www.greenepublishing.com Friday, December 25, 2009 Outdoors Madison Enterprise-Recorder 11 A I Ammodump International, LLC DDDformerly B& GP Enterprises T"The Week Of December 25- December 31, 200G Friday Saturday Sunday Custom built AR-15's Have it your way December 25 December 26 December 27 Revolvers, Pistols, Always in Stock *5:45 AM 12:25 AM 1:05 AM Re-Loading Components In Stock 11:55 AM *6:25 AM *7:10 AM Winchester Primers In Stock *6:10 PM 12:35 PM 1:20 PM *6:50 PM *7:40 PM Hodgdon, IMR, Alliant Powder, In Stock Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday (850) 973-8880 December 28 December 29 December 30 December 31 1:55 AM 2:45 AM 3:40 AM 4:35 AM ammodump@embarqmail.com *8:00 AM *8:55 AM *9:50 AM *10:50 AM 2:10 PM 3:05 PM 4:00 PM 5:00 PM 10 am to 4 pm Tues, Wed, Thur. *8:30 PM *9:25 PM *10:20 PM *11:20 PM Call for weekend Gun Shows featured creature -, The Wildlife Foundation of Florida _helps fund marine life conservation The nonprofit Wildlife Foundation of Florida, Inc. offers nature lovers a way to help Florida keep its natural character through tax-deductible donations. The foundation provides assistance, funding and promotional support to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and other organizations engaged in science-based nature conservation, man- agement, education and research. The t... i ...-,' ray is one ,. i-,,. most ..... ,/creatures in the ocean and one -f i,, largest rays. (Photo by Zig Leszczynski) Florida's rays are majestic, graceful, shy and shocking By FWC Staff At least 11 species of rays inhabit Florida's coastal waters. Some of them are enormous almost 30 feet across. One of them can generate electricity to stun its prey. Some have barbs that are equipped with venom. All of them are shy creatures that prefer to avoid contact with people. Manta ray The largest of the rays is the manta ray. The full-grown ones average about 22 feet from the tip of one of their pec- toral fins (which resemble wings) to the other (disc width), but they can reach 29.5 feet in disc width and weigh up to 3,000 pounds. All mantas have two modified "fins" called lobes that extend from the front of their head just in front of their eyes. These fins are actually used by these amazing fish to direct water current into their mouth so they can filter out their favorite food. Early scientists thought that the cephalic fins resembled the horns of a devil, thus the well-recog- nized common name "devil rays." In fact, the most common manta species present in Florida waters is called the devil ray. The devil ray is small in com- parison to most other mantas, reaching a disc width of only 4-5 feet. Mantas sometimes show up close to shore. At other times, people see them over the continental shelf and over reef habitats, usually close to the ocean's surface. They are often seen swimming in schools, and they sometimes leap out of the water and land with a huge splash. Scientists aren't sure why they jump, however some believe it is to dislodge parasites that often attach to the rays' skin. Others have speculated they may use jumping to attract mates. Manta rays usually are dark brown, grayish blue or black on top with pale edges and white underneath. Some, but not all, mantas have a venomous barb which is near the base of the tail on the top surface. They live at least 20 years. Spotted eagle ray The spotted eagle ray is another large species of ray that may reach a disc width of up to 9.8 feet and weigh up- wards of 500 pounds. They have very long whip-like tails. At the base of their tails spotted eagle rays have one or more venomous spines. Eagle rays use the spines as defense against predators, such as sharks. People see spotted eagle rays mostly in bays, over coral reefs and in estuar- ies. They like inshore waters, but they also show up in deeper coastal waters. Mostly, they swim in pairs or small groups in the open water close to the surface, and they often leap out of the water similar to their close relatives, the manta rays. This is one of the most beautiful rays, named for the cryptic spotted pattern across the top of its body with small white, bluish-white, greenish, pearly or yellow spots on its black, dark gray or brown body. Sometimes the spots are large white rings with black dots in the center. Eagle rays are typically all white on their bottom side. Cownose ray Yet another ray species common to Florida is the cownose ray. It typically grows to 35 45 inches disc width, although there is a report of one reach- ing 84 inches. Cownose rays will have at least one venomous barb at the base of the tail and typically are brown with a whitish or yellowish belly and a broad head, eyes wide-apart. This species has very hard tooth plates and powerful jaw muscles that it uses to crush various shellfish species that it primarily feeds on, such as clams, oysters, scallops and crabs. They often swim in large schools containing thousands of individuals. These large schools of rays when feeding can devastate local shellfish beds. Lesser electric stingray You can find the lesser electric ray along the beaches and coastal waters of the western Atlantic Ocean from North Carolina to Argentina and in the Gulf of Mexico. They keep to shal- low coastal waters, buried beneath the sand or mud or in sea grass most of the time, but they sometimes venture into water 180 feet deep. They have the ability to generate an electric discharge of 14-37 volts, which they use to stun prey and to fend off predators. This species does not have a venom- ous barb. It is dark brown, light brown or reddish orange on top with irregular rings or ovals. The underside is white, yellowish or greenish. Males grow to about 26 inches across; females are a little smaller. Electric stingrays eat primarily marine worms but also include other invertebrates, juvenile snake eels, anemones, small fish and crustaceans in their diet. Interested people may send donations to the Wild- life Foundation of Florida, Inc., P.O. Box ll010,Talla- hassee, FL 32302 or make donations on the founda- tion's Web site, www.Wild- lifeFoundationofFlorida. com. Florida is like no other place on earth. Working to- gether, we can keep it that way. For more information, call 850-922-1066 or visit the foundation's Web site. WILDLIFE FOUNDATION OF 'FLORIDA ESTABLISHED 1994 Beachgoers should always do the stingray shuffle Beachgoers should exercise caution. Beaches and coast- lines are where you find sting- rays year-round. The most common rays in Florida coastal waters include three species of whip-tail rays, including the Atlantic sting- ray, bluntnose stingray, and southern stingray. Although stingrays are actually very shy by nature, they are equipped with a sharp spine (or barb) on their tail which they use as de- fense against predators, such as sharks. These rays also use camouflage to hide from predators-burying themselves under the sand with only their eyes and long spaghetti- shaped tail exposed. That makes them very difficult for beachgoers to see. Unaware bathers walking or wading in shallow waters can step on a ray resulting in being stung in the leg or foot by the ray's sharp, venomous spine. To avoid being stung, bath- ers only need to shuffle their feet as they move across the sandy bottom. Rays usually sense the disturbance and swim away. Remember: heat to treat A stingray's spine or barb is razor-sharp and made of a hard, tooth-like material called dentine. It has notches on both sides that act like a series of miniature arrowheads, preventing the spine from backing out of a wound. Most stingrays have a single spine, but some have more, from 1 to 8 inches long. The spine produces venom, and anyone stung by a stingray should seek immediate medi- cal attention. Medical professionals can remove all traces of the spine and flush out the wound with antiseptic to prevent infection. Victims also usually require a tetanus shot. Also, soaking the wound in hot water (at least 113 degrees Fahrenheit) can bring immediate relief from the painful effects of the venom. Remember the saying- "Heat to treat." BASS ,) TAXIDERMY S i8 Reasonable Prices Quality Work In Business For Over 20 Years! Owned & Operated by Vivian Bass Shoulder Mounl Deer Prices Reduced To $350 until Jan. 1. 2010 850-973-4664 Madison, FL We're proud to be associated with Reinke Manufacturing an independent company that cares more about producing great irrigation systems than returning dividends to stockholders. All Reinke irrigation systems use high-strength steel for the best value in center pivots. Contact us for Reinke irrigation systems and components. 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