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.