Florida's Exotic Wildlife

The purpose of this site is to maintain information about exotic wildlife (birds, terrestrial mammals, amphibians, and reptiles) in Florida. An exotic species is one that was introduced by human activity and is free-ranging in an area to which it was not native in pre-Columbian times.  These data were compiled by Commission biologists from both published sources and unpublished sources.  Bill Pranty of Audubon of Florida provided additional records on exotic birds. See definitions of terms used in the detailed reports

The estimated trend for statewide populations of the 273 reported exotic species in Florida were categorized as follows

Estimated trend in populations

• 22 species are expanding
,
• 15 species are stable
,
• 8 species are declining
,
• 182 species have unknown population levels
, and
• 45 species have no current population

• 96 species have been breeding at least 10 years (but not necessarily consecutive years).
,
• 23 are less than 10 years
, and
• 151 species are not reported breeding in the wild in florida

• 58 species are established (populations apparently self-sustaining for 10 or more consecutive years)
,
• 16 species are potentially established (apparently self-sustaining, but for less than 10 years)
,
• 94 species are not established, but currently present
,
• 64 species have populations whose status is unknown
, and
• 40 species are extirpated

• 117 species occur or formerly occurred in just 1 county
,
• 106 species occur or formerly occurred in 2 - 5 counties
,
• 11 species occur or formerly occurred in 6 - 10 counties
,
• 8 species occur or formerly occurred in 11- 20 counties
,
• 7 species occur or formerly occurred in 21 - 50 counties
,
• 1 species occur or formerly occurred in 51 - 66 counties
, and
• 17 species occur or formerly occurred statewide

You may get a list of exotic species by clicking on the class of animal below

or get a list of exotics by  Florida county:

More information

Nonindigenous Fishes of Florida   and Checklist of Florida's freshwater fish including status

Nonindigenous Species Introduced into South Florida

Nonindigenous species in the Gulf of Mexico

Invasivespecies.gov, gateway to Federal efforts concerning invasive species

University of Georgia Invasive information about exotic insects, weeds, diseases. 

Florida Exotic Pest Plant Council

University of Florida Center for Aquatic and Invasive Plants

Help map Monk Parakeets in Florida

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