Lizards & wildlife in Jax? Please say the coast is clear...

[mawipafl]

Originally Posted by KerryB

And now I'm noticing something has been digging & making big holes in our backyard too, so who even knows what that creature could be.

I suspect moles or squirrels - more so the latter as they're currently storing their food for the winter. (At least that's what is going on in my yard and potted plants.)

[riveree]

This post got me thinking, what kinds of lizards and insects do I see here?


On a daily basis:

Anoles...both Green and Cuban
Butterflies...especially Monarchs and Gulf Fritilary (most of the year)
Dragonflies (I live near water)
Yellow Jackets...I have a hive
Ants
Grasshoppers


Often:

Toads
Frogs, including the unbelievably cute Tree Frog!
Palmettos...Yuck!!
Honeybees....awww!
Geckos
Beetles...Ladybug, Junebug...I've even see Stag beetles and some sort of huge one-horned beetle .


On occasion:

Black Widow spider
Wolf spider
Scorpion...have seen both the small red Hentz and the big brown Bark


There are a lot more, but these are the more interesting ones. Then there are the snakes, possums, armadillos...Florida is filled with wildlife. You really can't escape it here. You have to embrace it, bugs and all, if you want to live here peacefully. You can't poison them all away, the best thing is to work towards a balanced ecosystem in your own yard - let the snakes eat the palmettos, etc.

What's That Bug? Insect identification

[Keith-n-Jax]

Yep I have my own zoo in my yard free of charge. Go Lizards!!!

[dcapl]

Originally Posted by riveree

...Florida is filled with wildlife. You really can't escape it here. You have to embrace it, bugs and all, if you want to live here peacefully. You can't poison them all away, the best thing is to work towards a balanced ecosystem in your own yard - let the snakes eat the palmettos, etc.

Thanks to *everyone* for your help (and for not making me feel so dumb for asking lol).

I truly had no idea the little guys, all varieties of them, would still be that abundant that far north in FL. Goodness help me, I think if I saw a palmetto bug I'd die of cardiac failure. When we were in Tampa during the summer, just seconds off the plane I needed a drink to calm me down from all the wildlife. lol We didn't even stay at out hotel in Boca Raton during the same trip because there were just too many lizards between me and the hotel front door. By the time we made our way to Miami I was absolutely certain the country was experiencing an apocalypse and it was starting with a lizard invasion. lol

Having lived in MD, CA, WA, PA, and DC, I'm not accustomed to anything more than maybe flies (yuk), bees, mice, and the occasional city rat (extra yuk) that STILL freaks me out even in my 30s so I'm rarely, if ever, there at night just to avoid them. lol

So I suppose the huge decision is whether to move further north and battle winter, or further south (FL) and battle things with more legs than me. lol Everyone has given me a lot to think about. Thank you again for your honesty and help! If nothing else, I learned that Jacksonville residents are good people