nesting season (during the months of March through October in southwest Florida) in order to find nests and document them. The loggerhead turtle is found far more than the others, and the green turtle is a distant second. The loggerhead turtle and green turtle's eggs have the most diverse niches. Their niches rely on climate and weather which allow the eggs to survive on land and eventually hatch. Cayo Costa State Park is a major nesting site for sea turtles in Florida. These nests are protected by Florida State Parks and are regulated by volunteers and staff. The nests are patrolled and marked off so that guests can avoid interrupting them. Another species found on the island is the common raccoon (Procyon lotor). These animals are frequent predators of sea turtle eggs during nesting season. The eggs are also threatened by foxes, ants, ghost crabs, high tide, and looting humans. The West Indian manatee (Trichechus manatus) is also found coming up to the island beaches. This is considered an endangered animal, but the population is currently growing. They can be seen from the beach or near the canals and docks of the island. The West Indian manatee is found in Florida and Puerto Rico. Although they are part of the same species, there is significant genetic diversity between the two populations. The bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncates) can also be seen jumping, swimming, and playing along all nine miles of beaches on the island. Snowy egrets (Egretta thula) can be found on the island. They usually stay near the beaches. They are a small white heron with long, slender black legs and yellow feet. Both sexes of the snowy egret have the same features, even during the breeding season. The southern bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) can be found flying about the island or sitting on high trees. This is another threatened species. The eagles eat a variety of animals, but prefer fish. They scavenge and steal food when they are able to, and hunt for live prey only as a last resort. The Eastern Coachwhip (Masticophis flagellum flagellum) is a docile and flighty snake that can be found all around the island. They are very long snakes, reaching over eight feet long, despite being very slender. They can be found on the ground and in shrubbery. They are very quick snakes, moving at about 3 miles per hour, and eat insects,