(Above) Gulf Islands National Seashore
The unique and extraordinary natural history of the Florida Panhandle and adjacent
areas of Georgia, Alabama and Mississippi and the northern Gulf Coast has remained a mystery and is unknown by many people! Simply, more species of native plants and animals are found within this region than
any other comparable region within the United States. For
decades the incredible species richness and biodiversity of this region has been overlooked.
Several other regions within the U.S. have a high array of species
and biodiversity such as areas of the southern Appalachian Mountains, the Everglades and the Southwest (particularly areas
of California), but they only reach about 75% of the number of species of the northern Gulf Coast. It is not until you reach areas of tropical, southern Mexico
that you find a greater number of species that inhabit the northern Gulf
Coast region. The highest
biodiversity of U.S. species are found specifically within the central
Florida Panhandle, along the Apalachicola River. This number of species remains high, but declines as you move east, to about the Suwannee
river and westward to about the Pascagoula river. Over 788 native vertebrate species and 2,000+ native plants inhabit the Florida Panhandle, from the Perdido River, eastward to the Suwannee River.
The Table below lists the numbers and different types of vertebrate species, and all native plants found within northwest
Florida. This
high number of species does not include adjacent regions of Georgia, Alabama and Mississippi where quite
a number of additional and unique species are found. Additionally, invertebrate,
fungus and mushroom species are not included. The addition of invertebrate and
fungus species to the list of northern Gulf Coast
plants and animals, would easily double or triple the total species list number!
Native Vertebrate and Plant Species of the Florida
Panhandle:
Vertebrate Species |
Number of Species |
|
Fish |
200 + species (freshwater & estuarine) |
|
Amphibians & Reptiles |
131 total species |
|
Mammals |
57 species |
|
Birds |
400 + species |
Total Vertebrate Species |
788 + species |
|
Native Plants |
2000+ species |
