Wildlife

The following descriptions are of wildlife found to be in the Richland Natural Area (RNA) according to the Draft General Management Plan for William B. Umstead State Park (January 1993). Please note that the accompanying pictures were not taken in the RNA.

Bobcat With its small tail, long legs, and large paws, the bobcat eats rabbits, ground squirrels, mice, pocket gophers, and wood rats. Ever adapting to different habitats, bobcats may have life spans as lengthy as 25 years. Unfortunately, bobcat fur is valuable, thus creating an incentive to hunt and kill this magnificent animal. (Uncommon) Source: http://www.desertusa.com/april96/du_bcat.html Click here to see a Bobcat

Long-tailed Weasels You can recognize these creatures by their small heads, long whiskers, long body, and short legs. Long-tailed weasels are the quintessential solitary creatures, often selecting such habitats as rotting logs or tree roots. They survive largely on staples such as mice, voles, rabbits, gophers, and chipmunks and consume approximately 40% of their body weight every day due to rapid metabolism. (Uncommon) Source: http://www.nhptv.org/natureworks/longtailedweasel.htm Click here to see a Long-tailed Weasel

Red Fox Unsurprisingly, the red fox is defined by its bright reddish-orange fur and a bushy, white-tipped tail. An extremely versatile species, the red fox lives in Asia, Europe, and certain regions of Australia but prefers wooded areas, prairies, and farmland. The red fox is omnivorous and eats fruits, berries, and grasses and small mammals. Source: http://www.nhptv.org/natureworks/redfox.htm Click here to see a Red Fox

Gray Fox Gray foxes have the same diet as the red fox and they perfect their hunting technique by pouncing on prey. As foxes are generally very territorial creatures, the gray fox often relies on scent to create and maintain its individual territory. The gray fox is agile enough to scale trees with relative ease. Source: http://home.globalcrossing.net/~brendel/fox.html Click here to see a Gray Fox

White-tailed Deer White-tailed deer have slender legs and brown or gray coloring. Despite their excellent eyesight and keen hearing, they rely principally on their sense of smell to detect danger. Their diet includes such vegetation as twigs, leaves, bark, shrubs, fruits, nuts, lichen, and fungi. (Common) Source: http://www.desertusa.com/mag99/june/papr/wtdeer.html Click here to see a White-tailed Deer

Gray Squirrel The gray squirrel provides an important source of energy for larger predators such as the park’s bobcats and foxes. Small and quick, they lodge in trees, particularly young specimens that contain nutritious sap. In addition to sap, they feed on seeds, nuts, eggs, insects, and even young birds. (Common) Source: http://mbgnet.mobot.org/sets/temp/animals/squirrel.htm Click here to see a Gray Squirrel

Dwarf Salamander This type of salamander is predominantly bronze with vertical brown and black stripes and a distinctive yellow belly. They tend to settle in leaf litter, logs, and stones in damp areas such as wet forests, swamps, and ponds. Female salamanders lay approximately 22 eggs in late fall, and the larvae is aquatic till late spring, when their transformation is completed. (Rare) Source: http://www.herpsofnc.org/herps_of_NC/salamanders/eurqua.html Click here to see a Dwarf Salamander

Four-toed Salamander This species is clay-colored with black spots, a slight variation from the coloring of the dwarf salamander. Similar to its cousin, it has no lungs and instead breathes through its skin and the lining of the roof of its mouth. In addition, it favors damp climates, specifically peat bogs or the mossy boarders of streams, which are excellent places to lay eggs. Source: http://museum.gov.ns.ca/mnh/nature/salamand/fourtoe.htm Click here to see a Four-toed Salamander

Spotted Turtle The spotted turtle’s namesake derives from the yellow spots that may appear on its head, neck, legs, upper shell, and carapace. They thrive in marshy meadows, bogs, swamps, ponds, ditches, and other bodies of stagnant water. In accordance with their habitat, they feed on algae, water lily seeds, worms, mollusks, crustaceans, amphibian eggs, and carrion. Source: http://www.aquariumofniagara.org/aquarium/spotted_turtle.htm Click here to see a Spotted Turtle

Queen Snake As a water snake, a queen snake have a distinctive peach or light yellow stripe down its body. In contrast with amphibians and reptiles, queen snakes prefer clear, moving streams with medium to fast currents. Their main food source is freshly molted crayfish, which may exceed 93% of the queen snake’s diet. (Not poisonous) Source: http://www.dnr.state.wi.us/ORG/land/er/factsheets/herps/Quesnk.htm Click here to see a Queen Snake

Copperhead Snake Ranging from two to three feet wide, the copperhead snake accounts for more snake bites than any other snake species; fortunately, their venom is the least toxic. They may be recognized by their copper-colored head and their tan-to-pinkish body tint. Because they rely on camouflage for protection, they are attracted to vines, vegetation, and debris such as decomposing leaves. (Poisonous) Source: http://www.snakesandfrogs.com/scra/snakes/copperh.htm Click here to see a Copperhead Snake

Neuse River Waterdog As its name indicates, this species is found along the piedmont and coastal regions of North Carolina. It is marked with multiple colors including gray (back), rust (belly), and dark spots that permeate its entire body. In addition, their young have a light stripe on their bellies. A distinguishing feature of this species is the fact that each individual foot has four toes. Source: http://www.herpsofnc.org/herps_of_NC/salamanders/neclew.html Click here to see a Neuse River Waterdog

Earwig Fly Earwigs are tiny insects, often reaching lengths of only ten to fourteen millimeters during its lifespan. Despite the complicated position of the earwig’s wings (with the hind wings tucked under the forewings), earwigs rarely choose to take flight. Their forceps are the earwig’s best means of protection, whether they are snapping at an unsuspecting child or trapping prey. (Rare) Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earwig Click here to see a Earwig Fly