Move quietly through the outdoors, and you’ll be rewarded with wildlife sightings. From top-of-the-food chain creatures to tiny toads, here are examples of mammals, reptiles, amphibians, and more you may encounter in Florida.
Alligators
Alligators are the number one fear that new hikers to Florida have. True, they’re at the top of our food chain. But we’ll take an alligator stretched across the trail over a grizzly any day.
Florida black bear
A subspecies of the Eastern black bear, the full-grown Florida black bear rarely tops 350 pounds, and will quickly move out of your way if it sees or hears you – unless it’s become used to feeding on campground or home garbage.
Florida cooter
The most common turtle you’ll see basking on logs along rivers and lakes, the Florida cooter is one of Florida’s largest freshwater turtles, up to a foot long or more.
Florida panther
A subspecies of cougar, the Florida panther has been making a slow but steady comeback in their stronghold in Big Cypress and the Everglades, with sightings of individual cats reported by hikers throughout the state
Florida’s Venomous Snakes
Florida has six species of venomous snakes. Here is what they look like, and how to identify them outdoors.
