The Everglades

The Everglades is a huge wet area in southern Florida. It is like a slow, wide river of grass. The water moves very slowly across the land. This wetland is home to alligators, birds, and many other animals.

A River of Grass

The Everglades is not a normal river. It is very shallow but very wide. Tall saw grass grows in the water. The water flows slowly from Lake Okeechobee toward the sea.

A map shows the swampy Everglades in southern Florida.
A map shows the swampy Everglades in southern Florida. (Kmusser / Wikimedia Commons)

Amazing Animals

The Everglades is the only place where alligators and crocodiles live together. Manatees swim in the warm water. Pink birds called roseate spoonbills wade in the shallows. Florida panthers hide in the forests nearby.

Fun Facts

  • The Everglades is a national park and a World Heritage Site.
  • Over 350 kinds of birds live in the Everglades.
  • The water in the Everglades is so shallow you could sometimes walk across it.

Did You Know?

Big Burmese pythons that escaped from pet owners now live wild in the Everglades.