Escambia County Natural Resources Conservation Division, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, and the City of Pensacola have partnered together to create a geocache tour designed to route residents and visitors to the area’s environmental restoration projects and unique environmental habitats.
Welcome to Perdido Key
Barrier islands protect the Florida mainland from the harsh effects of storms and provide habitat for shorebirds and other coastal animals. Perdido Key is a 247-acre barrier island near Pensacola on the Gulf of Mexico.White sand beaches, rolling dunes covered with sea oats makes Perdido Key admired by environmentalists and outdoor enthusiasts. Almost 60 percent of the island is protected by federal and state parks, making it one of the last remaining unblemished stretches of natural beach and wilderness on the Gulf Coast.
Perdido Key is also home to the protected Perdido Key Beach Mouse. The mouse burrows are located in the secondary dunes at the base of a shrub, clump of grass, or other vegetated cover. The burrow itself consists of an entrance tube, a nest cavity, and an escape tube which is closed off but near the surface of the sand. If an intruder, such as a snake or crab, enters a beach mouse burrow, mice make a hasty retreat out the escape tube. It primarily feeds on the seeds of bluestem, cactus, sand spurs and sea oats, but occasionally will eat insects. The mouse is a nocturnal animal (active at night), spending most of its daylight hours in a burrow. Unlike many species, beach mice are monogamous, with mated pairs tending to remain together for life. A typical beach mouse pair averages 3-4 offspring per litter and has roughly 3 liters per year. In contrast to its inland relatives, the Perdido Key Beach Mouse steers clear of people, buildings and trash, instead preferring to meander among the dunes near its’ burrow.
Hours are 9:00 am – 4:00 pm 7 days a week.