Do you know that the mangrove forests of Florida are home to American alligators and American crocodiles?
For people who want to see the American alligators, I recommend they visit the
low salty regions of Florida mangroves
.
Why should you come to the mangroves?
You can find many animals that prey on each other to survive.
However, that is not the reason why I want you to come to
the mangroves
in Florida.
The big, quiet mangrove forests are the choice habit for the
Florida black bear
.
They are always seen roaming from one mangrove to the other in search of food.
Night time is the hunting time of these predators, especially the Everglades mink.
.
They roam all over the mangrove swamps looking for reptiles, small mammals, birds, frogs, fish, and eggs for food.
Florida panther, a rare and endangered species as well as Key deers, are seen going hunting for prey in the mangrove forests.
About 18 different kinds of wild animals which include rice rats and Lower Keys rabbit habits in the Everglades mangrove forest.
What predators live in mangroves in Florida?
The southern bald eagle, osprey and peregrine falcon are the predators in Florida’s mangrove.
Live in Mangroves in Florida ?” width=”1260″ height=”738″ /> What Predators Live in Mangroves in Florida?
Mangrove forests are both hard and soft bottom homes to different kinds of invertebrate creatures.
The invertebrates live under the muddy bottoms of the projected roots, and some of them live in the open waters.
They become used to the water temperature, the salty nature of the environment, and the usual effect of tides on mangrove forests.
Leaf litters, detritus, plankton, and other smaller creatures are food to these invertebrates.
Horseshoe crabs are food hunters.
You may find them in the mangroves as they hunt algae, invertebrates, and dead organisms for food.
They are used to waters with low oxygen because their respiratory organ has about 200 book gills.
Do sharks live in Florida mangroves?
Yes.
The ecosystems in South Florida
mangrove forests
are full of sharks.
Many young sharks swim in the waters of the mangrove forests, hiding under the roots of mangrove trees waiting for prey.
Under the mangrove trees are perfect homes for juvenile sharks in search of food and shelter.
I don’t advice that you go swimming in the waters of Miami mangrove forests.
Some of the shark species you can find in mangroves include the Lemon sharks, blacktip sharks, sickle-in lemon sharks, and dusky sharks.
Lemon sharks are everywhere in the mangrove forests, and their mating season is during the summer and spring months.
Their gestation period lasts between 10 and 12 months.
Its expected delivery period is early spring or early fall, so expect to see a little lemon shark swimming the waters of the mangrove during the summer season.
The good news is that species of
sharks that inhabit mangroves will not attack
unless they are provoked or frightened.
However, respect their habitats for the safety of both of you.
Are there alligators in the mangroves of Florida?
Yes.
The American alligators are resident of the mangroves, especially around less salty areas.
During winter, you can find them on the muddy bank when the tide is low.
Since the mangrove roots offer accommodation for shrimp, prawns, or mullets, crocodiles find it easier to prey on them.
Some of the invertebrates that live in or close to mangrove roots are snails, barnacles, bryozoans, tunicates, mollusks, sponges, polychaete worms, isopods, amphipods, shrimps, crabs, and jellyfish.
Crabs are one of the invertebrates that survive in mangrove canopies.
Mangrove canopies are home to the mangrove tree crab, and Aratus Pisoni and they depend on red mangrove leaves for food.
The intertidal mudflats are homes to other species of crabs, and they depend on leaf litter and detritus for food.
Do mangroves attract mosquitoes?
Yes.
Mosquitoes are part of the mangrove ecosystem because of the rich environment.
Mosquitoes relocate to live in perched mangrove forests when their initial habits are over-flooded with water, and not conducive for laying eggs.
The truth is that none of us will like to be disturbed by mosquitoes when we are outdoors.
However, there are many mosquitoes in Florida, mostly by mosquito seasons.
In this article we will educate you on mosquito
season in Florida
, to save you the pain of waiting to end for the end of the season.
Mosquito Season
The temperature of an area and the rate of rainfall determine the population of mosquitoes it has.
The insects cannot survive in temperatures below 50° Fahrenheit, and they cannot lay their eggs outside water.
I will find it strange if I don’t o see mosquitoes in Florida at all times of the year because the temperature of the state.
The temperature can hardly go below 50° Fahrenheit.
However, the population of mosquitoes increases in some parts of Florida at certain times of the year.
Northern
Florida has cold temperatures and will not experience mosquito season until early March and late spring or summer being its mosquito peak season.
Florida experiences a rainy season between June and October, and this will result in to increase in the population of mosquitoes.
More stagnant waters mean more places for mosquitoes to lay eggs.
Southern Florida experiences mosquito season almost every time of the year.
Mosquitoes thrive well in South Florida because of the climate of the region, so the region does not experience a decrease in the population of mosquitoes as the north does.
Common Mosquito Species
Of all the states in America, Florida has the most mosquito species.
About 80 species are known already.
Out of this population, 13 can transmit diseases like Zika, EEE, and West Nile Virus.
The first is the Asian tiger mosquito, which got its name from the black and white stripes it has on its body and legs.
It is the specie that transmits dengue fever, encephalitis viruses, West Nile virus, yellow fever, and Zika.
The second is the gallinipper.
This specie is big.
It can be as long as half an inch.
They have a dark color and have white or yellow stripes on their thorax and proboscis.
Their bites are painful, and they are transmitters of diseases like encephalitis and West Nile Virus, but they are not known as transmitters of viruses to humans, so they are not seen as a big threat.
The third is the yellow fever mosquitoes.
They have a jet-black color with white strips by the side and a white circle around their legs.
They transmit dengue fever, chikungunya, Mayaro, Zika, and yellow fever.