Lyonia Preserve trail map
Click the numbered locations on the map for specific information.

21. Deadly pets
If you look left from this section of trail, along the backside of the property there is a 100-foot-wide buffer. This buffer will hopefully serve as a barrier to human impacts, such as trespassing, debris, and the release of domesticated animals.

Animals that were once domesticated, but now live in the wild are called feral. The most common ones in Florida include feral pigs and cats. No pigs have been observed, but feral cats do live here. They can cause major disruptions in the natural community. For example, the animal most threatened by feral cats on this site is the endangered Florida scrub jay. It nests and lives close to the ground, so it is easy prey for cats.