This spicebush swallowtail butterfly’s beauty was captured by Marisol Fontanez, at the Blue Jay Mobile Home Park in Dade City. The butterfly is common in natural areas and flower gardens.
Pets/Wildlife
Sabre loves people
Up-close and personal
Jumping spiders are generally friendly to humans and are not harmful to people. They are carnivorous by nature, but tend to shy away from humans. But, keep yourself protected, as they can sting badly. All jumping spiders have four pairs of eyes. Ray Martinez photographed this jumping spider at his home in Lutz.
Patches loves people
A parent’s love
Fran Sieradzki snapped this photo of a black-bellied whistling duck and its duckling, behind her home in Seven Oaks, Wesley Chapel. These ducks have high-pitched whistles as they travel from feeding fields to roosting sites. They often perch in trees and on logs over water. The whistling duck is found mostly in wetlands, in warm parts of the Americas, from Florida to northern Argentina.
Roo likes to bounce
Roo was found at a community park in Tampa. He was less than a year old, underweight and in pretty rough shape. The Wantuch family tried to find his owners for a month, but with no luck, they adopted him. He is named Roo (the ending of kangaROO) because his ears reminded the family of the animal, and he would bounce around in the grass. Roo welcomes Jackie Wantuch and family members home every day with a smile on his face — literally! Roo lives in Lutz.
Ready for its close-up
With age, comes ‘the grumps’
Varla is a 10-year-old male green iguana, which is pretty old for an iguana. His favorite foods are grapes, watermelon and a nice tossed salad. Varla does not like to be bothered when he is eating. His favorite music is anything other than the mariachi music the neighbors play, which seems to annoy him. Varla dislikes the fat guy who feeds him and cold winter months. His favorite game is slapping people with his tail. Varla’s loving owner (and the fat guy who feeds him) is Christopher Hanson of Dade City.
One foot? No problem
This is Marley!
Marley is an 11-year-old Morkie that was adopted as a very young puppy when her first family determined they could not care for her. She is very popular in her neighborhood and loved by all of her human siblings. Marley is spoiled with roasted chicken and peanut butter treats. She enjoys chasing lizards, long walks, slobbery kisses and playing with socks. Marley lives with her furever family, David and Nikki Drake, in Wesley Chapel.