Zooming along on the way to the end of the road, its easy to miss some of the Keys most intriguing residents. A few of them hide amongst the trees, others show off in the swampy shallows, and one just hangs out all day on the shoulder of the road.
No, we’re not talking about people camping in the woods, intrepid flats fishermen, or the guy with the “Jesus saves” bicycle trailer, warning the end is near. This is about the rare animals and plats of the Keys, and how to sneak a glimpse of them.
Not too far back in geologic time, most of Florida Bay was dry land, connecting the Keys to the mainland. When the last ice age began to wane around 15,000 years ago, sea levels rose, isolating the Keys. Since then, wildlife and plants on the little islands have slowly evolved into their own peculiar styles. Below are a few favorites. Some are easy to find. Others require a bit more adventure and patience.
1. Key Deer

2. Great White Heron

3. Lower Keys Marsh Rabbit

4. Key Largo Woodrat
You are not going to see one of these. They do deserve a mention, however, and not just because they are adorable. These little mouse-looking furries live only in the forests around Key Largo. There, they drag massive sticks to their dens for use as building materials. However, all of that commotion has been part of their undoing. Roaming house cats hear that sound as a dinner bell. Combined with a local resorts’ persistence on feeding feral cats near their main habitat, and the major factor pushing these mousey-looking mammals to the brink of extinction is very plainly felines.
4. Miami Blue Butterfly

5. Florida Keys Mole Skink

5. Sea Turtles

6. Goliath Grouper

7. Giant Barrel Sponge

8. Staghorn and Elkhorn Coral

9. White-Crowned Pigeon

About the Author
Karuna Eberl writes from the Florida Keys, on matters of travel, nature, history and kindness. She co-authored Quixotic Key West & the Lower Keys Travel Guide (Quixotic Travel Guides), which recently won the Best Travel Book award from the American Book Festival.
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