Boyd Hill Animal Ambassadors

Florida Box Turtle (Terrapene carolina bauri)

6 total NOW (#2-7) #1 passed away

Were acquired in 1992 from Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC)

Most came from a turtle hoarding case

Habitat: Freshwater marshes, wet flatwoods, and forested wetlands

Lifespan: Up to 50 in the wild; longer in managed care

Core Message: Native species importance; importance of protecting wetland habitats

Striped Mud Turtle (Kinosternon baurii) - Cedric

Arrived in Dec. 2026

Habitat: Shallow freshwater bodies like ponds, mashers, and swamps

Lifespan: 30-50 years in managed care

Core Message: Aquatic turtle adaptation; wetland conservation

Common Musk Turtles: (Sternotherus odoratus) - Large: Sandy Small: Feisty

Arrived in 2017; captive bred

Habitat: Slow-moving streams, ponds, and lakes with muddy bottoms

Lifespan: 20-50 years in managed care

Core Message: Camouflage; defense mechanisms; urban waterway life

Eastern Corn Snake (Pantherophis guttatus) - George

Born in 2018

Habitat: Overgrown fields, forest edges, barns, and abandoned buildings

Lifespan: 15-20 years in managed care

Core Message: Snake identification; value of native predators

Western Hognose Snake (Heterodon nasicus) - Rocco

Donated in 2013

Habitat: Sandy plains, prairies, and semi-arid (little to no rain) areas

Lifespan:15-20 years in managed care

Core Message: Mimicry (will copy a Cobra raising its head & play dead); harmless native snake

Florida Kingsnake (Lampropeltis getula floridana) - Penelope

Hatched in 2020, captive bred; can get to 4 feet in length

Native to just Pinellas County!

Habitat: Hardwood hammocks, pine flatwoods, and wetland margins in Florida

Lifespan: 20-25 years in managed care

Safe Handling: Never around neck; two hands; calm approach and stillness

Core Message: Predator to prey balance; snake conservation

Cuban Tree Frog (Osteopilus septentrionalis) - Pickle & Dill

Collected from field in 2025

Habitat: Urban and suburban areas, tree holes, and buildings

Lifespan: 5-10 years in managed care

Core Message: Invasive amphibians; pet release risks

Chilean Rose Hair Tarantula (Grammostola rosea) - Rosy

~ 14-15 years old; recieved in 2013

Habitat: Desert and scrub regions of Northern Chile

Lifespan: Up to 20 years (males live to about 5 years)

Core Message: Misunderstood animals; arachnid adaptations

Birds of Prey Facts

• Boyd Hill has had Birds of Prey since 1986 (Gabe Vargo helped open it)

• Current aviary was built in 2001

• Aviary has 11 different species of birds with 16 individuals

• It is illegal to keep birds of prey as a pet; protected by the Migratory Bird Act

Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis) - Edge

Came in 2023 as a juvenile. She was hit by a car in north St. Pete which damaged her right eye causing permanent blindness, causing her to be non-realsable

Short-tailed Hawk (Buteo brachyurus) - Dart

Came in 2021 with permanent wing injured (a civilian tried to bandage her arm when he was injured, causing the wing to heal incorrectly

Dart is a dark morphe (black belly), while white morph (while belly) is more common

Red-shouldered Hawk (Buteo lineatus) - Rusty

Came as a fledgling juvenile in 2014

Has a shrunken right eye

He is very picky

Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura) - Pugsley

Came to Boyd Hill in 2001 with a broken wing that didn’t heal properly, which limits his wing usage

Has a better sense of smell than black vultures

Housed with Howi

Black Vulture (Coragyps atratus) - Howi

Believed to hatch in 2013

Was first thought to be a boy, with the original name being ‘Howard’

Howi is very active

Black vultures use turkey vultures to find food first

Housed with Puglsey

Crested Caracara (Caracara plancus) - Sal

Believed to hatch in 2016 and came to Boyd Hill in 2019

Lost his left eye after being hit by a car

Food motivated

American Kestrel (Falco sparverius) - Carson & Cade

Originally kept as pets and are imprinted on humans

Loves being around humans, not much around other birds

American Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) - Abiaka

Hatched in 2009

Fell from a nest on Honeymoon Island, injuring his right wing

Bald eagles in the south are smaller than up north due to hunting smaller prey

Barred Owl (Ketupa sumatrana) - Aldo & Mystic

Aldo came to Boyd Hill at 1 year old in 2018

Mystic was brought to Boyd Hill in 2009 (believed to be 10 at the time)

Both have wing injuries and cannot fly sustainably

Great Horned Owl (Bubo virginianus) - Archie & Nyx

Archie came in 2012 due to being shot (age unknown)

Nyx came in 2015 with wing injury at 7 months old

Named after Greek deities

Screech Owl (Strigidae) - Brave, Red, & Oakley

All are imprinted by humans and came around 1 year old