Life in Wetlands

Visit EPA's Biological Assessment of Wetlands Workgroup

Life in wetlands:

Mammals
Birds
Reptiles
Amphibians
Plants

Below is a list of some plants and animals you might see in a North American wetland. Click on the species name to see a picture and/or learn more about it. Please note that this is not a complete list of all wetland species. For more information, please visit the Missouri Botanical Gardens site on wetlands.

Note: All links below exit the EPA website.

Mammals:

American Beaver (Castor canadensis)
American Elk (Cervus elaphus)
Black Bear (Ursus americanus)
Long-tailed Weasel (Mustela frenata)
Mink (Mustela vison)
Moose (Alces alces)

Mountain Lion (Felis concolor)
Muskrat (Ondatra zibethicus)
Raccoon (Procyon lotor)
Red Fox (Vulpes vulpes)
White-tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus)

Birds:

American Bittern (Botaurus lentiginosus)
American Wigeon (Anas americana)
Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus)
Black Crowned Night Heron (Nycticorax nycticorax)
Blue- winged Teal (Anas discors)
Bufflehead (Bucephala albeola )
Canvas Back (Aythya valisineria)
Clapper Rail (Rallus longirostris)
Cooper's Hawk (Accipiter cooperii)
Double-crested Cormorant (Phalacrocorax auritus)
Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias)
Green- winged Teal (Anas crecca)
Lesser Scaup (Aythya affinis)
Mallard Duck (Anas platyrhnchos)
Northern Harrier (marsh hawk) (Circus cyaneus)
Osprey (Pandion haliaetus)
Red-winged Blackbird [male / female] (Agelaius phoeniceus)
Ring-necked Duck (Aythya collaris)
Sandhill Crane (Grus canadensis)
Snowy Egret (Egretta thula)
Wood Duck (Aix sponsa)

For more on Ducks, please visit Ducks of the World

Reptiles:

American Alligator (Alligator mississipiensis)
Bull Snake (Pituophis melanoleucus)
Cottonmouth (Agkistrodon piscivorous conanti)
Garter Snake (Thamnophis sirtalis)
King Snake(s) (Lampropeltis getula ssp.)
Lake Erie Water Snake (Nerodia sipedon insularum)
Painted Turtle (Chrysemys picta)
Red-eared Slider (Trachemys scripta elegans)
Snapping Turtle (Chelydra serpentina)

Amphibians:

Bull Frog (Rana catesbeiana)
Northern Leopard Frog (Rana pipiens)
Spotted Marshfrog (Limnodynastes tasmaniensis)
Northern Sedgefrog (Litoria bicolor)
Mudpuppy (Necturus maculosus)
Redback Salamander (Plethodon cinereus)
Spring Peeper (Hyla crucifer)
Blue-spotted Salamander (Ambystoma laterale)
Red-spotted newt (Notophthalmus viridescens)

Plants:

(some links require a little scrolling for full view)
Bald Cypress (Taxodium distichum)
Black Mangrove (Avicenna nitida)
Black Tupelo "Sour Gum" (Nyssa sylvatica)
Black Willow (Salix nigra)
Bladderwort (Utricularia species)
Bog Labrador Tea (Ledum groenlandicum)
Bog Moss (Mayaca fluviatilis)
Buttonbush (Cephalanthus occidentalis)
Cattail (Typha spp.)
Common Reed (Phragmites australis)
Eastern Cottonwood (Populus deltoides)
Flat Sedge (Cyperus odoratus)
Hooded Pitcher-plant (Sarracenia minor)
Leatherleaf (Chamaedaphne calyculata)
Liverwort (Marchantia polymorpha)
Northern White Cedar (Thuja occidentalis)
Overcup Oak (Quercus lyrata)
Pickerelweed (Pontederia cordata)
Pitcher-plant (Sarracenia purpurea)
Purple Loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria)
Red Maple (Acer rubrum)
Red Mangrove (Rhizophora mangle)
Round-leaved Sundew (Drosera rotundifolia)
Small Duckweed (Lemna valdiviana)
Smartweed (Polygonum spp.)
Soft Rush (Juncus effusus)
Soft-stem Bulrush (Scirpus validus)
Spartina (Spartina alterniflora)
Sphagnum Moss (Sphagnum quinquefarium)
Star-rush (Dichromena species)
Swamp Lily (Crinum americanum)
Venus Flytrap (Dionaea muscipula)
Water Lily (Nymphaea odorata)
White Alder (Alnus rhombifolia)

Biological Indicators | Aquatic Biodiversity | Statistical Primer