Sadly this will be my last blog post for my tour of the Florida wetlands so i thought i would conclude with a few of my own thoughts and things that i enjoyed as well as a complete species list from all days and a couple of snaps that i couldn't quite fit into the main posts.
I was incredibly lucky to be part of this trip, to see the rich diversity that florida's wetlands are able to offer as well as enjoy a couple of fun things like visiting NASA and taking an airboat ride.
I was also lucky to meet and hear speak some incredible wetland scientists such as Prof. Vymazal and Prof. Mitsch who hold a vast collection of wetland knowledge as well as various other scientists or volunteers all equally passionate and knowledgeable.
The commitment of many organisations and people to the protection and restoration of the places we visited was also very encouraging. Many wetlands across the world are facing increasing pressures and are being lost faster than any other ecosystem type but there in florida large groups of people , organisations and the government have recognised their importance and beauty and have endeavored to protect them.
My favorite part of the trip?
It would have to be the cypress swamps that we visited at disney wilderness preserve, FGCU campus and at corkscrew. I think the beauty of them will stay with me forever as well as excitement of seeing the huge biodiversity they support.
Thank you for joining me on this trip by reading through these blogs, to conclude below is a complete species list and a few more photos.
Species List
Birds
Common Name
|
Latin Name
|
Anhinga
|
Anhinga anhinga
|
Roseate Spoonbill
|
Platalea ajaja
|
Cormorant
|
Phalacrocorax carbo
|
Greater Yellow Legs
|
Tringa melanoleuca
|
White Ibis
|
Eudocimus albus
|
Royal Tern
|
Thalasseus maximus
|
Yellow-crowned night heron
|
Nyctanassa violacea
|
White Pelican
|
Pelecanus onocrotalus
|
Great White Egret
|
Ardea alba
|
Snowy Egret
|
Egretta thula
|
Willet
|
Tringa semipalmata
|
Ring Necked Ducks
|
Aythya collaris
|
Little Blue Heron
|
Egretta caerulea
|
Reddish Egret
|
Egretta rufescens
|
Pied-billed Grebes
|
Podilymbus podiceps
|
Bald Eagle
|
Haliaeetus leucocephalust
|
Reddish Egret
|
Egretta rufescens
|
Wood Stork
|
Mycteria americana
|
Turkey Vulture
|
Cathartes aura
|
Belted King Fisher
|
Megaceryle alcyon
|
American Coot
|
Fulica americana
|
Avocets
|
Recurvirostra americana
|
Wilsons Plover
|
Charadrius wilsonia
|
Tricoloured Heron
|
Egretta tricolor
|
Little Egret
|
Egretta garzetta
|
Pied Billed Grebe
|
Podilymbus podiceps
|
Black Skimmers
|
Rynchops niger
|
Northern Shoveler
|
Anas clypeata
|
Glossy Ibis
|
Plegadis falcinellus
|
Osprey
|
Pandion haliaetus
|
Eastern Screech Owl
|
Megascops asio
|
MourningDove
|
Zenaida macroura
|
Brown Pelican
|
Pelecanus occidentalis
|
Greater Yellow Legs
|
Tringa melanoleuca
|
Yellow-crowned night heron
|
Nyctanassa violacea
|
Ring Necked Ducks
|
Aythya collaris
|
Swallow-tailed Kite
|
Elanoides forficatus
|
Painting Bunting
|
Passerina ciris
|
Grey Catbird
|
Dumetella carolinensis
|
Red-tailed Hawk
|
Buteo jamaicensis
|
Double Breasted Cormorant
|
Phalacrocorax auritus
|
Purple Gallinule
|
Porphyrio martinicus
|
Plants
Common Name
|
Latin Name
|
Slash Pine
|
Pinus elliottii
|
Saw Palmetto
|
Saw palmetto
|
Wax Myrtle
|
Myrica cerifera
|
Cabbage Palm
|
Sabal palmetto
|
Willow
|
Salix caroliniana
|
Horrible Thistle
|
Cirsium horridulum
|
Brazilian Pepper
|
Schinus terebinthifolius
|
Bald Cypress
|
Taxodium distichum
|
Water Tupelo
|
Nyssa aquatica
|
Sawgrass
|
Cladium jamaicense
|
Spanish Moss
|
Tillandsia usneoides
|
Alligator Flag
|
Thalia geniculata
|
Red Maple
|
Acer rubrum
|
Resurrection Fern
|
Pleopeltis polypodioides
|
Pond Apple
|
Annona glabra
|
Flag Iris
|
Iris versicolor
|
Strap Fern
|
Campyloneurum phyllitidis
|
Boston Fern
|
Nephrolepis exaltata
|
Inland Leather Fern
|
Acrostichum danaeifolium
|
Water Fern
|
Salvinia minima
|
American Elder
|
Sambucus canadensis
|
Water Lettuce
|
Pistia stratiotes
|
Red Mangrove
|
Rhizophora mangle
|
Black Mangrove
|
Avicennia germinans
|
White Mangrove
|
Laguncularia racemosa
|
Cabbage Palm
|
Sabal palmetto
|
Coconut Palm
|
Cocos nucifera
|
Royal Palm
|
Roystonea regia
|
Prickly Pear
|
Opuntia ficus-indica
|
Gumbo Limbo
|
Bursera simaruba
|
Spanish Bayonet
|
Hesperoyucca whipplei
|
Century Plant
|
Agave americana
|
Beach Sunflower
|
Helianthus debilis
|
Sea Oat
|
Uniola paniculata
|
Strangler Fig
|
Ficus aurea
|
Sea Grape
|
Coccoloba uvifera
|
Water Lillies
|
Nymphaea odorata
|
Cattails
|
Typha domingensis
|
Horrible Thistles
|
Cirsium horridulum
|
Bayberry
Bush
|
Myrica pensylvanica
|
Poison Ivy
|
Toxicodendron radicans
|
Bladderwort
|
Utricularia species
|
Spike Rush
|
Eleocharis vivipara
|
Swap Bay
|
Persea palustris
|
Pond
Cypress
|
Taxodium ascendens
|
Black
Tupelo
|
Nyssa sylvatica
|
Black Eyed
Susan
|
Rudbeckia hirta
|
Reptiles
Common Name
|
Latin Name
|
Brown Anole
|
Anolis sagrei
|
Gopher Tortoise
|
Gopherus polyphemus
|
Alligator
|
Alligator mississippiensis
|
Black Racer Snake
|
Coluber constrictor priapus
|
Red Racer Snake
|
Masticophis flagellum
|
Green Anole
|
Carolina anole
|
Banded Water Snake
|
Nerodia fasciata
|
Mammals
Common Name
|
Latin Name
|
Bottlenose Dolphin
|
Tursiops truncatus
|
Racoon
|
Procyon lotor
|
Manatee
|
Tichechus manatus
|
Armadillo
|
Dasypus novemcinctus
|
Invertebrates
Common Name
|
Latin Name
|
Zebra Long Wing Butterfly
|
Heliconius charithonia
|
Fire Ants
|
Solenopsis invicta
|
Spiny Orb Weaver Spider
|
Gasteracantha cancriformis
|
Mangrove Skipper Butterfly
|
Phocides pigmalion
|
Mangrove Tree Crabs
|
Aratus pisonii
|
Fire Ants
|
Solenopsis Invicta
|
Apple Snail
|
Pomacea maculata
|
Fishing Spider
|
Dolomedes albineus
|
Ruddy Danger Wing Butterfly
|
Marpesia petreus
|
Viceroy Butterfly
|
Limenitis archippus
|
Lubber Grass Hopper
|
Romalea microptera
|
Fish
Common Name
|
Latin Name
|
Mosquito Fish
|
Gambusia affinis
|
Mullet
|
Mugil cephalus
|
Snook
|
Centropomus undecimalis
|
Needle Fish
|
Tylosurus crocodilus
|
Large Mouth Bass
|
Micropterus salmoides
|
Spotted Garr
|
Lepisosteus oculatus
|
Mosquito fish
|
Gambusia affinis
|
Spotted Tilapia
|
Pelmatolapia mariae
|
Blue Tilapia
|
Oreochromis aureus
|
Flag fish
|
Jordanella floridae
|
African Cichlid
|
Pterophyllum sp.
|
Sailfin Molly
|
Poecilia latipinna
|
Sun fish
|
Lepomis auritus
|
Golden Topminnow
|
Fundulus chrysotus
|
Amphibians
Common Name
|
Latin Name
|
Cuban Treefrog
|
Osteopilus septentrionalis
|
