Florida — A Great Place for Wildlife-watchers!
Florida is a great place for wildlife-watchers! This state is one of the few places to see magnificent mammals, such as the elusive Florida panther, along with many interesting animals, such as the nine-banded armadillo.
While West Indian manatees swim in the rivers of Florida, bobcats thrive in nearly all habitats across the state. No matter where you are in Florida, there is a wide variety of mammals to see and enjoy.
Mammals of Florida Field Guide is an easy-to-use book designed to help the curious nature lover identify all species of mammals found in The Sunshine State. It is an all-photographic guide just for Florida, featuring full-color images of animals in their habitats. It is one in a series of unique field guides.
Did you know that the Capybara is the largest rodent in the world? This is an unusual nonnative aquatic animal because of its webbed feet, which suit it well for its time in the water. Some estimate that 80–90% of its life is spent in water. The capybara is an excellent swimmer, staying underwater for up to 5 minutes. The mammal surfaces to catch a breath and look for danger, showing only its nostrils and eyes above the water.
The capybara runs to water if threatened and completely submerges to escape danger. It is one of the few animals without a tail. It is a calm and gentle animal normally found in South America. People who once kept the capybara as a pet apparently introduced it into Florida. Many sightings have been reported over the past 20 years.
Squirrel Monkeys are the smallest species of monkeys. They can be found in the wild in a few areas of the state, such as in Dade County, the city of Naples, and Polk County near Lake Wales. Squirrel monkeys come from the tropical forests of the Andes, Colombia, northern Peru, and Brazil. There are five species, but only one occurs in Florida. All monkeys in Florida are the result of introductions of escaped pets. Once, they were imported to the United States for medical research and the pet trade, but federal regulations in 1975 stopped the importation of primates as pets.
There are 300,000 manatees in the United States. In Florida, they congregate in the warm springs of the Crystal, Homosassa, and Chassahowitzka Rivers. Considered an endangered species by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, adult numbers are decreasing, and many predict that this species could become extinct in the not-so-distant future if population trends do not change. Because the manatee moves so slowly, its number one killer is speeding motorboats. Some individuals have up to 50 distinct scars from nearly fatal boat contacts.
About the author: Naturalist, wildlife photographer, and writer Stan Tekiela has published more than 190 field guides, nature books, children’s books, wildlife audio CDs, puzzles, and playing cards, presenting many species of birds, mammals, reptiles, amphibians, trees, wildflowers, and cacti in the United States. With a Bachelor of Science degree in Natural History from the University of Minnesota and as an active professional naturalist for more than 35 years, Stan studies and photographs wildlife throughout the United States and Canada. He has received various national and regional awards for his books and photographs.
Also a well-known columnist and radio personality, Stan’s syndicated column appears in more than 25 newspapers, and his wildlife programs are broadcast on a number of Midwest radio stations. Stan can be followed on Facebook and Twitter. He can be contacted via www.naturesmart.com.
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