by Tonia Hooper

Created on: June 17, 2010

The state of Florida is unique in many ways; its warmer climate is suited to an array of native wildlife.  I am fortunate to be a native of Florida, having lived in the northern region my entire life surrounded by the natural beauty of what many call ‘the real Florida’.  Growing up in rural north central Florida among the red hills, cypress swamps and white sandy beaches gives you a real appreciation for the natural beauty of the flora and fauna that surrounds you everyday.  Florida is abundant in native wildlife, although many species are losing their natural habitats at an alarming rate due to the growing population of the state.  One of the most well known Florida animals is the American Alligator, once endangered, but due to laws protecting the alligator, has multiplied to the point in some areas of overpopulation. The following list is some of the animals that are native to the state: 

American Alligator- the alligator can be found in just about any natural body of water in the state, and have been known to take a dip in someone’s pool White Peacock- this is actually a butterfly from the brushroot family and favors moist swampy areas Twostriped walkingstick- this is a stick insect, larger and stouter than most stick insects, and are found from the panhandle to the keys Anhinga- this bird is a year-round Florida resident, found all along the coasts and the Gulf of Mexico Florida Cottonmouth water moccasin- a venomous snake native the state of Florida Camel Spider Windscorpion- this is the only species of windscorpions found in North America, they are native to Florida and the West Indies Florida Scrub Jay- this blue and gray bird is the only bird species restricted entirely to Florida and is in danger of disappearing entirely due to loss of their scrub habitat Limpkin- this Florida native bird is of special concern but can still be found in rivers and lakes Great Egret- another year-round Florida native bird species which can be found in marshy and swampy areas Great Blue Heron- this bird is the larges species of heron found in North America and is a year-round Florida resident Florida Burrowing Owl- this owl species is of special concern in Florida Crested Caracara- this bird is a threatened species in Florida and North America Loggerhead turtle- this is the most common sea turtle found in Florida, also a threatened species Whooping Crane- This endangered bird species once numbered only two dozen in the mid 1940’s but due to captive breeding programs have grown in number to over 500 Sandhill Crane- another threatened Florida native bird West Indian Manatee- the manatee is the state marine mammal; they are threatened by loss of habitat and being killed or injured by boats Bottlenose Dolphin- this species of dolphin is the most common dolphins to the coastal waters of Florida

 Take time to educate yourself, and your family, on the native animals in your area.  By learning to live in harmony with the animals and our environment, future generations will have a chance to enjoy some of the natural wonders that we are blessed with.

 These are just a small sample of the animals native to the state of Florida.  For more information on Florida wildlife, visit the following sites:  www.floridasmart.com/subjects/animals.htm

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