Art of the Endangered, Snail Kite painting by Everglades Artist Jo-Ann Sanborn

Snail Kite, 2012 (c) Jo-Ann Sanborn

acrylic on canvas, 20"x30"

The Marco Island Center for the Arts, will hold a reception for the exhibition "Art of the Endangered" May 8th at 5, at the center. 

Painted for this exhibition, the endangered Snail Kite is a medium-sized raptor almost entirely dependent on a regular source of Apple Snails for food.  The Kite catches its prey at or just below the waterline with sharp talons, and pries the snail out of the shell with a uniquely adapted beak.  With habitat reduced and water levels varying, as the apple snails decline, the Snail Kite is struggling to survive.

I've seen two kites, together, at Shark Valley a couple of years ago, and from afar they look like a  nice fat pigeon.  It's only when you see the talons and beak up close do you realize they are quite fierce.  I wanted to make my male kite formidable, masculine, and very alert. 

Apple Snail daily painting by Everglades artist Jo-Ann Sanborn

Apple Snail, 2011, Jo-Ann Sanborn

acrylic on cradled panel, 5"x5"

The apple snail is the main source of food for the endangered Snail Kite.  The kites have a sharp beak adapted for eaily removing the snails from their shels. 

The snails live in and on the water most of the year.  They prefer wetland grasses that they can climb rather than lily pond vegetation, and climp up onto sawgrass and low hanging branches in April and May to lay their eggs in large white clusters.  

The largest of the Florida snails, not much more is known about the life cycle of Apple Snails except that they are considered a bellweather species for Everglades restoration.  They don't do well if the water is too low, but if they are thriving, there's enough water but not too much, the water is clean enough, the birds are fed, and the natural cycles of the Everglades are healthy.