Wildlife of Florida swamps

Wildlife of Florida swamps

Swamps provide a variety of resources for wildlife including food, shelter, drinking water, and nesting sites. While a many animals can be found in swamps, most of these animals only use the swamp part of the time. They are generally not life-long residents and often use neighboring habitats as well. Many insects, fish, reptiles, and amphibians need the still, swampy waters to reproduce. Others come to forage in the shallow water and wet, mucky substrate. In return, the wildlife act as seed dispersers and transporters of nutrients to other ecosystems as they move between habitats.

Swamplands are home to many microscopic life forms such as insect larvae and tiny snails. These critters form the base of the food chain and are eaten by larger animals like fish and frogs. The food chain continues as still larger animals, such as birds and mammals, come to swamps to feed on the many frogs, lizards and snakes. These eerie-looking wetlands may seem still and quiet but they are actually teeming with wildlife activity.

While swamps are flooded the aquatic animals may be spread out but during dry-down periods many of the tiny fish, insects, and amphibians are concentrated into small pools that continue to hold water. These refuge pools serve as prime fishing and foraging areas for herons, egrets, osprey, and kingfishers. A wide variety of birds may be seen in swamplands, especially during spring and fall migration times when many non-resident species stop for food and water to help them continue their journey. River swamps that border bottomland hardwood forests are particularly attractive to many birds because of the large population of insects that are found there and the abundance of nuts, acorns from the hardwoods.

Wildlife of Florida swamps Swamps provide a variety of resources for wildlife including food, shelter, drinking water, and nesting sites. While a many animals can be found in swamps, most of these animals only use the swamp part of the time. They are generally not life-long residents and often use neighboring habitats as well. Many insects, fish, reptiles, and amphibians need the still, swampy waters to reproduce. Others come to forage in the shallow water and wet, mucky substrate. In return, the wildlife act as seed dispersers and transporters of nutrients to other ecosystems as they move between habitats. Swamplands are home to many microscopic life forms such as insect larvae and tiny snails. These critters form the base of the food chain and are eaten by larger animals like fish and frogs. The food chain continues as still larger animals, such as birds and mammals, come to swamps to feed on the many frogs, lizards and snakes. These eerie-looking wetlands may seem still and quiet but they are actually teeming with wildlife activity. While swamps are flooded the aquatic animals may be spread out but during dry-down periods many of the tiny fish, insects, and amphibians are concentrated into small pools that continue to hold water. These refuge pools serve as prime fishing and foraging areas for herons, egrets, osprey, and kingfishers. A wide variety of birds may be seen in swamplands, especially during spring and fall migration times when many non-resident species stop for food and water to help them continue their journey. River swamps that border bottomland hardwood forests are particularly attractive to many birds because of the large population of insects that are found there and the abundance of nuts, acorns from the hardwoods. Other birds that commonly use freshwater swamps in Florida include white ibis, red-winged blackbird, boat-tailed grackle, wild turkey, woodpeckers, owls, warblers, and nine different species of herons. The Mississippi and swallow-tailed kites will only breed in swamps. Wood ducks nest in the buttressed trunks of cypress trees and hardwoods. Wood storks and several of the herons and egrets use swamps as rookeries. They can often be seen roosting in large groups and tending their noisy young. Bald eagles and short-tailed hawks soar through the skies in search of food. Roseate spoonbills wade and forage along the edges of many South Florida swamps and the rare and unusual limpkin, a bird that is only found in North Florida and South Georgia, forages for snails along the edges of wetlands on its long, stilt-like legs. Swamps are important to many rare birds like the endangered wood stork and threatened bald eagle. In all, twelve species of swamp birds are considered rare, threatened, or endangered.
During dry-down periods fish and other prey are concentrated and attract wading birds like this great egret.	Swamps are important for the survival of endangered species like this wood stork.
Amphibians such as frogs and salamanders are often the dominant animals in still-water swamps. One reason still-water swamps are good frog habitat is that low oxygen conditions make it difficult for fish that prey on frogs to survive there. Since frogs and toads need water to breed they all spend at least part of their life cycle in wetlands. On a warm spring or summer evening the breeding calls of frogs may fill the night air around a swampy wetland. While river swamps have fewer frogs and lizards there are more arboreal, or tree-climbing species found there. Swamps are used by several snakes including mud snakes, water snakes, and the highly venomous cottonmouth. Tree snakes, an arboreal reptile, are also common in hardwood swamps. Several species of turtles may be found sunning along the edges or swimming in the shallow waters of freshwater swamps. There are a total of 15 species of reptiles and amphibians from Florida swamps that are currently listed as threatened or endangered. The American alligator was once listed as an endangered species in Florida but efforts to protect and rebuild alligator populations have been very successful. Today alligators are a common sight in Florida swamplands.
Frogs like still-water swamps because they are less likely to be eaten by fish.	However, frogs (and humans) still need to be careful in swamps because water snakes like this poisonous water moccasin lurk in the dark waters.
Mammals that commonly use swamps include raccoon, rabbit, otter, bobcat, white-tailed deer, nutria, beaver, and several smaller rodents. Occasionally rare or endangered species like the Florida panther or black bear may be seen using the habitat. The mangrove fox squirrel and mink are two other endangered animals that are sometimes found in swamps. No discussion of the wildlife in Florida swamps would be complete without mentioning insects. The slow-moving waters are important to dragonflies, mosquitos, and many flies and beetles that need water to breed. Their larvae stay in the water, or on the aquatic plants nearby, until they are ready to hatch and fly away. Fish eat the insects and their larvae while they are in the water. Many frogs, lizards, and snakes feed on the abundant insects as they hatch, or emerge. Since so many insects breed in these forested wetlands there are often lots of biting insects around swamps. Caution should be used when you visit these wetlands and insect repellant is a must!
Because of protective laws, the formerly endangered alligator is now very common in swamps.	The hunting grounds of the still endangered Florida panther includes swamps. Photo courtesy of US Fish and Wildlife Service.