Mark Renz words and photo
Giant Florida stork conjures up visions of special deliveries
In an area along the Lee/Hendry county line that was likely an ancient spring,
I dug up the remains of what Florida Museum of Natural History paleontologists have identified
as a very large stork (Ciconia maltha).
Its common name is asphalt stork. The same bird has been found at La Brea tar pits
in California. It was larger than today's wood stork or the great blue heron.
We all know that wood storks deliver babies, occasionally without an order being placed.
Judging from the size of this stork it may have been baby mammoths it was delivering.
(Note: These fossils were turned over to FLMNH in Gainesville)