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Gatorland alligator

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.

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 along the La Chua Trail

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

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

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 crossing the road at Big Cypress Seminole Reservation

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

Coral snake loop Gold Head

Florida’s Venomous Snakes

Florida has six species of venomous snakes. Here is what they look like, and how to identify them outdoors.

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