ANIMAL SURVEY
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Boynton Beach Park of Commerce Site Animal Survey
The animal survey of the property was carried out during the months of
November and December 1984 and January of 1985. The total area was
inspected on foot. The various plant communities making up the property
were each inspected as discrete units
Some communities that covered large areas and/or presented awkward
shapes were divided into smaller units to facilitate methodical inspection.
The accompanying aerial map of the property is partitioned, via red boundary
lines, into the various plant communities and also into subunits of some of
the communities Each bounded area is numbered for ease of identification
of the animal counts in them
Actual inspection for Gopher tortoises was carried out by examining
the soil surface for tracks and dens within parallel and adjacent transects
that overlay each community.
The parallel and adjacent transects varied in width depending upon the
openness of the terrain. Transect widths ranged from a maximum of SOm in
open sandy areas down to l7-20m in dense vegetation areas Observation was
carried out in open terrain by walking a midline within the transect. Dense
vegetation necessitated an undulating or wavy path that touched alternately
each side limit of the transects.
Den identifications are located on the aerial map of the property and
marked on-site with yellow or red flags
Trapping was carried out using Sherman live traps (see attached letter
from Mr Richard Roberts).
Concentrations of Gopher tortoise dens were located in five areas,
four of which are in two contiguous pairs A few scattered Gopher tortoise
-2-
dens were also found in other areas.
Inspection of the aerial map of the property reveals that with respect
to the Florida Gopher tortoise
Area 15 contains 2 i nacti ve dens
Area 11 contains 1 i nacti ve den
Area 16 contains 1 i nacti ve den
Area 1a contains 5 acti ve dens, 2 i nacti ve dens
Area 13 contains 2 active dens, 1 inactive den
Area 14 contains 1 act i ve den
Area a contains 5 active dens, 4 i nacti ve dens
Area 7 contains 17 active dens, 1 i nacti ve den
Area 6 contains 2 active dens
Area 4 contains 16 acti ve dens, 2 i nacti ve dens
Area 3 contains 10 active dens
Three abandoned burrowing owl nests were found in area 3
Two adult females of Florida mouse were trapped in area a.
Based upon the Gopher tortoise den counts and locations and the
Florida mouse trapping location. It is recommended that significant
portions of areas 3, 4, 7 and a be preserved.
The aerial map indicates the locations of the suggested preserves.
Gopher tortoises located in areas not in the suggested preserves should be
relocated to the preserve immediately prior to development of those
respective areas.
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December 13th, 1984
Mr Don Richardson
8908 Hadley Court
Tampa, Fla 33614
Dear Don
In an effort to record the current range of the Florida Mouse
(Peromyscus floridanus) south of their current distribution at
Jonathan Dickinson State Park, I live trapped the site current-
ly called the Boynton Beach Park of Commerce in November and
December of this year Must of the information on the range of
this species at this locale is based on Dr James Layne's trapping
record of August 24th, 1960 which reveals several of these species
were captured
Four areas were selected for this project from the very old to the
newer, cleared sites They are
Site #1 East of the High Ridge Road and north
of 22nd Avenue
Site #2
Avenue
East of High Ridge Road and south of 22nd
Site #3
Further east of Site #1
Site #4 West of High Ridge Road and north of
22nd Avenue
(see attached map)
Each study site was trapped along a 100 ~ter transect for three
(3) nights using 24 Sherman live traps All animals were released
at the site of their capture
In all, two (2) Florida Mice were captured (only at Site #3), one
(1) Spotted Skunk was trapped (at Site #4), and three (3) Cotton
Rats were caught (only at Site #2) Only the Florida Mice were
sexed,measured, weighed, and notes recorded per individual Of
the two captured, both were full adult females
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- Mr Don Richardson
December 13th, 1984
Page Two
I trust this information will be of some use to you in your efforts
to preserve a viable portion of the existing sand pine scrub plant
community through the D R I process Please provide me with any
information you may have on any unique scrub plants which will
otherwise be destroyed that you feel should also be saved through
the D R I. procedure for Jonathan Dickinson State Park
If you have any questions, please feel free to call me
Sincerely,
0/
Dick Roberts
Attachment (1)
RER lr
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Disturbed
FieTd
Pine
n a t'nOoas
Scar; fied
Sand Pine
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Sand
Pine'
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Lli s tu rbcd
Fi e 1 d
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Sea ri fi ed
-Sand Pi ne
Drainage Canal!
Oitch
Disturbed
Field
Sea rifi e d
Sana Pine
(-16 Canal l!3ovnton Beacn Canal)
s
#1.
SOURCE 9(,Y~'''ON BEACH PARK OF CO~!r~ERCE ADA,
TRE:'.("~lo~ COl'5 r REGIQ~IA.l DL!'~I"INr, CflllNrIL
II-12