Hello From Orlando Central Florida s Wildlife An Abundance Of Diversity

W hen you go to Florida,         tidal rivers, which were formed    wildlife confronts you        by tides, currents and winds.      everywhere. Especially                                           all the exotic birds fascinated       The interior of Central Florida    me, often you come up close to        is characterized by swamps,        subtropical bird species while        marshlands and inland lakes, a     playing golf or picnicking in a       haven for birds. South of Orlando  public park.                          is the Lake Wales Ridge, a ridge                                         of sand hills paralleled by        Central Florida is actually a         flatlands and sandy rolling        much more interesting destination     hills. This ridge used to be an    for naturalists than I would ever     island in earlier geological       have expected. Both Florida's         times when ocean levels were       plant life and wildlife are           higher. As a result many of the    surprisingly diverse and Florida      species that exist here are        is the 3rd most ecologically          unique to this area.               diverse state after Hawaii and                                           California.                           The Florida Birding Trail                                                (http://www.floridabirdingtrail.c  It is a nearly flat lowland that      om) is a collection of sites       gently slopes to the sea on the       throughout Florida selected for    east and west coasts. This            their excellent bird watching or   lowland has unique physical           bird education opportunities.      features that are associated with     This 2000-mile trail is designed   the diverse ecosystems that exist     to conserve and enhance Florida's  here. The predominantly low-lying     bird habitat and promotes bird     topography was created by             watching activities,               fluctuating sea levels over time.     environmental education and        Coastal features include dunes,       economic opportunity.              barrier islands, lagoons and                                             Florida truly is a birder's                                              paradise, due to its unique           Naturally, one of the most         geographical location between         well-known Florida animals is the  tropical and temperate regions.       American alligator. And although   Florida is also a destination for     this time we didn't see any        many migratory birds from the         (except for a gator tail sticking  north, some birds fly 3,000 miles     out from under some shrubs on our  to get here. In total Florida is      Swamp Buggy Tour), alligators      home to more than 470 verified        have made an incredible comeback   species of birds. A great article     after they were headed for         about the different species of        extinction due to overhunting      birds found in Florida can be         earlier in the 20th century.       found at the Florida's Birders        Alligators were taken off the      List, provided by Visit Florida.      federal endangered species list                                          in 1987, and on particularly warm  Some of the unique birds to watch     days they can be seen sunning      in Florida include the following:     themselves on the edges of ponds                                         and waterways.                     American Avocet Limpkin                                                  American White Pelican Mottled        Different species of fish also     Duck                                  exist in Central Florida, a fact   Anhinga Pine Warbler                  that makes it a popular            Bald Eagle Purple Gallinule           destination with anglers. The      Black-Bellied Whistling Duck          species include large-mouth bass,  Roseate Spoonbill                     bluegill, redear sunfish,          Black-Necked Stilt Sandhill Crane     sunshine bass, speckled perch,     Crested Caracara Snail Kite           catfish and a variety of other     Eastern Bluebird Swallow-Tailed       sweetwater fish.                   Kite                                                                     Florida Scrub-Jay Wood Stork          The wildlife of Florida is rich    and varied, yet most of us are        include the American Alligator,    familiar with only a dozen or so      but also anoles, geckos, lizards,  species. Florida's amphibians         skinks and turtles. Hobby          include amphiumas, mudpuppies,        naturalists will really enjoy      newts, salamanders, sirens, frogs     their getaway to Central Florida.  and toads.                                                                                                     A wonderful summary of Florida's   Many interesting mammals can also     wildlife can be found in a         be found in Florida, including        Wildlife Calendar at Visit         armadillos, bears, beavers,           Florida.                           bobcats, deer, feral pigs, foxes,                                        manatees, minks, moles, opossums,     This entire article including      otters, panthers, pocket gophers,     photos is located at               rabbits, raccoons, seals, shrews,     http://www.travelandtransitions.c  skunks, squirrels, and weasels.       om/stories_photos/orlando_florida                                        _wildlife.htm                      Of course reptiles don't only          About the Author: Susanne Pacher is the publisher of http://www.travelandtransitions.com, a web portal for unconventional travel & cross-cultural connections. 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