Mammals

NPS Photo by Dany Garcia

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 constitutes much of the Everglades. It is not unusual to see white-tailed deer foraging for food in the sawgrass prairie, and bobcat can occasionally be seen foraging in the mangroves.

Only one representative of the rabbit family is frequently seen in the park. The marsh rabbit is common in higher freshwater marshes, pinelands, and coastal prairies. and can sometimes be seen swimming, for it has adapted to its "wet world." Cottontails also inhabit the park but are not commonly seen.

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 in tree hollows.

Streamlined river otters are commonly observed in the spring at the Anhinga Trail and Shark Valley. They are long, shiny, brown, seal-like animals that are often called the playboys of the 'glades. Their webbed back feet allow them to swim quickly through the water and they are typically seen feeding on turtles, fish, and an occasional baby gator.

White-tailed deer are the same species 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. Everglades deer bed in hammocks when they are not feeding in the open sawgrass. Fawns are born in the spring months and are white-spotted for camouflage.

All plants and animals in Everglades National Park are protected by law. For your own safety, as well as the safety of the animals, please do not feed or harass any wildlife.

Marsh Rabbit

NPS Photo by Federico Acevedo

Meet the Mammals of Everglades National Park!

Step into the wild world of the Everglades, where elusive panthers roam, manatees drift through tranquil waters, and a mix of native and invasive critters call this wetland home. With over 40 mammal species, this park is a living showcase of survival and surprise. Explore some of the standout residents below and uncover their Everglades stories!

(Key: 🟥 = Federally Endangered (E), 🟧 = Federally Threatened (T), 🟪 = Invasive/Exotic (I), ❓ = Unknown (U), 🟩 = Common (C), † = Extinct (X))

Mammals of Everglades National Park

Common Name	Scientific Name	Status	Everglades Spotlight
Order Didelphimorphia (common opossums)
Virginia opossum	Didelphis virginiana	🟩 C	The ultimate survivor—plays dead to fool predators!
Order Sirenia (manatees and dugongs)
West Indian manatee	Trichechus manatus	🟧 T	Gentle "sea cows" munching seagrass in the park’s warm waters.
Order Cingulata (armored mammals)
Nine-banded armadillo	Dasypus novemcinctus	🟪 I	An armored wanderer digging up the park with its snout.
Order Rodentia (rodents)
Eastern gray squirrel	Sciurus carolinensis	🟩 C	Bushy-tailed acrobats scampering through the hammocks.
Eastern fox squirrel	Sciurus niger	🟩 C	A bigger, bolder squirrel foraging in the park’s open woods.
Southern flying squirrel	Glaucomys volans	🟩 C	A nocturnal glider soaring silently between trees.
Cotton mouse	Peromyscus gossypinus	🟩 C	A tiny forager nibbling seeds in the forest floor’s shadows.
Marsh rice rat	Oryzomys palustris	🟩 C	A wetland rodent paddling through the park’s soggy edges.
Hispid cotton rat	Sigmodon hispidus	🟩 C	A scruffy little survivor thriving in the grasses.
Round-tailed muskrat	Neofiber alleni	🟩 C	A shy, swamp-loving rodent building grassy nests in the muck.
House mouse	Mus musculus	🟪 I	Tiny but mighty—these invaders hitchhiked their way in!
Norway rat	Rattus norvegicus	🟪 I	Bold scavengers thriving in the shadows of the wild.
Roof rat	Rattus rattus	🟪 I	Agile climbers sneaking through the park’s trees and ruins.
Order Lagomorpha (rabbits and hares)
Marsh rabbit	Sylvilagus palustris	🟩 C	A swamp-hopping bunny that swims to escape danger.
Eastern cottontail	Sylvilagus floridanus	🟩 C	A speedy hopper blending into the grassy edges of the park.
Order Soricomorpha (shrews and moles)
Southern short-tailed shrew	Blarina carolinensis	🟩 C	A fierce little insect-eater tunneling through the soil.
Least shrew	Cryptotis parva	🟩 C	The park’s tiniest mammal, hunting bugs in the underbrush.
Eastern mole	Scalopus aquaticus	❓ U	A burrowing mystery leaving mounds across the Everglades’ drier patches.
Order Chiroptera (bats)
Northern yellow bat (also known as Florida yellow bat)	Lasiurus intermedius	❓ U	A mysterious flyer swooping through the night—still a puzzle to researchers!
Seminole bat	Lasiurus seminolus	❓ U	A shadowy insect-hunter flitting above the pines.
Evening bat	Nycticeius humeralis	❓ U	A quiet night flyer, rarely seen but ever-present.
Brazilian free-tailed bat	Tadarida brasiliensis	❓ U	Speedy bats zipping through the sky in search of bugs.
Tricolored bat	(Perimyotis subflavus)	🟥 E
Florida bonneted bat (formerly Florida mastiff bat)	Eumops floridanus	🟥 E	The park’s rarest bat, with a booming call echoing over the pines.
Order Carnivora (meat-eating mammals)
Florida panther	Felis concolor coryi	🟥 E	A rare ghost of the Everglades—only about 200 left in the wild.
Bobcat	Lynx rufus	🟩 C	A stealthy hunter with tufted ears, stalking prey under moonlit mangroves.
Domestic cat	Felis domesticus	🟪 I	Feral felines hunting in the underbrush—a threat to native birds!
Domestic dog	Canis familiaris	🟪 I	Strays roaming free, leaving pawprints in the Everglades’ mud.
Red fox	Vulpes vulpes	🟪 I	A cunning outsider slipping into the park’s ecosystem.
Gray fox	Urocyon cineroargenteus	🟩 C	A crafty climber blending into the forest’s twilight.
Black bear	Ursus americanus	🟩 C	A hulking wanderer foraging through the park’s forests.
Raccoon	Procyon lotor	🟩 C	Masked bandits raiding the night—don’t leave your snacks out!
Eastern spotted skunk	Spilogale putorius	❓ U	A stinky little prowler, leaving a whiff in the night air.
Striped skunk	Mephitis mephitis	🟩 C	The classic skunk, waddling through with a bold black-and-white warning.
Long-tailed weasel	Mustela frenata	❓ U	A sly, slinky hunter darting through the undergrowth.
Everglades mink	Mustela vison	🟩 C	A sleek swimmer chasing fish in the park’s watery veins.
River otter	Lutra canadensis	🟩 C	Playful acrobats of the waterways—watch them slide and splash!
Order Artiodactyla (even-toed ungulates)
Domestic pig	Sus scrofa	🟪 I	Feral hogs rooting through the wild—watch out for these tough guys!
White-tailed deer	Odocoileus virginianus	🟩 C	Graceful grazers nibbling in the park’s drier corners.
Order Cetacea (whales, dolphins, and porpoises)
Short-finned pilot whale	Globicephala macrorhyncha	🟩 C	Deep-diving visitors occasionally spotted off the Everglades’ shores.
Atlantic bottlenosed dolphin	Tursiops truncatus	🟩 C	Playful dolphins leaping in the park’s coastal bays—say hi from a boat!
Rice's whale	Balaenoptera ricei	❓ U	A mysterious giant—could this elusive whale lurk in nearby Gulf waters?

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

 

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