Welcome to an informative page, even for Floridians. When "Northerners" think of Florida they probably imagine: palm trees, flamingos, oranges, alligators, sunshine and our glorious beaches. That is a good start. Actually, the Florida Legislature has named offical Florida Symbols to represent this diverse, yet flat State. At this site I will talk about a couple of them. This lovely butterfly is named the Zebra Longwing (Heliconius charitoninus) and is the offical insect of the State since 1996. This black & yellow creature is common in Southern Florida and abundant in the Everglades National Park. It is actually called The State Butterfly (and not insect - that should be the mosquito).

The Manatee - (Trichechus manatus) The most endangered marine mammal in the U.S. lives here in Florida. In 1975, the manatee was named as the State Marine Mammal. Less than one thousand of these 'gentle giants' are left in the state. Scientists believe that manatees are distant cousins of the elephant.Manatees are believed to have evolved from a wading plant-eating animal. Manatees belong to a group of marine mammals called "sirenians". They are named after 'sirens' or mermaids. Sirenians never leave the water as do other marine mammals -- seals or seal lions ("pinnipeds").

Though most marine mammals live only in salt water, manatees commonly enter Florida's rivers. If the water temperature is lower than sixty-eight degrees farenheit, manatees often die of pneumonia. (I would too below 80 degrees F). The average adult manatee is about 10 feet in length and weighs around 1,000 pounds. Most of their time is spent eating, resting and traveling. They are totally herbivorous. They eat aquatic plants and consume 10 - 15% of their body weight in vegetation daily. In the summer months the manatee can be found as far north as Virginia and the Carolinas. They return to Florida for the winter months. Hmmm, sounds like some other 'creatures' that come to to Florida during the winter months. They have no natural enemies and can live 60 years or more. Many manatee mortalities are human related -- most occur from collisions with watercraft this includes jet-skis. However, loss of habitat is the most serious threat facing the mantee today. The manatee is protected under federal law in the U.S. by the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972, & by the Endangered Species Act of 1973. In 1981, Governor Bob Graham & singer/songwriter Jimmy Buffet established the Save the Manatee Committee (SMC). Many conservation groups & business organizations have joined this group. SMC link.

Florida Panther - The State Animal. (Felis concolor coryi)

The Florida panther is a Puma, although it has many common names: cougar, mountain lion and catamount & "nice kitty". Wild pumas range from Canada's boreal forest south into Argentina. In the U.S., they once ranged from the Atlantic to Pacific coasts. As North America was settled, pumas were killed along with other predators. Today the puma is practically extinct east of the Mississippi River, EXCEPT in Florida. Here the animal found refuge in cypress swamps and pine forests where it preys mostly on deer.

The Florida panther is a subspecies of puma that has adapted to Florida's climate and habitat. Today, fewer than one hundred Florida panthers survive. They live mostly around the Everglades National Park and Big Cypress National Preserve.

The Florida panther is on the U.S. Endangered Species List. (Since 1967).

Endangered Species Home Page

National Wildlife Federation -- Endangered Species

World Wildlife Fund

The Porpoise
(Tursiops truncatus) The State Saltwater Mammal.

The porpoise is a small whale of the family Phocaenidae. The porpoise & dolphin along with the whale belong to the mammalian order Cetacea.

It is distinguished from the dolphin by its smaller size (6-8 feet) and rounded beakless head. It does not have the characteristic 3 inch bottle nose of the dolphin. The porpoise also does not possess the "smile" the dolphin appears to have, which appeals to so many of us human beings. The bottled-nose dolphin is the one seen in many Aquariums and Sea Worlds that house marine mammals. According to their trainers, they seem to enjoy learning "tricks". Porpoises & dolphins are found in all oceans and prey upon fish.

These two mammals use a system of echolocation -- much like sonar. Echolocation allows porpoises to locate distant or invisible objects by means of sound waves reflected back to the sender by the objects. Echolocation is also used to navigate, locate and talk to other sea creatures. By using echolocation the porpoises' prey can be stunned -- which often results in a fast tingling death.

Porpoises have no sense of smell, but keen eyesight, acute hearing and a wide variety of sounds -- clicks & whistles. Tests have determined the critter to be as intelligent as the chimpanzee. Many marine biologists believe the porpoise to be more intelligent than the chimp. (Also higher than many ex-spouses).

Historically, fishermen and sailors have believed the presence of porpoises swimming near their ships to be a sign of good luck. The 1975 FL Legislature named the porpoise as the official Saltwater Mammal.

The State Bird -- The Mockingbird.
(Mimus polyglottus)

The Mockingbird was adopted as the State Bird in 1927. In "Florida Bird Life--1932" Arthur Howell wrote: "The mockingbird is probably the most widely distributed and best known bird in Florida. The song of the Mocker is easily the most prominent and best loved of southern bird voices--a cheery, rollicking, voluble medley of great variety, interspersed with excellent imitations of many other birds' songs or call notes".

The flight of the Mockingbird is performed by short jerks of the body and wings -- perceived as a strong twitching motion of the tail. This motion is still more apparent while the bird is walking, when it opens its tail like a fan.

Few Hawks attack the Mockingbird. As they make their approach it is obvious the Mocker is ready to defend itself and is aggressive and courageous. It seems to have no fear of man and will attack if provoked. It is the State Bird of Arkansas, Texas, Florida, Mississippi, Tennessee.

The State Flower -- The Orange Blossom.(Citrus sinenis).

The Orange Blossom was designated the State flower in 1909. It is not native to North American at all. Oranges are probably native to China. The camellia and the gardenia have been suggested as state flowers, but the camellia is also native to Asia. Florida's multi-billion-dollar citrus industry is proof enough that the flower flourishes here. It is one of the most fragrant flowers in the state and the scent lingers in the air during citrus growing season here in West Central Florida, South Florida and of course in Citrus County.

Florida Interesting Facts. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de Leon named this "place" La Florida, in April of 1513. The name honors Pasqua de Flores, the Spanish Feast of Flowers at Eastertime. So, not only was Florida the first state to be named, some historians say its name is older than the name "America". Juan Ponce de Leon didn't even know that Florida was part of a large continent, he thought it was just another island surrounded by water. Oops. Hey, he didn't have correct charts drawn up yet. No doppler radar either. And NO computers...imagine how sad. Over 300 years later Spain sold Florida to the United States.

The State Flag of Florida

The Florida flag has some interesting history to its symbolism. Not all of it politically correct. (It still haunts me with that red X). On a white background emblazoned with a Confederacy red "X" and the State seal, Florida's flag represents the look of sunshine, flowers, palm trees, rivers and lakes. The Seal in the center of the "X" features a brilliant sun, a cabbage palmetto tree, a steamboat sailing and a Native American Seminole woman scattering flowers.

The State Gem: Moonstone.
Apollo 11 blasted off from the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, FL in July 1969. On July 20, 1969, Neal Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin became the first people to land on the moon. As a tribute to the moon landing the Florida legislature adopted the moonstone as the State Gem in May of 1970. The gem is neither found on the moon, nor in Florida. I believe it is from Sri Lanka & Indonesia. It is a white, iridescent stone.

The State Shell -- Horse Conch (Pieuroploca gigantea). The horse conch, pronounced "konk"!, is found right here in our harbor, in the Gulf of Mexico and in most of the water around Florida. It is actually a snail, the largest of marine snails in the world. It ranges in color from a deep orange to pale orange. How fitting for the state full of oranges. When the shell was adopted in 1969 the Govenor signed his name in orange ink. Pink conchs are popular Florida souvenirs, but they do not live here, they are imported from the Bahamas.

If you are in the Tampa Bay area, be sure to see the terrific Manatee Viewing Center at the Lowry Park Zoo. Or visit their web site: Lowry Park Zoo