Pets/Wildlife

Piper is 7 years old and last year moved to Lutz from North Carolina. She enjoys swimming, napping, and going where her family goes. The Farrell family —  J.J., Rachel, Graysen, Ellie, and quadruplets Ava, Kate, Will and Jack — all love Piper.

Clara Urena submitted this photo of a male Muscovy duck at Bexley, in Land O’ Lakes. This strange, warty-faced duck causes confusion for some bird watchers, as it’s very distinctive and quite commonly seen, yet does not appear in some field guides. Wild Muscovy ducks are glossy black with bold white wing patches and are forest dwellers that nest in tree cavities. The word ‘Muscovy’ may refer to the Muscovy Company (incorporated in London in 1555), which transported these ducks to England and France.

Sammy, a chow retriever mix, is 11 years old and also known as ‘The Lion.’ He is Lindsay Roell’s best friend and follows her everywhere she goes. Sammy was not too keen on the idea of having a little brother, Arlee, who is a 10-month-old Australian shepherd. Arlee loves to ride in Roell’s daughter’s power wheels car and loves to swim. Sammy, on the other hand, just likes to cuddle. Sammy and Arlee live with the Roell family in Lutz.

Rachel Marietta Mills, of Wesley Chapel, caught this honey bee stopping by for a sip from a Florida tasselflower. Honey bees can thrive in natural or domesticated environments, though they prefer to live in gardens, woodlands, orchards, meadows and other areas where flowering plants are abundant. Even though the tasselflower is a weed, it’s also a pollinator magnet. Butterflies, bees and wasps are drawn to this lowly member of the aster family.

Beans, formerly known as ‘Frijoles’ (Mexican-style pinto beans), is from a rescue group in Texas called Lone Star Dog Rescue, which rescues dogs from puppy mills in Missouri. Beans is a French bulldog that lived for 6 ½ years in a small crate with very few creature comforts. Lone Star takes care of the animals’ medical needs and then finds homes for the dogs. Lindsey Paris was chosen just over a year ago to fly out to Dallas to pick him up. Every day she sees more of Beans’ personality come out and says it is a joy to finally see him chewing on a bone or playing with an old sock – luxuries he never knew before. Beans likes to nap, to cuddle with this big sister Lady (a yellow Labrador), and to beg for food. In addition to dog treats, Beans loves carrots and cantaloupe. Beans lives with Lindsey in Wesley Chapel.

Keith Oller lives in Land O’ Lakes and spotted this snake when he was walking on a horse trail in the woods behind the Stagecoach community, known as the Cypress Creek flood detention area. The coral snake is poisonous, as the old rhyme goes, ‘Red and yellow, can kill a fellow; Red and black, friend of Jack.’

Marisol Fontanez caught this cardinal stopping by for breakfast, ironically, at the Blue Jay Mobile Home Park in Dade City.

Sophie, right, is almost 10 years old and a black mouth cur mix. Her little sister, Izzie, is about a year old and is a true mixed-breed rescue from All Sato Rescue in Puerto Rico. Izzie has not seen a lot of things most dogs encounter every day here, but as long as her big sis is with her, she’s not afraid. The girls live with a kitty and their mom, Carol Scharfeld, in Lutz.

Lillian Cucuzza, an avid bird watcher and photographer, saw this blue-headed vireo in her sister’s backyard on Lake Padgett, in Land O’ Lakes. Check out its white spectacles! Blue-headed vireos forage in mature trees and move slowly from branch to branch, searching for insects. The bird will tilt its head to look carefully in all directions, then pounce on a caterpillar or other prey.

Zoe loves being lazy, getting scratched in all the right places, and wearing her new socks that make it easier for her to go up and down the stairs. Zoe lives with her proud owner, Wesley Hardee in Land O’ Lakes.