Big Cypress National Preserve
🇺🇸 United States
🐊 Kingdom of the American AlligatorBig Cypress National Preserve is a vast wetland sanctuary in southern Florida, protecting a sprawling mosaic of freshwater swamps, cypress strands, and pine flatwoods. Visitors walk along elevated boardwalks and muddy woodland trails through the soggy landscape to experience a subtropical wilderness defined by slow-moving water and dense trees.
26.027° N 81.103° W
Wildlife
⭐ Iconic Species
★ 
American Alligator
Alligator mississippiensis
★ 
American Black Bear
Ursus americanus
★ 
Mountain Lion
Puma concolor
★ 
West Indian Manatee
Trichechus manatus
📊 Most Spotted
Great Egret
Ardea alba
Florida Cottonmouth
Agkistrodon conanti
American Crow
Corvus brachyrhynchos
Turkey Vulture
Cathartes aura
Anhinga
Anhinga anhinga
White Ibis
Eudocimus albus
Great Blue Heron
Ardea herodias
Brown Anole
Anolis sagrei
Red-shouldered Hawk
Buteo lineatus
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Melanerpes carolinus
Florida Softshell Turtle
Apalone ferox
Black Vulture
Coragyps atratus
⭐ Iconic Species
★ American Black Bear
Ursus americanus
★ Mountain Lion
Puma concolor
★ West Indian Manatee
Trichechus manatus
📊 Most Spotted
Fox Squirrel
Sciurus niger
White-tailed Deer
Odocoileus virginianus
Virginia Opossum
Didelphis virginiana
Eastern Gray Squirrel
Sciurus carolinensis
Common Raccoon
Procyon lotor
Bottlenose Dolphin
Tursiops truncatus
Bobcat
Lynx rufus
Northern River Otter
Lontra canadensis
Marsh Rabbit
Sylvilagus palustris
Mexican Free-tailed Bat
Tadarida brasiliensis
Hispid Cotton Rat
Sigmodon hispidus
Florida Bonneted Bat
Eumops floridanus
📊 Most Spotted
Great Egret
Ardea alba
American Crow
Corvus brachyrhynchos
Turkey Vulture
Cathartes aura
Anhinga
Anhinga anhinga
White Ibis
Eudocimus albus
Great Blue Heron
Ardea herodias
Red-shouldered Hawk
Buteo lineatus
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Melanerpes carolinus
Black Vulture
Coragyps atratus
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
Polioptila caerulea
Double-crested Cormorant
Phalacrocorax auritus
Palm Warbler
Setophaga palmarum
⭐ Iconic Species
📊 Most Spotted
Florida Cottonmouth
Agkistrodon conanti
Brown Anole
Anolis sagrei
Florida Softshell Turtle
Apalone ferox
Banded Water Snake
Nerodia fasciata
Brown Watersnake
Nerodia taxispilota
Scarletsnake
Cemophora coccinea
Florida Green Watersnake
Nerodia floridana
Florida Redbelly Turtle
Pseudemys nelsoni
Northern Curly-tailed Lizard
Leiocephalus carinatus
North American Racer
Coluber constrictor
Corn Snake
Pantherophis guttatus
Burmese Python
Python bivittatus
📊 Most Spotted
Southern Toad
Anaxyrus terrestris
Southern Leopard Frog
Lithobates sphenocephalus
Cuban Treefrog
Osteopilus septentrionalis
Pig Frog
Lithobates grylio
Squirrel Tree Frog
Dryophytes squirellus
Green Treefrog
Dryophytes cinereus
Eastern Narrow-mouthed Toad
Gastrophryne carolinensis
Oak Toad
Anaxyrus quercicus
Greenhouse Frog
Eleutherodactylus planirostris
Southern Cricket Frog
Acris gryllus
Two-toed Amphiuma
Amphiuma means
Eastern Newt
Notophthalmus viridescens
Recent sightings in Big Cypress National Preserve
LIVEiNaturalistAnimal Events
1Dry Season Wildlife Concentration
As water levels drop during the dry winter, wildlife concentrates around shrinking waterholes, making it an ideal time to observe West Indian Manatees in warmer waters and Fox Squirrels foraging in open pinelands.
2Wet Season Reptile Activity
Summer rains flood the preserve, triggering intense breeding and foraging activity where Florida Cottonmouths and invasive Burmese Pythons become highly mobile across the inundated landscape.
3Spring Breeding and Emergence
Spring brings rising temperatures and distinct breeding periods for various native species, including American Black Bears roaming wider territories and Florida Softshell Turtles moving to nesting sites.
Sighting Calendar
Average chance of spotting the park's most-spotted species, month by month
- 1Dry Season Wildlife Concentration
- 2Wet Season Reptile Activity
- 3Spring Breeding and Emergence
Sighting Zones
Warmer areas are where all species together are recorded most often.
Essentials
Climate
What visitors saw
We watched as one large gator swam towards the turtle, which calmly dove down deeper as the alligator swam over top of it.
We saw several male Anhingas, two or three species of egrets, and tri-colored herons.
I’m pretty sure you haven’t seen the last of the Cardinal Airplant for the forseeable future.
Quick answers
What animals can you see in Big Cypress National Preserve?
The most likely sightings are American Alligator (seen by about 90% of wildlife watchers), Great Egret (seen by about 80% of wildlife watchers), Florida Cottonmouth (seen by about 80% of wildlife watchers), American Crow (seen by about 80% of wildlife watchers), Turkey Vulture (seen by about 80% of wildlife watchers) — among 778 recorded vertebrate species, based on citizen-science data from GBIF.
When is the best time to visit Big Cypress National Preserve for wildlife?
December has the highest combined sighting rate for the park's top species in our month-by-month GBIF data. The full sighting calendar on this page shows each species' best months.
Can you see American Alligator in Big Cypress National Preserve?
Yes — about 90% of wildlife watchers report a American Alligator sighting in Big Cypress National Preserve, based on 2,156 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
Can you see American Black Bear in Big Cypress National Preserve?
Yes — about 30% of wildlife watchers report a American Black Bear sighting in Big Cypress National Preserve, based on 69 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
Can you see Mountain Lion in Big Cypress National Preserve?
Yes — about 20% of wildlife watchers report a Mountain Lion sighting in Big Cypress National Preserve, based on 37 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
Can you see West Indian Manatee in Big Cypress National Preserve?
Yes — about 20% of wildlife watchers report a West Indian Manatee sighting in Big Cypress National Preserve, based on 34 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
Where Wildlife Score
How good is this park for seeing wildlife?Biodiversity
ExcellentHow rich is the wildlife?
Sighting
Very goodHow likely to see animals?
Experience
ExcellentHow easy and pleasant is the visit?
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