State ecology
The
alligator snapping turtle
lives throughout all of the state; Louisiana and neighboring states
Arkansas
and
Mississippi
are the only U.S. states where alligator turtles are found throughout the entire state.
[1]
The
fauna of Louisiana
is characterized by the region's low swamplands,
bayous
, creeks, woodlands, coastal marshlands and beaches, and
barrier 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 the
Continental United States
, and are 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 the
Southern 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 the
Gulf 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 the
Louisiana bluestar
or the white
leucistic
alligator.
[2]
The
Pearl River map turtle
and the
ringed map turtle
are only found in Louisiana and neighboring
State of Mississippi
.
Louisiana contains a number of areas which are, in varying degrees, protected from human intervention. In addition to
National Park Service
sites and areas and the
Kisatchie National Forest
, Louisiana operates a system of state parks, state historic sites, one state preservation area, one state forest, and many
Wildlife Management Areas
. The
Nature Conservancy
also owns and manages a set of natural areas.
State ecology
[
edit
]
An aerial view of the
Atchafalaya Swamp
, the largest swamp in the U.S.
[3]
Much of the state's lands were formed from sediment washed down the
Mississippi 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 the
Piney Woods
in the
Ark-La-Tex
-region, mammals such as the
North American cougar
,
gray fox
,
feral hogs
(
razorback
), and snakes such as the
western cottonmouth
, the
western worm snake
, the
Louisiana pine snake
, as well as other animals are common.
[4]
Louisiana's largest forest, the
Kisatchie National Forest
in the forested hills of
Central 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 the
Louisiana pine snake
, the
red-cockaded woodpecker
, the Louisiana black bear and the
Louisiana pearlshell
.
[5]
Alligators are common in Louisiana's extensive swamps, bogs, creeks, lakes, rivers, wetlands, and bayous. Other water-loving reptiles such as the
alligator snapping turtle
live in the
Louisiana swamps
. The alligator snapping turtle is characterized by a very large head and three rows of spiked
scutes
. These
wetlands of Louisiana
make ideal homes for several species of turtles, crawfish and catfish - all of which are popular
Acadian
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.
Mammals
[
edit
]
The Louisiana black bear was designated the Official State Animal in 1992.
[6]
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
and
fox squirrels
, according to the
Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries
.
[9]
Louisiana has two species of rabbits:
eastern cottontails
and
swamp 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 productive rates in Louisiana when habitat and weather conditions are good.
Louisiana black bear
[
edit
]
The Louisiana black bear (Ursus americanus luteolus) is one of sixteen currently recognized subspecies of
American black bear
.
[10]
The Louisiana black bear once ranged throughout the State of Louisiana and parts of adjacent neighboring
Mississippi
,
Arkansas
, and
Texas
. The black bear was common at the time of early colonization, serving as food for
Native Americans
for generations.
An 1890 record shows 17 parishes containing bears, all of them by the
Mississippi
-border and the
Atchafalaya
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 the
Tensas
,
Red
,
Black
, and
Atchafalaya Rivers
. In the late 1950s, bears occupied habitat in the
Tensas
-
Madison
area in northeast Louisiana and in the lower fringes of the
Atchafalaya Basin
.
Today, black bears can be found in all of Louisiana, but according to the
Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries
, most black bears are observed in a confined region made up of the following parishes:
West
- and
East Carroll
,
Richland
,
Franklin
,
Madison
,
Tensas
,
Catahoula
,
Concordia
,
Avoyelles
,
Pointe Coupee
,
St. Landry
,
Vermilion
,
Iberia
, as well as both
St. Martin
and
St. 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 the
Lake 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 the
Atchafalaya Basin
.
[12]
The Louisiana bear hunting season has remained closed since 1988. From 1964 through 1967, 161 black bears were live-trapped in
Cook County, Minnesota
and released in the
Mississippi
and
Atchafalaya 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 endangered.
[13]
Reptiles
[
edit
]
Wild
leucistic
alligators are only found in Louisiana.
[14]
The American alligator is the
official state reptile
of Louisiana. Perhaps the most iconic of
Louisiana 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 the
eastern diamondback rattlesnake
,
Texas coral snake
,
eastern yellowbelly racer
,
mud snake
,
western pigmy rattlesnake
,
northern scarlet snake
,
rainbow snake
,
buttermilk racer
,
tan racer
, northern
cottonmouth
,
red cornsnake
,
pit vipers
and
kingsnake
.
[15]
America's largest freshwater turtle, the
alligator snapping turtle
, shares the habitat with its cousin, the
common snapping turtle
. The green
American chameleon
also lives in the wetlands, along with the lizard-like
tiger salamander
, which is an amphibian. Other examples of reptiles in Louisiana are the
gopher tortoise
,
razor-backed musk turtle
,
broad-headed skink
,
coal skink
and the
slender 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. The
eastern coral snake
,
Texas coral snake
,
eastern copperhead
,
cottonmouth
,
western pygmy rattlesnake
, and the
eastern diamondback rattlesnake
and
canebrake rattlesnake
can all be found in Louisiana.
The largest reported
American alligator
was a male killed in 1890 on
Marsh Island
in Louisiana, and reportedly measured at 19 feet (5.8 meters).
[17]
Birds
[
edit
]
The
brown pelican
is the official state bird of Louisiana.
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, the
eastern brown pelican
was made a part of the
Seal of Louisiana
and, ten years later, in 1912, the pelican and her young adorned the
flag of Louisiana
as well. The official nickname of Louisiana is the
Pelican 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. The
National Basketball Association
's
New Orleans Pelicans
are named in honor of Louisiana's state bird. The eastern brown pelican is also the national bird of
Barbados
and the
Turks and Caicos Islands
, it is also one of the mascots of
Tulane University
and is on the seals of Tulane University,
Louisiana State University
and the
University of Louisiana at Lafayette
.
Shore birds are abundant in Louisiana and the most common is the
great white egret
. This large, all-white heron has an impressive wingspan and stature. The egret occurs often in the
wetlands 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 the
National Audubon Society
.
The
American 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 the
great blue heron
and
great egret
, cannot resist the fishing opportunities that exist in the Louisiana swampland. Raptors such as the
osprey
,
American black vulture
and
barred owl
live in the marshes of southern Louisiana. Migratory waterfowl and songbirds often make stopovers or actually spend the winter in these wetlands.
Amphibians
[
edit
]
The
American green tree frog
is the official state amphibian and lives in every
parish
in the state.
The
American green tree frog
was designated the official state amphibian of Louisiana in 1993.
[18]
Examples of other amphibians in Louisiana are salamanders such as the
eastern tiger salamander
,
southern red-backed salamander
,
Gulf Coast waterdog
,
dwarf salamander
and the
three-toed amphiuma
. There are also toads such as
Hurter's spadefoot toad
and
southern toad
, as well as frogs such as
pig frog
,
striped chorus frog
and the
bronze frog
.
American bullfrogs
are the largest frogs native to Louisiana.
Fish
[
edit
]
The
white perch
, sometimes called
sac au lait
from
Cajun 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 to
lemon sharks
,
tiger sharks
,
bull sharks
and
blacktip sharks
. The sharks, for instance the bull shark, have often been observed throughout the
Atchafalaya Basin
, 900 miles up the
Mississippi River
, and in inland bayous and wetlands.
[20]
The
alligator gar
and the
frecklebelly madtom
, which is native to
Pearl River
in Southeastern Louisiana, are two additional species of fish in Louisiana.
The
bowfin
, 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]
or chew-pic,
[23]
is found in many areas of Louisiana.
Endangered species
[
edit
]
The gray fox lives throughout Louisiana, but is still threatened.
[24]
They are most common in forested northern areas.
Threatened animal species include five species of sea turtles:
green
,
hawksbill
,
Kemp's ridley
,
leatherback
, and
loggerhead
. Twenty-three Louisiana animal species were on the
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
's threatened and endangered species list for 2003. Among those listed are the
Louisiana black bear
,
American bald eagle
,
inflated heelsplitter
, and
red-cockaded woodpecker
. The Louisiana WAP identifies 240 species of concern. The
mountain lion
population in Louisiana is small but growing in recent times. There is a relatively small and threatened population of
Louisiana black bears
.
The historic range of the
Florida panther
extended from
Florida
to Louisiana throughout the Gulf Coast states and
Arkansas
. 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 Lower
Mississippi 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.
Invasive species
[
edit
]
The
nutria
, also known as coypu
[25]
or river rat,
[26]
is an invasive species. Its destructive feeding and burrowing behaviors make this invasive rodent a pest throughout Louisiana.
Native to South America,
Quaker parrots
are considered an invasive species and are known to damage fruit crops. These parrots have nested in the
New Orleans metropolitan area
since the 1960s.
Nutria
[
edit
]
Tabasco tycoon and naturalist
Edward McIlhenny
brought thirteen adult
nutria
from
Argentina
to his home in
New Iberia
, during the 1930s, for the fur farming industry.
[27]
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.
[28]
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 vine
kudzu
(
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 from
Latin 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.
Large
alligators
feed heavily on nutria, so alligators may not only control nutria populations in Louisiana, but also prevent them spreading east into
Florida
and possibly the
Everglades
. 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.
Monk parakeet
[
edit
]
An agricultural pest in its native South American range, the
monk 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 the
City 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.
Red fire ant
[
edit
]
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 of
white-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 the
loggerhead shrike
and some species of warblers. The red fire ant has replaced nearly half the native insect species in some areas it has colonized.
See also
[
edit
]
References
[
edit
]
- ^
"Alligator Snapping Turtle - Point map"
. Archived from
the original
on 2014-03-05
. Retrieved
2014-03-01
.
- ^
"Audubon Nature Institute - Celebrating the Wonders of Nature - New Orleans"
.
audubonnatureinstitute.org
. Retrieved
2021-08-21
.
- ^
"Coastal Louisiana Basins"
.
lacoast.gov
. Retrieved
2021-08-21
.
- ^
"Feral hogs"
(PDF)
.
wlf.louisiana.gov
. Archived from
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(PDF)
on 2011-03-23.
- ^
Final Environmental Impact Statement. Revised Land and Resource Management Plan. Kisatchie National Forest. Forest Service, Southern Region, Pineville, LA (Report). United States Department of Agriculture. 1999.
- ^
"Louisiana Black Bear | State Symbols USA"
.
statesymbolsusa.org
. 4 June 2014
. Retrieved
2021-08-21
.
- ^
Richey, Emma Cecilia; Kean, Evelina Prescott (1915).
The New Orleans Book
. L. Graham Company, Limited, Printers. p.
95
.
louisiana has species of mammals.
- ^
a
b
"Taxonomic groups"
(PDF)
.
wlf.louisiana.gov
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- ^
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.
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.
- ^
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(PDF)
.
tpwd.texas.gov
. Retrieved
21 August
2021
.
- ^
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(PDF)
.
wlf.louisiana.gov
. Archived from
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- ^
a
b
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.
wlf.louisiana.gov
. Archived from
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- ^
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.
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. Retrieved
2021-08-21
.
- ^
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.
- ^
Evans, Beau (June 12, 2017).
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.
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- ^
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. Archived from
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. Retrieved
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.
- ^
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.
- ^
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.
statesymbolsusa.org
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. Retrieved
2021-08-21
.
- ^
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.
statesymbolsusa.org
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. Retrieved
2021-08-21
.
- ^
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.
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. 2 July 2009
. Retrieved
2021-08-21
.
- ^
choupique= shoe pick or shoe-peg
:
How We Talk: American Regional English Today
(by Allan A. Metcalf: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2000), pp 34- Retrieved 2017-08-08
- ^
Louisiana Sportsman: choupique= shoe-pick
Archived
2017-08-09 at the
Wayback Machine
(February 2, 2009)- Retrieved 2017-08-08
- ^
Google pronunciation of choupique= chew-pic
- Retrieved 2017-08-08
- ^
"Urocyon cinereoargenteus"
.
www.fs.fed.us
. Retrieved
2021-08-21
.
- ^
Ojeda, R.; Bidau, C.; Emmons, L. (2017) [errata version of 2016 assessment].
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Myocastor coypus
"
.
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. Retrieved
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2024
.
- ^
Martin, Horace Tassie (1892).
Castorologia: Or the History and Traditions of the Canadian Beaver
. W. Drysdale.
- ^
Nutria
nutria.com Retrieved 2017-03-29
- ^
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- Retrieved 2017-03-29