What’s Lurking in the Everglades?
At Everglades Adventure, we truly enjoy the the lighter temperatures that accompany fall, as they make our journeys out into the vastly diverse wetland ecosystem that is the Everglades more comfortable for our guests. Fall brings festivals and fun, and ghoulish good times as Halloween excitement fills the veins of ghost hunters and candy lovers both young and old.
Fascinating creatures lurk in the Everglades year round, such as the giant alligators who hover along the banks or the cowbirds who impose their eggs on other bird’s nests and will kill off the rightful offspring of the nest to ensure their own life.
We also have many slithering, invasive creatures that lurk in the canopies and waterways. There’s the Burmese Python, a well known invader of the Florida Everglades. This snake is outstanding at hiding and at deciminating the ranks of bobcats, opossums, raccoons and other species. Another uninvited serpent is the African Python, which is establishing in Florida beginning on the eastern side of the Everglades where a few very young individuals have been confirmed together with evidence of reproduction.
Considered more invasive than the Burmese Python is the Wild Tegu. First spotted in 2008, these lizards are threatening to all egg laying species, as the unhatched offspring of others is a delicacy to these omnivorous creatures. Another lizardly non-native ‘party crasher’ to the Everglades is the African Nile Monitor Lizard. They are large, hungry creatures that have been in Florida since at least the early 1990s and seem intent on eating just about anything that crosses their path.
As you can see, you don’t need a costume to get a thrill in the Everglades. Come with us on a great all day adventure and we’ll teach you all about the hidden (and sometimes invisible) ghastly creatures of the Florida Everglades, and we’ll toss in some tips on how you can help save this dwindling ecosystem. Give us a call, or a click, and we’ll see you on the adventure trails!