Reptiles and Amphibians of the Florida Everglades
Feb 08, 2016
Reptiles and Amphibians of the Florida Everglades
American Alligator
• Native species• Broadly rounded snout• Usually not aggressive,
unless guarding a nest• Young have yellow
stripes on tail
American Crocodile• Endangered• Approx. 500 – 1200 in
Florida.– Threats –
• Human development and loss of habitat
Speckled Caiman
• Introduced.• Common, and highly
adaptable to s. fl.• Bone ridge in front of
eyes• Young have black
stripes on tail
Peninsula Cooter and Florida Redbelly turtle
• Both, 9 – 13 inches• Freshwater marshes,
ponds and solution holes.
• Cooter – Shark Valley• Hybridization
occasionally
Striped mud turtle
• 3 - 4.75 inches• Protected species• freshwater marshes,
sloughs, ponds and solution holes
• Common at Royal Palm
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
Florida Box Turtle
• 5 - 6.5 inches• Common in pine lands
and hard hammocks• Fire-scarred and three
legged specimens are not uncommon
Gopher tortoise
• 6 – 9.5 inches• Sandy regions of
coastal plain• Locally common on
middle and east Cape Sable
Florida Softshell
• 11 – 25 inches• Common in freshwater
marshes and ponds.• Anhinga trail and
Shark valley.
Anoles
Green Anole
• 5 – 8 inches• Color varies• Pink throat fan• Native• Common, but appears
to be outnumbered by brown anoles.
Brown Anole• 5 – 8.5 inches• Exotic, native to Cuba. • One of the most
successful reptiles in S. Fl.
Knight Anole• 13 – 19.5 inches• Introduced from Cuba• Large lizard• Reported in Flamingo
Tokay gecko
• 8 – 14 inches• Established species in
the Miami area.• Quite vocal at night
(to-kay)
Indo-Pacific gecko
• 4 – 5.5 in• Exotic • Common around
Flamingo• All are self-fertilizing
females
Florida reef gecko• 2 – 2.25 in• Native species• Only gecko native to
Florida• Leaf litter, under small
rocks• Smallest lizard in N.A.
Southeastern Five-Lined Skink • 5.5 – 8.5 in• Common• Wooded habitats,
wetlands and developed sites
Ground Skink
• 3 – 5.5 inches• Locally common• Hardwood hammocks
and pineland under leaf litter, rocks and logs
Eastern Glass Lizard• 22 – 42 inches• Native Species• Snake like, movable
eyelids• Similar species –
island glass lizard
Common Iguana • 30 – 79 inches• Exotic from Central
and South America• Largest lizard in US• Tall dense trees near
water
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.
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
Scarlet King Snake
• 14 - 20 in• Uncommon in hardwood hammocks, pinelands and
coastal prairies.• Coral snake mimic
comparison
Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake
• 33 – 72 in• Locally common• Hardwood hammocks,
pinelands and coastal prairies.
Dusky Pigmy rattlesnake
• 15 - 22 in• Common in freshwater
marshes.• Reputation for being
aggressive and quick to strike.
• Rattle sounds like a buzzing insect.
Cottonmouth (Water Moccasin)
• 30 - 48 in• Common venomous
snake• Found near any water• Unpredictable
aggressiveness
Brown Water Snake
• 30 - 60 in• Common in freshwater
marshes and ponds• Most seen along
Anhinga trail
Florida Water Snake • 24 – 42 in• Freshwater ponds and
marshes• Abundant in canals at
Shark Valley
Florida Green Water Snake
• 30 – 55 in• Common in freshwater ponds and marshes• Found in northern everglades• Tamiami Trail
Mangrove Salt Marsh Snake • 15 – 30 inches• Chiefly of salt or
brackish water• Nocturnal
South Florida Black Swamp Snake
• 10 – 15 in• Freshwater marshes• Shiny black with red belly• Abundant in water
hyacinths (pull some out)• Tamiami Trail
Eastern Garter Snake • 18 – 26 in• Very common from
canada to Florida
Peninsula Ribbon Snake
• 18 – 25 in• Freshwater marshes
and close vicinity • Often in low bushes
over water
Striped Crayfish Snake • 13 – 20 in• Freshwater marshes• Most aquatic snake in
Florida• Aquatic plants along
the Tamiami Trail
Eastern Mud Snake • 40 – 54 in• Freshwater marshes and ponds• Nocturnal • Feeds chiefly on Amphiumas
Florida Brown Snake
• 9 – 13 in• Bogs and marshes• Often among water
hyacinths
Southern Ringneck Snake
• 10 – 14 in• Common in pinelands
and hardwood hammocks under logs
Yellow Rat snake • 42 – 72 in• Forage in cypress and
other trees
Eastern Racer
• 36 - 60 in• All habitats• Most abundant
terrestrial snake in the Everglades
Eastern Indigo • 60 – 84 inches• Threatened species• Largest snake in NA• Found in all habitats
of everglades park
Corn Snake • 30 – 48 inches• Pinelands, hardwood
hammocks and developed sites
• Nocturnal
Rough Green Snake
• 22-32 inches• Only bright green
snake in Florida• Pinelands, hardwood
hammocks and bordering freshwater
Two-toed Amphiuma
• 14.5 – 30 in• Common, but rarely
seen• Freshwater marshes• Nocturnal• Water hyacinths on
the Tamiami Trail
Greater Siren• 20 – 30 in• Common in shallow
freshwater marshes and ponds
• Nocturnal
Everglades Dwarf Siren
• 4 – 7 inches• Known specifically from
the Everglades.• Locally common• Freshwater marshes
among dead vegetation.
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
Greenhouse Frog
• 5/8 – 1.25 in• Exotic species from
Cuba.• Locally common• Under logs and leaf
litter.
Southern Toad
• 1 5/8 - 3 inches• Common• Hardwood hammocks,
pinelands and seasonally inundated freshwater marshes and mangrove areas
Oak Toad
• .75 – 1.25 inches• Common, often active
during the day.• Light mid-dorsal stripe
Florida Cricket Frog • 5/8 – 1 inch• Common in all
freshwater habitats• Voice sounds like
marble tapping together
Green Treefrog
• 1.25 – 2.25 in• Common in all
freshwater marshes• Light colored lateral
stripe
Squirrel Treefrog
• 7/8 – 1 5/8 in• Common in all
freshwater habitats• Highly variable
coloration – green is most common
Cuban Treefrog
• 1.5 – 3.5 in• Introduced from Cuba
Florida Chorus Frog
• .75 – 1.25 in• Common in freshwater
marshes
Eastern Narrow-mouth Toad
• 7/8 – 1 ¼ in• Common• Under logs and litter
layer in hardwood hammocks
Pig Frog
• 3.25 – 5.5 in
• Common
• Freshwater marshes
• Grunt-like call heard night and day
• Olive to blackish brown
• http://cars.er.usgs.gov/herps/Frogs_and_Toads/R_grylio/r_grylio.html
Southern Leopard Frog
• 2 – 3.5 in• Common• All freshwater habitats
Little Grass Frog
• 7/16 – 5/8 in• Smallest frog in NA• Common• Freshwater marshes• Cling to grass and
sedges
References• http://everglades.fiu.edu/education/reptilebr.html• http://www.sfrc.ufl.edu/4h/Wildlife/wildlife.html• http://www.nps.gov/ever/ed/edherps.htm• http://www.npca.org/marine_and_coastal/marine_wildlife/crocodile.asp• http://www.gsmfc.org/nis/nis/Caiman_crocodilus.html• http://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/natsci/herpetology/fl-guide/Flaherps. htm – checklist to
Florida Reptiles and Amphibians• http://www.nsis.org/wildlife/rept/turt-mud.html#striped• http://www.nsis.org/wildlife/rept/liz-gecko.html• http://www.southalley.com/album_nerodia.html• http://www.enature.com/fieldguide/showSpeciesSH.asp?curGroupID=7&shapeID
=1059&curPageNum=5&recnum=AR0060 – fl. Reef geck.
• http://www.southalley.com/snakes.html - snakes• http://www.fcsc.usgs.gov/armi/Everglades/Everglades_Species_Table/everglades_
species_table.html – list of S. Fl.