OUTDOORS & NATURE WONDERS White-Tailed Deer River Otters WILDLIFE The Kissimmee area offers opportunities to spot an amazing variety of bird and animal species. To view their habitats and learn about the creatures, as well as conservation efforts, hike along the regionʼs magnificent nature trails; boat, airboat, or paddle on local lakes and waterways; take a self-directed driving tour through forested preserves; and visit attractions that allow for interactive experiences with animals. You’ll see these deer wandering around wooded and grassy areas, putting their great senses of smell, eyesight, and hearing to work as they feast on woody shrubs and vines, succulent green plants, grasses, and aquatic plants. You can recognize these mammals in Shingle Creek by their long body, flattened head, long whiskers, short legs, and webbed feet. But since they can remain underwater for as long as eight minutes (they feed on aquatic wildlife), you might pass them by. Roseate Spoonbills With their distinctive spatula-shaped bills, spoonbills are one of Floridaʼs most unusual wading birds. You’ll see them feeding on fish, crustaceans, and aquatic insects in mangroves, lakes, and marshes—view them up close at Kissimmee Lakefront Park . Nesting Bald Eagles Kissimmee is home to the largest population of nesting bald eagles in the continental United States. The Twin Oaks Conservation Area is a great place to see these majestic creatures. They mostly feed on fish and reuse the same nest every year. Whooping Cranes Kissimmee was selected as a site for the reintroduction of captive-reared whooping cranes, which had been facing extinction. The birds have been making a terrific comeback. Gopher Tortoises Considered to be threatened, these reptiles reside in local forests and pastures where they dig deep burrows for shelter and feed on herbs and grasses. They don’t have ears but are extremely sensitive to vibration.
Experience Kissimmee 2018 Kissimmee Destination Guide: Page 70
