Reptiles and Amphibians of the Florida Everglades

1. Reptiles and Amphibians of the Florida Everglades

2. American Alligator • Native species • Broadly rounded snout • Usually not aggressive, unless guarding a nest • Young have yellow stripes on tail

3. American Crocodile • Endangered • Approx. 500 – 1200 in Florida. • Threats – • Human development and loss of habitat

4. Speckled Caiman • Introduced. • Common, and highly adaptable to s. fl. • Bone ridge in front of eyes • Young have black stripes on tail

7. Peninsula Cooter and Florida Redbelly turtle • Both, 9 – 13 inches • Freshwater marshes, ponds and solution holes. • Cooter – Shark Valley • Hybridization occasionally

8. Striped mud turtle • 3 - 4.75 inches • Protected species • freshwater marshes, sloughs, ponds and solution holes • Common at Royal Palm

9. Diamondback Terrapin • Females 6 - 9 in., males 4 - 5 in. • Common in estuarine areas of mangroves. Rarely out of salt water. • Ten thousand islands and cape sable. • Seven subspecies, more easily identified by geograhic location • FL east coast, Mangrove (southern), and Ornate (Gulf) are three types we may see

10. Florida Box Turtle • 5 - 6.5 inches • Common in pine lands and hard hammocks • Fire-scarred and three legged specimens are not uncommon

11. Gopher tortoise • 6 – 9.5 inches • Sandy regions of coastal plain • Locally common on middle and east Cape Sable

12. Florida Softshell • 11 – 25 inches • Common in freshwater marshes and ponds. • Anhinga trail and Shark valley.

13. Anoles

14. Green Anole • 5 – 8 inches • Color varies • Pink throat fan • Native • Common, but appears to be outnumbered by brown anoles.

15. Brown Anole • 5 – 8.5 inches • Exotic, native to Cuba. • One of the most successful reptiles in S. Fl.

16. Knight Anole • 13 – 19.5 inches • Introduced from Cuba • Large lizard • Reported in Flamingo

17. Tokay gecko • 8 – 14 inches • Established species in the Miami area. • Quite vocal at night (to-kay)

18. Indo-Pacific gecko • 4 – 5.5 in • Exotic • Common around Flamingo • All are self-fertilizing females

19. Florida reef gecko • 2 – 2.25 in • Native species • Only gecko native to Florida • Leaf litter, under small rocks • Smallest lizard in N.A.

20. Southeastern Five-Lined Skink • 5.5 – 8.5 in • Common • Wooded habitats, wetlands and developed sites

21. Ground Skink • 3 – 5.5 inches • Locally common • Hardwood hammocks and pineland under leaf litter, rocks and logs

22. Eastern Glass Lizard • 22 – 42 inches • Native Species • Snake like, movable eyelids • Similar species – island glass lizard

23. Common Iguana • 30 – 79 inches • Exotic from Central and South America • Largest lizard in US • Tall dense trees near water

24. Coral Snake • 20 – 30 in • Fairly common in Florida • Pine woods, hammocks and edges of ponds and lakes • Rotting logs, piles of brush and decaying vegetation • Most dangerous venom in North Amer.

25. Florida Scarlet snake • 14 – 20 in • Coral snake mimic • Pine flatwoods, dry prairies, hardwood hammocks, and sand hills • Nocturnal; underground, under logs, leaf litter and rocks • Belly is whitish grey

26. Scarlet King Snake • 14 - 20 in • Uncommon in hardwood hammocks, pinelands and coastal prairies. • Coral snake mimic

27. comparison "Red and Yellow kill a fellow"

28. Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake • 33 – 72 in • Locally common • Hardwood hammocks, pinelands and coastal prairies.

29. Dusky Pigmy rattlesnake • 15 - 22 in • Common in freshwater marshes. • Reputation for being aggressive and quick to strike. • Rattle sounds like a buzzing insect.

30. Cottonmouth (Water Moccasin) • 30 - 48 in • Common venomous snake • Found near any water • Unpredictable aggressiveness

31. Brown Water Snake • 30 - 60 in • Common in freshwater marshes and ponds • Most seen along Anhinga trail

32. Florida Water Snake • 24 – 42 in • Freshwater ponds and marshes • Abundant in canals at Shark Valley

33. Florida Green Water Snake • 30 – 55 in • Common in freshwater ponds and marshes • Found in northern everglades • Tamiami Trail

34. Mangrove Salt Marsh Snake • 15 – 30 inches • Chiefly of salt or brackish water • Nocturnal

35. South Florida Black Swamp Snake • 10 – 15 in • Freshwater marshes • Shiny black with red belly • Abundant in water hyacinths (pull some out) • Tamiami Trail

36. Eastern Garter Snake • 18 – 26 in • Very common from canada to Florida

37. Peninsula Ribbon Snake • 18 – 25 in • Freshwater marshes and close vicinity • Often in low bushes over water

38. Striped Crayfish Snake • 13 – 20 in • Freshwater marshes • Most aquatic snake in Florida • Aquatic plants along the Tamiami Trail

39. Eastern Mud Snake • 40 – 54 in • Freshwater marshes and ponds • Nocturnal • Feeds chiefly on Amphiumas

40. Florida Brown Snake • 9 – 13 in • Bogs and marshes • Often among water hyacinths

41. Southern Ringneck Snake • 10 – 14 in • Common in pinelands and hardwood hammocks under logs

42. Yellow Rat snake • 42 – 72 in • Forage in cypress and other trees

43. Eastern Racer • 36 - 60 in • All habitats • Most abundant terrestrial snake in the Everglades

44. Eastern Indigo • 60 – 84 inches • Threatened species • Largest snake in NA • Found in all habitats of everglades park

45. Corn Snake • 30 – 48 inches • Pinelands, hardwood hammocks and developed sites • Nocturnal

46. Rough Green Snake • 22-32 inches • Only bright green snake in Florida • Pinelands, hardwood hammocks and bordering freshwater

47. Two-toed Amphiuma • 14.5 – 30 in • Common, but rarely seen • Freshwater marshes • Nocturnal • Water hyacinths on the Tamiami Trail

48. Greater Siren • 20 – 30 in • Common in shallow freshwater marshes and ponds • Nocturnal

49. Everglades Dwarf Siren • 4 – 7 inches • Known specifically from the Everglades. • Locally common • Freshwater marshes among dead vegetation.

50. Peninsula Newt • 3 – 4 in • Similar to eastern red-spotted newt, but the dorsal area is very dark • Locally common • Freshwater marshes and solution holes