Searching for Snails

by Dawn Currie

Title

Searching for Snails

Artist

Dawn Currie

Medium

Photograph - Digital

Description

Photographic artwork by Dawn Currie. A Limpkin searching for snails, native apple snails to be precise.

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Limpkin (Aramus guarauna): An unusual bird of southern swamps and marshes, the Limpkin reaches the northern limits of its breeding range in Florida. There, it feeds almost exclusively on apple snails, which it extracts from their shells with its long bill. Its screaming cry is unmistakable.

The Limpkin's bill is uniquely adapted to foraging on apple snails. The closed bill has a gap just before the tip that makes the bill act like tweezers. The tip itself is often curved slightly to the right so it can be slipped into the right-handed chamber of the snail.

The Limpkin is the only member of its taxonomic family. Although it resembles herons and ibises in general form, the Limpkin is generally considered to be more closely related to rails and cranes.

Once abundant in Florida, the Limpkin was almost eradicated by humans hunting for food. Conversion of wetlands for agriculture, flood control, and development have further contributed to the species' decline in Florida, estimated at about 9.1 percent per year from 1966 to 1993.

Where there are apple snails in Florida you will find Limpkin in the area. I have photographed these birds in the Orlando Wetlands near Christmas Florida, Ritch Grissom Memorial Wetlands in Viera Florida, Gatorland in Orlando Florida, and Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge near Titusville Florida.

Uploaded

February 11th, 2014

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