Dry Lake O may have pushed endangered bird into new territory

Snail eggs in Rotenberger Wildlife Management Area Wednesday, June 27, 2018. “Traditionally snail kites ate Florida apple snails: 99% of their diet consisted of that,” said Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission Snail Kite Conservation Coordinator Tyler Beck. “In recent years, we have had the introduction of some exotic apple snails from South America. They make up a large portion of the snail kite diet now and help boost the recovery of the snail kite population. These snails grow to a larger size, are more reproductive, and are more tolerant of habitat conditions like water levels and nutrient conditions in the water.