Florida Wildlife
From toothsome alligators to scampering lizards, you will see wildlife while enjoying Florida's outdoors. Here are photos and descriptions of some of the creatures you may encounter along our trails.
Florida Wildlife
From toothsome alligators to scampering lizards, you will see wildlife while enjoying Florida's outdoors. Here are photos and descriptions of some of the creatures you may encounter along our trails.
Florida’s Toxic Trees
Southeast Florida is home to two poisonous trees, the poisonwood and the manchineel. Learn how to recognize them so you don't get too close, and find out how truly dangerous they are.
Florida’s Venomous Snakes
Florida has six species of venomous snakes. Here is what they look like, and how to identify them when you are outdoors and encounter them in the woods.
Golden orb spider
Especially in fall, you'll encounter these massive spiders stringing sticky yellow webs everywhere - including right across the hiking trails.
Gray Nickerbean
Flowering mounds of gray nickerbean are found along the tropical coastal habitats of Florida. The beans float away with the tide and are polished by the waves, appearing as "sea beans" on other shores.
Great blue heron
A distinctive sight along Florida’s waterways, the great blue heron is the tallest of the blue-hued wading birds you’ll see hunting along the shorelines.
Great egret
The largest of the white-colored wading birds in Florida, the great egret is frequently seen in wetlands areas and along waterways.
Green heron
Green herons look very much like the American Bittern from a distance. But the way they hold their neck and the iridescent green of the feathers on their backs help make them easy to identify.
Green-fly Orchid
Epidendrum conopseum
Gulf Coast Lupine
Gulf Coast lupine (Lupinus westianus) is a threatened species found in sandhill/clayhill habitats in the far western corner of Florida.
Identifying Florida Species
Use our photos and descriptions to help you identify Florida birds, plants, trees, wildlife, and more