What Animals Live In The Florida Everglades?

• Located in South Florida, the Everglades is a fragile, complex ecosystem home to many unique species of flora and fauna.

• Everglades National Park is the largest surviving subtropical wilderness in the contiguous United States.

• Significant animals found here include the American alligator, Florida panther, West Indian manatee, wood stork, bald eagle, and American crocodile.

Down on the very southern tip of Florida lies an area of unique beauty and complex diversity that some of the world’s rarest creatures call home. The sprawling Everglades National Park covers 1.5 million acres of tropical wetlands and forests, making it the largest surviving subtropical wilderness in the contiguous United States. The park’s habitats support dozens of endangered and threatened species, including some that appear nowhere else on earth, such as the Cape Sable seaside sparrow and the Florida leafwing butterfly.

The Everglades is a busy place. Alongside these rare residents, you’ll also find dangerous cats, marine mammals, predatory reptiles, and impressive birds of prey. This article delves into some of the most fascinating creatures found in the Everglades.

American Alligator

The official state reptile of Florida, American alligators (Alligator mississippiensis) are one of the largest reptilian species in the entire United States, growing up to 15 feet long. These fearsome reptiles are typically found in freshwater rivers and lakes, saltwater marshes, and swamps in the southeastern part of the United States. They are considered a keystone species in the Everglades, where they act as ‘ecosystem engineers’ by digging holes in the wetland ecosystems that retain water during the dry season and provide habitats for other species.

Adult American alligators feed on fish, reptiles, birds, and mammals, while their hatchlings feed on invertebrates. Their population began to dwindle in the 1960s and 1970s due to hunting and habitat loss, but it is now rebounding and listed as “Least Concern” on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)'s Red List.

American Crocodile

Common in the Everglades, the American crocodile (Crocodylus acutus) is also found in Mexico and various Central and South American countries. Their preferred habitats are rivers, brackish lakes, mangrove swamps, lagoons, and small islands.

Both the American crocodile and the American alligator are large reptiles, growing to around 15 feet, but you can tell them apart by their shape and color. Crocodiles have a narrow and pointed snout, while alligators tend to have rounded snout. They are stealthy predators, submerging their bodies underwater while they wait for unwary prey. American crocodiles will eat almost anything but mostly feed on fish, birds, snakes, turtles, crabs, frogs, and small mammals.

Although this species is listed as ‘Vulnerable’ by the IUCN, the Florida population is healthy enough to be upgraded to ‘Threatened’ thanks to recent conservation efforts.

Florida Panther

There are fewer than 100 Florida panthers (Puma concolor cougar) living in the state. While these big cats need upland forest habitats to thrive, there is a small population within the Everglades National Park, particularly in the Long Pine Key area.

Panthers are carnivores. They mostly eat deer, wild hogs, and raccoons but will also snack on rabbits, rats, birds, and alligators. In January 2025, researchers discovered the heaviest Florida panther on record, which weighed a hefty 166 lbs.

The official state animal of Florida, the cat also gives its name to the state’s ice hockey team. While its numbers are rebounding after being depleted due to habitat loss and hunting, the Florida panther was last listed as ‘Endangered’ by the IUCN.

West Indian Manatee

Everglades National Park is an important manatee research site thanks to its resident population of West Indian manatees (Trichechus manatus). These large aquatic mammals are commonly found in shallow coastal areas, but they also venture into tidal creeks to drink fresh water or take refuge during cold weather. Manatees are typically herbivores and can spend up to eight hours a day nibbling on seagrass, surfacing for air every five minutes or so. Their lungs are positioned along their back for buoyancy. These gentle, slow swimmers grow to around 11 feet long and can weigh as much as 1,300 lbs.

There are two subspecies of the West Indian Manatee: the Florida manatee (Trichechus manatus latirostris) and the Antillean manatee (Trichechus manatus manatus). Previously hunted, manatees are now protected under the Marine Mammal Protection Act but are still classified as ‘Threatened’ under the US Endangered Species Act thanks to their low reproductive rate, habitat loss, and mortality due to collisions with boat traffic. The West Indian Manatee is listed as ‘Vulnerable’ by the IUCN.

White-tailed Deer

The Everglades’ sawgrass prairie provides the ideal habitat for white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus). These deer are the same species found in the eastern United States but are noticeably smaller as they don’t need a layer of fat to protect them from the cold as they do in more northern climes. On average, white-tailed deer weigh between 150 and 300 pounds; however, those in Florida tend to weigh less than 150 pounds.

White-tailed deer in the Everglades feed in the sawgrass areas of the park and give birth to their fawns in the spring. The young are white-spotted to provide camouflage from predators such as alligators, cougars, and bobcats. The deer forage on plants, eating legumes, shoots, leaves, and grasses. Their populations are considered healthy, and they’re listed as ‘Least Concern’ by the IUCN.

Tree Snail

The eye-catching Florida tree snail (Liguus fasciatus) is multicolored, with spirals of green, orange, yellow, and pink across its shell. There are more than 50 color varieties of the snail, and their shells can reach up to 2.7 inches in length. Florida tree snails live on smooth-barked trees in tropical hardwood hammocks and feed on lichens, fungi, and algae.

Another unusual feature of the tree snail is its reproduction. The snails are hermaphrodites and lay tiny nests at the base of trees. The eggs hatch in the rainy season, and the young snails, known as ‘buttons,’ crawl up the tree to safety.

Eastern Indigo Snake

The longest native snake in the country, the eastern indigo snake (Drymarchon couperi), can grow up to 9 feet in length. This glossy black serpent may look intimidating but is non-venomous and harmless to humans.

The eastern indigo snake prefers upland habitats, especially pine and scrubby flatwoods, pine rocklands, dry prairie, tropical hardwood hammocks, edges of freshwater marshes, and coastal dunes. It feeds on fish, rodents, frogs, turtles, lizards, small alligators, and small birds. Due to habitat loss, the eastern indigo snake is considered a threatened species under the Federal Endangered Species Act but is listed as ‘Least Concern’ by the IUCN.

Wood Stork

Wood storks (Mycteria americana) are known as an indicator species in the Everglades as monitoring the health of their population gives researchers a good indication of the health of the overall ecosystem. This large wading bird lives in tropical and subtropical wetland habitats and can reach a height of up to 45 inches with a maximum wingspan of 71 inches. These birds are also quite heavy, with male specimens weighing between 5.5 and 7.3 pounds. This unique bird feeds via tactolocation, submerging its bill into shallow water and groping around until it finds prey. Once it’s located a fish, the stork snaps its bill shut with a lightning-fast 25-millisecond reflex action.

The wood stork is the only stork breeding in the United States; however, the number of breeding pairs in the Everglades has declined over the past few decades. The stork is listed as ‘Threatened’ on the Federal Endangered Species List but classified as ‘Least Concern’ by the IUCN.

Cape Sable Seaside Sparrow

A subspecies of the seaside sparrow, the Cape Sable (Ammospiza maritima mirabilis) is named for the southernmost point in the continental United States but hasn’t been seen there since the 1970s. Today, the sparrow is primarily found in the Everglades and the Big Cypress National Preserve. The bird itself is one of the smaller species in the region, with an average length of 5.3 inches. Moreover, it features an olive-gray coloration on its back and olive-brown on its wings. However, adults can have lighter shades on their bellies.

This tiny bird’s preferred habitat is mixed marl prairie with muhly grass. It avoids tall grass and dense, woody vegetation. They build their nests about six inches off the ground to protect them from snakes and rats. The Cape Sable seaside sparrow is listed as ‘Endangered’ under the Federal Endangered Species Act.

Bald Eagle

An iconic bird of prey and the U.S. National Bird, the bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) is widespread throughout North America; however, Florida has one of the densest populations in the southern half of the country. Bald eagles are large raptors with a wingspan of up to 7.5 feet and a body length of around 3 feet. They are easily recognizable by their white-feathered head and tail, which contrast sharply against their dark brown body and wings. They also have hooked yellow beaks and strong talons, which make them formidable hunters.

The eagles tend to nest in mature hardwood and cypress trees in forested areas while visiting shallow fresh or salt water foraging. Their diet consists of fish, birds, and small mammals. The majority of Florida's breeding bald eagles stay in the state year-round, but non-breeding males generally migrate in the spring and summer, returning in the latter half of the year. Bald eagles can live up to 28 years. Thanks to healthy populations in Florida and elsewhere, the bald eagle is listed as ‘Least Concern’ by the IUCN.

Wrapping Up

The Everglades is a crucial habitat for diverse wildlife, from the American alligator and Florida panther to the West Indian manatee and bald eagle. As one of the most extensive subtropical wetlands in the world, it supports numerous threatened and endangered species, making conservation efforts essential.

Despite challenges such as habitat loss, pollution, and climate change, the Everglades continues to be a refuge for rare and iconic species. Protecting its delicate ecosystem helps maintain biodiversity and ensures the survival of its inhabitants. This unique wilderness can be preserved for future generations through conservation initiatives and responsible environmental practices.