PEAT is the organic soil of wetlands inundated by water, and is made up of several different layers. In the Everglades, the top layer consists of a living algae known as periphyton.

OOLITIC LIMESTONE, the Everglades' dominant surface rock, is named for the egg-shaped grains or ooids it contains. It is often mistaken for coral rock, which formed at the same time but is found only in the upper Florida Keys.

An AQUIFER is an underground stratum, or layer, of water-bearing rock.

A WILLOW HEAD is an island of trees dominated by willows that forms in the sawgrass prairie over depressions in the rock where water has collected. Some willow heads grow up around old alligator holes.

PERIPHYTON, literally "around plants," is an important part of the Everglades food web. This spongy algal mat lives in shallow water ecosystems such as the sawgrass prairie of the Everglades.

LARGEMOUTH BASS, (Micropteris Salmoides) is the largest species of the sunfish family and varies in color from silvery green to almost black. Its habitat consists mostly of deep freshwater environs like lakes, rivers and ponds.

The PINK SHRIMP is a marine crustacean which migrates to the Florida coastline during the winter after having bred and leaves its young to develop among the sea grass and mangrove communities.

The ROSEATE SPOONBILL, or ajaia ajaja, is a graceful bird whose pink color is due to the pink zoo-plankton it consumes. It is as rare as it is strikingly beautiful: Roughly 900 pairs exist today.

The ATALA BUTTERFLY (Eumaeus atala) is a small, pretty black butterfly with iridescent blue spots on its wings and a bright orange abdomen. As a caterpillar, it eats the poisonous coontie plant, making it unpalatable to birds.

The WHITE IBIS, or Eucodimus albus is a common wading bird that is rumored to be the last to leave and the first to return during hurricanes, or so University of Miami, Florida mascot tradition would lead us to believe.

The FLORIDA MANATEE (Trechechus manatus) is a slow-moving, endangered marine/aquatic mammal whose range is throughout the Caribbean and coastal areas of the southeastern United States.

The EASTERN INDIGO SNAKE (Drymarchon corais), reaching over six feet in length, is the largest native snake in the United States. Today it is Federally endangered due to overcollecting and habitat destruction.

The silver, torpedo-like GREAT BARRACUDA (Sphyraena barracuda) is one of the most efficient hunters amidst the coral reefs. Also a popular local game fish, Great barracuda can attain a length of one meter.

The BALD CYPRESS (Taxodium distichum) is the dominant tree in cypress swamps. The term "bald" applies to its lack of needles during the dry season; it is one of the three genera of conifers in the world to shed its leaves.

Found nearly throughout the U.S., our national symbol, the BALD EAGLE (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) is Federally designated as a Threatened Species. Florida has more bald eagles than any other state except Alaska.

DELTOID SPURGE (Chamaesyce deltoidea) is a small petriphytic herb endemic to pine rocklands. It is known to exist only in Florida's Dade and Monroe counties. It is a Federally-listed endangered species.

The SNAIL KITE (Rostrhamus sociabilis plumbeus), a Federally-endangered raptor in the U.S., is found only in southern and central Florida. Its curved beak is specially adapted to pulling the meat of the apple snail from its shell.

Sometimes attaining a length of 20 inches, the FLORIDA SOFTSHELL TURTLE (Trionyx ferox) is common in marshes, lakes, canals and drainage ditches. It is one of Florida's tastier turtles and is eaten in some parts of the state.

Neither Spanish, nor moss, SPANISH MOSS (Tillandsia usenoides) is a relative of the pineapple and can be seen draped over tree limbs in most Everglades communities. Early pioneers used this plant to stuff their mattresses.

The colorful LIGUUS TREE SNAIL (Liguus spp.) prefers the moist climate of hardwood hammocks. Some tree islands even boast their own uniquely-patterned endemic taxa. These beautiful snails are at risk due to over-collecting and habitat loss.

At Everglades National Park, the WHITE-TAILED DEER (Odocoileus virginianus) is most often seen in the transition between prairie and pine rockland. This species ranges throughout most of North America -- even to the Florida Keys, where it is smaller.