From Suwannee River we went to Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park is a 21,000-acre savanna in Micanopy, Florida, south of Gainesville. In 1970, Florida acquired the land and has been in the process of restoring the environment to a more natural condition ever since.
Paynes Prairie
There are about 270 species of birds that can be seen at Paynes Prairie as well as American alligators and small herds of Florida Cracker horses and Florida Cracker cattle. The plains bison were reintroduced to the park in 1975. They roamed this area until the late 18th century. The buffalo herd reached a peak of 70 animals in 2011.
The Florida Cracker is a breed of cattle developed in the state of Florida, and named for the Florida Cracker culture. The Cracker cow were brought to the Southern U.S. by the Spanish Conquistadors.
By the 1800s, the Seminole nation possessed extensive herds of cattle. Most Florida settlers raised beef for food. The herds ranged in size from 5,000 to 50,000 head. Rustling was prevalent throughout the state. This was because Florida was an open range. There was not a fenced pasture anywhere in the state and cattle roamed freely. The early cowboys would round cows up over miles and miles of open plains, in the hammocks, and by the rivers and streams. Then they would drive them to market. Florida’s cowboys had a unique way of herding cattle. They used 10- to 12-foot-long whips made of braided leather. Snapping these whips in the air made a loud “crack.” That sound brought stray cattle back into line fast and earned cowboys the nickname of “crackers.” Many rode rugged, rather small horses known as “cracker ponies”.
Railroads reached into Florida. Because trains could ship cattle, the beef industry grew. New towns sprang up around the ranches, and more people arrived from other states. There was work for blacksmiths, shopkeepers, and cowboys in these settlements. During the Civil War, Florida became a chief supplier of cattle to the Confederacy, both for meat and leather.
After 1949 the combination of new laws about free-roaming livestock and the introduction of larger beef breeds led to the rapid decline of the Florida Cracker. Despite the continued work of the Florida state government and a breed association, the breed is still listed as “critical” by the American Livestock Breeds Conservancy.
Florida Crackers are one of the oldest and rarest breeds of cattle in United States. Descended from Spanish stock imported to the continent in the 16th century, Florida Crackers are a small, horned breed that quickly adapted to the Florida landscape and have long been prized for their resistance to parasites and other hardy traits. They weigh generally under 900 pounds, come in many colors, and both males and females are horned. They can be dappled-grey/blue, dappled-brown, solid brown, solid white, white with black spots, white with brown spots, all black, or in some cases, a pure golden palomino. They tend to be more docile and easier to manage by humans, making them a popular choice for cattle roping competitions.
We did not come across any wild Cracker cattle or bison while hiking. We did see Florida Cracker horses with some deer.
Gopher Tortoise
After seeing numerous road signs “Gopher Tortoise Crossing” during the last 3 months…we finally saw an adult at Paynes Prairie. Looked to be almost a foot long.
They are herbivores and get most of their water needs from the food they eat. They spend most of their time burrowing. Burrows have been measured up to 48 ft. and almost 10 ft. deep. The burrows protect from winter cold, fire, summer heat, and predators.
Their eggs are laid underground. If the sand is over 86 degree F its a female, below 86 degrees its a male. Less than 6% of the eggs are expected to grow into adults. They can live more than 40 years, in captivity one was verified to be 75 years old.
Sandhill Crane
Florida sandhill cranes have long legs and necks, are gray, heron-like birds with a patch of bald, red skin on top of their heads. Their average weight is 10 lbs. Their wingspan can be up to 7 ft. They can be up to 4 ft. tall. Sandhill cranes fly with their necks outstretched compared to herons who tuck their neck. They are very skilled soaring birds, using thermals to obtain lift, they can stay aloft for many hours. Florida sandhill cranes are a threatened species. They are found in inland shallow freshwater marshes, prairies, pastures and farmlands including Paynes Praire. They do not adjust well to environmental changes. Sandhill cranes are usually seen in small family groups or pairs. However, during the winter, Florida’s sandhill crane population swell as cranes from northern states spend the winter in Florida.
Sandhill cranes are omnivorous. Some of their favorite meal items include seeds, plant tubers, grains, berries, insects, earthworms, mice, snakes, lizards, frogs and crayfish. Unlike other wading birds, such as herons, sandhill cranes do not “fish.” The voice of the sandhill crane is distinctive. Florida sandhill cranes stay with the same mate for several years and young sandhills stay with their parents until they are about 10 months old. Sandhills live to be older than most birds, some up to 20 years. We saw parents with their 2 babies (called colts) only a few feet away…but no camera that day, ugh.
Pileated Woodpecker
These are large woodpeckers. They can be up to 20 inches long and weigh about 11 oz. Pileated woodpeckers mainly eat insects, especially carpenter ants and wood-boring beetle larvae. They also eat fruits, nuts, and berries, including poison ivy berries. Pileated woodpeckers often chip out large and roughly rectangular holes in trees while searching out insects. A pileated woodpecker pair stays together in its territory all year round and is not migratory. They defend the territory in all seasons, but tolerate others during the winter. There were easy to spot but not keep up with in the woods at Paynes Prairie.
