KSC-2014-2529

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- A black racer slithers into the grass along Schwartz Road at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. These slender, nonvenomous snakes are quite active during the day, which increases the chance of sightings. The center coexists with the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, which encompasses 140,000 acres. The refuge comprises a wide variety of habitats, including coastal dunes, saltwater estuaries and marshes, freshwater impoundments, scrub, pine flatwoods, and hardwood hammocks. These habitats provide sanctuary for more than 1,500 species of plants and animals, including more than 330 species of birds, 31 mammals, 117 fishes, and 65 amphibians and reptiles. For additional information about the refuge, visit http://www.fws.gov/merrittisland. Photo credit: NASA/Daniel Casper