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 #27 – Owls

Florida Nature Facts #27 – Owls

Jul 28, 2018

Owls don't have eyeballs. Rather, they're more like eye tubes. They're elongated and held in place by "sclerotic rings," a bony structure in the skull. Because of this, owls can't really move or roll their eyes. That's why they have heightened mobility in their necks,...

Florida Nature Facts #26 – Roseate Spoonbill

Florida Nature Facts #26 – Roseate Spoonbill

Jul 23, 2018

The roseate spoonbill is a beautifully plumed wading bird with a long bill shaped like a spatula. They were almost driven to extinction by plume hunters at the turn of the century. Still rare, but recovering, they can be seen wading in coastal areas. MORE PHOTOS OF...

Florida Nature Facts #25 – Gopher Tortoise

Florida Nature Facts #25 – Gopher Tortoise

Jul 18, 2018

Gopher tortoises build enormous burrows that can be up to 50 feet long and nearly 10 feet deep, and not only just one burrow. Over the area of several acres, it can build many burrows to suit its needs over a lifetime. These tunnels keep it safe from predators, cool...

Florida Nature Facts #20 – West Indian Manatee

Florida Nature Facts #20 – West Indian Manatee

Jun 23, 2018

Adult West Indian manatees have no incisor or canine teeth. Their cheek teeth are continuously replaced throughout life, with new teeth growing in the back as older front teeth fall out. MORE PHOTOS OF MAMMALS MORE FLORIDA NATURE FACTS Florida Nature Facts is a series...

Florida Nature Facts #16 – Insects

Florida Nature Facts #16 – Insects

Jun 3, 2018

For every human there are 200 million insects, and there are more insects in the world than all other the animals combined. MORE PHOTOS OF INVERTEBRATES MORE FLORIDA NATURE FACTS Florida Nature Facts is a series about interesting facts about the flora, fauna and...

Florida Nature Facts #15 – Indian Pipes

Florida Nature Facts #15 – Indian Pipes

May 29, 2018

Often mistaken for orchids or “weird mushrooms,” Indian pipes are actually plants in the heath family. Lacking chlorophyll and a means to produce their own food like most plants, they form a symbiotic relationship with mycorrhizal fungi in the soil that helps them...

Florida Nature Facts #14 – Armadillos

Florida Nature Facts #14 – Armadillos

May 24, 2018

Only the South American three-banded armadillos (Tolypeutes) rely heavily on their armor for protection. When threatened by a predator, Tolypeutes species frequently roll up into a ball. Other armadillo species cannot roll up because they have too many plates. The...

Florida Nature Facts #12 – Anhinga

Florida Nature Facts #12 – Anhinga

May 14, 2018

The anhinga is barely buoyant with dense bones and non-waterproof feathers, but because of this it can stay underwater more easily and hunt for longer periods of time. Afterwards it will stand with spread wings to dry its feathers. MORE PHOTOS OF ANHINGAS MORE FLORIDA...

Florida Nature Facts #11 – Sandhill Cranes

Florida Nature Facts #11 – Sandhill Cranes

May 9, 2018

Sandhill cranes mate for life, and have one brood a year. Chicks are able to leave the nest 8 hours after hatching, and stay with their parents for 9-10 months including migration. MORE PHOTOS OF CRANES & LIMPKINS MORE FLORIDA NATURE FACTS Florida Nature Facts is...

Florida Nature Facts #9 – Corvids

Florida Nature Facts #9 – Corvids

Apr 29, 2018

Corvids are among the world's smartest birds. These include ravens, crows, jays and magpies. In fact, the American crow can not only recognize and remember a human's face, but can teach other crows to recognize a specific person they haven't seen before. Florida Scrub...

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