If it weren't for predators like the owls, the hammock would probably be overrun with mice. One way to check for the presence of owls is to look on the ground below a dead tree for round pellets of rodent fur and bones. A snag also makes an excellent site for a Hornet's nest which, if left undisturbed, can be built into a large home by hundreds of the large flying wasps. The otters rarely encountered animals such as the owls and hornets which live high in the trees, but they did sometimes run into animals such as Box Turtles and Rattlesnakes during their journeys. These reptiles can be found in dry, sandy areas of the hammocks where they find food and shelter.
Box turtles eat plants, insects and lizards.
They can eat bird eggs, lizards, rodents and other small mammals. Occasionally the otters ventured further up the rivers which bring fresh water into the estuary and travel into the inland hammocks where animals such as the Bobcat find their food and shelter. Bobcats get their name from their short tail which the otters thought looked very funny. Before long the otters would return from their travels in the hammocks, marsh and estuary where they could search for another meal and swim and play for another day.