Thefauna of Louisiana is characterized by the region's low swamplands,bayous, creeks, woodlands, coastal marshlands and beaches, andbarrier islands covering an estimated 20,000 square miles (52,000 square kilometers), corresponding to 40 percent of Louisiana's total land area. Southern Louisiana contains up to fifty percent of the wetlands found in theContinental United States, made up of countless bayous and creeks.
The Creole State has a humid subtropical climate, perhaps the best example of a humid subtropical climate of all theSouthern United States with long, humid and hot summers and short, mild winters. The subtropical characteristics of the state are due in large part to the influence of theGulf of Mexico, which at its farthest point is no more than 200 miles (320 kilometers) away. Louisiana's varied habitats — tidal marshes, bayous, swamps, woodlands, islands, forests, and prairies — offer a diversity of wildlife.
Some of the most common animals found throughout all of the parishes include otter, deer, mink, muskrat, raccoons, opossums, rabbits, squirrels,nutria, turtles, alligators,woodcocks, skunks, foxes, beavers,ringtails, armadillos, coyotes and bobcats. Deer, squirrel, rabbit, and bear are hunted as game, while muskrat, snakes, nutria, mink, opossum, bobcat, and skunk are commercially significant for fur. Prized game birds include quail, turkey, woodcock, and various waterfowl, of which the mottled duck and wood duck are native. There are several endemic plants and animals in Louisiana that are found nowhere else on Earth; an example could be theLouisiana bluestar or the whiteleucistic alligator.[2] ThePearl River map turtle and theringed map turtle are only found in Louisiana and neighboringState of Mississippi.
Louisiana contains a number of areas which are, in varying degrees, protected from human intervention. In addition toNational Park Service sites and areas and theKisatchie National Forest, Louisiana operates a system of state parks, state historic sites, one state preservation area, one state forest, and manyWildlife Management Areas. TheNature Conservancy also owns and manages a set of natural areas.
Much of the state's lands were formed from sediment washed down theMississippi River, leaving enormous deltas and vast areas of coastal marsh and swamp. The northern parts of Louisiana mostly consist of woodlands which are home to deer, squirrels, rabbits, bears, muskrats, mink, opossums, bobcats, and skunks. Louisiana's forests offer a mix of oak, pine, beech, black walnut, and cypress trees. In thePiney Woods in theArk-La-Tex-region, mammals such as theNorth American cougar,gray fox,feral hogs (razorback), and snakes such as thewestern cottonmouth, thewestern worm snake, theLouisiana pine snake, as well as other animals are common.[4]
Louisiana's largest forest, theKisatchie National Forest in the forested hills ofCentral Louisiana, has 155 species of breeding birds, 48 mammal species, 56 reptile species and 30 amphibian species. It is some 600,000 acres (240,000 hectares) in area, more than half of which is vital flatwoods vegetation, which supports many rare plant and animal species. These include for instance theLouisiana pine snake, thered-cockaded woodpecker, theLouisiana black bear and theLouisiana pearlshell.[5]
Alligators are common in Louisiana's extensive swamps, bogs, creeks, lakes, rivers, wetlands, and bayous. Other water-loving reptiles such as thealligator snapping turtle live in theLouisiana swamps. The alligator snapping turtle is characterized by a very large head and three rows of spikedscutes. Thesewetlands of Louisiana make ideal homes for several species of turtles, crawfish and catfish – all of which are popularAcadian foods.
Among invasive species that thrive in the wetlands of Louisiana is the nutria, a South American rodent that was likely introduced when individual animals escaped from fur farms.
Forty species of mammals reside in Louisiana,[7] excluding marine mammals. Seventy mammal species have been recorded in Louisiana or its immediate adjacent waters.[8] Louisiana has, for instance, two species of squirrels:eastern gray squirrels andfox squirrels, according to theLouisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries.[9]
Louisiana has two species of rabbits:eastern cottontails andswamp rabbits. Although the cottontail is considered more of an upland species and the swamp rabbit a wetland species, both species occur throughout the state. Rabbits have high productivity rates in Louisiana when habitat and weather conditions are good.
The Louisiana black bear once ranged throughout the State of Louisiana and parts of adjacent neighboringMississippi,Arkansas, andTexas. The black bear was common at the time of early colonization, serving as food forNative Americans for generations.
An 1890 record shows 17 parishes containing bears, all of them by theMississippi-border and theAtchafalaya region. It was reported that the most extensive areas of bottomland hardwoods in the state have "at least a few bears", with the greatest number found in the denser woodlands along theTensas,Red,Black, andAtchafalaya Rivers. In the late 1950s, bears occupied habitat in theTensas-Madison area in northeast Louisiana and in the lower fringes of theAtchafalaya Basin.
Today, black bears can be found in all of Louisiana, but according to theLouisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, most black bears are observed in a confined region made up of the following parishes:West- andEast Carroll,Richland,Franklin,Madison,Tensas,Catahoula,Concordia,Avoyelles,Pointe Coupee,St. Landry,Vermilion,Iberia, as well as bothSt. Martin andSt. Mary.[11]
Black bear could be legally hunted in parts of Louisiana through the late 1980s. One of the last organized bear hunts in Louisiana occurred December 15, 1955. During this hunt, five bears were harvested in theLake Providence area. It was recommended to the Wildlife Commission that the bear season be closed. Bear hunting was closed the following season and remained closed until 1961. The season was opened again from 1962 to 1965 with hunting permitted only in northeast Louisiana and in the coastal parishes. The hunting season was again closed from 1966 to 1974. It was reopened in 1975–1987 with hunting restricted to theAtchafalaya Basin.[12]
The Louisiana bear hunting season has remained closed since 1988. From 1964 through 1967, 161 black bears were live-trapped inCook County, Minnesota and released in theMississippi andAtchafalaya River bottoms of Louisiana in an effort to restock black bear to the state. By 1968 there was evidence that the translocated bears were reproducing. However, most of the relocated bears were killed on roads, as nuisance animals, or during recapture.[12]
As of 2016, Louisiana black bears are no longer considered endangered by theEndangered Species Act.[13]
TheAmerican alligator is theofficial state reptile of Louisiana. Perhaps the most iconic ofLouisiana wetlands' animals, the American alligator has bounced back from near extinction to being relatively commonplace. An abundance of snake species make their home in Louisiana, including theeastern diamondback rattlesnake,Texas coral snake,eastern yellowbelly racer,mud snake,western pigmy rattlesnake,northern scarlet snake,rainbow snake,buttermilk racer,tan racer, northerncottonmouth,red cornsnake,pit vipers andkingsnake.[15]
America's largest freshwater turtle, thealligator snapping turtle, shares the habitat with its cousin, thecommon snapping turtle. The greenAmerican chameleon also lives in the wetlands, along with the lizard-liketiger salamander, which is an amphibian. Other examples of reptiles in Louisiana are thegopher tortoise,razor-backed musk turtle,broad-headed skink,coal skink and theslender glass lizard.
According to the Louisiana Alligator Council, there are over one million alligators in the state in 2014 and the number is continuously increasing.[16] Alligators like swamps, rivers, lakes or wherever they can have an adequate habitat. Louisiana has several varieties of venomous snakes. Theeastern coral snake,Texas coral snake,eastern copperhead,cottonmouth,western pygmy rattlesnake, and theeastern diamondback rattlesnake andcanebrake rattlesnake can all be found in Louisiana.
The largest reportedAmerican alligator was a male killed in 1890 onMarsh Island in Louisiana, and reportedly measured at 19 feet (5.8 meters).[17]
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Approximately 160 species of birds are year-round residents or probable confirmed breeders in Louisiana and another 244 are known to regularly migrate through or winter in the state or its immediate adjacent waters.[8] There are 69 species on the CWCS species of conservation concern list of which 42 species are considered critically threatened, imperiled or rare, according to the Louisiana Natural Heritage Program. Shorebirds and songbirds constitute the majority of species. In 1902, theeastern brown pelican was made a part of theSeal of Louisiana and, ten years later, in 1912, the pelican and her young adorned theflag of Louisiana as well. The official nickname of Louisiana is thePelican State.
In 1958, the pelican was made the official state bird of Louisiana. This act was amended on July 26, 1966, to specifically designate the brown pelican. TheNational Basketball Association'sNew Orleans Pelicans are named in honor of Louisiana's state bird. The eastern brown pelican is also the national bird ofBarbados and theTurks and Caicos Islands, it is also one of the mascots ofTulane University and is on the seals of Tulane University,Louisiana State University and theUniversity of Louisiana at Lafayette.
Shore birds are abundant in Louisiana and the most common is thegreat white egret. This large, all-white heron has an impressive wingspan and stature. The egret occurs often in thewetlands of Louisiana and coastal areas that provides it with plenty of fish, amphibians and small mammals to feast on. This bird is also the official symbol of theNational Audubon Society.
TheAmerican bald eagle nests in southeastern coastal parishes and, occasionally on large lakes in northern and central parishes, but these nests are less successful. Some of America's tallest birds, such as thegreat blue heron andgreat egret, cannot resist the fishing opportunities that exist in the Louisiana swampland. Raptors such as theosprey,American black vulture andbarred owl live in the marshes of southern Louisiana. Migratory waterfowl and songbirds often make stopovers or actually spend the winter in these wetlands.
TheAmerican green tree frog was designated the official state amphibian of Louisiana in 1993.[18] Examples of other amphibians in Louisiana are salamanders such as theeastern tiger salamander,southern red-backed salamander,Gulf Coast waterdog,dwarf salamander and thethree-toed amphiuma. There are also toads such asHurter's spadefoot toad andsouthern toad, as well as frogs such aspig frog,striped chorus frog and thebronze frog.American bullfrogs are the largest frogs native to Louisiana.
The white perch (Pomoxis annularis), sometimes calledsac au lait fromCajun French, was designated the official state fish of Louisiana in 1993.[19] Coastal beaches are inhabited by sea turtles. Freshwater fish include bass, crappie, and bream. Red and white crawfishes are the leading commercial crustaceans.
Many sharks have been observed in Louisiana waters; including, but not limited tolemon sharks,tiger sharks,bull sharks andblacktip sharks. The sharks, for instance the bull shark, have often been observed throughout theAtchafalaya Basin, 900 miles up theMississippi River, and in inland bayous and wetlands.[20] Thealligator gar and thefrecklebelly madtom, which is native toPearl River in Southeastern Louisiana, are two additional species of fish in Louisiana.
Thebowfin, known by many other names such as the mudfish, dogfish, grinnel, grindel, jack, jackfish, cypress trout, cotton fish, and in South Louisiana; choupique (pronounced shoe-pick or shoe-peg),[21][22] is found in many areas of Louisiana.
Threatened animal species include five species of sea turtles:green,hawksbill,Kemp's ridley,leatherback, andloggerhead. Twenty-three Louisiana animal species were on theU.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's threatened and endangered species list for 2003. Among those listed are theLouisiana black bear,American bald eagle,inflated heelsplitter, andred-cockaded woodpecker. The Louisiana WAP identifies 240 species of concern. Themountain lion population in Louisiana is small but growing in recent times. There is a relatively small and threatened population ofLouisiana black bears.
The historic range of theFlorida panther extended fromFlorida to Louisiana throughout the Gulf Coast states andArkansas. Today, the only place with wild Florida panthers is the southwestern tip of Florida. The Florida panther is considered of historical occurrence in Louisiana. The historic range included as far west as Western Louisiana and the East LowerMississippi River Valley through the southeastern states. Even though numerous sighting reports continue to surface annually throughout its historic range, it is unlikely that viable populations of the Florida panther presently occur outside of the State of Florida.The Louisiana black bear has been taken off the endangered species list.Mississippi diamondback terrapin is recognized as a "species of concern" in Louisiana, but is found on the Mississippi border.
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Tabasco tycoon and naturalistEdward McIlhenny brought thirteen adultnutria fromArgentina to his home inNew Iberia, during the 1930s, for the fur farming industry.[26] Two years later, one hundred and fifty got out of the pen, supposedly escaping during a storm. The nutria reproduced at a high rate, increasing by the thousands every year. By the 1960s the number ranged to as high as twenty million, and increasing. By the time the government instituted a control program, the nutria was destroying Louisiana marshes and wetlands, causing widespread erosion. In the 21st century, the nutria is one of the most common and despised pests in the Bayou State.[27]
The story of the nutria is not unique. Many species of birds, mammals, fish, and plants have been introduced into the Louisiana environment in the past two centuries. Exotic species, or species that have been introduced to areas outside their native range, take heavy tolls on the ecosystems they colonize. Some invaders, such as the leafy vinekudzu (Pueria lobelia), destroy the habitat for resident wildlife. Other species fiercely compete with native plants and animals for resources.
By some estimates, exotic species pose the second most serious threat to endangered species after habitat loss. Nutria were introduced into coastal marshes fromLatin America in the mid-1900s, and their population has since exploded into the millions. They cause serious damage to coastal marshes and may dig burrows in levees. Hence, Louisiana has had a bounty to try to reduce nutria numbers.
Largealligators feed heavily on nutria, so alligators may not only control nutria populations in Louisiana, but also prevent them spreading east intoFlorida and possibly theEverglades. Since hunting and trapping preferentially take the large alligators that are the most important in eating nutria, some changes in harvesting may be needed to capitalize on their ability to control nutria.
An agricultural pest in its native South American range, themonk parakeet was first brought to the U.S. as a cage bird. They were so popular that over 60,000 were imported between 1969 and 1972. By the 1980s it had already been released in many parts of the country and had established small breeding colonies. Twenty years later, monk parakeet numbers have increased exponentially but their distribution remains spotty.
Monk parakeets tend to be restricted to urban areas where they feed and nest in ornamental palm trees, occupying a niche that no indigenous bird holds. So far, their distribution in Louisiana has been limited almost exclusively to theCity of New Orleans, where they have had no adverse effects on local wildlife. If their numbers increase, however, monk parakeets could pose a serious threat to agricultural areas, possibly becoming as much of a pest here as they already are in their native range.
Native to South America, the red fire ant has flourished in many southern U.S. states since its introduction in the 1930s. Superficially similar to most other ants, the fire ant is a vicious predator, attacking birds, rodents, and larger mammals in swarms.
One study ofwhite-tailed deer found that death rates for young deer were twice as high in areas with fire ants as in uninfested areas. In Louisiana, the spread of fire ants has been linked to the decline of theloggerhead shrike and some species of warblers. The red fire ant has replaced nearly half the native insect species in some areas it has colonized.
louisiana has species of mammals.
