Ichetucknee River Wildlife in Florida

The Ichetucknee River area is home to a wide array of wonderful wildlife. The pristine waters and shoreline are home to a magnificent and complex ecosystem of animals and plant life. There are very few places in Florida that can match the flora, fauna and overall beauty of Ichetucknee Springs.

Sometimes seen in the area are White-Tailed Deer, many kinds of turtles, otters, cranes, wild turkeys, raccoons, ducks, beavers, limpkins, tiny tree frogs, owls and great blue herons, woodpeckers, as well as hawks and eagles soaring high above.

Native American Indians in the area called the river and springs Ichetucknee, which meant "pond of the beaver".

The river is home to fish such as catfish, bluegill, largemouth bass, bream, alligator gar, mullet, and several types of minnows. Crayfish can often be seen in the river. Some people have even spotted manatees in the river on rare occasions. Park officials say there are no alligators, and I have never seen any. I've also never personally seen any snakes but I am told that non-poisonous snakes are rarely seen in the river.

Ancient mastodon teeth and bones of other extinct animals have been found in and around the Ichetucknee River.

A little fenced off area near Coffee Spring is home to a tiny creature called a Silt Snail, that can be found nowhere else on earth. These snails are protected because the Ichetucknee River has seen a large decline in the snail population, and the snails are a valuable part of the ecosystem.

The sandhill areas are home to fox, gopher tortoises, bobcats and other animals. I've heard locals tell of a colony of little creatures known as "Sherman's Fox Squirrels" that are rare ground squirrels with a black mask across their face, big bushy tails, and are much larger than the typical tree squirrels found in Florida.