Peaks of Otter Salamander
Confined to a small section of Virginia’s Blue Ridge, this slender woodland salamander lives under rocks and logs in cool, moist forest near the Peaks of Otter.
Virginia, United States: places and wildlife — page 4
Browse the published Explore collection for Virginia, United States. Open a discovery for its field guide, practical details, and background.
Roanoke Logperch
This federally endangered fish of the Roanoke and Chowan systems uses its pointed snout to turn small stones and seize insect larvae exposed beneath them.
James Spinymussel
This small endangered freshwater mussel survives in scattered clean streams of the upper James basin, partly buried in sand, gravel, and cobble where steady current delivers food.
Virginia Round-leaf Birch
Once believed extinct, this rare small tree persists naturally in a limited Smyth County watershed, recognized by rounded leaves and its close relationship to sweet birch.
Diamondback terrapin
Pale spotted skin, a patterned shell, and a life between salt and fresh water distinguish Maryland’s official state reptile.
Baltimore checkerspot
Black wings checked with cream and orange identify a wet-meadow butterfly whose official status contrasts with its rarity in Maryland.
Baltimore oriole
Maryland’s orange-and-black state bird whistles from leafy edges and suspends a woven pouch nest near a branch tip.
Atlantic blue crab
Paddle-shaped rear legs, blue claws, and a life tied to brackish Chesapeake water distinguish Maryland’s state crustacean.
Striped bass
Seven or eight continuous dark stripes mark a silvery predator that uses tidal rivers as nurseries and the coast as a highway.
Black-eyed Susan
Rough-haired stems and golden rays around a raised brown center make Maryland’s state flower a familiar open-ground wildflower.
White oak
Maryland’s state tree supports insects and wildlife; rounded leaf lobes and pale bark reward a slower look in mature woodland.
Brook Trout
Follow this jewel-colored char from shaded headwaters to Adirondack ponds, where water quality shapes its future.
Common Snapping Turtle
A rugged freshwater turtle is easiest to notice when it leaves the water to nest, not while it lies hidden below.
Sugar Maple
Recognize New York's state tree by more than its color: bark, paired buds, and leaf shape tell the whole story.