Monthly Archives: March 2021

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Wildlife Living In Pennsylvania

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Forests

The US state of Pennsylvania has forest covering over half of the state. A great many of the forests are deciduous and have many oak hickory trees. The animals making their homes in the forests include black bears, cottontail rabbits, wild turkeys, nuthatches, warblers, blue jays, red-eyed vireos, ovenbirds, sparrows, red squirrels, barred owls, northern goshawks, red-shouldered hawks, pileated woodpeckers, and pine martens.
Often with people building homes farther into the forests the animal populations get disturbed. Other problems include birds flying into windows and getting killed and domestic animals such as dogs and cats hunting down wildlife.

Grasslands


About 1/4 of the state is covered by different kinds of grasslands and open areas. A great many of the grasslands are agricultural farms but also include parks, golf courses, sports fields, and lawns. Many birds rely on grasslands for nesting among them ring-necked pheasant, short-eared owl, wild turkey, northern harrier, whip-poor-will, prairie warbler, ruffed grouse, field sparrow, common yellow throat, bobwhite and woodcock. Also sharing the grasslands are rattlesnakes, butterflies, and small mammals such as mice, voles, and shrews.

Wetlands

The state of Pennsylvania has many areas with count as wetlands such as lakes, streams, bogs, marshes, ponds, and wet meadows. All of these provide habitat for wildlife. Among the wetland species you’ll find beaver, ducks, bittern, bog turtle, muskrats, herons, green frogs, spring peepers, rails and other frogs and salamanders. The wetlands are also a good place for black bears, black ducks, wood ducks, wood frogs, and American woodcocks to find their home. Unfortunately, much of the wetlands appear to be declining,
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New Jersey Wildlife

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Pine Barrens

One of the best places to see wildlife in New Jersey is in The Pine Barrens that are also referred to as The Pinelands. Visitors here can explore old abandoned towns and hike the many wooded trails. Enjoy nature and meet up with the wildlife that make their home here. You can enjoy hiking, cycling, canoeing, boating, fishing, hunting, and horseback riding.


There are many waterways among them the Mullica River and two tributaries, the Batso and Wading Rivers. You’ll find sandy roads and cedar swamps and trails long and short, The Pine Barrens comprises a major part of the Atlantic coastal pine barren Eco-region.


Let’s take a look at the wildlife that make their home here. Among the animals are 34 species of mammals, 36 species of fish, 24 amphibians, 30 reptiles, and 144 birds both year-round and migratory and over 10,000 invertebrate species. Of all these animals, 36 species are currently threatened or endangered.


Mammals

Among the large mammals are white-tailed deer, coyotes, the rare bob cat, beavers, and reclusive river otters. Also found here are the red and gray fox, mink, long-tailed weasel, southern bog lemming, eight species of bats, as well as raccoon, muskrat, squirrels, chipmunks, voles, and mice.

Beavers are found along streams and small bodies of water. They build dams and lodges of sticks and mud. They’ve brown fur, a paddle-like tail, and webbed feet.

Raccoons with black and white fur that look like they have masks across theri eyes. They are common all over the Pine Barrens.

River otters live in the Pine Barrens streams and wetlands, The enjoy the waters very much.

Southern Bog Lemming is mouse-like with brownish gray fur. They enjoy the open lowland bogs.

White-Tail Deer have reddish fur in summer and grayish in winter. They can be found in the forests.
Birds

You can find about 144 bird species here. The Pine Barrens is important to migrating and wintering birds that come here to enjoy the forests and swamps. Among them are wood warblers and other songbirds. The Pine Barren provide an important area for the birds for breeding, feeding, nesting, and resting, There is a lot of waterfowl like ducks and geese. Magnificent raptors like the bald eagle, red shouldered hawk, and osprey.

You’ll also find the tine Pine Warbler here. A cute yellowish bird that makes its home high up in pine trees.
Amphibians

Among the amphibians found here are many different frogs like Carpenter frogs, the Green frog, and the Southern Leopard frog.
Snakes

About 20 species of snakes live in the Pinelands. The only venomous species is the Timber rattlesnake. Other snakes include the Northern Pine snake and the most common snake in the Pinelands is the Northern Water snake, There is also the Eastern Hognose or Puff Adder.

Turtles you’ll find here include the Red-bellied Turtle, Musk Turtle, Eastern Painted Turtle, Eastern Mud Turtle, Eastern Box Turtle, and the Common Snapping Turtle.
Fish

The are a limited number of fish species. The species found her are Banded Sunfish, Blackbanded Sunfish, Pirate Perch, Mud Sunfish, Swamp Darter,Tessellated Darter Brown Bullhead Yellow Bullhead, American Eel, Bluespotted Sunfish, Ironcolor shiner, Eastern Mudminnow, Redfin Pickerel, Chain Pickerel, Creek Chubsucker and Tadpole Madtom.

You can find our more about The Pine Barrens in New Jersey online.

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Pine Barrens Wildlife