Hello buddies, Reef the fox right here along with your weekly “Reef’s Report. As common, coming to you from the tropics, the place the palm timber sway, the air is thicker than Isla’s tail, and the iguanas appear to be they’re regretting all their life selections.
You’d assume residing in Key Largo means we foxes may retire our winter wardrobes for good, however each fall, our our bodies get the identical memo from Mom Nature: “Winter is coming.” Spoiler alert, it’s not.
Right here’s what’s taking place. As the times get shorter, our eyes detect much less daylight. That message travels to somewhat gland in our brains referred to as the pineal gland, which begins pumping out extra melatonin. Melatonin then indicators the pituitary gland to sit back out on producing prolactin, the hormone that tells us to maintain our glossy summer time look. With much less prolactin round, our our bodies panic and begin rising thick, luxurious winter coats as if we’re getting ready for a blizzard in Iowa as an alternative of a December seaside day in Florida.
You see, we have been all born from northern fox lineages. Our ancestors have been bred on fur farms the place “chilly and depressing” wasn’t a season, it was a life-style. So irrespective of what number of mangroves or Key lime pies encompass us, our genetics are nonetheless satisfied we’re one snowstorm away from extinction.
The outcome? Chaos. Tufts of fur in every single place. Guests ask if we’ve gained weight. No, ma’am, simply quantity. Penny seems to be like she swallowed a cloud. Louie sulks within the shade, and Kai tries to tunnel to the middle of the earth to search out air-conditioning (despite the fact that we do have an air conditioned room right here). In the meantime, I’ve accepted my destiny.
It’s not all dangerous, although. Our winter coats remind everybody that nature’s rhythm doesn’t change simply because the zip code does. So even right here within the Keys, we keep fluffy, fabulous and absolutely tropical, residing proof that you could take the fox out of the tundra, however you possibly can’t take the tundra out of the fox. And boy, aren’t all of us glad that us foxes right here have been taken out of the tundra?
Anywho, that’s all for this week. Don’t overlook Friday, Oct. 24, is Owl-O-Ween on the Florida Keys Wild Chook Heart in Tavernier. Head out with the household and assist our feathered buddies for his or her largest occasion of the 12 months!
Till subsequent time, Reef, over and out!