19 Year Old Army Reserve Member Honored By His Mother
Today a 19 year old Army Reserve Member was honored by his mother for Military Monday. Janice reached out to us just days before her son’s deployment to the Middle East. Colton who is a Private First Class started his Military journey right after high school. Coming from a family with a history of military service he wanted to serve as well. His goal was to complete basic training for the Army Reserves and then play college football. Shortly after going to North Park University in Chicago he was told that he would have to report for deployment. Now just days before his deployment he is spending his time with family and friends. We appreciate this 19 year old Army Reserve Member’s calling to serve and pray for him and his family.
Congrats to Colton as he receives a $100 gift card from our friends at Stingray Chevrolet.
Every Monday we honor a member of the military in Tampa Bay. Do you have someone in your life that is or has been in the military? Someone that you admire, a relative, a friend? Whoever it is that you want to spotlight. We want to hear from you and you can nominate someone right now by doing so HERE. The nomination process takes about five minutes. Once you nominate someone we will be in touch with you to schedule a call with you.
The 5 Most Dangerous Animals In Florida
There are a lot of dangerous animals in Florida. But if you ever wondered what the most dangerous are? This list was put together by A-Z Animals. Between 1999 and 2019 only 247 people in Florida died as a result of an animal attack. Florida ranks as the third deadliest state in the United States for animal attacks. Texas is number one with 520 and California is number two with 299. Those findings come from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention.
So, what is the first animal that you think of when you think dangerous in Florida? You probably think of the Alligator, but that isn’t the number one overall dangerous animal in Florida. The Great White Shark is the most dangerous animal in Florida. While not on the land in Florida Great White Sharks swim the waters around the state of Florida. Back in 2020 Florida had 16 shark bites on record. Second was Hawaii with only five.
The Most Dangerous Animals Not In The Top 5
The dangerous animals in Florida that didn’t make the top five are some that you may have thought could’ve been higher. Firstly, number six on the list is the Black Widow Spider followed by the Florida Panther. The Florida Panther is the state animal. It was chosen in 1982 by a vote of students throughout the state. Following the Florida Panther on the list is the Wild Boar. You can find the Wild Boar in all 67 counties of Florida. Their estimated population is over half a million.
Next is the Timber Rattlesnake. It is also known as the canebreak rattlesnake and it is a species of pit viper. The Timber Rattlesnake has a Chevron pattern and a stripe running down its body. Finally, coming in number 10 on the list is the American Crocodile. They are found along the coast of Florida as north as the Hillsborough/Pasco County border on the west side of Florida.
Below, you can find the top five most dangerous animals in Florida.
Great White Shark
Yes, Great White Sharks are found in the waters around Florida. A almost 1,200 pound shark that was almost 13 feet in length was tracked back in March of this year.
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Bull Shark
#1 and #2 on the list are sharks. They are in the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean. They grow to about 11 feet and can live about 24 years.
Alligator
Alligators live in all 67 counties in Florida. You can find alligators in any body of water including lakes, ponds, rivers, marshes, swamps and man-made canals.
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Eastern Dimondback Rattlesnake
They are found in pine flatwoods, longleaf pine and turkey oak hammocks, sand pine scrub areas, and coastal barrier islands. Yes it is venomous.
Cottonmouth Snake
It is venomous and can be found throughout Florida. It is called a cottonmouth because of the white color of the inside of its mouth.
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