After only a couple of days in central Florida, we’ve seen a couple of kinds of exotic animals — and I mean exotic, even for here.
Tilapia, for example, which are restricted by the government, have been brought in to control the algae in a pond near where we’re staying. We saw two large males hovering over round nests hollowed out of the sand in the shallows. Well, we didn’t know at the time that they were males, but after looking at the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission site, I realized they must have been.
Also it must be breeding season, the only time of year that you can tell males from females (at a glance, anyway). Most of the year, both are silver blue, but now the males are blue-green with “reddish edges to fins”. The nests contain fertilized eggs, which the male guards until the female comes to pick them up in her mouth. Even after the eggs hatch, she’ll let the small fish into her mouth for protection. And I always thought fish were the kind of parents scout leaders call “drop and run”. . .
We’ve also seen Muscovy ducks, another non-native animal brought here as pets and “ornamentals”. Well, they are decorative, with their black, white, and red coloration, but they tend to escape and multiply quickly. From what I’ve seen they’ll follow humans around looking for a handout.
Neither the tilapia nor the ducks fit into the ecosystem – but the tilapia fit into the plans of humans. So, they’re valued – a live fish costs $15 – while the ducks are considered a nuisance. (To be fair, the tilapia don’t come out on land and follow people.)
But they’re both out of place, through no fault of their own, and just following their instincts.
