Florida is famous for its abundant wildlife and is home to many animals that are more or less friendly, even though they are of course entirely in their natural environment. It is important to know that most Floridians fully respect animals, whether they are harmless or potentially dangerous. They do not kill them casually; they simply learn how to live with them. After all, these animals were here long before humans, and in a sense we are above all in their home.

Do not believe that these animals live only in the Everglades. If, like me, you are not especially fond of snakes or spiders, you gradually learn to live with them over time. Of course, even though I have crossed paths with several snakes, alligators, and bears since our arrival, whenever one of these creatures appears in front of me, I still jump just as much as before, in fact I usually scream, and I definitely do not stay nearby. We also teach our children both to love seeing animals in their natural environment and to be careful with certain species. Our children have learned to see dolphins, deer, snakes, and alligators in everyday life. The key is simply to teach the limits, both for them and for the animals. That is something our expatriation to Florida has taught us.

Among these animals, here is a list of 6 of the most dangerous that it is possible to encounter in Southwest Florida.

SNAKES

To say the least, there is a lot of choice here, with more than 50 species of snakes in Florida. Fortunately, out of these 50 species, only 6 are classified as venomous and dangerous to humans: Southern copperheads, cottonmouths (water moccasins), Eastern coral snakes, Eastern diamondbacks, timber rattlesnakes, and dusky pygmy rattlesnakes, which are among the most common venomous snakes in Florida.

None of these snakes are naturally aggressive toward humans, and most of them do not want to approach people at all. In general, they will flee if they hear you coming. The danger comes if they are surprised. That is when they may become frightened, then defensive, and possibly bite.

In the event of a bite, and when in doubt, call 911 or go to an urgent care center. Some bites can be very serious if you are not treated quickly. Here are a few specimens photographed by our neighbors.

Water moccasin

Eastern Coral Snake (Red touches yellow kills a fellow, red touches black venom lack, safe for Jack!)

So far, we have only seen “harmless” snakes ourselves, including one under our table on the terrace while we were eating lunch. What still surprises me is how fast they move through the grass. You really have to be careful when walking in dense Florida grass, even inside a residence, because you hardly see them when they are not moving.

SPIDERS

Florida is also home to two spiders that are considered dangerous: the brown recluse and the southern black widow. Here again, the idea is not to panic but simply to know what exists and to stay cautious in certain situations, especially around storage spaces, garages, wood piles, or dark corners.

ALLIGATORS AND OTHER WILDLIFE

Of course, when people think of dangerous animals in Florida, alligators are often the first image that comes to mind. They are indeed part of daily life in many areas of the state, especially near lakes, canals, ponds, and wetlands. The important thing is to respect the rules, never feed them, and keep your distance.

What expatriation in Florida has taught us is not to fear nature blindly, but to live with it intelligently. The wildlife is one of the things that makes this state so rich and so fascinating. You simply need to know what is around you, teach children good habits, and stay respectful of the environment.

Florida’s wildlife is one of the things that makes the state so fascinating, but it is always better to know what you may encounter and how to react.