The northern river otter is found in rivers and ocean inlets throughout Florida. The only location without northern river otter populations is the Florida Keys. In Florida, Atlantic bottlenose dolphin are found in shallow water inlets, especially in the St. Johns River located in the Jacksonville area. The Florida Bat Conservancy (floridabats.org) says Brazilian free-tailed bats are one of the most common bat species in Florida. This bat dwells under bridges and building in Florida's mainland.
The Florida panther is a cougar sub-species and the official state animal of Florida. Fewer than than 50 Florida panthers live in the Everglades and cypress swamps of South Florida. The endangered key deer only live in National Key Deer Refuge (fws.gov/nationalkeydeer) in the lower Florida Keys, particularly Big Pine Key. This deer is a subspecies of the white-tailed deer.
The diamondback terrapin is among the most populous turtle species in the world and is found throughout Florida's saltwater marshes and undeveloped coastlines. American alligators are one of the largest reptile species in Florida. This reptile is found in freshwater swamps on Florida's peninsula, such as the Everglades region.
Eastern coral snakes are venomous and live in Florida's forested regions. The color pattern on this snake is "red-yellow-black." Eastern coral snakes are nocturnal. Native to Florida, the eastern fence lizard belongs to the Iguana family. This small lizard, which is approximately 3 to 7 inches in length, is found in North and Central Florida's forests, including Ocala National Forest. The Florida worm lizard is endemic to Florida -- meaning it only lives in Florida. This ringed lizard lives throughout the peninsular region of Florida and resembles a giant earthworm.
The Florida wild turkey dwells in Florida's swamplands and dense forest areas. Florida wild turkeys were discovered by Americans in the late 19th century. Peregrine falcons are raptor birds found in Florida's coastal regions during the winter. This bird of prey has a wingspan of approximately 40 inches and is commonly used for falconry.
During the winter, black-crowned night-herons populate the coastal regions of Florida. These herons receive their name from the patch of black feathers on their crowns. The Florida peninsula is also home to blue-winged teal ducks during the winter months. These ducks have blue feathers on the upper-part of their wings.
American bitterns are found in marshes throughout Florida. Bitterns migrate to Florida during the winter. A nickname for this bird is "sun-gazer," since it freezes and looks upward when alarmed.
The Spanish mackerel is found near Florida in the Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico. This saltwater fish is usually in Florida during the winter and features olive and yellow spots on its skin. Port Canaveral and St. Sebastian Island are home to the jewfish. Jewfish are also known as Goliath groupers. The biggest jewfish ever caught in Florida was 680 pounds.
Known for its blue, "sail-like" dorsal fin, the Atlantic sailfish is a saltwater fish in the Atlantic Ocean, right off the eastern Florida coast. This fish is the official saltwater fish of Florida. The state's official freshwater fish is the Florida largemouth bass, which is found in lakes throughout Florida's peninsula. When it matures, this fish reaches up to 20 inches in length. Permit are saltwater fish primarily found off Florida's Atlantic Coast and water inlets in South Florida's counties. A permit's dorsal fin resembles a scythe tool.