Triodopsis species "Florida Scrub Threetooth" North Keystone Heights Area

Triodopsis species "Florida Scrub Threetooth" North Keystone Heights Area

    The distances given below are from the center of the intersection of State Road 21 and State Road 100 in downtown Keystone Heights. All locations are along State Road 21.

Goldhead Branch State Park (about 5.1 miles northeast of Keystone Heights) - Although not yet fully surveyed, this location houses the largest population of the Triodopsis species found thus far. The species has been found from just north of the entrance to the park on State Road 21 southwesterly for a distance of about 1.50 miles to near the entrance to the Vulcan Goldhead Sand Plant. In regards to the park, the largest population of Triodopsis have thus far been found in newly acquired park property known as the Gladman Addition or Gladman Tract which was acquired in 2004. This addition is not depicted as park property in the map above. This population was discovered by this reporter on 6/16/2013.

Camp Blanding Training Area, Florida National Guard, Florida Trail (entrance gate to the trail is about 4.9 miles northeast of Keystone Heights) - Because the Florida Trail crosses the military installation at this location, limited access to the facility is allowed. However, one must stay within 100 yards of the marked trail and sign in when entering and sign out when departing. Both empty Triodopsis shells and live specimens were found by this reporter near where the Florida Trail enters the installation on 6/30/2013. However, a more thorough investigation of this location by Dr. Lee and this reporter on a later date failed to locate any specimens west of that location.

Abundant Life Church (3.0 miles northeast of Keystone Heights) - This location was discovered by this reporter on 7/17/2013. Living specimens were found from near Spring Lake Road north of the church to just south of Little Rain Lake Road about 0.5 miles to the southwest. Most of this habitat/property is apparently owned by the Abundant Life Church. Just north of church GPS: 29.49063N 081.59510W - elevation 152 feet WGS-84 Datum

Gas Line Road (1.8 miles northeast of Keystone Heights) - This site was discovered by Dr. Harry Lee and this reporter on 5/10/2013. The Triodopsis population at this site extends from the north side of Gas Line Road into the southeastern portion of Camp Blanding National Guard Base just southeast of Magnolia Lake - a distance of about  0.75 miles.

Keystone Heights Welcome Sign (1.4 miles northeast of Keystone Heights) - This site was discovered by this reporter on 7/17/2013. Two empty Triodopsis shells were found in the roadside swale just south of the Keystone Heights welcome sign but no live specimens could be located.  GPS: 29.48123N 082.00579W - elevation 153 feet (WGS-84 Datum). During a subsequent visit on 9/9/2013 a single living specimen was found beneath a large log adjacent to the roadside swale.

Johnny's BBQ Restaurant (0.5 miles northeast of Keystone Heights) - This site was initially discovered by Dr. Fred Thompson on 8/3/1969 (FLMNH 132828). The site was visited by this reporter on 5/6/2013, some 44 years later, and numerous empty Triodopsis shells and a much lesser quantity of live specimens were present in the area behind (east of) Johnny's BBQ Restaurant and the nearby Arby's Restaurant.

Dollar General Store/Walgreens Pharmacy - This particular site was discovered by Dr. Harry Lee on 4/16/1977 (FLMNH 113536). This reporter visited the site on 5/6/2013, some 36 years later, and empty Triodopsis shells were not uncommon in a small open field immediately west of the Dollar General Store. No live specimens could be located but may be present in a very small wooded area nearby. After repeated visits to the site over the next seven months, live specimens were finally located in moist black soil beneath leaf litter immediately adjacent to the wooded area on 1/20/2014; representing the first time that this species has been found in this type of habitat. Although this site is now situated in the middle of downtown Keystone Heights, at the time of its discovery in 1977 the site consisted of sugar sand and Turkey Oaks adjacent to a railroad tracks. A survey on 2/14/2014 revealed that live Triodopsis were also present in small patchy wooded areas to the southeast of the Dollar General Store and extending to the intersection of Commercial Circle with State Road 100.

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