Tropical Hardwood Hammock Animals

Both the key largo cotton mouse and the key largo woodrat are endemic to tropical hardwood hammocks on key largo in the upper florida keys.

Tropical hardwood hammock animals.

Wildlife living in hardwood hammocks originates from temperate regions in contrast to the native flora which originates from tropical regions. While the majority of the remaining hammocks outside of the florida keys have now been protected hammocks are still significantly threatened by development in the keys. Reptiles of interest may include the florida box turtle alligator and federally threatened eastern indigo snake. The stock island tree snail is historically known only from hammocks on stock island and key west.

Tropical hardwood hammocks are habitat for a few endemic plants and are critical habitat for many west indian plant species when the northernmost portions of their ranges extend into south florida. Many tropical species such as mahogany swietenia mahogoni gumbo limbo bursera simaruba and cocoplum chrysobalanus icaco grow alongside the more familiar temperate species of live oak quercus virginiana red maple acer rubum and hackberry celtis laevigata. Today the snails are protected and now it s illegal to take the snails. Tropical hardwood hammocks also provide important habitat for many species of wildlife including nine federally listed species.

Fish and wildlife service. Raccoons and otters may also be spotted. Collectors used to remove the snails from the hardwood hammock so they could add shells to their collection however this drastically reduced the population of tree snails making it harder to find the snails. Wildlife residing in hardwood hammocks are mostly of temperate origin rather than tropical in contrast to the characteristic plantlife.

Examples of migratory birds reported to use tropical hardwood hammocks include the endangered kirtlands warbler dendroica kirtlandii ovenbird seiurus aurocapillus solitary vireo vireo solitarius and gray kingbird tyrannus dominicensis.