U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
St. Vincent
National Wildlife
Refuge Fish,
Amphibian,
Reptile and
Mammal
List
photo: Debbie Hooper
Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake
photo: Monica Harris
photo: USFWS
The St. Vincent NWR was established in 1968. The
primary feature of St. Vincent NWR is St. Vincent
Island, a 12,300 acre undeveloped barrier island, located
in Franklin County, Florida, at the west end of
Apalachicola Bay. The island is triangular in shape, nine
miles long,
four miles
wide at the
east end and
gradually
forms a point
at Indian
Pass on the
west end. The
island is
characterized
by ridge and
swale
topography
American Alligator
with well
developed
wetland and upland habitats. The refuge manages both
salt and fresh water wetlands including several
impoundments to provide a mix of wetland habitats. The
size and shape of the island and variety of habitats
provides for a diversity of wildlife species not typically
found on barrier islands in the area. The refuge also
administers an 86 acre mainland tract in Franklin County
and the 45 acre Pig Island in St. Joe Bay, Gulf County.
Endangered and Threatened Wildlife
St. Vincent NWR provides refuge for several Federally
and State listed endangered and threatened species. St.
Vincent Island is an “Island Propagation Site” for the
Red Wolf Recovery
Program. A red wolf
pair is allowed to
raise pups on the
island which are
removed when they
reach 18 months of
age and shipped to
North Carolina to
help augment the
wild population.
Red Wolf
Occasionally, West
Indian manatees are seen in the waters around the
refuge. Loggerhead, green and leatherback sea turtles
nest on the beaches of St. Vincent Island. Several
federally listed species of birds including the Bald Eagle,
Piping Plover and Wood Stork use the refuge.
This list includes thirty-nine species of fishes, fifty-one
species of herptiles and twenty-five species of mammals
that have been confirmed on the refuge. An asterisk (*)
following a species denotes that it is an exotic species not
native to the area. Birds found on the refuge can be found
in a separate refuge bird list.
Fishes
Gars
Spotted Gar (Lepisosteus oculatus)
Bowfins
Bowfin (Amia calva)
Tarpons
Ladyfish (Elops saurus)
Tarpon (Megalops atlanticus)
Herrings
Atlantic Menhaden (Brevoortia tyrannus)
Gizzard Shad (Dorosoma cepedianun)
Threadfin Shad (Dorosoma petenense)
Carps and Minnows
Common Carp (Cyprinus carpio)*
Golden Shiner (Notemigonus crysoleucas)
Suckers
Lake Chubsucker (Erimyzon sucetta)
Bullhead Catfishes
Yellow Bullhead (Ameiurus natalis)
Brown Bullhead (Ameiurus nebulosus)
Sea Catfishes
Hardhead Catfish (Arius felis)
Killifishes
Sheepshead Minnow (Cyprinodon variegates)
Golden Topminnow (Fundulus chrysotus)
Banded Topminnow (Fundulus cingulatus)
Gulf Killifish (Fundulus grandis)
Pygmy Killifish (Leptolucania ommata)
Rainwater Killifish (Lucania parva)
Livebearers
Eastern Mosquitofish (Gambusia holbrooki)
Least Killifish (Heterandria formosa)
Sailfin Molly (Poecilia latipinna)
Silversides
Tidewater Silversides (Menidia beryllina)
Sunfishes
Everglades Pygmy Sunfish (Elassoma evergladei)
Warmouth (Lepomis gulosus)
Bluegill (Lepomis macrochirus)
-Hand-painted Bream color variant
Redear Sunfish (Lepomis microlophus)
Largemouth Bass (Micropterus salmoides)
Porgies
Sheepshead (Archosargus probatocephalus)
Pinfish (Lagodon rhomboids)
Drums
Spotted Seatrout (Cynoscion nebulosus)
Silver Seatrout (Cynoscion nothus)
Atlantic Croaker (Micripogonias undulates)
Red Drum (Sciaenops ocellatus)
Mullet
Striped Mullet (Mugil cephalus)
Sleepers
Fat Sleeper (Dormitator maculates)
Gobies
Naked Goby (Gibiosoma bosc)
Clown Goby (Microgobius gulosus)
Lefteye Flounders
Gulf Flounder (Paralichthys albigutta)
Total Species Confirmed = 39
Amphibians and Reptiles
Salamanders
Two-toed Amphiuma (Amphiuma means)
Frogs & Toads
Southern Cricket Frog (Acris gryllus)
Oak Toad (Anaxyrus quercicus)
Southern Toad (Anaxyrus terrestris)
Eastern Narrowmouth Toad (Gastrophryne carolinensis)
Green Treefrog (Hyla cinerea)
Pine Woods Treefrog (Hyla femoralis)
Non-Marine Turtles
Florida Softshell (Apalone ferox)
Common Snapping Turtle (Chelydra serpentine)
Chicken Turtle (Deirochelys reticularia)
Gopher Tortoise (Gopherus polyphemus)
Eastern Mud Turtle (Kinosternon subrubrum)
Diamondback Terrapin (Malaclemys terrapin)
Florida Cooter (Pseudemys floridana)
Florida Redbelly Turtle (Pseudemys nelsoni)
Alligator Snapping Turtle (Macrochelys temminckii)
Eastern Box Turtle (Terrapene carolina)
Marine Turtles
Loggerhead (Caretta caretta)
Green Turtle (Chelonia mydas)
Leatherback (Dermochelys coriacea)
Loggerhead
Kemp’s (Atlantic) Ridley (Lepidochelys kempii)
Crocodilians
American Alligator (Alligator mississippiensis)
Lizards
Green Anole (Anolis carolinensis)
Six-lined Racerunner (Aspidoscelis sexlineata)
Broadhead Skink (Plestiodon laticeps)
Eastern Glass Lizard (Ophisaurus ventralis)
Ground Skink (Scincella lateralis)
Snakes
Cottonmouth (Agkistrodon piscivorus)
Scarlet Snake (Cemophora coccinea)
Eastern (Black) Racer (Coluber constrictor)
Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake (Crotalus adamanteus)
Eastern Corn Snake (Pantherophis guttatus)
Midland Rat (Gray Rat) Snake (Pantherophis spiloides)
Mud Snake (Farancia abacura)
Common Kingsnake (Lampropeltis getula)
Coachwhip (Masticophis flagellum)
photo: Thom Lewis
Squirrel Treefrog (Hyla squirella)
Little Grass Frog (Pseudacris ocularis)
Pig Frog (Lithobates grylio)
Southern Leopard Frog (Lithobates sphenocephalus)
Gulf Salt Marsh Snake (Nerodia clarkia)
Southern Water Snake (Nerodia fasciata)
Florida Green Water Snake (Nerodia floridana)
Rough Green Snake (Opheodrys aestivus)
Glossy Crayfish Snake (Regina rigida)
Black Swamp Snake (Seminatrix pygaea)
Pigmy Rattlesnake (Sistrurus miliarius)
Brown Snake (Storeria dekayi)
Eastern Ribbon Snake (Thamnophis sauritus)
Common Garter Snake (Thamnophis sirtalis)
Rough Earth Snake (Virginia striatula)
Total Species Confirmed = 51
Mammals
Marsupials
Virginia Opossum (Didelphis virginiana)
Shrews & Moles
Eastern Mole (Scalopus aquaticus)
Bats
Northern Yellow Bat (Lasiurus intermedius)
Seminole Bat (Lasiurus seminolus)
Brazilian Free-tailed Bat (Tadarida brasiliensis)
Armadillos
Nine-banded Armadillo (Dasypus novemcictus)*
Rabbits
Marsh Rabbit (Sylvilagus palustris)
Rodents
Gray Squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis)
Marsh Rice Rat (Oryzomys palustris)
Cotton Mouse (Peromyscus gossypinus)
Hispid Cotton Rat (Sigmodon hispidus)
Wolves, Foxes and the Coyote
Coyote (Canis latrans)*
Red Wolf (Canis rufus)
Red Fox (Vulpes vulpes)
Gray Fox (Urocyon cinereoargenteus)
Raccoons
Raccoon (Procyon lotor)
Weasels, Skunks and Otters
River Otter (Lutra Canadensis)
Cats
Domestic Cat (Felis catus)*
Bobcat (Lynx rufus)
Whales and Dolphins
Rough-toothed Dolphin (Steno bredanensis)
Atlantic Bottle-nosed Dolphin (Tursiops truncates)
Manatees
West Indian Manatee (Trichechus manatus)
Old World Swine
Feral Hog (Sus scofa)*
Deer
Sambar Deer (Cervus unicolor)*
White-tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus)
Total Species Confirmed = 25
Please report reliable observations of species not on this
list to the refuge office. Photographs help substantiate
reliable observations. Thank you.
Sighting Notes
Date
Time
Weather
No. of Species
Route or area
Observers
Remarks
St. Vincent National Wildlife Refuge
P. O. Box 447
Apalachicola, FL 32329-0447
Phone: 850/653 8808
Email: saintvincent@fws.gov
U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
1 800/344 WILD
August 2006
This list was compiled and updated by Thomas E. Lewis
(April 2006). The list would not be possible without the
generous contributions of Frank Parauka (Fishes), Kelly
J. Irwin and Joseph T. Collins (Amphibians and Reptiles)
and Jeffery A. Gore (Mammals).
