinators for flowers, fruits and vegetables. They live on stored honey and pollen all winter. All honeybees are social and cooperative insects.

Veena Jadeja noticed this perched hawk during an early morning walk in the Seven Oaks community in Wesley Chapel — perhaps it was on the lookout for breakfast. These ‘forest’ hawks hunt prey ranging from mice to frogs and snakes.