Tropical hardwood hammocks also provide important habitat for many species of wildlife including nine federally listed species.
Tropical hardwood hammock animals.
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.
Mammals of florida s tropical hardwood hammocks may include the florida bonneted bat key deer and florida panthers.
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.
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.
The key deer is restricted to pine rocklands and tropical hardwood hammocks on big pine key.
Wildlife living in hardwood hammocks originates from temperate regions in contrast to the native flora which originates from tropical regions.
Raccoons and otters may also be spotted.
Fish and wildlife service.
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.
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 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.
Reptiles of interest may include the florida box turtle alligator and federally threatened eastern indigo snake.