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This section is for self education.

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This information in this section is from multiple creditable sources. brushybert.com does not own it, but I use it myself.

Florida Bears

Florida Black Bear

Florida Panther

Florida Panther

Bobcat

Identifying Wild Cats 

Wild Hog

Feral Hogs

Coyote

Coyote's

Yellow Fly

Yellow Flies

Florida Stinging Caterpillar

Stinging Caterpillars

Black wWdow

Venomous Spiders

Africanized Killer Bees

Africanized Bees

Rattlesnake

Venomous snakes

Crocodile

Florida Crocodile

Crocodile

Living with Crocodiles

Insect PDF

Venomous Insects

Poisonous Plants of Florida

Poison Ivy.jpg
Poison Ivy

Description: Grows as a climbing vine, a shrub, or ground cover. It has leaves  of three. The leaflets can vary in shape, ranging from smooth to jagged edges, and their color changes with the seasons, displaying a  green in spring and summer, a red or orange in the fall, and a bare, brown in winter. It produces small, greenish white flowers in the spring and white berries in late summer and fall. 

Reaction: Red skin, bumpy skin, itchy skin, blisters and rash.

Poison sumac.jpg
Poison Sumac

Description: A woody plant, often reaching heights of 4 to 10 feet. Leaves consisting of 7 to 13 leaflets that are glossy and green during the growing season, turning to shades of yellow, orange, or red in the fall. Has small, white or grayish berries that hang from its branches.

Reaction: Red skin, bumpy skin, itchy skin, blisters and rash.

Spottd Water Hemlock.jpg
Spotted Water Hemlock

Description: It has a slender, hollow hairless stems and purple or reddish spots on the them with large leaves. The flowers comprises small, white flowers, creating a stark contrast against the lush green foliage. 

Reaction: Drooling, nausea, vomiting, wheezing, sweating, dizziness, stomach pain, flushing, weakness, tiredness, delirium, and uncontrollable bowel movements.

Gloriosa lily.jpg
Gloriosa Lily

Description: This perennial climber is characterized by its striking, flame-shaped blossoms, which often display a brilliant palette of red, orange, and yellow hues. The flowers are distinctive for their elongated, reflexed petals. The leaves are a green color and a lance-like shape.

Reaction: Burning mouth, difficulty swallowing, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, diarrhea, blood in feces, convulsions, paralysis, and death from respiratory paralysis.

Castor Bean Plant.jpg
Castor bean

Description: Up to 32 feet tall and features distinctive, palmate leaves that can reach 30 inches across. Its flowers are small and borne in clusters with mottled seeds commonly referred to as castor beans. The seeds are toxic and contain ricin, a potent toxin that can be fatal if ingested or inhaled in high concentrations.

Reaction: Inhalation: Breathing distress, fever, cough, nausea, tightness in the chest, heavy sweating, fluid building up in the lungs, low blood pressure, 

respiratory failure,  vomiting, diarrhea that may become bloody, severe dehydration, seizures, and blood in the urine.​

Oleander.jpg
Oleander

Description: Can grow to 10 feet, featuring long, narrow, dark green leaves and blossoms which can range in color from white and yellow to shades of pink and red. Each flower is trumpet-shaped and often clusters at the ends of the branches.

Reaction: Gastrointestinal: Nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, loss of appetite, and cramping.

Central nervous system: Confusion, dizziness, drowsiness, weakness, visual disturbances, mydriasis, headache, lethargy, fainting, depression, and disorientation.

Cardiac: Ventricular dysrhythmias, tachyarrhythmias, bradycardia, heart block, cardiac arrhythmia, and paralysis of the heart and breathing.

Angel's trumpet.jpg
Angel's Trumpet

Description:These flowers can vary in color from white to shades of yellow, pink, and orange. The blossoms, resembling a trumpet or bell, can reach up to 12 inches in length. The foliage featuring broad, glossy leaves that form a canopy around the blooms. A shrubby plant that can grow up to 10-15 feet tall.

Reaction: Hallucinations, seizures, and even death

Stinging nettle.jpg
Stinging Nettle

Description: It has distinctive serrated leaves and unique stinging hairs. The leaves are lance shaped and can reach up to five inches long, with a characteristic deep green hue. One of the most notable features of the stinging nettle is its tiny, hollow, hair-like structures called trichomes, which contain a mixture of irritants, including histamine and formic acid. When touched, these hairs inject their contents into the skin, causing a sharp, stinging sensation.

Reaction: Burning, itching, redness, swelling, numbness, small blisters  and rash.

King sago.jpg
King Sago

Description: A central trunk that can reach heights of up to 10 feet, arching leaves, which can extend up to 4 feet in length, forming a crown. The glossy, dark green fronds of the King Sago are arranged in a rosette pattern.

Reaction: Vomiting, diarrhea, drooling, bloody feces, liver damage, seizures, ataxia, paralysis,

 thirst,  urination, jaundice, bruising, lethargy, loss of appetite, nosebleeds, and abdominal pain.

Coontie.jpg
Coontie

Description: This cycad, often mistaken for a palm, is notable for its hardy nature and unique appearance. Its glossy, dark green leaves grow in a rosette formation. Historically, coontie was also utilized by Native Americans for its starchy root, which was processed into a form of flour. A height of about 2 to 4 feet. 

Reaction: Vomiting, dark stools, jaundice, increased thirst, bloody diarrhea, bruising, liver failure, death.

Pencil cactus.jpg
Pencil Cactus

Description: This plant features narrow, pencil like stems that can grow up to several feet tall, creating a slender and visually striking silhouette. The stems are typically bright green, turning slightly yellow or reddish when exposed to direct sunlight. This cactus does not have spines but instead has a smooth surface. 

Reaction: Redness, swelling, blistering, burning, rashes, nausea, vomiting, stomach cramps and diarrhea.

Rosary Peas.jpg
Rosary Peas

Description: They have vibrant red seeds, often with a distinctive black spot. The seeds contain a highly toxic compound called abrin, which can be lethal if ingested. Caution is advised due to their poisonous nature.

Reaction: Difficulty breathing, fever, cough, nausea, chest tightness, fluid buildup in the lungs, low blood pressure, respiratory failure,  vomiting, diarrhea, dehydration, hallucinations, seizures, blood in the urine, and abdominal pain.

Poisonous trees of Florida

Manchineel.jpg
Manchineel 

Description: This tree can reach heights of up to 30 feet. Its bark is smooth, and its leaves are glossy, elliptical, and can grow up to 4 inches long, creating a dense canopy that offers a false sense of security to unsuspecting travelers seeking shade. The fruits, which resemble green apples (death apple), are extremely poisonous.

Reaction: Severe burning and blistering of the skin, temporary blindness and death.

Brazilian pepper.jpg
Brazilian Pepper

Description: It can reach heights of up to 30 feet and features a dense, rounded crown. The leaves are pinnate, composed of numerous small leaflets that give the foliage a lush, green appearance. One of its most distinctive characteristics is its small, yellow-green flowers, which bloom in clusters and are often fragrant. The plant produces small red berries.

Reaction: Vomiting, diarrhea, dermatitis and eye irritation.

Poisonwood.jpg
Poisonwood 

Description: This tree can grow up to 30 feet tall, slender trunk often covered in deeply fissured bark that ranges in color from gray to brown. Its glossy, dark green leaves are compound and can grow up to 8 inches long. The sap, which contains toxic compounds.

Reaction: Itching, redness, Fluid filled blisters, swelling of the neck, face, mouth, genitals, and eyelids.

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