Planning a trip to Florida this winter? Be careful when you’re outside
It’s a fact that a lot of New Yorkers are leaving this state in rather large, even impressive numbers. Many of them are are heading for Florida, the “Sunshine State,” either as a nice place to visit for a few weeks or as a more permanent place to live.
And I’ll be the first to admit that Florida has a lot to offer newcomers in the way of sunshine and warmth, especially during the winter months.
But newcomers to the state, especially those who like to hike, fish from shore, canoe or kayak, camp or any similar activities should learn about the many fauna and flora hazards that abound over many parts of that otherwise beautiful state. They range from dangerous to deadly, and all can be avoided, even at relatively close ranges.
I’ll begin with the flora. The usual suspects of poison ivy, poison oak and poison sumac are present in sufficient quantities in virtually all wooded areas. None of them are deadly (except for those with any allergy to them), but the ensuing rash can be nothing short of miserable. Knowledge about what they look like can save a lot of misery.
Continuing with flora, there are two species of trees that must be avoided at all costs because one can kill an unwary hiker and the other is almost as deadly and can cause death in some cases.
The most dangerous is the manchineel tree. It is also well known as the “tree of death” and may actually be the most deadly tree in the world. It’s bark, wood, small limbs, sap and leaves are all deadly poisons.
Even the smoke from burning the wood can kill. The first Spanish explorers called the fruits of this tree the “little apple of death.” And with good reason. A single bite into the fruits, without eating any of it, is still fatal.
Fortunately it is limited to the extreme Southeast Florida coastal area, and many of these trees have been safely destroyed. If you find one never touch it or even sit under it.
And the poisonwood tree is almost as dangerous. Metopium toxiferum is found from the northern most Key islands to the southern tip of the state. They are numerous along some of the hiking trails around the Big Cypress and everglades areas.
The most obvious way to identify them is to look at the leaves. If a tree or shrub in or around the big swamp areas looks like it is in need of watering it is probably one of these potential killers.
Let’s get on with the fauna portion of this article because there are lots of really dangerous animals, reptiles amphibians and lower order lifeforms.
I’ll begin with the obvious. There are a lot of alligators all over the Southeast U.S. and Florida is one of the “hubs” for these big, ugly reptiles. And even the little babies can infect a person if he or she is bitten. They carry lots of bacteria from two weeks after they hatch.
But it is the big gators that cause the most problems, and there are a lot of big alligators. More importantly, they can be found just about anywhere. People have found them inside homes and garages and under carports and cars. They can be found in storm drains, swamps, creeks, ponds, swimming pools and rivers. They are a potential hazard wherever they might be found.
Case in point, a woman with friends was…
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