Everglades National Park EDUCATION PROGRAM SHARK VALLEY GUIDE

A Hammock or a Mountain?

Hammocks are another type of habitat often found in the sawgrass marsh. Hammocks are high, dry tree islands. Imagine hiking out to one.

You've almost reached the hammock when, "splash!", you step into a moat that formed as acids from decaying plants dissolved away the limestone. These moats provide a fire barrier as they may hold water even during the dry season.
Once you've splashed through the moat, you step up onto the hammock, which is a few inches to a few feet above the surrounding sawgrass marsh. This slight elevation change creates a habitat dominated by tropical hardwoods, palms, and temperate tree species.

Unusual Names

The trees of the hammock have fascinating names. Gumbo Limbo is a tropical tree with red, peeling bark, nicknamed the sunburn tree. The Lysiloma is the primary host tree for the Liguus tree snail, the jewel of the Everglades. Strangler Figs, air plants, Florida's state tree, the Sabal Palm, and temperate trees including oak are also at home in the hammock.

You and the students are encouraged to touch trees and look closely at and feel the various shaped leaves on the plants. However, be on the lookout for Poison Ivy and Poisonwood. Poison Ivy grows as a vine and has leaflets in groups of three, while Poisonwood has leaflets in groups of five. Both plants have oils on them that on contact, may cause an allergic reaction. Washing exposed skin with soap and water is often enough to prevent a reaction.

Most students are fascinated by the thought of seeing a poisonous plant. Remember to emphasize respect rather than fear when teaching about any poisonous plant or animal found in the Everglades.

"Whoo" hides in the hammock?

Owls, of course! Barred owls are often heard hooting in the hammocks at night. Mammals that may frequent the hammock include the white-tailed deer, raccoons, opossums, bobcats, and the endangered Florida panther. Students should be informed that most of these animals are very secretive and are rarely seen.

Who's easily seen?

Walk into a hammock during the wet season and you will see, hear, feel and become part of the food chain... as you provide lunch for mosquitoes! The hammock is a windbreak, moderating temperature and providing protection and shade for a variety of wildlife species. Look up carefully to spot the jewels of the Everglades, the tree snails. During the wet season, they move up and down the Lysilomas feeding on lichen. During the dry season, the snails estivate, attaching themselves to a tree branch until a rain shower brings them out to feed.

Bayheads

If the hammocks are considered the mountains of the Everglades, then the bayheads are its hills. The limestone elevation of bayheads is not as high as hammocks, and while hammocks generally remain high and dry during the wet season, bayheads may get flooded. The primary vegetation in bayheads includes Red Bay which has an aromatic smell and can be used as a spice; Sweet Bay Magnolia which has a pretty cream-colored flower; and Cocoplum which has rounded leaves and an edible fruit.