Curiosity often arises about where different animal species live, particularly regarding creatures associated with one type of landscape in a different region. This naturally extends to Florida, a state celebrated for its distinct ecosystems and wildlife.
The Simple Answer
Moose are not found in Florida. These large mammals inhabit the circumpolar boreal forests and temperate broadleaf and mixed forests of the Northern Hemisphere. Their range extends across Canada, Alaska, and the northern United States, including areas from North Dakota to New England and the Rocky Mountains.
Why Florida Isn’t Moose Country
Moose are adapted to cold environments and struggle in warmth. Their physiology, including thickened skin, a dense, heat-retaining coat, and a low surface-to-volume ratio, aids cold tolerance but hinders heat loss. They experience heat stress when summer temperatures exceed 57°F (14°C) and winter temperatures rise above 23°F (-5°C). To cope, they seek shade, cooling winds, or immerse themselves in water. Heat stress reduces foraging, preventing essential fat reserve buildup for winter survival and impacting calf production.
Florida’s climate is humid subtropical in the north and central, transitioning to tropical in the south. Summers are consistently hot and humid, with average high temperatures reaching 90-95°F (32-35°C) and heat indexes climbing to 103-110°F. While Florida has extensive wetlands and aquatic vegetation, its plant life (e.g., mangroves, pines, oaks) differs significantly from the willows, birches, aspens, and maples that form a primary part of a moose’s diet. The lack of cold climates and preferred food sources makes Florida an unsuitable habitat for moose.
Florida’s Own Large Mammals
Florida is home to several large native mammals suited to its warm ecosystems. The Florida black bear, the state’s largest land mammal, weighs around 300 pounds. They inhabit forested areas (e.g., swamps, flatwoods, wetlands, hardwood forests, mixed woodlands), often preferring dense understories.
The white-tailed deer is Florida’s most numerous large mammal. Florida’s white-tailed deer are smaller than northern counterparts, with males averaging 115-125 pounds and females 90-95 pounds. They thrive in various habitats (e.g., forest edges, oak hammocks, grasslands, wetlands), browsing on leaves, twigs, and aquatic plants.
The Florida panther, an endangered North American cougar subspecies, found mainly in South Florida. These carnivores, males averaging 116 pounds, inhabit pinelands, tropical hardwood hammocks, mixed freshwater swamp forests, and wetlands. Florida also features the manatee, a large aquatic mammal averaging 10 feet long and weighing 800-1200 pounds. Manatees, unable to tolerate water below 68°F (20°C), inhabit rivers, bays, canals, estuaries, and coastal areas, feeding on seagrass and aquatic vegetation.