AppendixA:SpeciesCards

MostofthesecardsareprovidedbytheNorthCarolinaWildlifeCommission.TheAmericanalligatorcardisfromtheWorldAnimalFoundationandthemarbledsalamandercardisfromtheNCHerpswebsite.Ifyouwouldliketoaccesssimilarinformationforadditionalspecies,youcandobyvisitingwww.ncwildlife.org.ClickonLearning,andthenclickonspecies.

Includedinthispacket:

1. Diamondbackterrapin2. Easternhellbender3. Brooktrout4. Northernflyingsquirrel5. Americanalligator6. MarbledSalamander7. NorthernBobwhitequail8. Easternwildturkey9. Seaturtle10. ClapperRail

61

Diamondback TerrapinMalaclemys terrapin

Referred to as the “wind turtle,” some old-timers who live along the Gulf ascribeominous powers to the diamondback terrapin. Fishermen claim that capturinga terrapin will cause the wind to blow into a squall and bad luck to befall them.In North Carolina, a diamondback terrapin shell was found in an AmericanIndian shaman’s burial site as part of his medicine kit, no doubt a sacred object.

There are seven subspecies or, as some taxonomists claim, seven races ofdiamondback terrapins in North America. Two subspecies, the Northern andthe Carolina, are found in North Carolina.

DescriptionOften you will hear a diamondback before observing it in the marsh. The ter-rapin’s powerful jaws make a popping noise as the terrapin eats the periwinklesnails and other mollusks found in the marsh grass. The hind legs are large, andthe toes have extensive webs that are useful for its semi-aquatic existence. Theyare powerful swimmers and are feisty when picked up. Actively struggling, thediamondback is known to bite a toe or finger.

The diamondback exhibits a spotted pattern on the head and along the scutes,or plates. Even experts have difficulty identifying the seven subspecies. Thecoloration, patterns and shell characteristics vary greatly among individuals inthe wild. Many of the captive terrapins were released in North and South Carolinaafter the collapse of the commercial market and may have diluted the geneticsof native populations.

History and StatusDiamondback terrapins were once so abundant in North Carolina that they wereconsidered a nuisance. Fishermen were sometimes unable to haul catches dueto the weight of terrapins caught in their nets. But by 1920, the terrapin was amuch sought-after gourmet item, costing $90 per dozen. The market boomedand farms were established (notably in Beaufort, Carteret County) to breedthe species in captivity. After World War I the market declined because thewild populations were overharvested.

Though not endangered, the diamondback terrapin today is listed both stateand federally as a species of Special Concern. Because of this status within thestate, a special permit is required to possess or collect this species. Loss of habi-tat and mortality from incidental capture in nets and crab pots pose the greatestthreats to terrapin populations.

Diamondback TerrapinNorth Carolina Wildlife Profiles

Range Map

Diamondback terrapins arebeautiful turtles.

Range and DistributionThe diamondback terrapin is found along the

states of the Atlantic and Gulf coasts from

Cape Cod, Massachusetts, to Corpus Christi

Bay, Texas. The Northern diamondback terra-

pin is found from the northern shore of Cape

Cod south to Cape Hatteras, North Carolina.

From here south to Volusia County, Florida,

intergradation with the Carolina diamond-

back terrapin occurs.

62

Wild

Fac

tsCl

assi

ficat

ion

Clas

s: R

epti

lia

Ord

er: T

estu

dine

s

Fam

ily: E

myd

idae

Aver

age

Leng

thLe

ngth

: mal

e 4

in.–

5 in

.; fe

mal

e 6

in.–

9 in

.

Wei

ght:

1.5

lbs.

(fe

mal

es)

0.5

lbs.

(m

ales

)

Food

Crus

tace

ans,

mol

lusk

s, f

ish,

ins

ects

, occ

a-

sion

ally

ten

der

shoo

ts a

nd r

ootl

ets

Bree

ding

Mat

ing

occu

rs i

n th

e w

ater

in

spri

ng. E

ggs

are

laid

in la

te A

pril–

July

. Clu

tch

size

var

ies

from

4–

18 o

blon

g eg

gs. E

ggs

laid

in

cham

-

ber

dug

6 in

.–8

in. b

elow

sur

face

; nes

ting

occu

rs i

n th

e da

ytim

e du

ring

hig

h ti

des.

Incu

bati

on p

erio

ds a

re d

epen

dent

on

tem

-

pera

ture

and

var

y fr

om 6

1–10

4 da

ys f

or

cert

ain

nest

s. A

ge a

t se

xual

mat

urit

y is

esti

mat

ed a

t 5–

8 ye

ars.

Youn

gLe

ngth

jus

t ov

er o

ne i

n.;

wei

ght

6 g.

–10

g.

Life

Exp

ecta

ncy

May

exc

eed

40 y

ears

.

Habi

tat a

ndHa

bits

Dia

mon

dbac

k te

rrap

ins

are

adap

ted

for

life

in b

rack

ish

and

salt

wat

er. T

hey

typi

cally

hav

e hi

gh s

ite fi

delit

y, m

eani

ng t

hey

live

in o

ne a

rea

thro

ugho

ut t

heir

lives

, and

the

se a

reas

inc

lude

pro

tect

ed w

ater

s be

hind

bar

rier

isl

ands

, sal

tm

arsh

es, e

stua

ries

and

tid

al c

reek

s, a

nd f

lats

hid

den

amon

g th

e m

arsh

and

cord

gra

ss.

Nat

ural

pre

dato

rs in

clud

e al

ligat

ors,

sha

rks,

rap

tors

, ott

ers,

toa

dfis

h, a

nd c

rabs

. A

t hi

gh t

ide,

the

y sw

im a

bout

the

mar

shes

in s

earc

h of

foo

d;at

low

tid

e, t

hey

are

f oun

d ne

arly

or

enti

rely

bur

ied

in t

he m

ud o

r hi

dden

unde

r dr

ift. D

iam

ondb

ack

terr

apin

s ca

n ho

ld t

heir

bre

ath

from

45

min

utes

(dur

ing

sum

mer

) to

fiv

e ho

urs.

Som

etim

es g

roup

s of

thi

s sp

ecie

s ar

e fo

und

on e

xpos

ed m

udfla

ts, b

aski

ngin

the

sun

. Mat

ing

occu

rs in

the

spr

ing

whe

n in

divi

dual

s m

ove

from

ope

nla

goon

s in

to s

mal

l can

als

and

ditc

hes.

The

larg

er f

emal

e w

ill c

arry

her

mal

eco

unte

rpar

t up

on h

er b

ack

dur i

ng t

he c

ourt

ship

rit

ual.

Hat

chlin

gs e

mer

gefr

om t

heir

egg

s in

the

aut

umn

and

som

etim

es r

emai

n bu

ried

in t

he n

est

over

win

ter

or e

mer

ge a

nd b

ury

in t

he m

ud in

to t

he n

ext

spri

ng. A

dult

s al

so h

iber

-na

te d

urin

g th

e w

inte

r, su

bmer

ged

in t

he m

ud o

f ti

dal c

reek

s in

dee

p w

ater

whe

re t

he m

ud i

s le

ss l

ikel

y to

fre

eze.

Wit

h th

e on

set

of w

arm

er w

eath

er,

hatc

h lin

gs s

eek

out

and

rem

ain

in d

ense

cov

er s

uch

as m

ars h

gra

sses

and

tida

l wra

ck, p

resu

mab

ly u

ntil

they

rea

ch a

larg

er s

ize.

Dia

mon

dbac

k te

rrap

ins

are

mai

nly

carn

ivor

ous

and

whi

le t

heir

fav

orit

e fo

od is

per

iwin

kle,

the

y al

soea

t ot

her

mol

lusk

s, c

rust

acea

ns, i

nsec

ts, a

nnel

ids

and

the

occa

sion

al t

ende

rsh

oots

or

root

lets

.

Peop

le In

tera

ctio

nsD

iam

ondb

ack

terr

apin

s ar

e be

auti

ful t

urtl

es. B

ecau

se o

f th

eir

spec

ial c

once

rnst

atus

, dia

mon

dbac

k te

rrap

ins

are

prot

ecte

d fr

om h

arve

st in

Nor

th C

arol

ina.

Hum

ans

affe

ct t

erra

pin

popu

lati

ons

in v

ery

pron

ounc

ed w

ays.

Ter

rapi

ns a

redr

owne

d ea

ch y

ear

in c

rab

pots

, esp

ecia

lly d

erel

ict

trap

s lo

st in

the

wat

er. T

hese

deat

h tr

aps

rem

ain

in t

he w

ater

whe

re t

erra

pins

are

att

ract

ed t

o th

e ba

it o

r to

each

oth

er. I

f an

indi

vidu

al e

nter

s a

crab

pot

, oth

ers

will

follo

w a

nd e

vent

ually

drow

n. O

ne c

rab

pot,

foun

d in

Nor

th C

arol

ina,

con

tai n

ed 2

9 de

com

posi

ng t

er-

rapi

ns. A

dult

fem

ales

are

typ

ical

ly t

oo la

rge

to e

nter

cra

b po

ts s

o ad

ult

mal

esan

d yo

ung

fem

ales

are

usu

ally

the

cas

ualt

ies.

Ter

rapi

n bi

olog

ists

adv

ocat

e th

eus

e of

BR

Ds

(byc

atch

red

ucti

on d

evic

es),

whi

ch p

reve

nt s

mal

ler

terr

apin

s fr

omen

teri

ng c

rab

pots

. The

incr

ease

in r

acco

ons

and

othe

r pr

edat

ors

asso

ciat

ed w

ithhu

man

dev

elop

men

t m

ay in

crea

se a

dult

, nes

t, an

d ha

tchl

ing

depr

e dat

ion.

Diam

ondb

ack

Terr

apin

Wild

life

Profi

les—

Nor

th C

arol

ina

Wild

life

Reso

urce

s C

omm

issi

on

Ref

eren

ces

Prit

char

d, P

eter

. Enc

yclo

pedi

a of

Tur

tles

(T.F

.H. P

ublic

atio

ns, 1

979)

. R

udlo

e, J

ack.

Tim

e of

the

Turt

le(E

.P. D

utto

n, 1

979)

. Bu

hlm

ann,

Kur

t, Tr

acy

Tube

rvill

e, a

nd W

hit

Gib

bons

. Tur

tles

of th

e So

uthe

ast,

(Uni

vers

ity

of G

eorg

ia P

ress

, 200

8)Pa

lmer

, W. a

nd A

. Bra

swel

l. 19

95. R

eptil

es o

f Nor

th C

arol

ina.

(U

nive

rsit

y of

Nor

th C

arol

ina

Pres

s, 1

995)

.

Cre

dits

Wri

tten

by

The

rese

Con

ant;

upda

ted

by K

endr

ick

Wee

ks, L

eigh

Ann

e H

arde

n, a

nd K

imbe

rly

Burg

e N

CW

RC

.Ph

otos

by

NC

WR

C a

nd c

ourt

esy

of O

hio

Uni

vers

ity.

Illu

stra

ted

by J

.T. N

ewm

an.

Prod

uced

by

the

Div

isio

n of

Con

serv

atio

n E

duca

tion

, N.C

. Wild

life

Res

ourc

es C

omm

issi

on.

The

Wild

life

Res

ourc

es C

omm

issi

on is

an

Equ

al O

ppor

tuni

ty E

mpl

oyer

and

all

wild

life

prog

ram

s ar

e ad

min

iste

red

for

the

bene

fit o

f all

Nor

th C

arol

ina

citi

zens

wit

hout

pre

judi

ceto

war

d ag

e, s

ex, r

ace,

rel

igio

n or

nat

iona

l ori

gin.

Vio

lati

ons

of t

his

pled

ge m

ay b

e re

port

ed t

o th

e E

qual

Opp

ortu

nity

Em

ploy

men

t O

ffice

r, N

.C. W

ildlif

e R

esou

rces

Com

mis

sion

. 17

51 V

arsi

ty D

rive

, Ral

eigh

, N.C

. 276

06. (

919)

707-

0101

.

Diam

ondb

ack

Terr

apin

Wild

life

Profi

les—

Nor

th C

arol

ina

Wild

life

Reso

urce

s C

omm

issi

on

Q&A—

Reso

urce

s fo

r Tea

cher

s1.

Wha

t is t

he la

rges

t thr

eat t

o di

amon

dbac

k te

rrap

ins?

U

natt

ende

d cr

ab p

ots.

2.W

hat d

o di

amon

dbac

k te

rrap

ins e

at?

Mol

lusk

s (e

spec

ially

sal

tmar

sh p

eriw

inkl

e), c

rust

acea

ns, w

orm

s, in

sect

s, fi

sh, a

nd o

ccas

iona

lly te

nder

roo

ts.

3.W

hich

gen

der,

mal

e or

fem

ale

terr

apin

s, ar

e m

ost a

ffect

ed b

y cr

ab p

ots a

nd w

hy?

Mal

es, b

ecau

se th

ey a

re s

mal

ler

and

can

mor

e ea

sily

ent

er tr

aps.

NCW

RC In

tera

ctio

nTh

e di

amon

dbac

k te

rrap

in is

not

onl

y a

spec

ies

ofco

ncer

n in

Nor

th C

arol

ina

but

is a

lso

a pr

iorit

y sp

ecie

sin

the

N. C

. Wild

life

Acti

on P

lan.

Pri

orit

y sp

ecie

s ar

eta

rget

ed f

or c

onse

rvat

ion

acti

on in

the

hop

es o

f pr

e-ve

ntin

g th

e di

amon

dbac

k fr

om b

ecom

ing

enda

nger

ed.

Man

agem

ent

of t

his

spec

ies

is a

cha

lleng

e fo

r N

CWRC

due

to it

s ha

bita

t pr

efer

ence

s an

d in

volv

es a

coo

rdi-

nate

d ef

fort

am

ong

mul

tipl

e ag

enci

es a

nd p

artn

er-

ship

s to

pro

vide

con

tinu

ed p

rote

ctio

n fr

om t

he t

hrea

tsto

its

surv

ival

. The

se t

hrea

ts in

clud

e de

relic

t cr

ab p

otdr

owni

ng, p

ollu

tion

, and

dev

elop

men

t pr

essu

res.

63

Eastern Hellbender

NORTH CAROLINA WILDLIFE RESOURCES COMMISSION1 eastern hellbender

NORTH CAROLINA WILDLIFE RESOURCES COMMISSION

Photo by: Dottie Brown Photo courtesy of NCWRC

fact sheet, 2012

The hellbender is one of only three giant salamanders found in the world. North Carolina is home to more than 65 species

of salamanders, with 50 species in our mountain region alone. The Eastern hellbender (Crypto-branchus a. alleganiensis) is one of the largest salamanders found in North Carolina and the United States. Only the amphiuma, a salamander shaped like an eel, is longer.

Hellbenders are 16 to 17 inches long on average, but they can grow to be more than 2 feet long and weigh more than 2 pounds. The hellbender’s skin on its back ranges in color from grayish brown to reddish brown. Darker spots or mottled patches may also be present on the back. The belly is usu-ally one color and generally lighter than the back.

The hellbender’s head and body are Àattened with a rounded snout and a pair of small, reduced eyes. Hellbenders are mostly nocturnal and rely heavily on touch and smell to catch food. The hellbender absorbs dissolved oxygen found in fast-running waters into its lungs through its skin. A loose fold of skin called a “frill” runs from the base of the neck down to the tail. The frill increases the surface area of the skin, helping the hellbender get oxygen.

Hatchling hellbenders have external gills. Gill slits located at the base of the throat replace external gills when the young reach 1½ years. The young hellbender is then able to absorb oxygen through its skin. The hellbender is mature at about 6 to 8 years of age, at which time it is about 1 foot long. It will continue to grow for many years to come.

DESCRIPTION

HABITATS AND HABITS

Hellbenders breed from September to early November. The males defend territories before the breeding season begins. They dig out a large saucer-shaped nest into which females lay from 200 to 500 eggs in strands held together by a sticky substance that hardens when it meets water. This keeps the eggs close together in the nest. The male fertilizes the

Photo by: TR Russ

Photo by: Lori Williams

64

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RTH

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LIN

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ILD

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OM

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ellb

ende

r

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AN

D S

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ogis

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arch

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ellb

ende

rs in

shal

low

rive

rs u

sing

snor

kelin

g eq

uipm

ent.

They

mea

sure

and

wei

gh

them

bef

ore

rele

asin

g th

em b

ack

into

the

wat

er. (

Left

phot

o by

TR

Russ

; rig

ht p

hoto

by

Lori

Will

iam

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65

Brook TroutSalvelinus fontinalis

The brook trout is regarded as one of North America’s most beautiful nativefish species. Here in North Carolina, local anglers often call them “specks,”“speckled trout,” or “brookies.” Recent genetic studies suggest that the nativebrook trout found in the southern Appalachians, including the mountains ofwestern North Carolina, represent a unique strain called Southern Appalachianbrook trout.

History and Status The brook trout is the only trout native to western North Carolina. Severalvarieties of brook trout exist within its indigenous range from the mountainsof Georgia to the coastal rivers of Canada. North Carolina mountain streamsonce teemed with Southern Appalachian brook trout (the strain of brook troutnative to North Carolina) where abundant rainfall, cool climate, cold ground-water and dense forest cover provided optimum living conditions. In the late1800s, logging companies began to cut the vast stands of virgin timber in themountains of the state. Early logging practices included the construction ofroads and rail lines up river valleys, intensive tree cuttings on steep slopes,and the usage of splash dams to transport logs downstream. These activitiescaused significant damage to stream habitats. Extensive erosion and siltationfrom land disturbing activities limited spawning success by smothering eggsand restricting their oxygen supply, and streams that historically supportedcoldwater fishes were warmed due to lost canopy cover.

Northern strain brook trout (from the northeastern U.S), rainbow trout(from the western U.S.) and brown trout (from Europe) were stocked around1900 to replace brook trout populations lost due to logging operations. Residentbrook trout were often unable to compete with rainbow and brown trout foravailable food, habitat and spawning sites within the altered landscape of thesoutheast. In addition, alterations to native brook trout population geneticshave occurred due to interactions with Northern strain brook trout. With con-tinued development of the mountain region and further encroachment onhabitat by man and non-native species, the future of the wild brook trout isof concern, and since 1900, the brook trout range is thought to have declinedby about 80 percent. State and federal agencies are developing strategies toidentify, maintain and expand existing wild brook trout populations to ensuretheir survival in their native range.

Description Brook trout can be distinguished by the olive-green coloration of the uppersides with mottled, dark green “worm-like” markings on their backs and tails.

Brook TroutNorth Carolina Wildlife Profiles

Range Map

One of America’smost beautiful fish.

Range and DistributionWild brook trout are often restricted to

small headwater streams in the mountains

of North Carolina. Genetic studies indicate

that brook trout native to North Carolina

represent a unique strain called Southern

Appalachian brook trout.

66

Wild

Fac

tsCl

assifi

catio

nCl

ass:

Ost

eich

thye

s (b

ony °VKHV�

Ord

er: S

alm

onif

orm

es

Fam

ily: S

alm

onid

ae

Aver

age

Size

Leng

th: 6

in. t

o 8

in.

Wei

ght:

1­4

to 1­2

lbs.

Food

Adul

ts e

at a

wid

e va

riet

y of

aqu

atic

and

terr

estr

ial i

nsec

ts, a

s w

ell a

s cr

usta

cean

s,°VK

and

othe

r sm

all v

erte

brat

es, w

hile

youn

g fe

ed o

n sm

all a

quat

ic a

nd t

erre

s-tr

ial i

nsec

ts.

Spaw

ning

Occ

urs

in f

all,

gene

rally

Sep

tem

ber

thro

ugh

Nov

embe

r. Fe

mal

es w

ill c

on-

stru

ct a

nes

t �UHGG�

in g

rave

l, an

d in

cuba

tion

per

iod

vari

es d

epen

ding

up

on w

ater

tem

pera

ture

.

Youn

gCa

lled

alev

ins.

Rem

ain

in n

est �UHGG�

unti

l yol

k sa

c is

abs

orbe

d, t

hen

emer

geas

fre

e-sw

imm

ing

fry.

Mos

t re

ach

sexu

alm

atur

ity

at a

ppro

xim

atel

y tw

o ye

ars

Life

Exp

ecta

ncy

Gen

eral

ly s

hort

-live

d, s

eldo

m lo

nger

tha

n4

year

s in

the

wild

.

The

low

er s

ides

are

ligh

ter

wit

h ye

llow

spo

ts in

ters

pers

ed w

ith

few

er s

pots

of b

righ

t re

d su

rrou

nded

by

blue

. The

low

er fi

ns a

re o

rang

e w

ith

a na

rrow

blac

k ba

nd n

ext

to a

lead

ing

whi

te e

dge.

Hab

itat a

nd H

abits

W

ild b

rook

tro

ut a

re m

ost

abun

dant

in

isol

ated

, hig

h-al

titu

de h

eadw

ater

stre

ams

whe

re t

he w

ater

is f

ree

of p

ollu

tion

and

ric

h in

oxy

gen.

Bro

ok t

rout

pref

er s

trea

ms

wit

h st

able

wat

er fl

ows,

silt

-fre

e gr

avel

for

spaw

ning

and

an

abun

danc

e of

poo

ls a

nd r

iffles

wit

h su

ffici

ent

in-s

trea

m c

over

, suc

h as

logs

and

boul

ders

. You

ng b

rook

tro

ut fe

ed o

n sm

all a

quat

ic a

nd t

erre

stri

al in

sect

s.A

dult

s ea

t a

wid

e va

riet

y of

aqu

atic

and

ter

rest

rial

inse

cts,

as

wel

l as

crus

-ta

cean

s, fi

sh a

nd o

ther

sm

all v

erte

brat

es.

Dec

reas

ing

dayl

ight

and

tem

pera

ture

ass

ocia

ted

wit

h au

tum

n si

gnify

the

onse

t of s

paw

ning

, whi

ch ty

pica

lly o

ccur

s be

twee

n Se

ptem

ber

and

Nov

embe

r.T

he f

emal

e w

ill c

onst

ruct

a n

est

calle

d a

“red

d” in

the

gra

vel s

ubst

rate

. The

mal

e co

urts

the

fem

ale

and

will

cha

se a

way

intr

udin

g m

ales

. Bot

h fis

h th

ense

ttle

into

the

red

d an

d re

leas

e eg

gs (

100

to 5

,000

dep

endi

ng o

n th

e si

ze o

fth

e fe

mal

e) a

nd s

perm

(m

ilt)

sim

ulta

neou

sly.

Fer

tiliz

ed e

ggs

are

cove

red

wit

hgr

avel

by

the

fem

ale

and

rem

ain

in th

e re

dd u

ntil

they

hat

ch in

the

earl

y sp

ring

.O

nce

free

-sw

imm

ing

fry

emer

ge fr

om th

e re

dd it

will

take

them

app

roxi

mat

ely

two

year

s to

bec

ome

mat

ure.

Gen

eral

ly s

hort

-liv

ed, b

rook

tro

ut s

eldo

m li

velo

nger

than

four

yea

rs in

the

wild

, and

they

rar

ely

exce

ed te

n in

ches

in le

ngth

.

Peop

le In

tera

ctio

nsIn

Nor

th C

arol

ina,

bro

ok t

rout

are

lega

l-ly

tak

en b

y ho

ok-a

nd-l

ine

spor

t fis

hing

,an

d m

anag

emen

t is

dir

ecte

d to

war

den

hanc

ing

and

prot

ecti

ng w

ild p

opul

a-ti

ons,

whi

le p

rovi

ding

sea

sona

l fish

erie

svi

a st

ocki

ngs.

Ang

lers

pri

ze b

rook

tro

utfo

r th

eir

delic

ate

flesh

and

sup

erio

r fla

-vo

r, an

d al

so b

ecau

se o

f the

ir w

illin

gnes

sto

tak

e ar

tific

ial a

nd n

atur

al b

aits

. Fis

h -in

g dr

y fli

es, s

trea

mer

s an

d ny

mph

s th

at i

mit

ate

natu

ral

food

ite

ms

wor

ksw

ell.

Thi

s m

etho

d is

esp

ecia

lly p

opul

ar i

n N

orth

Car

olin

a’s m

any

stre

ams

that

sup

port

wild

tro

ut. F

ishi

ng b

aits

, suc

h as

wor

ms

and

corn

, wor

k w

ell

for

hatc

hery

-rea

red

broo

k tr

out.

Spi

n ca

stin

g sm

all

spin

ners

, spo

ons

and

cran

kbai

ts c

an b

e pr

oduc

tive

as

wel

l. C

heck

the

cur

rent

tro

ut fi

shin

g re

gula

-ti

ons

on t

he t

ype

of lu

res

allo

wed

as

wel

l as

the

size

lim

it a

nd c

reel

lim

it f

ora

part

icul

ar t

rout

wat

er b

efor

e fis

hing

.

Broo

k Tr

out

Wild

life

Profi

les—

Nor

th C

arol

ina

Wild

life

Reso

urce

s C

omm

issi

on

Ref

eren

ces

Car

land

er, K

. D. H

andb

ook

of F

resh

wat

er F

ishe

ry B

iolo

gy, V

olum

e 1

(Am

es, I

owa:

Iow

a St

ate

Uni

vers

ity

Pres

s, 1

969)

.Je

nkin

s, R

. E.,

and

N. M

. Bur

khea

d.Fr

eshw

ater

Fis

hes

of V

irgi

nia

(Bet

hesd

a, M

aryl

and;

Am

eric

an F

ishe

ries

Soc

iety

199

3).

Man

ooch

, III

, C. S

. Fis

herm

an’s

Gui

de to

the

Fish

es o

f the

Sou

thea

ster

n U

nite

d St

ates

(Ral

eigh

, N.C

.: N

.C. S

tate

Mus

eum

of

Nat

ural

His

tory

, 198

4).

McC

lane

, A. J

. McC

lane

’s N

ew S

tand

ard

Fish

ing

Ency

clop

edia

and

Int

erna

tiona

l Ang

ling

Gui

de(N

ew Y

ork:

Hol

t, R

ineh

art

and

Win

ston

, 196

5).

Cre

dits

W

ritt

en b

y M

ark

S. D

avis

; Upd

ated

by

Jaco

b R

ash–

NC

WR

C.

Illu

stra

ted

by J

.T. N

ewm

an.

Prod

uced

by

the

Div

isio

n of

Con

serv

atio

n E

duca

tion

, Cay

Cro

ss–E

dito

r, C

arla

Osb

orne

–Des

igne

r. T

he N

.C. W

ildlif

e R

esou

rces

Com

mis

sion

is a

n Eq

ual O

ppor

tuni

ty E

mpl

oyer

, and

all

wild

life

prog

ram

s ar

e ad

min

iste

red

for

the

bene

fit o

f all

Nor

th C

arol

ina

citiz

ens

with

out p

reju

dice

tow

ard

age,

sex

, rac

e, r

elig

ion

or n

atio

nal o

rigi

n. V

iola

tion

s of

thi

s pl

edge

may

be

repo

rted

to

the

Equ

al E

mpl

oym

ent

Offi

cer,

N.C

. Wild

life

Res

ourc

es C

omm

issi

on, 1

751

Vars

ity

Dr.,

Ral

eigh

, N.C

. 276

06. (

919)

707

-010

1.

Broo

k Tr

out

Wild

life

Profi

les—

Nor

th C

arol

ina

Wild

life

Reso

urce

s C

omm

issi

on

Q&A 1.

Wha

t doe

s the

bro

ok tr

out’s

scie

ntifi

c na

me

(Salv

elin

us fo

ntin

alis) m

ean?

Salv

elin

us =

cha

r an

d fo

ntin

alis

= li

ving

in s

prin

gs; a

cha

r liv

ing

in s

prin

gs. A

ccor

ding

to

fish

taxo

nom

y cl

as-

sific

atio

ns t

he b

rook

tro

ut is

a c

har,

but

due

to y

ears

of

refe

renc

ing

the

fish

as a

tro

ut, w

e co

ntin

ue t

o ca

ll it

the

“bro

ok t

rout

” in

lieu

of

the

“bro

ok c

har.”

2.M

y fa

mily

has

a tr

out s

trea

m o

n ou

r lan

d, b

ut o

ur li

vest

ock

need

to a

cces

s to

the

wat

er. W

hat c

anw

e do

to h

elp

the

stre

am, w

hile

still

pro

vidi

ng w

ater

for o

ur a

nim

als?

The

Nat

iona

l Res

ourc

e C

onse

rvat

ion

Serv

ice

(ww

w.n

rcs.

usda

.gov

) of

fers

cos

t-sh

are

prog

ram

s to

ass

ist

wit

hri

pari

an r

esto

rati

on p

roje

cts

that

sti

ll pr

ovid

e liv

esto

ck a

cces

s to

wat

er.

3. W

here

can

I le

arn

mor

e ab

out e

ffort

s to

prot

ect b

rook

trou

t?T

he E

aste

rn B

rook

Tro

ut J

oint

Ven

ture

(w

ww

.eas

tern

broo

ktro

ut.o

rg)

is a

par

tner

ship

com

pris

ed o

f st

ate,

fed

-er

al a

nd n

ongo

vern

men

tal a

genc

ies

that

is w

orki

ng t

o pr

otec

t th

e br

ook

trou

t th

roug

hout

its

nati

ve r

ange

.

Link

sTo

see

a b

rook

tro

ut in

act

ion,

go

to:h

ttp:

//ww

w.v

iew

.flyfi

shin

gnc.

com

/gal

lery

NCW

RC In

tera

ctio

n: H

ow Y

ou C

an H

elp

- ideS .aniloraC htroN ni tatibah tuort koorb tcetorp ot kro

W men

t is

the

num

ber

one

sour

ce o

f po

lluti

on in

the

sta

te a

ndit

is p

rim

ary

caus

e fo

r th

e de

mis

e of

bro

ok t

rout

pop

ulat

ions

acro

ss w

este

rn N

orth

Car

olin

a. B

y w

orki

ng t

o re

duce

ero

sion

by s

tabi

lizin

g st

ream

ban

ks a

nd b

y m

aint

aini

ng v

eget

ated

pleh ot trap rieht od nac srenwo dnal etavirp ,sreffub

maerts prot

ect

broo

k tr

out

habi

tat.

In

the

end,

pro

tect

ion

of b

rook

trou

t ha

bita

t is

the

key

to

the

perp

etua

tion

of

the

spec

ies.

67

Carolina Northern Flying SquirrelGlaucomys sabrinus coloratus

History and Status Biologists first discovered the Northern flying squirrel in North Carolina inthe early 1950s. The animal was already known from a wide area of north-ern North America as a common inhabitant of coniferous and mixed conif-erous-deciduous forests. The squirrel was found in three areas of the southernAppalachi ans: Mount Mitchell, Roan Mountain, and the Great Smoky Moun-tains. While biologists thought the squirrel likely occurred on high mountainsthroughout the region, it was not until the federal government declared theNorthern flying squirrel an endangered species in 1985 that funds becameavailable to study its distribution. Subsequent studies found the species ina total of eight mountain ranges: Long Hope, Roan, Grandfather, and theBlack-Craggy Mountains north and east of the French Broad River Basin,and Great Balsam, Plott Balsam, Smoky, and Unicoi Mountains south andwest of the French Broad River Basin.

Description Northern flying squirrels have bright cinnamon brown colored fur dorsally,gray fur around the face and the end of the tail, and bicolored fur on the bellythat is gray at the base and creamy white at the tip of each hair. This squir-rel’s most distinctive feature is the cape of loose skin that stretches from itswrists to its ankles and forms the membrane on which it glides. The squirrelhas a long, flat, furred tail.

The northern flying squirrel superficially resembles the smaller, more com-mon southern flying squirrel (Glaucomys volans). Adult northern flying squirrelsare almost twice the weight of adult Southern flying squirrels. While there issome elevational overlap in their range around 4000 to 5000 feet, northernflying squirrels are restricted to the highest elevations while southern flyingsquirrels are found most commonly at low to mid elevations.

Habitats and HabitsThe northern flying squirrel inhabits the cool, wet boreal and deciduous forestsof North Carolina’s highest mountains. It prefers a mix of conifers (red spruce,Fraser fir, Eastern hemlock) and northern hardwood trees (yellow birch, buck-eye, sugar maple). Biologists have found that the squirrel forages in the conifersand dens in the hardwoods. Dens are found in live and dead trees and includeold woodpecker cavities, rotted knotholes where branches have broken off,

Carolina NorthernFlying SquirrelNorth Carolina Wildlife Profiles

Range Map

A gliding tree squirrel

Range and DistributionThe northern flying squirrel is found acrossCanada and the northern United States, itsrange extending southward in the greatmountain chains of North America. NorthCarolina is the southern extent of this speciesin eastern North America, with the Carolinasubspecies distributed in western NorthCarolina, east Tennessee, and southwestVirginia. In North Carolina the squirrel isisolated in small populations on the high-est mountains. It had a wider range at theselatitudes tens of thousands of years agoduring glacial times when boreal forestwas much more extensive.

68

Wild

Fac

tsCl

assifi

catio

nCl

ass:

Mam

mal

iaO

rder

: Rod

enti

a

Aver

age

Size

Leng

th: 1

0 3 ­4

to 1

2 1 ­4

in.

Wei

ght:

3 1 ­

2to

4 1 ­

4oz

.

Food

Fung

i, pa

rtic

ular

ly m

ycor

rhiz

al f

ungi

,lic

hens

, con

ifer

and

har

dwoo

d se

eds,

frui

ts, i

nsec

ts, t

ree

buds

, and

som

e an

imal

mat

ter.

Bree

ding

Giv

es b

irth

to

litte

rs o

f 2

to 4

you

ngfo

llow

ing

a ge

stat

ion

of 3

7 to

42

days

.O

ne t

o tw

o lit

ters

per

yea

r, w

ith

the

°UVW

litt

er in

May

or

June

and

the

sec

ond

in t

he s

umm

er.

Youn

gW

eigh

abo

ut 1 ­

4of

an

ounc

e an

d ar

eab

out

2 3 ­4

inch

es lo

ng a

t bi

rth.

Eye

sop

en a

t 1

mon

th, w

eani

ng o

ccur

s at

abou

t 2

mon

ths.

Life

Exp

ecta

ncy

Som

e no

rthe

rn ±\LQJ

squ

irre

ls li

ve f

or 6

or 7

yea

rs, b

ut m

ost

do n

ot li

ve t

hat

long

.

How

far c

an th

ey g

lide?

Flyi

ng s

quir

rels

dro

p ab

out

a fo

ot f

orev

ery

thre

e fe

et o

f fo

rwar

d gl

ide.

Glid

edi

stan

ce d

epen

ds o

n te

rrai

n sh

ape

and

heig

ht o

f th

e ta

ke o

ff t

ree.

The

y ca

n no

tga

in a

ltit

ude.

hollo

w a

nd s

plit

tre

e tr

unks

, and

sub

terr

anea

n ro

ck d

ens.

The

squ

irre

l bui

lds

a di

stin

ctiv

e ne

st o

f fin

ely

shre

dded

yel

low

bir

ch b

ark

that

may

be

used

for

denn

ing

or r

eari

ng y

oung

. It

also

con

stru

cts

stic

k ne

sts,

cal

led

“dre

ys”,

in t

hede

nse

folia

ge o

f con

ifer

limbs

dur

ing

the

war

mer

mon

ths.

The

stic

k ne

st is

line

dw

ith s

hred

ded

birc

h ba

rk. I

ndiv

idua

l squ

irre

ls u

sual

ly h

ave

3 to

8 fa

vori

te d

ensi

tes

and

mov

e fr

eely

bet

wee

n de

ns, o

ften

sha

ring

a n

est w

ith o

ther

squ

irre

ls.

Glid

ing

to F

ood

Nor

ther

n fly

ing

squi

rrel

s ar

e no

ctur

nal,

emer

ging

from

thei

r de

ns ju

st b

efor

edu

sk t

o fo

rage

. The

y do

not

sto

re f

ood

in t

heir

den

s, h

owev

er, a

nd t

ake

off

from

the

nes

t to

a f

avor

ite

feed

ing

area

. Tra

velin

g qu

ickl

y, t

hey

sail

from

the

tops

of

tree

s by

pus

hing

off

wit

h po

wer

ful h

indq

uart

ers,

spr

eadi

ng a

ll fo

urle

gs, a

nd g

lidin

g to

the

gro

und

or t

he b

ase

of a

nea

rby

tree

. T

he n

orth

ern

flyin

g sq

uirr

el e

ats

man

y di

ffer

ent

kind

s of

foo

ds, a

nd s

ome

of it

s fa

vori

te fo

ods

are

fung

i. M

ycor

rhiz

al fu

ngi g

row

in a

ssoc

iati

on w

ith

the

root

s of

pla

nts.

The

frui

ting

bodi

es, c

alle

d tr

uffle

s, a

re fo

und

unde

rgro

und

and

emit

a s

tron

g od

or t

hat

attr

acts

squ

irre

ls. T

he s

quir

rel’s

kee

n se

nse

of s

mel

lan

d gl

idin

g ab

ility

allo

w it

to s

eek

out f

resh

“bl

oom

s” o

f aro

mat

ic tr

uffle

s ac

ross

its

hom

e ra

nge.

Thi

s “t

ree

squi

rrel

” ac

tual

ly s

pend

s m

ost

of it

s w

akin

g ho

urs

on t

he g

roun

d, d

iggi

ng f

or t

ruffl

es a

nd s

earc

hing

for

oth

er f

ood

item

s. T

rees

need

myc

orrh

izal

fung

i to

grow

, and

myc

orrh

izal

fung

i nee

d an

ani

mal

to

dis-

pers

e th

eir

spor

es. I

n ef

fect

, the

squ

irre

l per

petu

ates

its

own

fore

sted

hab

itat

thro

ugh

its

cons

umpt

ion

and

disp

ersa

l of

thes

e fu

ngi.

In s

prin

g, fe

mal

e no

rthe

rn fl

ying

squ

irre

ls g

ive

birt

h to

tw

o to

four

you

ng.

Seco

nd li

tter

s ar

e po

ssib

le if

the

fem

ale

is in

goo

d nu

triti

onal

con

ditio

n. Y

oung

squi

rrel

s ar

e he

lple

ss a

t bi

rth

and

depe

nd c

ompl

etel

y on

the

ir m

othe

r’s c

are.

Eye

s op

en w

hen

the

squi

rrel

is a

mon

th o

ld. N

ursi

ng s

tops

a m

onth

late

r, at

whi

ch p

oint

you

ng s

quir

rels

firs

t be

gin

jum

ping

and

glid

ing

shor

t di

stan

ces.

Peop

le In

tera

ctio

ns

Mos

t N

orth

Car

olin

ians

nev

er s

ee t

he n

orth

ern

flyin

g sq

uirr

el b

ecau

se i

tliv

es in

the

hig

h m

ount

ains

and

it is

noc

turn

al. W

e ha

ve a

ffec

ted

the

squi

r-re

ls’ h

abit

at in

sev

eral

way

s. L

oggi

ng a

nd s

ubse

quen

t fir

es d

urin

g th

e ea

rly

part

of

this

cen

tury

cha

nged

lar

ge a

reas

of

high

ele

vati

on f

ores

ts i

n th

eG

reat

Bal

sam

and

Bla

ck M

ount

ains

. The

se f

ores

ts a

re s

till

reco

veri

ng f

rom

that

dis

turb

ance

. The

bal

sam

woo

lly a

delg

id, a

n in

sect

pes

t, h

as i

nfes

ted

and

kille

d m

ost

of t

he m

atur

e Fr

aser

fir

stan

ds in

Nor

th C

arol

ina.

The

hem

-lo

ck w

oolly

ade

lgid

is c

urre

ntly

dec

imat

ing

hem

lock

sta

nds.

For

tuna

tely

, for

the

squi

rrel

, it

can

also

live

in n

orth

ern

hard

woo

d an

d re

d sp

ruce

for

est.

Caro

lina

Nor

ther

n Fl

ying

Squ

irrel

Wild

life

Profi

les—

Nor

th C

arol

ina

Wild

life

Reso

urce

s C

omm

issi

on

Ref

eren

ces

Hal

l, E

. R. ‘

‘Am

eric

an F

lyin

g Sq

uirr

els,

” in

The

Mam

mal

s of

Nor

th A

mer

ica

(Joh

n W

iley

& S

ons,

2nd

ed.

, 198

1).

Han

dley

Jr.,

C. O

. ‘‘A

new

flyi

ng s

quir

rel f

rom

the

sou

ther

n A

ppal

achi

an m

ount

ains

,” P

roce

edin

gs o

f the

Bio

logi

cal S

ocie

ty o

f Was

hing

ton,

195

3, v

ol. 6

6, p

p. 1

91-1

94.

U.S

. Fis

h an

d W

ildlif

e Se

rvic

e. 1

990.

App

alac

hian

nor

ther

n fly

ing

squi

rrel

s (G

lauc

omys

sab

rinu

s fu

scus

and

Gla

ucom

ys s

abri

nus

colo

ratu

s) r

ecov

ery

plan

. New

ton

Cor

ner,

MA

. 53p

p.W

eigl

, Pet

er D

. 199

0. “

Fly

By N

ight

Ref

ugee

s,”

Wild

life

in N

orth

Car

olin

a(F

ebru

ary

1990

).W

eigl

, P. D

., T.

W. K

now

les,

and

A. C

. Boy

nton

. 199

9. T

he d

istr

ibut

ion

and

ecol

ogy

of th

e no

rthe

rn fl

ying

squ

irre

l, G

lauc

omys

sab

rinu

s co

lora

tus

in th

e so

uthe

rn A

ppal

achi

ans.

Nor

thC

arol

ina

Wild

life

Res

ourc

es C

omm

issi

on, R

alei

gh.

Cre

dits

W

ritt

en b

y A

llen

Boyn

ton.

Illu

stra

ted

by J

.T. N

ewm

an. U

pdat

ed in

200

7 by

Chr

is K

elly

, NC

WR

C B

iolo

gist

.Pr

oduc

ed b

y th

e D

ivis

ion

of C

onse

rvat

ion

Edu

cati

on, C

ay C

ross

–Edi

tor,

Car

la O

sbor

ne–D

esig

ner.

Illu

stra

ted

by J

.T. N

ewm

an. P

hoto

s by

Nor

th C

arol

ina

Wild

life

Res

ourc

es C

omm

issi

on.

The

N.C

. Wild

life

Res

ourc

es C

omm

issi

on is

an

Equa

l Opp

ortu

nity

Em

ploy

er, a

nd a

ll w

ildlif

e pr

ogra

ms

are

adm

inis

tere

d fo

r th

e be

nefit

of a

ll N

orth

Car

olin

a ci

tizen

s w

ithou

t pre

judi

ceto

war

d ag

e, s

ex, r

ace,

rel

igio

n or

nat

iona

l ori

gin.

Vio

lati

ons

of t

his

pled

ge m

ay b

e re

port

ed t

o th

e E

qual

Em

ploy

men

t O

ffice

r, N

.C. W

ildlif

e R

esou

rces

Com

mis

sion

, 175

1 Va

rsit

y D

r.,R

alei

gh, N

.C. 2

7606

. (91

9) 7

07-0

101.

Caro

lina

Nor

ther

n Fl

ying

Squ

irrel

Wild

life

Profi

les—

Nor

th C

arol

ina

Wild

life

Reso

urce

s C

omm

issi

on

NCW

RC In

tera

ctio

n: H

ow Y

ou C

an H

elp

Volu

ntee

r to

chec

k fly

ing

squi

rrel

box

es.

Volu

ntee

rs a

re n

eede

d to

hel

p bi

olog

ists

che

ck s

quir

rel b

oxes

for

.retniw hcae lerriuqs gniy± nrehtron anilo raC deregnadne eht Sq

uirr

els

are

capt

ured

, mea

sure

d, m

arke

d, a

nd r

elea

sed

as p

art

of t

his

mon

itor

ing

proj

ect.

Thi

s pr

ojec

t re

quir

es a

ful

l day

in t

he°HOG

, and

the

abi

litie

s to

hik

e in

ste

ep, s

lippe

ry t

erra

in, w

ork

inex

trem

e co

ld w

eath

er, a

nd h

aul h

eavy

equ

ipm

ent.

Con

tact

N

CWRC

for

info

rmat

ion.

Volu

ntee

r to

build

flyi

ng sq

uirr

el b

oxes

.Ea

ch y

ear,

NCW

RC b

iolo

gist

s ch

eck

seve

ral h

undr

ed ±\LQJ�

squi

rrel

box

es. B

oxes

req

uire

reg

ular

rep

air

and

repl

acem

ent

as t

hey

beco

me

wor

n an

d w

eath

ered

. Co

ntac

t N

CWRC

for

info

rmat

ion

and

box

cons

truc

tion

pla

ns.

Q&A 1.

Why

is th

e no

rthe

rn fl

ying

squi

rrel

list

ed a

s End

ange

red?

Be

caus

e of

hab

itat d

estr

uctio

n, fr

agm

enta

tion,

or

alte

ratio

n as

soci

ated

with

cle

arin

g of

fore

sts,

intr

oduc

ed p

est

spec

ies

such

as

the

bals

am w

oolly

ade

lgid

, min

eral

ext

ract

ion,

rec

reat

iona

l dev

elop

men

t, po

llutio

n an

d th

e po

ten-

tial f

or g

loba

l war

min

g.

2. W

hat d

oes “

enda

nger

ed” m

ean?

Enda

nger

ed m

eans

that

a s

peci

es is

thre

aten

ed w

ith e

xtin

ctio

n th

roug

hout

all,

or

a si

gnifi

cant

por

tion

of it

s ra

nge.

3. W

hat i

s nor

ther

n fly

ing

squi

rrel

hab

itat?

The

nor

ther

n fly

ing

squi

rrel

’s ha

bita

t is

the

tran

sitio

n zo

ne b

etw

een

coni

fers

and

har

dwoo

ds a

t ele

vatio

ns a

bove

4000

feet

in c

ool,

wet

fore

sts

havi

ng o

lder

or

larg

er tr

ees,

rot

ting

logs

, and

abu

ndan

t fun

gi, m

osse

s, a

nd li

chen

s.

Link

sTo

see

Nor

ther

n fly

ing

squi

rrel

s in

act

ion,

go

to: w

ww

.flyi

ngsq

uirr

els.

com

/Vid

eo/W

ild/in

dex.

htm

lA

lso

flyin

gsqu

irre

ls.c

om =

htt

p://w

ww

.flyi

ngsq

uirr

els.

com

/

69

ALLIGATOR FACT SHEET KINGDOM: Animalia

PHYLUM: Chordata

CLASS: Reptilia

ORDER: Crocodilia

FAMILY: Alligatoridae

GENUS: Alligator

SPECIES: Alligator mississippiensis, Alligator sinensis

An alligator is a crocodilian in the genus

Alligator of the family Alligatoridae. There are two living alligator species: the American Alligator (Alligator mississippiensis) and the Chinese Alligator (Alligator sinensis). They are closely related to crocodiles.

DESCRIPTION: Alligators are characterized by a broader snout and eyes more dorsally located than their crocodile cousins. Both living species also tend to be darker in color, often nearly black (although the Chinese alligator has some light patterning.) Also, in alligators only the upper teeth can be seen with the jaws closed (in contrast to true crocodiles, in which upper and lower teeth can be seen), though many individuals bear jaw deformities which complicate this means of identification.

HABITAT: There are only two countries on earth that have alligators: the United States and China. The Chinese alligator is endangered and lives only in the Yangtze River valley. The American Alligator is found in the United States from the Carolinas to Florida and along the Gulf Coast. The majority of American Alligators inhabit Florida and Louisiana. In Florida alone there are an estimated more than 1 million alligators. The United States is the only nation on earth to have both alligators and crocodiles. American Alligators live in freshwater environments, such as ponds, marshes, wetlands, rivers, and swamps. In China, they live only along the fresh water of the Yangtze River.

BEHAVIOR: Alligators are solitary, territorial animals. The largest of the species (both males and females) will defend prime territory; smaller alligators have a higher tolerance of other alligators within a similar size class.

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Although alligators have heavy bodies and slow metabolisms, they are capable of short bursts of speed that can exceed 30 miles per hour. Alligators' main prey are smaller animals that they can kill and eat with a single bite. Alligators may kill larger prey by grabbing it and dragging it in the water to drown. Alligators consume food that cannot be eaten in one bite by allowing it to rot or by biting and then spinning or convulsing wildly until bite size pieces are torn off. This is referred to as the "death roll."

DIET: Alligators are opportunistic feeders, eating almost anything they can catch. When they are young they eat fish, insects, snails, and crustaceans. As they grow they take progressively larger prey items, including: larger fish such as gar, turtles, various mammals, birds, and other reptiles, including smaller alligators. They will even consume carrion if they are sufficiently hungry. As humans encroach onto to their habitat, attacks on humans are not unknown, but are few and far between.

REPRODUCTION: Alligators are seasonal breeders. The mating season is in spring when the water warms. The female builds a nest of vegetation that rots, incubating the eggs. The mother will defend the nest from predators and will assist the babies to water once they hatch. She will provide protection to the young for about a year if they remain in the area.

FACTS: There are two species–a large type found in the United States and a small type found in China. Alligators differ from crocodiles in several ways. They have broader, blunter snouts, which give their heads a triangular appearance; also, the lower fourth tooth does not protrude when the mouth is closed, as it does in the crocodile.

The American alligator, Alligator mississipiensis, is found in swamps and sluggish streams from North Carolina to Florida and along the Gulf Coast. When young, it is dark brown or black with yellow transverse bands. The bands fade as the animal grows, and the adult is black.

Males commonly reach a length of 9 ft (2.7 m) and a weight of 250 lbs (110 kg); females are smaller. Males 18 ft (5.4 m) long were once fairly common, but intensive hunting for alligator leather eliminated larger individuals (a specimen over 10 ft/3 m long is now unusual) and threatened the species as a whole.

The wild American alligator is now protected by law, but it is also inhumanely raised on farms for commercial uses.

Alligators spend the day floating just below the surface of the water or resting on the bank, lying in holes in hot weather. They hunt by night, in the water and on the bank. Young alligators feed on water insects, crustaceans, frogs, and fish; as they grow they catch proportionally larger animals. Large alligators may occasionally capture deer and cows as they come to drink; they do not commonly attack humans.

Alligators hibernate from October to March. In summer the female builds a nest of rotting vegetation on the bank and deposits in it 20 to 70 eggs, which she guards for 9 to 10 weeks until they hatch.

The Chinese alligator, A. sinensis, which grows to about 6 ft (1.8 m) long, is found in the Chang (Yangtze) River valley near Shanghai. This species is nearly extinct.

Caimans are similar, but distinct members of the Alligatoridae family found in Central and South America. There are several species, classified in three genera. The largest grow up to 15 ft (4.8 m) long. Unlike alligators, caimans have bony overlapping scales on their bellies. Baby caimans are often sold in the United States as baby alligators. Caimans and alligators are wild animals and should not be kept as pets for human amusement.

Alligators and caimans are classified in the phylum Chordata, subphylum Vertebrata, class Reptilia, order Crocodilia, family Alligatoridae.

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