Florida Nature

Lesser-Known Florida Nature Facts

• The largest national estuary preserve in America is in Florida at Apalachicola, spanning 250,000 acres with the largest diversity of reptiles and amphibians in North America.

• Key deer are a smaller sub-species of the white-tailed deer found on Big Pine Key in the Florida Keys. Key Deer were left stranded in the keys after the last ice age and survived as a smaller species.Key Deer lack the natural fear of man shown by most larger deer, often seen in yards and along roadsides where tasty plants and flowers grow. Stay at Deer Run B&B
and interact with the Key Deer ( left ).

• From east coast Florida beaches Right Whales (right) can sometimes be seen blowing off during winter months. Often mothers and calves are spotted during their migration from colder northern waters.

The maximum length of the right whales is about 60 feet, and the maximum weight is slightly more than 100 tons Among the most endangered of the world’s large whales with an estimated population of 350-400 individuals. Historically depleted by commercial whaling, ship strikes and fishing gear entanglements are now the largest threats to right whales.

• The Florida Panther is an endangered cougar ( it once roamed the southeast all the way to Texas) that has adapted to the warm climate of Florida and primarily lives in pine woods and swamps of southern Florida. There is an estimated 30-50 Florida panthers living in the wild. The male reaches 120 lbs and the female reaches about 70lbs. As predators,they eat deer, hogs, armadillo and birds. There has never been a documented case of a panther attack on a human.

• In the Florida Everglades, The Everglades kite is a marsh hawk found mainly in the Everglades. Also known as the snail kite, because it feeds mainly on the apple snail ( right ). It lives in open freshwater marshes that have a fair amount of apple snails; areas with open shallow water like sloughs or flats.

• Alligators are found throughout Florida, preferring fresh water lakes and slow-moving rivers and their associated wetlands, but they also can be found in brackish water habitats.Alligators in the wild are believed to live 35 - 50 years. In captivity their lifespan may be significantly longer, perhaps 60-80 years. Alligators can run at speeds of up to 20 miles per hour. However that speed can only be maintained for a very short distance. Approximately 15 people have been fatally attacked by alligators in Florida
since record keeping began. Alligators are an important part of Florida’s heritage and play an important role in the ecology of Florida’s wetlands.

• Lightning is a killer. It claims more victims each year than do snowstorms, hurricanes, and tornadoes. The highest death rates from lightning in the United States are in Florida, which is known as the lightning capital of the country. From 1959 to 2003 lightning killed 3,696 people in the United States. Of those, 425 were in Florida.

• Merrit Island Wildlife Refuge and Canaveral National Seashore near Melbourne and Titusville, have the most diverse number of plants and animals in North America, including several indigenous species found only here, including the salt marsh snake (right ).

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