{"id":2595,"date":"2012-02-08T06:03:19","date_gmt":"2012-02-08T11:03:19","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/p4td.lightshedder.com\/?p=2595"},"modified":"2012-02-08T06:37:31","modified_gmt":"2012-02-08T11:37:31","slug":"282112-tale-of-a-snail-and-a-limpkin-viera-wetlands-fl","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/psnp.info\/p4td_\/?p=2595","title":{"rendered":"2\/8\/2112: Tale of a Snail and a Limpkin, Viera Wetlands FL"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Limpkins are highly adapted feeders. They live almost exclusively on Apple Snails, which they find in muddy bottoms by feel of beak or feet, then carry to shallow water or the shore to eat. Adult Limpkins use the specially adapted scissor or tweezer-like end of the beak to cut the Apple Snail out of it shell, often in several bits, picking the inside of the shell clean. You find the clean, empty shells on shore wherever Limpkins have been feeding. They also eat a few other kinds of less abundant snails, some seeds, and the occasional small frog\u2026but Apple Snails are what they are made<\/em> to eat. <\/p>\n

This Limpkin, at Viera Wetlans in Melbourne FL, was totally oblivious to me, standing maybe 15 feet up on the dyke, as it dispatched the Apple Snail\u2026not a big Apple Snail by Florida standards. It took it about 5 minutes to get the snail out of its shell, and then it was gone in one glup (see the snippet of video). And then the Limpkin headed back toward deeper water and more snails. <\/p>\n

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Limpkin eating Apple Snail.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

All shots with the Canon SX40HS at 650mm equivalent field of view. f5.8 @ 1\/640th @ ISO 200. Program with iContrast and \u20131\/3 EV exposure compensation.  <\/p>\n

Processed in Lightroom for intensity, clarity, and sharpness. Video processed in Sony Vegas.<\/p>\n

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