Miami Springs is known for its trees and quiet residential streets.  The quiet oasis surrounded by the concrete jungle.  The green triangle on Google maps when you look at Miami.

That green quiet triangle is also a welcoming place much wildlife likes to call home.  From alligators to foxes, Miami Springs to hawks to parrots, Miami Springs has a pretty wide variety of wildlife that likes to call Miami Springs home, too.  Here’s a look at a few of them…

FOXES

Foxes are not new and have been known to be in our community for decades.  This picture was shot near Springview Elementary (the photographer wished to stay anonymous).  
Fox in Miami Springs

ALLIGATORS
Alligators are a part of South Florida.  A healthy population of alligators is a positive sign of a healthy natural ecosystem.  Miami Springs is surrounded by canals including the Miami River, the Ludlam canal, the Esplanade canal, and the Melrose canal.   This provides a large area of prime gator habitat. 

If you see an alligator in a local canal, rejoice.  It’s a treasure to see such amazing creature in its natural habitat. 

DO NOT FEED THE ALLIGATORS

Alligators are shy creatures and do not follow humans on land.  They are afraid of us and want to avoid us.  However, once an alligator has been fed by a human, it immediately associates a human with food, and that’s when problems can happen. 

A few alligator safety tips:

  1. DO NOT FEED ALLIGATORS
  2. Do not go by the edge of a canal at dawn, dusk, or at night.  We all know about the tragedy of the family who lost a small child at Disney who were just a few inches in the water at dusk. 
  3. During the day, if you’re near a canal bank (common if you’re fishing) just scan the area and be aware of your surroundings.  Be extra careful with small children.  It’s generally a good idea to keep smaller children away from the canal banks.
  4. If you see a gator on land, wow!  Don’t freak out. Just back away to a safe distance.  12 feet is usually plenty of space.  Enjoy the animal and maybe take a pic or video.   

The alligator in the following video was caught sunning on the western banks of the Ludlam canal near the VG Tiki Hut.

DUCKS

Miami Springs has lots of ducks and we love them.  This is yet another reason why Miami Springs Police take speeding seriously.  We don’t want to injure a pedestrian, but we also don’t want anyone driving over the ducks.

HAWKS

If you keep an eye out, you’ll eventually notice the different types of hawks that call Miami Springs home.  Sometimes you’ll notice other bird species crying out frantically alerting each other of the presence of a nearby hawk.  Most of the hawks in Miami Springs are smaller than the common turkey vulture and lighter in color.  Below you’ll find a couple I’ve taken pics of over the years.

COOL BIRDS

I’m not even sure what kind of bird this is, but I caught him perched on a bamboo tree.  Comment below if you know what bird this is.

SPIDERS

We have lots of spiders in Florida.  But this little lady has caught my attention since I was a kid.  After transporting about a dozen pots of plants onto my truck…then off my truck…then into the ground…I noticed this gorgeous Black Widow Spider on one of the plants.  She had plenty of opportunity to bite me, but never did.  Since she left me alone, I left her alone.  Karma’s good that way.

ROASTED PORK

Okay, this one is just for fun, but I saw the pic and I had to include it.

This last animal is known to make a distinct smell across Miami Springs on certain holidays.  What can I say?  There’s nothing like the smell of a slow roasted pork on Christmas Eve for “noche buena.”  Can you say, “lechon asado?”

There are a lot more animals that call Miami Springs home including iguanas, raccoons, oppossums, squirrels, and so many more.  We’ll do an update and add more animal pics.

What are your favorite Springs animals?    

 

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