American Alligator (Alligator mississippiensis)
Alligators are plentiful in Southeastern United States. So I start off showing some photos of the sluggish reptile. I also managed to see two American crocodiles near the boat ramp in Flamingo in the Everglades National Park. A new species for me. On this page I show images of some of the animals I encountered during the trip.
I did not see anything rare or spectacular, but observed some of the more abundant species in the region. For me, the highlights included swimming with the West Indian Manatee in Crystal River, and to finally see a wild American crocodile.
American Alligator
American Alligator
American Alligator
American Alligator
American Crocodile (Crocodylus acutus), Flamingo, Everglades National Park
American Crocodile, Flamingo, Everglades National Park
Brown Anole (Anolis sagrei)
The Brown Anole is an introduced species to the region
Lizard, probably a Brown Anole
Anole lizard showing off its throat fan (gular pouch)
Green Anole (Anolis carolinensis)
Green Anole
Florida Softshell Turtle (Apalone ferox)
Florida Softshell Turtle
Florida Softshell Turtle
Florida Red-bellied Turtle (Pseudemys nelsoni)
Florida Red-bellied Turtle having a snack
Florida Red-bellied Turtle
Gopher Tortoise (Gopherus polyphemus), Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge
Gopher Tortoise
West Indian Manatee (Trichechus manatus), here from the Flamingo area in Everglades National Park
West Indian Manatee
West Indian Manatee, Crystal River
West Indian Manatee, Crystal River
Raccoon (Procyon lotor)
Raccoon
White-tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus)
White-tailed Deer
Eastern Cottontail (Sylvilagus floridanus)
Marsh Rabbit (Sylvilagus palustris), notice the smaller ears
Probably Oscar (Astronotus ocellatus), an introduced cichlid species native to South America, Shark Valley, Everglades
Florida Gar (Lepisosteus platyrhincus), Shark Valley, Everglades
Dead vegetation
Eastern Gray Squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis), Kissimmee Prairie
Northern Curly Tail Lizard (Leiocephalus carinatus), Arthur R. Marshall Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge
Northern Curly Tail Lizard (Leiocephalus carinatus), Arthur R. Marshall Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge
Viceroy Butterfly (Limenitis archippus). Looks like the Monarch, which I though it was. Uses what is called Müllerian mimicry of the Monarch
White Peacock (Anartia jatrophae)
Zebra Longwing Butterfly (Heliconius charitonius)
Eastern Black Swallowtail (Papilio polyxenes asterius)
Metricus Paper Wasp (Polistes metricus) on Spanish Moss
Grasshopper (?) in Okefenokee
Insect mating
Millipede
Walkingstick insect
Walkingstick, presumably dead (?)
Juvenile Eastern Lubber Grasshopper (Romalea guttata), Everglades
Eastern Lubber Grasshopper (Romalea guttata), Everglades