Life in Wetlands
Visit EPA's Biological Assessment of Wetlands Workgroup
Life in wetlands:
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)