27px, we want 27. Please register or login . Saint Marks National Wildlife Refuge contains about 64,000 acres of saltwater and brackish marshes, hardwood swamps, pine flatwoods and pine-oak uplands, along with approximately 31,700 acres of water in Apalachee Bay. The refuge provides an extensive wintering ground for waterfowl, and at least 272 species of birds have been identified here including nesting pairs of southern bald eagles. Dozens of species of reptiles live at Saint Marks including American alligators, alligator snapping turtles, cottonmouths, rattlesnakes and coral snakes.
Feral hogs are common sights.
The rare Florida panther is suspected of hiding here. The most unusual animals are most likely to be spotted in the Wilderness Area. In October, Monarch butterflies cluster by the thousands. All of the designated Wilderness lies within the Saint Marks Unit on the eastern side of the refuge, from just east of Saint Marks Lighthouse to the eastern border of the refuge. You'll find here marshland dotted with tree islands and the lower ends of the Pinhook River and Aucilla River along with the Aucilla River Swamp.