VERTEBRATE DIVISION

Competitor Profiles

Bald Eagle

• Phylum: Chordata

o Class: Aves (Birds)

• National emblem of the United States

• Not bald! “Bald” is derived from Old English for “white” or “white patch”

• We have the largest nesting population in the Lower 48 States here in Florida!

Osprey

• Phylum: Chordata

o Class: Aves (Birds)

• 2nd most widespread raptor in the world and on every continent except Antarctica

• They are migratory raptors can travel up to 160,000 miles in their lifetime

• Lifespan: 15-20 years

• Have a reversible toe which can rotate to catch prey (fish) more efficiently

Great Egret

• Phylum: Chordata

o Class: Aves (Birds)

• Height 3.3 feet (1 meter) tall with up to a 55-inch wingspan

• Flight speed can be up to 25 mph and can fly at 2 wingbeats per second

• Their ornate mating plumage was once an expensive fashion accessory, which almost led to

these and similar bird species’ extinction until conservation efforts stopped the plume

industry.

Great Blue Heron

• Phylum: Chordata

o Class: Aves (Birds)

• Height is 4.5 feet tall (1.4 meters) with up to 80-inch wingspan

• Can reach top speeds of 35 mph!

• The fossil record of this species in North America goes back 1.8 million years ago

Brown Pelican

• Phylum: Chordata

o Class: Aves (Birds)

• Only species of diving pelican

• Smallest of the 9 species of Pelicans

o Only weighs around 5-10 lbs.

• National Bird of Saint Martin, Barbados, Saint Kitts and Nevis, and the Turks and Caicos

Islands.

Spotted Sandpiper

• Phylum: Chordata

o Class: Aves (Birds)

• Most widespread sandpiper species in North America

• Sometimes called “Teeter-tails” because of their wobbly behaviors.

• They are Polyandrous

o Females are slightly larger and more aggressive, actively defending their breeding

territory.

o Females will mate with many males, and males will care for the eggs.

Belted Kingfisher

• Phylum: Chordata

o Class: Aves (Birds)

• The Japanese Bullet Train is modeled after the kingfisher

• They are sit-and-wait predators – typically perching on power lines over or near water.

• They will dive directly into the water to avoid predators.

• Males will give food to the female as a courtship display.

Swallowtail Kite

• Phylum: Chordata

o Class: Aves (Birds)

• Largest Kite species in the world

• They will migrate as far as Brazil in winter and return to the States around mid-February.

• They are rarely seen perched – they are articulate flyers operating their tail feathers

independently (like a kite).

• They can eat stinging insects like wasps and fire ants, even taking entire wasps’ nests back to

their roost to eat and use as nesting material.

Bottlenose Dolphin

• Phylum: Chordata

o Class: Mammalia

• Live in tropical and temperate waters around the world

• Very social animals, and will travel in pods of 10-15 individuals.

• Dolphins have language and even names amongst each other.

• They can hold their breath for up to 15 minutes and swim to depths of 250m!

• They regulate their body temperature by using their dorsal fin.

Manatee

• Phylum: Chordata

o Class: Mammalia

• They can hold their breath for up to 20 minutes

• Closely related to elephants!

• They have “marching molars” teeth to deal with eating tough plants.

o Molars form at the back of the jaw and move forward as teeth wear down,

eventually falling out but replaced by newly formed molars.

• Native to Florida waters, but have been seen (extremely rare) as far north as Massachusetts!

Bull Shark

• Phylum: Chordata

o Class: Chondrichthyes (Cartilaginous Fish)

• Known to move freely between salt and fresh water

o Spotted in Illinois, another spotted 2,000 miles up the Amazon River in Peru!

• Give live birth in freshwater (the babies are less tolerant of salt water)

• They have the higest levels of testosterone of any animal.

• The movie JAWS was likely inspired by a series of bull shark attacks in New Jersey.

Cow Nose Ray

• Phylum: Chordata

o Class: Chondrichthyes (Cartilaginous Fish)

• Can crush shells with their tooth plates

• They have electroreceptors called the Ampullae of Lorenzini on their snouts to detect prey.

• They are well known for their large seasonal migrations which may include 10,000

individuals at a time.

Polka-dotted Batfish

• Phylum: Chordata

o Class: Actinopterygii (Ray-finned Fish)

• Heavily rely on their camouflage while lying on the ocean floor

• They have modified pectoral fins and pelvic fins which are situated under the body allowing

them to “walk” across the sea floor.

• The small lure above its head (called the “esca”) is a modified dorsal fin which helps lure in

their prey.

Atlantic Tarpon

• Commonly called the “Silver King”

• Lifespan: 50 years

• Can grow up to 8 ft long and 300 lbs!

• Tarpon can move easily into freshwater areas

• The larva are transparent and look similar to eels, which are close relatives.

• Advanced color vision

o Tarpon have 5 types of cones in their eyes which can see into the ultraviolet

spectrum.

o Humans only have 3 types

American Crocodile

• Phylum: Chordata

o Class: Reptilia

• Federally Protected under the Endangered Species Act

• Can excrete salt with salt glands in their tongue.

• Crocs are known to eat sharks and many shark species will intentionally avoid areas with

crocodiles.

• During egg development, their sex is determined by temperature

o 31-34C = Males

o < 31C , > 34C = Females

Diamondback Terrapin

• Phylum: Chordata

o Class: Reptilia

• NOT a sea turtle, but terrapins are the only freshwater turtles that live in brackish water

• White/Gray skin that is impervious to salt

• Will eat mollusks and have adapted ridges on their jaws to crush shells