Pets/Wildlife

Ritchel Klingensmith found this worm on a tomato bush. Tomato hornworms can’t sting, and the caterpillars are harmless to humans and can be picked off plants without danger.

Duchess is a Maltese Pomeranian. She is about 3 years old and loves belly rubs. Duchess knows how to sit, stay and lay down. She enjoys playing, going on daily walks, meeting new people/dogs and hanging out with her brother, Prince, the cat. Her favorite food is sliced turkey, and she stands on her hind legs and begs for it whenever she can. Duchess is part of the Wicker family of Lutz.

‘Wild’ peacocks (also known as muster) have lived in Stuart Drawdy’s neighborhood for years, and now includes an albino. These two were spotted in front of a paint store on Wesley Chapel Boulevard, by Dollar General, in Wesley Chapel. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission said it receives dozens of calls from residents about peacocks across the state, but the state considers them domestic birds, like chickens, and not wild birds.

Brandy is a Belgian Malinois shepherd/terrier mix. Her owners brought her home in August of 2016. She was a cute puppy then, and she has grown in to a real beauty. Brandy is big on athletics, and loves running, jumping (leaping off the sofa), tug of war, and long walks every morning on the boulevard. Don and Phyllis Cera, of Wesley Chapel, are Brandy’s proud owners.

 

Michele Connolly submitted this photo that her son, Ethan Connolly, took of a northern bobwhite (also known as a bobwhite quail and Virginia quail) on the family’s property, in Dade City.  Ethan is 12 years old and loves taking pictures of wildlife. Northern bobwhites live in open pine forests, overgrown fields, shrubby areas and grasslands.

This description offered by the organization, All About Birds, aptly describes these elegant birds: ‘Whether poised at a river bend or cruising the coastline with slow, deep wingbeats, the Great Blue Heron is a majestic sight. This stately heron, with its subtle blue-gray plumage, often stands motionless as it scans for prey or wades belly deep with long, deliberate steps. They may move slowly, but Great Blue Herons can strike like lightning to grab a fish or snap up a gopher. In flight, look for this widespread heron’s tucked-in neck and long legs trailing out behind.’ Herons are legally protected by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act.