Mammals

More than forty species of mammals inhabit Everglades National Park. Many species commonly associated with drier habitats of forest and fields have adapted to the semi-aquatic environment that constitutes much of the Everglades. It is not uncommon to see white-tailed deer wading through the sawgrass prairie, or a bobcat foraging for food in the mangroves.

There is only one representative of the rabbit family frequently found in the park. The marsh rabbit is common in higher fresh water marshes, pinelands, and coastal prairies. It is not uncommon to see the marsh rabbit swimming, for it has adapted to its "wet world." Cottontails do occur in the park, but are very uncommon.

Raccoons and opossums are common creatures to most habitats. These creatures are omnivores and their diets vary, although the raccoon prefers turtle eggs and small aquatic animals. The opossum is the only marsupial (pouched) animal in the Everglades.

The gray fox is most frequently seen near hardwood hammocks. It is the only fox that can climb trees, especially leaning trees. The gray fox likes bushes, and makes its den in the ground under roots and the hollows of trees.

Streamlined river otters are commonly observed in the spring at the Anhinga Trail and Shark Valley. They are long, shiny, brown, seal-like animals which are often called the playboys of the 'glades. Their webbed back feet allow them to swim quickly through the water and they are usually seen feeding on turtles, fish, and an occasional baby gator. Otters, like all plants and animals in national parks, are protected. In the rest of Florida, however, otters are still hunted for their winter hide which is used to make coats.

White-tailed deer are the same as those found throughout the eastern United States, but are smaller because they do not need an extra layer of fat to protect them from the winter cold. The 'glades deer bed in hammocks when they are not feeding in the open saw-grass. Fawns are born in the spring months and are white-spotted for camouflage.

More than 40 species of mammals inhabit Everglades National Park. Many species commonly associated with drier habitats of forest and fields have adapted to the semi-aquatic environment that composes much of the park.

Click on the species names below for a more detailed account of each.

Species List for Everglades National Park¹
"E" = Federally Endangered, "T" = Federally Threatened,
"I" = Invasive/Exotic, "U" = Unknown

 

Common Name	Scientific Name	Status
Order Artiodactyla (even-toed ungulates)
White-tailed deer	Odocoileus virginianus
Domestic pig	Sus scrofa	I
Order Carnivora (meat-eating mammals)
Domestic dog	Canis familiaris	I
Florida panther	Felis concolor coryi	E
Domestic cat	Felis domesticus	I
River otter	Lutra canadensis
Bobcat	Lynx rufus
Striped skunk	Mephitis mephitis
Long-tailed weasel	Mustela frenata	U
Everglades mink	Mustela vison
Coati	Nasua narica	I
Raccoon	Procyon lotor
Eastern spotted skunk	Spilogale putorius	U
Grey fox	Urocyon cineroargenteus
Black bear	Ursus americanus
Red fox	Vulpes vulpes	I
Order Cetacea (whales, dolphins & porpoises)
Pilot whale	Globicephala macrorhyncha
Atlantic bottlenosed dolphin	Tursiops truncatus
Order Chiroptera (bats)
Florida mastiff bat	Eumops glaucinus	U
Florida yellow bat	Lasiurus intermedius	U
Seminole bat	Lasiurus seminolus	U
Evening bat	Nycticeius hymeralis	U
Brazilian free-tailed bat	Tadarida brasiliensis	U
Order Cingulata (armored mammals)
Nine-banded armadillo	Dasypus novemcinctus	I
Order Didelphimorphia (common opossums)
Opossum	Didelphis marsupialis
Order Lagomorpha (rabbits and hares)
Eastern cottontail	Sylvilagus floridana
Marsh rabbit	Sylvilagus palustris
Order Rodentia (rodents)
Southern flying squirrel	Glaucomys volans
House mouse	Mus musculus	I
Roundtail muskrat	Neofiber alleni
Rice rat	Oryzomys palustris
Cotton mouse	Peromyscus gossypinus
Norway rat	Rattus norvegicus	I
Roof rat	Rattus rattus	I
Gray squirrel	Sciurus carolinensis
Fox squirrel	Sciurus niger
Cotton rat	Sigmodon hispidus
Order Sirenia (manatees & dugongs)
West Indian manatee	Trichechus manatus	E
Order Soricomorpha (shrews & moles)
Short-tailed shrew	Blarina brevicauda
Least shrew	Cryptotis parva
Eastern mole	Scalopus aquaticus	U

 

¹Robertson, W.B. & Kushlan, J.A. (2006) Mammals of Everglades National Park. Miami: Everglades Association.