From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This article seeks to serve as a field-guide, central repository, listing, and tour-guide for the flora and fauna of North Carolina and surrounding territories.

Contents 1 State Ecology 1.1 Coastal Region 1.2 Piedmont 1.3 Appalachian Mountains 2 Animal Life 2.1 Birds 2.2 Mammals 2.3 Reptiles 2.4 Amphibians 2.5 Fish 2.6 Invertebrates 3 Plant Life 3.1 Random Plants

[edit] State Ecology

North Carolina's geography is usually divided into three biomes: Coastal, Piedmont, and the Appalachian Mountains.

North Carolina is the most ecologically unique state in the southeast because its borders contain sub-tropical, temperate, and boreal habitats. Although the state is at temperate latitudes, the Applachian mountains and the Gulf Stream influence climate and, hence, the vegetation (flora) and animals (fauna).

[edit] Coastal Region

Located in eastern North Carolina, the coastal region is much warmer and more humid.

• Climate: Subtropical to Temperate
• Geography: Flat coastal plain

[edit] Piedmont

This region includes the urban biomes of Raleigh and Durham, as well as a large area of semi-mountainous, rolling hills.

• Climate: Temperate
• Geography: Rolling, gentle hills and flat valleys. The Piedmont ranges from about 300-400 feet (90-120 m) elevation in the east to over 1,000 feet (300 m) in the west

[edit] Appalachian Mountains

• Climate: Temperate to Boreal
• Geography - The Appalachians are much cooler, as elevations rise above 6000 feet.

[edit] Animal Life

[edit] Birds

• Canada Goose: The North Carolina coastal and Piedmont regions are the winter resting ground of the Canada Goose. However, habitat destruction, especially with respect to the Outlying Landing Field proposed by the U.S. Navy may cause significant populations to suffer.

Other birds include: Cardinal, wild turkey, cardinal, bald eagles, red cockaded wood peckers, barred owls, snow geese and canadian geese

[edit] Mammals

• Squirrel
• Deer
• Black Bear

In the mountains there are small populations of elk, bison, grey wolves, cougars, bobcats, and bears^{[citation needed]}.

[edit] Reptiles

Black snakes and copperhead

[edit] Amphibians

Frog - as pictured at left, may be a Spring peeper Pseudacris crucifer or Hyla crucifer - although any herpetologists or frog experts are welcome to correct this assessment. Common among North Carolina forests, this frog lives in high branches of trees, although it is also seen on the ground and commonly on roadways.

This is actually a Cope's gray treefrog (Hyla chrysocelis) or gray treefrog (H. versicolor). These two species cannot be differentiated except by their call or genetic analysis. However, H. versicolor is rare in the state and likely to not be pictured here. They are most abundant in some northern peidmont counties.

[edit] Fish

channel bass and wood ducks

[edit] Invertebrates

You may considder the jellyfish, though it lives in the ocean off our coast, it should still be considdered an invertibrae of North Carolina (as well as all the other states it is of the coast off too).

[edit] Plant Life

Loblolly Pine (Carolina Pine), Longleaf_Pine, American Sweetgum, red spruce, cherry trees, fir trees, rhododendron, wild fowers, beach grasses, wax myrtle, red cedar, flame azalea, dogwood and, mountain laurel

[edit] Random Plants

Also don't forget any other weed or flower you may come across your path.