Beaches and Coasts

Lakes and Rivers

Forests

Inland

Everglades

Panoramas

Black and White

Florida is world-renowned for its beautiful landscapes. With over 1350 miles of coastline from the Atlantic Ocean to the Florida Keys to the northern Gulf of Mexico, there are an incredible number of unique and beautiful habitats, especially in the Florida Everglades. We also have thousands of islands, lakes and rivers (many of those are spring-fed) and of course our unique forest habitats from Central and Northern Florida down to our oak and scrub pinelands. The following galleries have a little bit of everything that the best of Sunshine State landscapes have to offer.

Brushfoots

Gossamer Wings

Swallowtails

Skippers

Sulphurs and Whites

Moths

Did you know that Florida is home to over 1,320 species of butterflies and moths? That number is still growing with careful and painstaking research, more new species are being discovered all the time!

Anhingas, Cormorants

Birds of Prey

Carrion Birds

Coots, Rails

Cranes, Limpkins

Ducks, Geese

Egrets, Herons

Gulls, Terns

Shorebirds

Songbirds

Spoonbills, Storks

Woodpeckers

When it comes to birds, the Sunshine State is fantastically rich in species diversity. The geography of Florida’s Peninsula creates a natural migratory route for millions of birds each year as they head south over the Caribbean towards Central and South America (and back). While some species are found all around the world, we are lucky to have 196 species of birds that live and breed in Florida.

Deer

Pigs

Rabbits and Hares

Manatees

Squirrels

Raccoons

Armadillos

We mammals have come a long way since the time of the dinosaurs. Since those times, we’ve conquered the land, sea and air. Florida has at least 99 species of mammals living, breeding and thriving today.

Crustaceans

Dragonflies

Grasshoppers, Locusts

Spiders

Snails, Mollusks

Other Invertebrates

96% of all currently living animal lifeforms alive today are invertebrates. Included are all the insects, arachnids, worms, crabs, shellfish, starfish, corals, and more! One thing they all have in common? No backbone.

Alligators, Crocodiles

Lizards

Snakes

Turtles, Tortoises

Long before the first dinosaur walked the earth, reptiles ruled the world. 65 million years after the last dinosaur drew its final breath, North America’s modern crocodiles, alligators, snakes, lizards, and turtles and tortoises are still keeping our Florida natural history alive!

Tree Frogs

Toads

Did you know the word “amphibian” means “two lives”? All amphibians start their lives in the underwater, but after they go through a series of metamorphosis stages to adulthood, most trade gills for lungs and live the rest of their lives out of the water. Florida is home to 33 native and non-native species of frogs and toads, and many more species of salamanders, newts and sirens!

Arethuseae

Calypsoeae

Cranichideae

Cymbidieae

Epidendreae

Malaxideae

Maxillarieae

Neottieae

Orchideae

Pogoniinae

Polystachyeae

Triphoreae

Vandeae

Vanilleae

One of the largest families in the plant kingdom with nearly 28 thousand species around the globe, orchids are also one of the most popular and most sought-after flowering plants in history. In Victorian times, entire foreign expeditions were sent around the world at great personal risk led by fearless (and often ruthless) orchid hunters to acquire the next new unknown exotic species from the most distant corner of the Earth. Luckily for us, Florida is rich with unique native species found nowhere else in the world!

Wildflowers by Color

Wildflowers by Family

By far our largest collection of galleries, these wildflower image sets are arranged by both color and by taxonomic family for use as a casual identification tool or field guide, or for more thorough scientific research for deeper understanding.

Pitcher Plants

Venus Flytraps

Bladderworts

Butterworts

Sundews

Sometimes called insectivorous plants, these amazing plants have adapted to a life in places where the soil is so poor in nutrients, that they’ve gained the ability to grow by trapping their food with modified leaves. By taking root in a harsh habitat, they have eliminated most of their competition from other plants.

Bromeliads

Mushrooms

Plants

Saprophytes

This last and final collection of galleries include all the non-wildflower images such as our native trees, ferns, palms, fruits and berries, cacti, saprophytes, mosses, bromeliads and more!
Florida Nature Facts #90 – Native Orchids

Florida Nature Facts #90 – Native Orchids

Aug 4, 2019

Our native orchids have a symbiotic relationship with certain fungi called a mycorrhizal association. The fungus provides nutrients to the orchid plant, and the orchid is a home to the fungus. Orchid seeds are so tiny they do not have enough food to nourish a...

Florida Nature Facts #88 – Hummingbirds

Florida Nature Facts #88 – Hummingbirds

Jul 11, 2019

Hummingbirds are the only birds that can fly backwards and their wings can beat at up to 80 times per second. Also a hummingbird's heart beats at over a 1,000 times a minute! MORE PHOTOS OF BIRDS MORE FLORIDA NATURE FACTS Florida Nature Facts is a series about...

Florida Nature Facts #87 – Killdeer

Florida Nature Facts #87 – Killdeer

Jul 6, 2019

The killdeer has a clever strategy to keep intruders and unwanted predators away from its nest. It will mimic an injured bird while sounding like it is in distress and hopping clumsily to lure potential threats away from its hidden nest that it builds on the ground....

Florida Nature Facts #86 – Black Skimmers

Florida Nature Facts #86 – Black Skimmers

Jun 21, 2019

Black skimmers "skim" the surface of the water with black-tipped, bright red bills that allow the bird to cut through the water and grab small fish near the surface. MORE PHOTOS OF BIRDS MORE FLORIDA NATURE FACTS Florida Nature Facts is a series about interesting...

Florida Nature Facts #84 – Beautyberry

Florida Nature Facts #84 – Beautyberry

May 14, 2019

Beautyberry fruit is very astringent, but can be made into a delicious wine or jelly. MORE PHOTOS OF BERRIES MORE FLORIDA NATURE FACTS Florida Nature Facts is a series about interesting facts about the flora, fauna and places that make Florida so amazing. Posts...

Florida Nature Facts #83 – Mangroves

Florida Nature Facts #83 – Mangroves

May 9, 2019

Mangroves have the potential to reduce wave and wind energy by 50%-75%. MORE PHOTOS OF LANDSCAPES MORE FLORIDA NATURE FACTS Florida Nature Facts is a series about interesting facts about the flora, fauna and places that make Florida so amazing. Posts include nature...

Florida Nature Facts #79 – Squirrel Treefrogs

Florida Nature Facts #79 – Squirrel Treefrogs

Apr 19, 2019

Squirrel treefrogs are typically nocturnal, but often come out to enjoy the sights & sounds of the rain during the day. MORE PHOTOS OF AMPHIBIANS MORE FLORIDA NATURE FACTS Florida Nature Facts is a series about interesting facts about the flora, fauna and places...

Florida Nature Facts #78 – American Alligator

Florida Nature Facts #78 – American Alligator

Apr 14, 2019

American alligators have 78 to 82 teeth and may lose and replace 2,000 to 3,000 teeth in a lifetime. MORE PHOTOS OF ALLIGATORS MORE FLORIDA NATURE FACTS Florida Nature Facts is a series about interesting facts about the flora, fauna and places that make Florida so...

Florida Nature Facts #77 – Northern Mockingbird

Florida Nature Facts #77 – Northern Mockingbird

Apr 9, 2019

Northern Mockingbirds sing all through the day, and often into the night. Most nocturnal singers are unmated males, which sing more than mated males during the day, too. Nighttime singing is more common during the full moon. MORE PHOTOS OF BIRDS MORE FLORIDA NATURE...

Florida Nature Facts #76 – Native Orchids

Florida Nature Facts #76 – Native Orchids

Apr 4, 2019

To say that the number of wild native orchids found around the world is massive would be a massive understatement. Approximately 28,000 orchid species are found alive today which more or less equals the number of bony fish species found in the waters all over the...

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