The West Florida Keys (not to be confused with Key West) also known as Challenger's Key is a are a coral cay archipelago in Florida, U.S.A, sheltered within the Gulf of Mexico. The entire island chain is a protected Wildlife Preserve owned and managed by the Greene Foundation, where it is internally known as Prehistoric Paradise.
History
The West Florida Keys were completely stripped of life from the 1940’s through 1970’s by Nuclear and Space research/experimentation. They were then abandoned and left to erode, but not before they were removed from all maps. For twenty years they barely recovered with very few plant species taking root on it and even fewer animal species returning
That was until 1993, when Thaddeus Greene and the Greene Foundation purchased the islands. In a few years, the island was completely terraformed from a lifeless wasteland into a lush, thriving ecosystem, ideal for many species, prehistoric or otherwise. Once the environment was suitable, Thaddeus Greene and his carefully selected team, including John Beery and Cipher Ambrose, could finally begin rescuing ancient creatures doomed to extinction.
Geography
The Key is made up of over 500 islands with only a few having been developed with necessary facilities and the rest being reserved for nature.
Facilities
- Carboniferous Greenhouse - Designed to hold in Carboniferous-era Atmosphere and keep the Giant Arthropods of the era safe and healthy. A variety of Carboniferous Plants, Fish and Amphibians are also held within.
Wildlife
Animals who were already living on or near the island before the Greene Foundation’s acquisition.
Results taken from the July, 1993 biotic survey. Accuracy is not certain.
Mammals
- Common Bottlenose Dolphin
- West Indian Manatee
Birds
- American Black Vulture
- Black Skimmer
- Brown Pelican
- Tricolored Heron
Reptiles
- American Crocodile - Was one of the few animal species to return after the military left. The population was further bolstered by introductions from the Florida Keys, Cuba and the Yucatan Peninsula.
- Green Sea Turtle
- Hawksbill Sea Turtle
Saltwater Fishes
- Atlantic Tarpon
- Bonefish
- Common Snook
- Green Moray Eel
- Northern Red Snapper
- Permit
- Redfish
- Sergeant Major
- Spotted Seatrout
Sharks and Rays
- Blacktip Reef Shark
- Sand Tiger Shark
- Southern Stingray
Rebounding Wildlife
Wildlife that has returned to the island after Greene Foundation acquisition without the aid of humans.
Birds
- Bald Eagle
- Great Blue Heron
- Limpkin
- Osprey
- Reddish Egret
- Roseate Spoonbill
- Wood Stork
Introduced Creatures
Animals who have been re-introduced to the island and whose populations are not actively monitored or maintained.
Mammals
- North American Raccoon
Birds
- American White Ibis
- Anhinga
- Belted Kingfisher
- Eastern Meadowlark
- Loggerhead Shrike
- Mangrove Cuckoo
- Northern Cardinal
- Northern Mockingbird
- White-crowned Pigeon
- Wild Turkey - The most common bird in the keys, they are a popular food source for many carnivorous dinosaurs and prehistoric mammals
- Yellow Warbler
Reptiles
- American Alligator
- Five-lined Skink
- Green Anole - the most common lizard on the islands. They are prey for nearly every carnivorous species.
- Common Musk Turtle
- Painted Turtle
- Spotted Turtle
Amphibians
- Greater Siren
- One-toed Amphiuma
- Three-toed Amphiuma
- Two-toed Amphiuma
- American Bullfrog
- Northern Leopard Frog
- Oriental Fire-bellied Toad
Freshwater Fishes
- Bluegill
- Silver Arowana
- Smallmouth Bass
Insects
- Nine-spotted Ladybird Beetle
- Scarce Seven-spotted Ladybird Beetle
- Seven-spot Ladybird Beetle
Flora
Acanthaceae
- Black Mangrove
Anacardiaceae (Cashew and Sumac Family)
- Florida Poisontree
- Mango
Araucariaceae (Araucarias)
- Monkey-puzzle Tree
Arecaceae (Palms)
- Coconut Palm
- Florida Thatch Palm
- Saw Palmetto
Bromeliaceae (Bromeliads)
- Pineapple
- Spanish Moss
Burseraceae (Torchwoods)
- Gumbo-limbo
Combretaceae
- White Mangrove
Cupressaceae (Cypresses)
- Coast Redwood
- Dawn Redwood
- Giant Sequoia
- Swamp Cypress
Fabaceae (Legumes)
- Florida Fishpoison Tree
- Royal Poinciana
- Wild Tamarind
Fagaceae (Beeches, Chestnuts and Oaks)
- Southern Live Oak
Ginkgoaceae (Ginkgoes)
- Ginkgo biloba
Malvaceae (Mallows)
Pacific Rosewood
Meliaceae (Mahogany)
- American Mahogany
Moraceae (Mulberry and Fig Family)
- Common Fig
- Moreton Bay Fig
- Sycamore Fig
Pinaceae (Pines)
- Slash Pine
Rhizophoraceae
- Red Mangrove
Rubiaceae (Coffee Family)
- White Indigoberry
Sapindaceae (Soapberry Family)
- Red Maple
Blechnaceae (Ferns)
- European Chain Fern
- Giant Chain Fern
Osmundaceae (Ferns)
- American Royal Fern
Cyatheales (Tree Ferns)
- Tasmanian Tree Fern
- Woolly Fern
Cycadaceae (Cycads)
- King Sago Palm
Equisetaceae (Horsetail Family)
- Field Horsetail
- Mexican Giant Horsetail
- Northern Giant Horsetail
- Swamp Horsetail
Poaceae (Grasses)
- Elephant Grass
- Gulf Hairawn Muhly
Salviniaceae
- Carolina Azolla
Nymphaeaceae (Water Lilies)
- Queen Victoria’s Water Lily
Maintained Wildlife
Animals Introduced to the island, be it through conservation programs, rescues or temporal relocation, whose populations are actively monitored and maintained. Usually kept in Enclosures, though a few species have free-roam over the islands
Mammals
Mammals
Primates
- Coqueral’s Sifaka
- Verreaux’s Sifaka
- Ring-tailed Lemur
- Darwinius
- Europolemur
- Godinotia
Pan-Carnivora
- Lesmesodon
- Cheetah
- Florida Panther
- Lion
- African Painted Dog
Ungulates
- Propalaeotherium
- African Savanna Elephant
Other Mammals
- Argentoconodon
- Jugulator
- Buxolestes
- Eomanis
- Leptictidium
- Ailuravus
Cynodonts and Synapsids
- Dicynodon
- Diictodon
- Dimetrodon
- Edaphosaurus
- Geikia
- Hyperodapedon
- Lycaenops
- Placerias
- Suminia
- Sycosaurus
- Trucidocynodon
Birds and Dinosaurs
Birds
- African Sacred Ibis
- Fischer’s Turaco
- Great Blue Turaco
- Guinea Turaco
- Hoatzin - A population of Hoatzin have been introduced to the island purely out of novelty. These birds have formed a breeding colony in the coastal mangroves
- Red-crested Turaco
- Red-legged Seriama
- Violet Turaco
- Confuciusornis
- Gastornis
Non-Avian Theropods
- Acrocanthosaurus
- Alioramus
- Archaeopteryx
- Asfaltovenator
- Beipiaosaurus
- Carnotaurus
- Coelophysis
- Compsognathus
- Cryolophosaurus
- Daemonosaurus
- Deinocheirus
- Deinonychus
- Dilong
- Falcarius
- Gallimimus
- Incisivosaurus
- Majungasaurus
- Masiakasaurus
- Microraptor
- Mononykus
- Piatnitzkysaurus
- Rahonavis
- Sinosauropteryx
- Struthiomimus
- Therizinosaurus
- Tyrannosaurus
- Utahraptor
- Yutyrannus
Sauropods
- Amargasaurus
- Argentinosaurus
- Dreadnoughtus
- Eoraptor
- Glacialisaurus
- Herrerasaurus
- Sauroposeidon
Ornithopods
- Aquilops
- Barsboldia
- Dracorex
- Edmontosaurus
- Homalocephale
- Iguanacolossus
- Manidens
- Pachycephalosaurus
- Prenocephale
- Psittacosaurus lujiatunensis
- Tenontosaurus
- Triceratops
Thyreophora
- Ankylosaurus
- Gastonia
- Liaoningosaurus
- Sauropelta
- Tarchia
Reptiles
Pterosaurs
- Anurognathus
- Rhamphorhynchus
- Tupandactylus
- Tupuxuara
Crocodilia
- Nile Crocodile
- Armadillosuchus
- Boverisuchus
- Mahajangasuchus
- Simosuchus
Archosaurs
- Desmatosuchus
- Postosuchus
- Pisanosaurus
- Sillosuchus
- Vancleavea
Turtles and Pareiasaurs
- Allaeochelys
- Pareiasaurus
Lizards
- Jackson's Chameleon
Serpentes
- Eastern Indigo Snake - A captive breeding program for this species is held on one of the developed isles, with many of the babies produced released into suitable habitats across the preserve. Yearly, staff track down as many snakes as possible to tag new ones and record data on already tagged individuals
Other
- Coelurosauravus
- Drepanosaurus
- Hypuronector
- Longisquama
- Sharovipteryx
- Skybalonyx
Amphibians
- Kihansi Spray Toad
- Panamanian Golden Frog
- Beelzebufo
- Eryops
- Funcusvermis
- Peltobatrachus
- Platyhystrix
- Seymouria
Flora
Annonaceae (Custard Apple Family)
- Annona robusta
Arecaceae (Palms)
- Sabalites sp.
Cupressaceae (Cypresses)
- Sequoites artus
- Taxodium olrikii
Fagaceae (Beeches, Chestnuts and Oaks)
- Quercus viburnifolia
Ginkgoaceae (Ginkgoes)
- Ginkgo adiantoides
Juglandaceae (Walnuts)
- Juglans leconteana
Lauraceae (Laurels)
- Cinnamomum lineafolia
Magnoliaceae (Magnolias)
- Liriodendron laramiense
- Magnolia pulchra
Moraceae (Mulberry and Fig Family)
- Artocarpus lessigiana
- Ficus artocarpoides
- Ficus planicostata
- Ficus trinervis
Myricaceae
- Myrica torreyi
Rhamnaceae (Buckthorns)
- Ziziphus fibrillosus
Salicaceae (Willow, Poplar, Aspen and Cottonwood Family)
- Populus nebrascensis
Celastraceae (Bittersweet Vines)
- Celastrus taurenensis
Nilssoniales (Cycads)
- Nilssonia yukonensis