Ramsar Convention : Okefenokee Swamp

 Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge

Spanish Moss (Tillandsia usneoides) Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge, Charlton, Georgia, United States of America. Ramsar site no. 350.

The fabled & legendary swamp that is Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge. Wow ! Did I ever fall in love with this big & so very beautiful swamp of the Southern USA. The Flora & Fauna of this place just blew my little mind to bits & made a horrible mess but it could not be circumvented because this place is just ... AWESOME !! I imagined that this is home to the swamp creatures that I fell in love with as a child. Both Man-Thing & Swamp Thing could be envisioned walking these blackwaters.

Okefenokee Swamp is a shallow, 438,000-acre (177,000 ha), peat-filled wetland straddling the Georgia–Florida line in the United States of America. A majority of the swamp is protected by the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge and the Okefenokee Wilderness. The Okefenokee Swamp is considered to be one of the Seven Natural Wonders of Georgia. The Okefenokee is the largest "blackwater" swamp in North America.

The swamp was designated a National Natural Landmark in 1974. (from Wikipedia)

Hiding close to the shore of the blackwater swamp ... Banded Water Snake (Nerodia fasciata) Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge • Ramsar site no. 350.

This guy is just about to change his colours, you can see his slight brown starting to appear.

Green Anole (Anolis carolinensis) Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge • Ramsar site no. 350. Endemic in North America : native and occurs nowhere else. They change colour from green to brown.

Bronze Frog (Lithobates clamitans clamitans) Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge • Ramsar site no. 350.

Cricket Frog (Acris) on the lily pads. Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge • Ramsar site no. 350.

American Bullfrogs

& the Gators watched on ... American Alligator (Alligator mississippiensis) Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge • Ramsar site no. 350. Conservation Status: Threatened due to similarity of appearance (T (S/A)) (T (S/A)) in United States of America (USFWS)

Fauna

Hooded Pitcher Plant (Sarracenia minor) Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge • Ramsar site no. 350. Endemic in United States of America : native and occurs nowhere else.

Parrot Pitcher Plant (Sarracenia psittacina) Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge • Ramsar site no. 350. Endemic in United States of America : native and occurs nowhere else.

As you can tell I am absolutely enthralled with these plants.