Florida Endangered Reptiles

Florida is home to many varied and unique species of animals, some of which are not found anywhere else in the world. Unfortunately, many of these species have become threatened or endangered because of human encroachment on habitat. There are many reptile species that are currently on one of these two lists. Knowledge of endangered Floridian reptiles can help protect them from extinction.

  1. Threatened vs Endangered

    • According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, an endangered species is a species of animal that is currently at risk of becoming extinct, while a threatened species will move to an endangered status soon. Although the main focus is to stop an endangered species from becoming extinct, it is important to protect threatened species as well.

    Crocodilians

    • The American alligator and crocodile are the only indigenous crocodilians found in the United States. Crocodilians are a class of reptile that originated during the Cretaceous period. This makes the alligator and crocodile today's living dinosaurs. The alligator and crocodile are similar in some aspects. They both live in water and enjoy basking in the sun. According to My Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, many people mistake a crocodile who is basking with its mouth open as an aggressive threat, when in reality these reptiles are just trying to raise their body temperatures. Personality-wise, the crocodile is less aggressive than the alligator and prefers to be left alone. Physically, the alligator has a broader snout and the crocodile has a longer, skinny snout. There are several threats to the survival of these crocodilians including water pollution, hunting and loss of habitat.

    Lizards

    • There are two main types of lizards found in Florida: the green and the brown anole, although only the green is a Florida native. Both are often seen leaping from trees and bushes to pounce on their prey, which can be quite large. One of the larger threats to the green anole is the more aggressive brown anole. The brown lizards are known to outnumber and eat their green counterparts. Also, fertilizers and chemical insecticides are deadly to the lizard populations.

    Skinks

    • The sand skink is found abundantly in several counties of central Florida; however, it is not found anywhere else in the world. They are small scaly lizards that live underground. Their legs are very small and the front legs collapse into small valleys in its skin, allowing them to smoothly glide along in the ground they live in. They look similar to snakes swimming along in the sand. They can live in both sand and heavy undergrowth. According to Wild Florida, because of residential development in their environment, the skinks are facing a lack of habitat, putting them on the endangered list.

    Sea Turtles

    • According to My Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, the sea turtle is one of the oldest known creatures in the world; little has changed about these reptiles in over 110 million years. There are quite a few Floridian turtles on the endangered species list, including the green sea turtle, leatherback sea turtle, hawksbill sea turtle and the Kemp's ridley sea turtle. All of these sea turtle species are protected, as are their habitats. One threat to their survival is poaching. The loss of habitat and pollution are problems as well.