United States flora and fauna
Flora of the United States
At least 7,000 species and subspecies of flora native to the United States have been classified. Eastern forests contain a mix of soft and hardwoods including pine, oak, maple, spruce, beech, birch, hemlock, hickory, rubber, and hickory. The central hardwood forest, which originally stretched uninterrupted from Cape Cod to Texas and northwest to Minnesota—still a major source of timber—supports oak, hickory, ash, maple, and hickory.
Pine, hickory, tupelo, pecan, rubber, birch, and sycamore are found in the southern forest that stretches along the Gulf Coast to the eastern half of Texas. The Pacific Forest is the most spectacular of all due to its huge redwoods and Douglas firs. In the southwest are the saguaro (giant cactus), yucca, candle wood and the Joshua tree.
The central meadows are found in the interior of the continent, where the humidity is not sufficient to support the growth of large forests. The tall prairie (now almost entirely cultivated) lies east of the 100th meridian. West of this line, where rainfall is frequently less than 50 cm per year, is the short grassland. Mesquite grass covers parts of western Texas, southern New Mexico, and Arizona. Shortgrass can be found in the highlands of the latter two states, while tallgrass covers large portions of the coastal regions of Texas and Louisiana and is found in parts of Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida. The Pacific Prairie includes northern Idaho, the higher plateaus of eastern Washington and Oregon, and the mountain valleys of California.
The intermontane region of the Cordillera Occidental is mostly covered with desert shrubs. Sagebrush predominates in the northern part of this area, creosote in the southern part, with salt scrub near the Great Salt Lake and in Death Valley.
The lower slopes of the mountains that rise to the Alaskan coast are covered with coniferous forests as far as the Seward Peninsula. The central part of the Yukon Basin is also a region of coniferous forests. The rest of Alaska is heathland or tundra. Hawaii has extensive forests of bamboo and ferns. Sugar cane and pineapple, although not native to the islands, now cover a large part of the cultivated land.
Common small trees and shrubs in most of the United States include hackberry, hawthorn, serviceberry, blackberry, wild cherry, dogwood, and snowberry. Wildflowers flourish in all areas, from the rare blooms of desert cacti to the more hardy alpine species. Wildflowers include forgotten, fringed, and closed gentian, jack-in-the-pulpit, black-eyed Susan, columbine, and common dandelion, along with numerous varieties of aster, orchid, lady’s slipper, and wild rose.
United States wildlife
An estimated 432 species of mammals characterize the fauna of the continental United States. There are more than 800 species of birds and more than 100,000 known species of insects. There are 311 reptiles, 295 amphibians, and 1,154 known fish species in the US.
Bald eagle
The bald eagle is a large bird of prey found in North America near large bodies of open water. The bald eagle is the US national bird and animal and builds the largest nest of any other North American bird.
Cougar
The cougar is a large cat from the family native to the Americas. The mountain lion is an ambush predator and is the largest of all large wild land mammals in the Western Hemisphere.
American alligator
The American alligator is an endangered aquatic animal endemic to the southeastern United States. These alligators are apex predators, inhabiting swamps, freshwater wetlands, and swamps from Texas to North Carolina.
Gray Bear
The weapons of the grizzly bear (or grizzly bear) are formidable: They are huge (up to 550 kg, but usually 225 to 360), strong (capable of lifting almost their body weight or more), and powerful, with a bite that could crush a bowling ball
And then there’s this: Since 1895, there have been 15 reported cases of grizzlies decapitating moose with a single claw blow.
American bison
The largest land animal on the continent, the bison stands up to 1.80 meters tall at the shoulder and weighs more than 1.5 tons. And they’re not just big; a bison can run up to 40 mph for short distances, and jump fences, so a pissed off buffalo with two sharp horns on its head is a force of nature that almost nothing less than a high-velocity rifle can stop.
I raised
The moose is the largest species of the deer family in the world and is known to wade in water to eat aquatic plants. The moose is 1.8 meters tall from shoulders to toes and is the tallest mammal in North America.
They can be just as dangerous as bears and wolves, especially when babies are around.
Glutton
The wolverine is a powerful but dangerous wild animal and the largest member of the weasel family. The wolverine is the largest land-dwelling species and is found primarily in remote areas of the US state of Alaska.
Coyote
The coyote is smaller than the gray wolf, its distribution and abundance throughout North America. The coyote is very versatile and its diet consists of animal meat, snakes, fish, rodents and birds.
Raccoon
The raccoon is a medium-sized mammal with extremely dexterous front legs, native to North America. Raccoons are described as intelligent beasts, usually nocturnal and known for their sense of touch.
Rattlesnake
The rattlesnake is one of the highly venomous pit viper species known for its potent neurotoxic-hemotoxic venom.
The Mohave rattlesnake is found in the deserts of the United States and is considered to be the most venomous rattlesnake in the world.
Striped skunk
The striped skunk is native to the United States and Canada and one of the most recognizable animals in North America. The striped skunk is omnivorous and inhabits a wide variety of habitats.
Wolf
The wolf is the largest member of the canid family, native to the wilderness and remote areas of North America. The wolf is larger and heavier than the coyote and one of the best known and most researched animals in the world.
Ocelot
The ocelot is a small species of wild cat, also called the pygmy leopard. It looks like a small jaguar or a clouded leopard. Ocelots can grow up to 0.9-1.45 meters from the tip of the nose to the tip of the tail, and can weigh between 9 and 18 kg. Solitary ocelots are territorial, relying on thick vegetation for shelter and hunting.
Collared peccary
This adorable mammal is not a boar, although it is commonly mistaken for one. The collared peccary belongs to the family Tayassuidae (not the Suids from which domestic pigs are derived), and they are only somewhat related to pigs.
Collared peccaries are omnivores, eating everything from cacti to fruit, from roots and tubers to insects and even small vertebrates. They travel in small herds of six to ten individuals, but some may have as many as 50 members or more.
Northern cacomixtle
The northern cacomixtle looks like something that can be found in the wild in Australia, but you need look no further than the southern, southwestern or western coast of the US to find them.
Despite being shy, the species is said to be easy to tame. Although it belongs to the raccoon family, miners and settlers used to keep them in their cabins to hunt mice, rats, and other vermin. So it was a mutually beneficial relationship.
Jaguarundi of the Gulf Coast
The Gulf Coast jaguarundi is one of four subspecies of jaguarundi, all of which are endangered. This is perhaps one of the most unusual-looking cat species, and has been compared to an otter for its short legs, long body, and long, flat tail, as well as its flat head and small rounded ears.
Coat color ranges from rusty brown to dark grey, and varies depending on its preferred habitat – those individuals living in more densely forested areas tend to be darker in color than those living in more open areas. This species is found from southern Texas to eastern Mexico.
Ring-tailed coati
This unusual species is a member of the raccoon family. Although you may think it is found only in Central or South America, it is also a resident of southwestern Arizona, southwestern New Mexico, and parts of Texas.
About the size of a large house cat, the coati has a long, ringed tail that it holds in the air like a flag, helping to keep troop members together even in tall vegetation. And although it can bend the tip of its tail, it is not prehensile (it is not good for grabbing things).
The long nose of the coati ends with a slight upward turn. These animals are strong climbers, intelligent and inquisitive, cautious and social, and above all a fascinating species.
Moon butterfly
This huge butterfly grows up to 11.5 cm wide, but its home is not the Amazon rainforest, as one might expect. It is found east of the Great Plains from northern Mexico to Nova Scotia. It is also one of the largest butterflies on the continent.
They only live for about seven days once they reach adulthood because they don’t have a mouth and can’t eat; in fact, they exist as adults only to reproduce. They only have one generation a year in the North, but as many as three in the Southern states.
Hawaiian monk seal
The Hawaiian monk seal is one of the most endangered marine species in the world. Only less than 1,100 seals of this species remain today. They are endemic to the Hawaiian Islands. Most of these seals live in the northwestern Hawaiian Islands.
Monk seals spend most of their time in marine waters. They can sometimes be found lounging on beaches. They are known to dive more than 300 meters deep in search of food. The Hawaiian monk seal’s diet includes primarily fish, crustaceans, and eels.
Gila monster
The Gila monster is the largest lizard native to the United States. They measure around 50 cm in length and up to 1.8 kg in weight. This lizard is also one of the two venomous lizards in North America. They inhabit semi-desert desert areas of the southwestern United States and Mexico.
The Gila monster’s body is covered in pink, black, and yellow scales. They have a broad head and rounded black eyes. The lower jaws of the Gila monster consist of venom-producing glands. Their bite is extremely painful, even for humans. But its bite is not fatal to adult humans.
Groundhog
The groundhog is the largest member of the squirrel family. They are only found in forested areas of Canada and the United States. They are known for digging complex burrows with many levels and as deep as 1.80 m.
A fully grown marmot weighs about 6 kg. They have brown fur, a long tail, and short legs with curved claws. Their claws are well adapted to digging burrows. They feed on fruits, tree bark and plants.
Pronghorn
Despite its antelope-like appearance, the pronghorn does not belong to the antelope family. Instead, it is an animal unique to North America. They inhabit grasslands, open plains, and deserts in Canada, the United States, and Mexico. Pronghorn are also called Pronghorn antelopes due to their resemblance to true antelopes.
Interestingly, pronghorn eyeballs measure 3.5 cm in diameter. Not only the big eyes, the horns also have great vision. They can detect movement at a distance of up to 6.5 km. These mammals are also excellent runners, they can reach a maximum speed of 95 km/h.
Musk ox
A prehistoric beast that survived the Pleistocene extinction. Musk oxen disappeared from Alaska in the early 20th century, only to be reintroduced in 1930. Today, these huge furry beasts are rare, living in remote parts of the state rarely visited by humans.
Coral snake
Part of the cobra family, the coral snake is smaller and less aggressive than the rattlesnake, but its venom – a neurotoxin – is more powerful.
To distinguish between the coral snake and its harmless lookalike, the scarlet king snake, memorize this phrase: “If red touches black, it’s safe. If red touches yellow, it can kill you.” (in English, rhymes: «Red touch black, safe for Jack. Red touches yellow, kills a fellow.»)
North american badger
These badgers are short-shouldered, with strong necks and thick fur, plus long claws that are basically little daggers. Badgers tend to dig up and eat animals that live on the ground, and they hiss, growl, screech and slash with those claws when threatened.
Extra Defense – They unleash a stinking musk when alarmed, and they usually don’t give a damn.
Wildcat
The bobcat (also known as the bobcat) is an extremely elusive animal, which explains how it manages to persist over such a vast territory, including large sections of the Northeast in close proximity to population centers.
Bobcats are loners who can go long periods without eating, although given the opportunity they will dine on whatever is around them. Recently, a guy in Florida photographed one coming off the beach with a shark in his mouth.
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