Hurricane takes its toll on sea turtles, alligators, butterflies.

Publication: South Florida Sun-Sentinel (via Knight-Ridder/Tribune News Service)

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COPYRIGHT 2005 South Florida Sun-Sentinal

Byline: David Fleshler

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. _ Hurricane Katrina washed away sea turtle eggs, tore holes in beaches and drowned alligator nests in the Everglades.

But scientists and environmental officials expect most of the impact to be temporary.

"Wildlife in Florida have co-evolved with hurricanes for thousands if not millions of years," said Thomas Eason, a biologist with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. "Most species are able to recover from any temporary localized impact. Bears, deer and panthers hole up on some high ground or find a safe spot and weather the storm and do quite fine."

As hurricanes approach, bringing a drop in air pressure, animals seek safety. Butterflies wedge themselves into tree hollows, sharks head to open water, and migratory birds delay flights until the storm passes, according to scientists who have observed them during the...

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