This article seeks to serve as a field-guide, central repository, and listing for the

flora Flora is all the plant life present in a particular region or time, generally the naturally occurring (indigenous) native plants. Sometimes bacteria and fungi are also referred to as flora, as in the terms '' gut flora'' or '' skin flora''. E ...

and

fauna Fauna is all of the animal life present in a particular region or time. The corresponding term for plants is ''flora'', and for fungi, it is '' funga''. Flora, fauna, funga and other forms of life are collectively referred to as '' biota''. Zoo ...

of the US state of

North Carolina North Carolina () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia and So ...

and surrounding territories.

State ecology

North Carolina's

geography Geography (from Greek: , ''geographia''. Combination of Greek words ‘Geo’ (The Earth) and ‘Graphien’ (to describe), literally "earth description") is a field of science devoted to the study of the lands, features, inhabitants, and ...

is usually divided into three

biome A biome () is a biogeographical unit consisting of a biological community that has formed in response to the physical environment in which they are found and a shared regional climate. Biomes may span more than one continent. Biome is a broader ...

s: Coastal, Piedmont, and the Appalachian Mountains. North Carolina is the most ecologically unique state in the southeast because its borders contain sub-tropical, temperate, and boreal habitats. Although the state is at temperate latitudes, the Appalachian Mountains and the Gulf Stream influence climate and, hence, the vegetation (flora) and animals (fauna).

Coastal region

Located in eastern North Carolina, the coastal region is much warmer and more humid. The climate is humid subtropical and the geography is flat coastal plain.

Piedmont

This region includes the Charlotte Metro Area and urban biomes of Raleigh and Durham, as well as a large area of semi-mountainous, rolling hills. The climate is humid subtropical and the geography is rolling, gentle hills and flat valleys. The Piedmont ranges from about 300–400 feet (90–120 m) elevation in the east to over 1,000 feet (300 m) in the west.

Mountains

The mountainous region has a climate of humid continental and its geography is the Appalachian Mountains with elevations between 1500 and more than 6000 feet.

Animal life

Mammals

= Endangered Opossums: * Virginia opossum, ''Didelphis virginiana'' Armadillos: * Nine-banded armadillo, ''Dasypus novemcinctus'' Rodents: * North American beaver, ''Castor canadensis'' reintroduced * Northern flying squirrel, ''Glaucomys sabrinus'' (Carolina northern flying squirrel, ''G. s. coloratus'' ) * Southern flying squirrel, ''Glaucomys volans'' * Groundhog, ''Marmota monax'' *

Rock vole The rock vole (''Microtus chrotorrhinus'') is a medium-sized vole found in eastern North America. It is also called the yellow-nosed vole. Description This species is similar in appearance to the larger taiga vole. It has short ears and a long t ...

, ''Microtus chrotorrhinus'' * Meadow vole, ''Microtus pennsylvanicus'' *

Woodland vole The woodland vole (''Microtus pinetorum'') is a small vole found in Eastern United States, eastern North America. It is also known as the pine vole. Characteristics The woodland vole has a head and body length ranging between with a short tail ...

, ''Microtus pinetorum'' *

Southern red-backed vole The southern red-backed vole or Gapper's red-backed vole (''Myodes gapperi'') is a small slender vole found in Canada and the northern United States. It is closely related to the western red-backed vole (''Myodes californius''), which lives to th ...

''Myodes gapperi'' *

Woodland jumping mouse The woodland jumping mouse (''Napaeozapus insignis'') is a species of jumping mouse found in North America. It can jump up to using its extremely strong feet and long tail. Taxonomy Representatives of the family Dipodidae are found in the nort ...

''Napaeozapus insignis'' *

Eastern woodrat The eastern woodrat (''Neotoma floridana''), also known as the Florida woodrat or bush rat, is a pack rat native to the central and Eastern United States. It constructs large dens that may serve as nests for many generations and stores food in o ...

, ''Neotoma floridana'' *

Golden mouse The golden mouse (''Ochrotomys nuttalli'') is a species of New World mouse. It is usually 5–8 inches (12–25 cm) in body length, and has a soft pelage that ranges from golden-brownish to burnt orange in color. The genus name comes ...

''Ochrotomys nuttalli'' *

Muskrat The muskrat (''Ondatra zibethicus'') is a medium-sized semiaquatic rodent native to North America and an introduced species in parts of Europe, Asia, and South America. The muskrat is found in wetlands over a wide range of climates and habitat ...

, ''Ondatra zibethicus'' *

Marsh rice rat The marsh rice rat (''Oryzomys palustris'') is a semiaquatic North American rodent in the family Cricetidae. It usually occurs in wetland habitats, such as swamps and salt marshes. It is found mostly in the eastern and southern United States, fr ...

, ''Oryzomys palustris'' *

Cotton mouse The cotton mouse (''Peromyscus gossypinus'') is a species of rodent in the family Cricetidae found in the woodlands of the US South. Description Adults are about long, with a tail around , and weigh 34-51 g. Its general appearance is very si ...

, ''Peromyscus gossypinus'' * White-footed mouse, ''Peromyscus leucopus'' * Eastern deermouse, ''Peromyscus maniculatus'' * Oldfield mouse, ''Peromyscus polionotus'' *

Eastern harvest mouse The eastern harvest mouse (''Reithrodontomys humulis'') is a species of rodent in the family Cricetidae. It is endemic to the Southeastern United States. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical seasonally wet or flooded lowland grassland ...

, ''Reithrodontomys humulis'' * Eastern gray squirrel, ''Sciurus carolinensis'' (state mammal) * Fox squirrel, ''Sciurus niger'' *

Hispid cotton rat The hispid cotton rat (''Sigmodon hispidus'') is a rodent species long thought to occur in parts of South America, Central America, and southern North America. However, recent taxonomic revisions, based on mitochondrial DNA sequence data, have ...

''Sigmodon hispidus'' * Southern bog lemming, ''Synaptomys cooperi'' * Eastern chipmunk, ''Tamias striatus'' *

American red squirrel The American red squirrel (''Tamiasciurus hudsonicus'') is one of three species of tree squirrels currently classified in the genus ''Tamiasciurus'', known as the pine squirrels (the others are the Douglas squirrel, ''T. douglasii'', and the sou ...

, ''Tamiasciurus hudsonicus'' Lagomorphs: * Snowshoe hare, ''Lepus americanus'' extirpated *

Swamp rabbit The swamp rabbit (''Sylvilagus aquaticus''), also called the cane-cutter, is a large cottontail rabbit found in the swamps and wetlands of the southern United States. The species has a strong preference for wet areas, and it will take to the wate ...

, ''Sylvilagus aquaticus'' * Eastern cottontail, ''Sylvilagus floridanus'' * Appalachian cottontail, ''Sylvilagus obscurus'' *

Marsh rabbit The marsh rabbit (''Sylvilagus palustris'') is a small cottontail rabbit found in marshes and swamps of coastal regions of the Eastern and Southern United States. It is a strong swimmer and found only near regions of water. It is similar in app ...

, ''Sylvilagus palustris'' Eulipotyphlans: * Star-nosed mole, ''Condylura cristata'' * Eastern mole, ''Scalopus aquaticus'' * Northern short-tailed shrew, ''Blarina brevicauda'' * Southeastern shrew, ''Sorex longirostris'' Bats: *

Townsend's big-eared bat Townsend's big-eared bat (''Corynorhinus townsendii'') is a species of vesper bat. Description Townsend's big-eared bat is a medium-sized bat (7-12 g)

, ''Corynorhinus townsendii'' (

Virginia big-eared bat The Virginia big-eared bat (''Corynorhinus townsendii virginianus'') is one of two endangered subspecies of the Townsend's big-eared bat. It is found in Virginia, West Virginia, North Carolina, and Kentucky. In 1979, the US Fish and Wildlife Ser ...

, ''C. t. virginianus'' ) *

Northern yellow bat The northern yellow bat (''Dasypterus intermedius'') is a non-migratory bat in the family Vespertilionidae, typically active year-round except during abnormally frigid winter weather, during which they will induce torpor. Description The norther ...

''Dasypterus intermedius'' * Big brown bat, ''Eptesicus fuscus'' *

Eastern red bat The eastern red bat (''Lasiurus borealis'') is a species of microbat in the family Vespertilionidae. Eastern red bats are widespread across eastern North America, with additional records in Bermuda. Taxonomy and etymology It was described in 1 ...

''Lasiurus borealis'' *

Hoary bat The hoary bat (''Lasiurus cinereus'') is a species of bat in the vesper bat family, Vespertilionidae. It lives throughout most of North America (possibly including Hawaii, although this is disputed). Taxonomy The hoary bat was described as a ...

''Lasiurus cinereus'' *

Seminole bat The Seminole bat (''Lasiurus seminolus'') is a species of bat in the family Vespertilionidae. Taxonomy The Seminole bat was first described in 1895 by Samuel N. Rhoads. The holotype had been collected in Tarpon Springs, Florida in 1892 by Wi ...

''Lasiurus seminolus'' * Gray bat, ''Myotis grisescens'' *

Eastern small-footed bat The eastern small-footed bat (''Myotis leibii'') is a species of vesper bat. It can be found in southern Ontario and Quebec in Canada and in mountainous portions of the eastern United States from New England to northern Georgia, and westward to n ...

''Myotis leibii'' *

Northern myotis ''Myotis septentrionalis'', known as the northern long-eared bat or northern myotis, is a species of bat native to North America. There are no recognized subspecies. The northern long-eared bat is about 3–3.7 inches in length, with a wingspan ...

, ''Myotis septentrionalis'' * Indiana bat, ''Myotis sodalis'' Carnivorans: *

Coyote The coyote (''Canis latrans'') is a species of canis, canine native to North America. It is smaller than its close relative, the wolf, and slightly smaller than the closely related eastern wolf and red wolf. It fills much of the same ecologica ...

, ''Canis latrans'' *

Red wolf The red wolf (''Canis rufus'') is a canine native to the southeastern United States. Its size is intermediate between the coyote (''Canis latrans'') and gray wolf (''Canis lupus''). The red wolf's taxonomic classification as being a separate s ...

, ''Canis rufus'' reintroduced * North American river otter, ''Lontra canadensis'' *

Bobcat The bobcat (''Lynx rufus''), also known as the red lynx, is a medium-sized cat native to North America. It ranges from southern Canada through most of the contiguous United States to Oaxaca in Mexico. It is listed as Least Concern on the IUC ...

, ''Lynx rufus'' *

Striped skunk The striped skunk (''Mephitis mephitis'') is a skunk of the genus '' Mephitis'' that occurs across much of North America, including southern Canada, the United States, and northern Mexico. It is currently listed as least concern by the IUCN on ac ...

, ''Mephitis mephitis '' * Eastern spotted skunk, ''Spilogale putorius'' *

Least weasel The least weasel (''Mustela nivalis''), little weasel, common weasel, or simply weasel is the smallest member of the genus '' Mustela,'' family Mustelidae and order Carnivora. It is native to Eurasia, North America and North Africa, and has bee ...

, ''Mustela nivalis'' * Long-tailed weasel, ''Neogale frenata'' * American mink, ''Neogale vison'' *

Fisher Fisher is an archaic term for a fisherman, revived as gender-neutral. Fisher, Fishers or The Fisher may also refer to: Places Australia *Division of Fisher, an electoral district in the Australian House of Representatives, in Queensland *Elect ...

, ''Pekania pennanti'' extirpated * Raccoon, ''Procyon lotor'' *

Cougar The cougar (''Puma concolor'') is a large Felidae, cat native to the Americas. Its Species distribution, range spans from the Canadian Yukon to the southern Andes in South America and is the most widespread of any large wild terrestrial mamm ...

, ''Puma concolor'' extirpated **

Eastern cougar The eastern cougar or eastern puma (''Puma concolor couguar'') is a subspecies designation proposed in 1946 for cougar populations in eastern North America. The subspecies as described in 1946 was declared extinct by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife S ...

, ''P. c. couguar'' * Gray fox, ''Urocyon cinereoargenteus'' *

American black bear The American black bear (''Ursus americanus''), also called simply a black bear or sometimes a baribal, is a medium-sized bear endemic to North America. It is the continent's smallest and most widely distributed bear species. American black bear ...

, ''Ursus americanus'' *

Red fox The red fox (''Vulpes vulpes'') is the largest of the true foxes and one of the most widely distributed members of the Order (biology), order Carnivora, being present across the entire Northern Hemisphere including most of North America, Europe ...

, ''Vulpes vulpes'' Even-toed ungulates: * American bison, ''Bison bison'' extirpated *

Elk The elk (''Cervus canadensis''), also known as the wapiti, is one of the largest species within the deer family, Cervidae, and one of the largest terrestrial mammals in its native range of North America and Central and East Asia. The common ...

, ''Cervus canadensis'' reintroduced ** Eastern elk, ''C. c. canadensis'' ** Rocky Mountain elk, ''C. c. nelsoni'' introduced * White-tailed deer, ''Odocoileus virginianus'' * Wild boar, ''Sus scrofa'' introduced

Birds

Reptiles

Amphibians

Frogs are common in the marshy and wet regions of the Piedmont. The frog pictured at left is a Cope's gray treefrog (''Hyla chrysocelis'') or gray treefrog (''H. versicolor''). These two species cannot be differentiated except by their call or genetic analysis. However, ''H. versicolor'' is rare in the state and likely to not be pictured here. They are most abundant in some northern Piedmont counties. Other frogs of North Carolina include spring peepers, ''Pseudacris crucifer'' or ''Hyla crucifer''. Common among Carolina forests, this frog lives in high branches of trees, although it is also seen on the ground and commonly on roadways. Some common amphibians in North Carolina: two-toed amphiuma, common mudpuppy,

dwarf waterdog The dwarf waterdog (''Necturus punctatus'') is an aquatic salamander endemic to the Eastern United States. It is the smallest member of the family Proteidae. Description This species is usually between long. It has bushy, narrow gills and a com ...

, eastern lesser siren,

greater siren The greater siren (''Siren lacertina'') is an eel-like amphibian and one of the three members of the genus ''Siren''. The largest of the sirens and one of the largest amphibians in North America, the greater siren resides in the coastal plains of ...

red-spotted newt The eastern newt (''Notophthalmus viridescens'') is a common newt of eastern North America. It frequents small lakes, ponds, and streams or nearby wet forests. The eastern newt produces tetrodotoxin, which makes the species unpalatable to preda ...

, Mabee's salamander, spotted salamander,

marbled salamander The marbled salamander (''Ambystoma opacum'') is a species of mole salamander found in the eastern United States. Description The marbled salamander is a stocky and boldly banded salamander. The marbled salamander exhibits sexual dimorphism w ...

(state salamander), mole salamander, eastern tiger salamander, southern dusky salamander,

dwarf salamander Dwarf salamander may refer to five species of salamander in the genus '' Eurycea'', all endemic to the United States and all of which were previously assigned to a single species (''Eurycea quadridigitata''): * Chamberlain's dwarf salamander (' ...

four-toed salamander The four-toed salamander (''Hemidactylium scutatum'') is a lungless salamander native to eastern North America. It is the only species of the monotypic genus ''Hemidactylium''. Description The four-toed salamander can be recognized by its whit ...

, Wehrle's salamander, eastern spadefoot, southern toad, Pine Barrens treefrog (state frog), Cope's gray treefrog, green treefrog,

squirrel treefrog The squirrel tree frog (''Dryophytes squirellus'') is a small species of tree frog found in the south-eastern United States, from Texas to Virginia. This is an introduced species in the Bahamas. Squirrel tree frogs are small frogs, about 1.5 inch ...

gray treefrog The gray treefrog (''Dryophytes versicolor'') is a species of small arboreal holarctic tree frog native to much of the eastern United States and southeastern Canada. It is sometimes referred to as the eastern gray treefrog, northern gray tree ...

little grass frog The little grass frog (''Pseudacris ocularis'') is a species of chorus frog endemic to the Southeastern United States. It is currently the smallest North American anuran and occurs in a wide variety of ephemeral and semi-permanent wetlands. ...

ornate chorus frog The ornate chorus frog (''Pseudacris ornata'') is a species of chorus frog endemic to the Southeastern United States. Their distribution ranges from North Carolina, east to the very eastern part of Louisiana, and south to northern parts of Flori ...

upland chorus frog The upland chorus frog (''Pseudacris feriarum'') is a species of chorus frog found in the United States. It was recently separated from the Western chorus frog, (''Pseudacris triseriata''), being identified as an individual species rather than a ...

American bullfrog The American bullfrog (''Lithobates catesbeianus''), often simply known as the bullfrog in Canada and the United States, is a large true frog native to eastern North America. It typically inhabits large permanent water bodies such as swamps, po ...

bronze frog The bronze frog (''Lithobates clamitans clamitans'') is a subspecies of ''Lithobates clamitans'' found in the southeastern region of North America. Description The bronze frog grows up to 2–4 in (5.4–10.2 cm). Distinguishing cha ...

, pickerel frog, southern leopard frog and wood frog.

Fish

Freshwater: bodie bass,

Roanoke bass The Roanoke bass (''Ambloplites cavifrons'') is a species of freshwater fish in the sunfish family (Centrarchidae) of order Perciformes. This species is endemic to rivers in the eastern United States of America, where it is native only to the st ...

, largemouth bass, rock bass, smallmouth bass, spotted bass,

striped bass The striped bass (''Morone saxatilis''), also called the Atlantic striped bass, striper, linesider, rock, or rockfish, is an anadromous perciform fish of the family Moronidae found primarily along the Atlantic coast of North America. It has al ...

, white bass, blue catfish,

channel catfish The channel catfish (''Ictalurus punctatus'') is North America's most numerous catfish species. It is the official fish of Kansas, Missouri, Iowa, Nebraska, and Tennessee, and is informally referred to as a "channel cat". In the United States, the ...

, flathead catfish, white catfish, brown bullhead, white perch, yellow perch, chain pickerel,

redfin pickerel The redfin pickerel (''Esox americanus americanus'') is a subspecies of freshwater fish belonging to the pike family (Esocidae) of the order Esociformes. Not to be confused with its close relatives, the grass pickerel and the chain pickerel, this ...

American shad The American shad (''Alosa sapidissima'') is a species of anadromous clupeid fish naturally distributed on the North American coast of the North Atlantic, from Newfoundland to Florida, and as an introduced species on the North Pacific coast. The ...

, hickory shad, pumpkinseed, redear,

bluegill The bluegill (''Lepomis macrochirus''), sometimes referred to as "bream", "brim", "sunny", or "copper nose" as is common in Texas, is a species of North American freshwater fish, native to and commonly found in streams, rivers, lakes, ponds and ...

, flier, green sunfish, redbrest, warmouth,

brook trout The brook trout (''Salvelinus fontinalis'') is a species of freshwater fish in the char genus ''Salvelinus'' of the salmon family Salmonidae. It is native to Eastern North America in the United States and Canada, but has been introduced elsewhere ...

rainbow trout The rainbow trout (''Oncorhynchus mykiss'') is a species of trout native to cold-water tributaries of the Pacific Ocean in Asia and North America. The steelhead (sometimes called "steelhead trout") is an anadromous (sea-run) form of the coasta ...

brown trout The brown trout (''Salmo trutta'') is a European species of salmonid fish that has been widely introduced into suitable environments globally. It includes purely freshwater populations, referred to as the riverine ecotype, ''Salmo trutta'' morph ...

, garfish,

bowfin The bowfin (''Amia calva'') is a bony fish, native to North America. Common names include mudfish, mud pike, dogfish, grindle, grinnel, swamp trout, and choupique. It is regarded as a relict, being the sole surviving species of the Halecomorphi ...

carp Carp are various species of oily freshwater fish from the family Cyprinidae, a very large group of fish native to Europe and Asia. While carp is consumed in many parts of the world, they are generally considered an invasive species in parts of ...

crappie Crappies () are two species of North American freshwater fish of the genus ''Pomoxis'' in the family Centrarchidae (sunfishes). Both species of crappies are popular game fish among recreational anglers. Etymology The genus name ''Pomoxis'' ...

, freshwater drum, grass carp, kokanee salmon, muskellunge, tiger muskellunge, northern pike, sauger, eastern mosquitofish, smallmouth buffalo, walleye, the endemic Cape Fear shiner. Saltwater: albacore, amberjack, Atlantic bonito, Atlantic tarpon, bank sea bass, barracuda, bigeye tuna, blackfin tuna, black drum, black sea bass,

blacktip shark The blacktip shark (''Carcharhinus limbatus'') is a species of requiem shark, and part of the family Carcharhinidae. It is common to coastal tropical and subtropical waters around the world, including brackish habitats. Genetic analyses have re ...

, bluefish, bluefin tuna,

blue marlin ''Makaira'' (Latin via Greek: ''μαχαίρα'' "sword") is a genus of marlin in the family Istiophoridae. It includes the Atlantic blue, and Indo-Pacific blue marlins. In the past, the black marlin was also included in this genus, but today ...

, blueline tilefish, bull shark,

butterfish Butterfish may refer to: * Stromateidae, found in coastal waters off the Americas, western Africa and in the Indo-Pacific * Sablefish The sablefish (''Anoplopoma fimbria'') is one of two members of the fish family Anoplopomatidae and the onl ...

, cobia, croaker,

dolphinfish ''Coryphaena'' is a genus of marine ray-finned fishes known as the dolphinfishes, and is currently the only known genus in the family Coryphaenidae. The generic name is from Greek κορυφή (''koryphē'', "crown, top") and -αινα (-''aina'' ...

flounder Flounders are a group of flatfish species. They are demersal fish, found at the bottom of oceans around the world; some species will also enter estuaries. Taxonomy The name "flounder" is used for several only distantly related species, thou ...

, gag, gray triggerfish, gray trout,

hammerhead sharks The hammerhead sharks are a group of sharks that form the family Sphyrnidae, so named for the unusual and distinctive structure of their heads, which are flattened and laterally extended into a "hammer" shape called a cephalofoil. Most hammerhe ...

, hickory shad,

hogchoker The hogchoker (''Trinectes maculatus'') is a small flatfish found along the Atlantic coast of North America, ranging from Massachusetts and Florida to Panama. They prefer brackish water, and are abundant in many bays and estuaries north of the Ca ...

hogfish The hogfish (''Lachnolaimus maximus''), also known as boquinete, doncella de pluma or pez perro in Mexico is a species of wrasse native to the Western Atlantic Ocean, living in a range from Nova Scotia, Canada, to northern South America, includ ...

, humping mullet, king mackerel, knobbed porgy, lizardfish, little tunny,

mako shark ''Isurus'' is a genus of mackerel sharks in the family Lamnidae, commonly known as the mako sharks. Description The two living species are the common shortfin mako shark (''I. oxyrinchus'') and the rare longfin mako shark (''I. paucus''). They ...

, menhaden, northern puffer, oyster toadfish, pigfish, pinfish, pompano, red drum, red grouper, red snapper, sailfish, scamp, sea mullet,

searobin Triglidae, commonly known as gurnards or sea robins, are a family of bottom-feeding scorpaeniform ray-finned fish. The gurnards are distributed in temperate and tropical seas worldwide. Taxonomy Triglidae was first described as a family in 181 ...

sheepshead Sheepshead, Sheephead, or Sheep's Head, may refer to: Fish * '' Archosargus probatocephalus'', a medium-sized saltwater fish of the Atlantic Ocean * Freshwater drum, ''Aplodinotus grunniens'', a medium-sized freshwater fish of North and Central ...

silver perch Silver perch is a common name for several fishes and may refer to: *''Bairdiella chrysoura'', native to the east coast of the United States *''Bidyanus bidyanus'', endemic to Australia *''Leiopotherapon plumbeus ''Leiopotherapon plumbeus'', know ...

, silver snapper,

skate Skate or Skates may refer to: Fish *Skate (fish), several genera of fish belonging to the family Rajidae * Pygmy skates, several genera of fish belonging to the family Gurgesiellidae * Smooth skates or leg skates, several genera of fish belongin ...

, skipjack tuna,

spadefish Ephippidae is a family containing the spadefishes, with about eight genera and a total of 20 marine species. Well-known species include the Atlantic spadefish (''Chaetodipterus faber'') and the reef-dwelling genus ''Platax'', the batfishes, whic ...

, Spanish mackerel, speckled hind, spottail pinfish,

spot Spot or SPOT may refer to: Places * Spot, North Carolina, a community in the United States * The Spot, New South Wales, a locality in Sydney, Australia * South Pole Traverse, sometimes called the South Pole Overland Traverse People * Spot (produ ...

, speckled trout,

stingray Stingrays are a group of sea rays, which are cartilaginous fish related to sharks. They are classified in the suborder Myliobatoidei of the order Myliobatiformes and consist of eight families: Hexatrygonidae (sixgill stingray), Plesiobatidae ( ...

swordfish Swordfish (''Xiphias gladius''), also known as broadbills in some countries, are large, highly migratory predatory fish characterized by a long, flat, pointed bill. They are a popular sport fish of the billfish category, though elusive. Swordfis ...

, tiger shark, vermillion snapper, wahoo, white marlin, white grunt, yellowfin tuna, yellowedge grouper and

yellowtail snapper The yellowtail snapper (''Ocyurus chrysurus'') is an abundant species of snapper native to the western Atlantic Ocean including the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea. Although they have been found as far north as Massachusetts, their normal r ...

Invertebrates

Various insects, jellyfish, millipedes, centipedes, freshwater crayfish and freshwater mollusks. Spiders:

northern black widow ''Latrodectus variolus'', the northern black widow spider or northern widow, is a venomous species of spider in the genus ''Latrodectus'' of the family Theridiidae. The population is closely related to the southern black widow, ''Latrodectus mact ...

(''Latrodectus variolus''),

southern black widow ''Latrodectus mactans'', known as southern black widow or simply black widow, and the shoe-button spider, is a venomous species of spider in the genus ''Latrodectus''. The females are well known for their distinctive black and red coloring and f ...

(''Latrodectus mactans''), false black widow (''Steatoda grossa''),

common house spider ''Parasteatoda tepidariorum'', the common house spider or American house spider, is a spider species of the genus '' Parasteatoda'' with a cosmopolitan distribution. Common house spiders are synanthropic and live in and near human dwellings. Thei ...

(''Parasteatoda tepidariorum''),

yellow garden spider ''Argiope aurantia'' is a species of spider, commonly known as the yellow garden spider, black and yellow garden spider, golden garden spider, writing spider, zigzag spider, zipper spider, black and yellow argiope, corn spider, Steeler spider, or ...

(''Argiope aurantia''), leafy cob weaver (''Theridion frondeum''), spiny-backed orbweaver (''Gasteracantha cancriformis''), white sac spider (''Elaver excepta'') and orchard orb weaver (''Leucauge venusta''). Mantises:

Carolina mantis The Carolina mantis (''Stagmomantis carolina'') is a species of praying mantis of the subfamily Stagmomantinae. Sexual cannibalism occurs in roughly one quarter of all intersexual encounters of this species, though specimens of this species wi ...

(''Stagmomantis carolina'')

Hymenoptera Hymenoptera is a large order (biology), order of insects, comprising the sawfly, sawflies, wasps, bees, and ants. Over 150,000 living species of Hymenoptera have been described, in addition to over 2,000 extinct ones. Many of the species are Par ...

: European honey bee (''Apis mellifera'' state insect),

American bumblebee ''Bombus pensylvanicus'', the American bumblebee, is a threatened species of bumblebee native to North America. It occurs in eastern Canada, throughout much of the Eastern United States, and much of Mexico.Hatfield, R., et al. 2015''Bombus pensyl ...

(''Bombus pensylvanicus''),

eastern carpenter bee ''Xylocopa virginica'', sometimes referred to as the eastern carpenter bee, extends through the eastern United States and into Canada. They are Sympatry, sympatric with ''Xylocopa micans'' in much of southeastern United States. They nest in variou ...

(''Xylocopa virginica''), red paper wasp (''Polistes carolina''),

eastern cicada killer ''Sphecius speciosus'', often simply referred to as the cicada killer or the cicada hawk, is a large, solitary digger wasp species in the family Crabronidae. The name may be applied to any species of crabronid that preys on cicadas, though in No ...

(''Sphecius speciosus''), red velvet ant (''Dasymutilla occidentalis'') and red imported fire ant (''Solenopsis invicta''). Odonata: eastern pondhawk (''Erythemis simplicicollis''). Lepidopterans:

monarch butterfly The monarch butterfly or simply monarch (''Danaus plexippus'') is a milkweed butterfly (subfamily Danainae) in the family Nymphalidae. Other common names, depending on region, include milkweed, common tiger, wanderer, and black-veined brown. It ...

(''Danaus plexippus'') and

red-spotted purple ''Limenitis arthemis,'' the red-spotted purple or white admiral, is a North American butterfly species in the cosmopolitan genus ''Limenitis''. It has been studied for its evolution of mimicry, and for the several stable hybrid wing patterns wi ...

(''Limenitis arthemis'').

Plant life

References

External links

General interest:
North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission
* ttp://www.carolinanature.com/ Carolina natureSpecific:
North Carolina Birding TrailHerps of NC: Amphibians and Reptiles of North Carolinathe Savannah River Ecology Laboratory Herpetology ProgramCommon Spiders of North Carolina
{{DEFAULTSORT:Wildlife Of North Carolina 01 W01

.NC .nc is the Internet country code top-level domain (ccTLD) for New Caledonia. Registry operations are managed by the Office des postes et télécommunications. Restrictions Only New Caledonian registered companies or associations, or private in ...

W NC North Carolina