Which "Ding" Animal Are You?

You are a Florida Manatee! These gentle giants are the aquatic relatives of the elephant. They are grayish brown in color and have thick, wrinkled skin on which there is often a growth of algae. Their front flippers help them steer, or sometimes crawl, through shallow water. They also have powerful, flat tails that help propel them through the water. Like other grazing animals, Florida Manatees play an important role in influencing the plant growth in the shallow rivers, bays, estuaries, canals and coastal waters they call home.

Help your “spirit animal” continue to thrive at the Refuge. Become a member of the “Ding” Darling Wildlife Society today: https://dingdarlingsociety.org/articles/join-ddws-and-support-the-refuge

You are an American Alligator! You're most likely to spot them in Florida and Louisiana, where they live in rivers, lakes, ponds, swamps, bayous, and marshes. These reptiles are kind of clumsy on land, but they're built for life in the water. Great swimmers, they are equipped with webbed feet and strong tails that propel them through the water.

Help your “spirit animal” continue to thrive at the Refuge. Become a member of the “Ding” Darling Wildlife Society today: https://dingdarlingsociety.org/articles/join-ddws-and-support-the-refuge

You are a Bottlenose Dolphin! These sleek swimmers can reach speeds of over 18 miles an hour. They surface often to breathe, doing so two or three times a minute. Bottlenose Dolphins travel in social groups and communicate with each other by a complex system of squeaks and whistles. Schools have been known to come to the aid of an injured dolphin and help it to the surface. Bottlenose Dolphins track their prey through the expert use of echolocation. They can make up to 1,000 clicking noises per second. These sounds travel underwater until they encounter objects, then bounce back, revealing the location, size, and shape of their target.

Help your “spirit animal” continue to thrive at the Refuge. Become a member of the “Ding” Darling Wildlife Society today: https://dingdarlingsociety.org/articles/join-ddws-and-support-the-refuge

You are a Common Gallinule! Adaptable and successful, this bird is common in the marshes of North and South America. The Gallinule swims buoyantly, bobbing its head. Vocal and boldly marked with a brilliant red shield over the bill, the species can be quite conspicuous. It sometimes uses its long toes to walk atop floating vegetation.

Help your “spirit animal” continue to thrive at the Refuge. Become a member of the “Ding” Darling Wildlife Society today: https://dingdarlingsociety.org/articles/join-ddws-and-support-the-refuge

You are a Gopher Tortoise! Gopher Tortoises are long-lived reptiles that occupy upland habitat throughout Florida including forests, pastures, and yards. They dig deep burrows for shelter and forage on low-growing plants. Gopher Tortoises share these burrows with more than 350 other species, and are therefore referred to as a keystone species.

Help your “spirit animal” continue to thrive at the Refuge. Become a member of the “Ding” Darling Wildlife Society today: https://dingdarlingsociety.org/articles/join-ddws-and-support-the-refuge

You are a Mangrove Cuckoo! The Mangrove Cuckoo is a tropical bird that is found in the United States in the mangroves along the southern coasts of Florida, and in the main part of its range, from Mexico to South America and in the Caribbean. This bird is a shy inhabitant of dense mangrove swamps, living in impenetrable tangles, where its presence is often betrayed only by its throaty calls.

Help your “spirit animal” continue to thrive at the Refuge. Become a member of the “Ding” Darling Wildlife Society today: https://dingdarlingsociety.org/articles/join-ddws-and-support-the-refuge

You are a Reddish Egret! A medium to large heron of shallow salt water, the Reddish Egret comes in a dark and a white form. Reddish Egrets often draw attention by their feeding behavior: running through shallows with long strides, staggering sideways, leaping in air, raising one or both wings, and abruptly stabbing at fish (also known as "dancing").

Help your “spirit animal” continue to thrive at the Refuge. Become a member of the “Ding” Darling Wildlife Society today: https://dingdarlingsociety.org/articles/join-ddws-and-support-the-refuge

You are an Osprey! Unique among North American raptors for its diet of live fish and ability to dive into water to catch them, Ospreys are common sights soaring over shorelines, patrolling waterways, and standing on their huge stick nests, white heads gleaming. These large, rangy hawks do well around humans and have rebounded in numbers following the ban on the pesticide DDT.

Help your “spirit animal” continue to thrive at the Refuge. Become a member of the “Ding” Darling Wildlife Society today: https://dingdarlingsociety.org/articles/join-ddws-and-support-the-refuge