Vulnerable Species in the Everglades

American Alligators are giant reptiles that can grow up to 15 feet long and 500-600 pounds. You’re most likely to see them in the southeastern United States like Florida or Louisiana. While they can go on land, they’re built for living in the water with webbed feet and super strong tails to propel them through the water . The only real main threat these giant reptiles have at the moment is habitat loss. They would lose their habitat due to wetland drainage and development. This would cause bad things to happen to not only the alligators but the other animals in the environment. These alligators use their tails to dig burrows in mud for nesting and to keep warm. When the alligator abandons the burrow, the hole left behind is filled with fresh water and utilized by other species. With these alligators gone it would be very bad for the ecosystem.

One way to help protect the American Alligator from endangerment is by conserving and restoring the wetland habitats they live in. TNC’s Adopt an Acre program aims to protect 250,000 acres across the Gulf Coast, including Louisiana’s coastal swamp. Another organization helping to protect these animals is defenders.org. Defender’s fights to defend the Endangered Species Act as well as the Clean Water Act, which protects wetland and waterways important to alligators and crocodiles. Defender’s also works to protect habitats through partnering on the Everglades Restoration Act, protecting wildlife refuges and national parks. You can also donate to the Everglades National Park directly.

The West Indian Manatee or better known as the sea cow is an endangered species in the everglades. It lives in marine, brackish water, and fresh water systems in coastal and riverine areas. The manatee’s diet consists of mostly submerged vegetation and will also feed on floating and emerged plants as well. This animal can be found along the U.S. Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico coasts, throughout the caribbean, and as far south as Brazil’s Atlantic Coastline. The west indian manatee can reach a length of over 14 feet long and weighs over 3,000 pounds. It’s a greyish color and they have spares hairs spread out across their body. The manatee is sadly going extinct because they are losing their habitat and they are getting run over by boats.

There are many ways to help stop the extinction of the West Indian Manatee. One way is to stop taking over their environment. The main reason many animals in the wild are becoming extinct is because of humans taking over their habitats. Reserving their habitats and placing construction sites in other locations could be a solution. Also, pollution is causing a loss of seagrass, which is their main source of food. We can stop littering and lower our emissions to solve this problem. Today the manatee's most common threats are boats and the loss of warm water springs. Sadly, most manatees that get hit by boats or ships are severely injured and die due to infection. In conclusion, the best ways to prevent manatee extinction are to lower pollution levels, follow local and state rules, and vote for action that can halt construction in their habitat.

Florida Panthers are known to be a subspecies of the Mountain Lion. Their bodies are all coated in tawny-beige fur. The tip of their tail, their head, and their snout all have black markings. The back and the tail are the most common ways to tell if it is the Florida Panther. These animals are typically found in the Gulf Coast states, and in Florida, Wild Panthers are found in the southwestern tip. They live in warm climates, typically in wetlands, swamps, upland forests, and stands of palmetto. Since the subspecies is critically endangered, it is vulnerable to almost all major threats. Low genetic diversity is a problem because the population is so low. Also, building destroys habitats, and panthers trying to cross roads and highways face risk. Mercury pollution and illnesses like feline leukemia are also a problem for these animals.

TNC is an organization that specializes in expanding territory and protecting endangered species. They are supporting the panther conservation movement and helping to maintain and protect their territory. You can help in this effort by doing the following:

1. Donating to the Nature Conservation Act or other organizations currently assisting with correcting this issue

2. Voting for legislation that support land conservation programs

These programs include:

• https://support.defenders.org/page/29538/donate/1?supporter_appealCode=3WDW2100XXXXX&en_og_source=FY20_Web_Donation&utm_source=web&utm_medium=homepage_takeover&utm_campaign=ESD-Match

• https://www.nps.gov/getinvolved/donate.htm

• https://support.nwf.org/page/9384/donate/1?ea.tracking.id=WEB_MWTG&_ga=2.159066874.1965545270.1621030601-1023970557.1619723508

• https://support.nature.org/site/Donation2?10420.donation=form1&df_id=10420