Florida eco travel guide - birds mammals reptiles

Florida Cold Snap causes Fish Kills

Dead Gizzard Shad Florida cold snap fish kills

Gizzard Shad Photo Claire Sunquist ©

Reports of masses of cold-killed fish are coming in from many of Florida’s rivers, canals and estuaries. Both freshwater and marine fish are being killed by the cold.

Burmese Pythons in Florida

Reticulated Python Florida Burmese pythons

Reticulated Python Photo Fiona Sunquist ©

From the suburbs of Miami to the Florida Keys, huge snakes are showing up in culverts and under brush piles across south Florida. Burmese Pythons are being captured in Big Cypress National Preserve, Collier Seminole State Park, on Key Largo and in areas around Miami.

Recent Sightings of Florida Panthers

Recent sightings of Florida panthers Mike Barnes
Photo Mike Barnes ©

If you plan to walk a boardwalk in Florida’s Parks and Reserves any early morning or late afternoon, you might be lucky enough to see a Florida Panther. They seem to like these elevated pathways for ease of travel and the view into the grass that they afford.
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Wild Capybara return to Florida

capybara weird animals Florida

Strange sheep-sized rodents with webbed feet are showing up in Florida’s rivers and canals. These weird looking animals are capybara – a 100-lb guinea-pig-like creature.

Sheepshead - A fish with human teeth.

Sheepshead teeth a fish with human teeth

Looking into the mouth of a sheepshead is a bit like looking into the mouth of a person. This fish has human-like incisors and strange looking molar teeth on the roof and bottom of its mouth. Sheepshead use these heavy-duty teeth to grind up blue crabs, oysters, and small fish.