Mammals: The raccoon is skilled at catching fish, crayfish, frogs, and salamanders. The America mink has a similar diet, with the addition of birds and mice. Its larger cousin, the river otter, is a rare sight. Other large predatory mammals such as the bobcat and cougar are also elusive. The black bear is even rarer. It has been saved from extinction in Louisiana only by the introduction in Louisiana only by the introduction of cubs from Minnesota into the area. The muskrat, a large rodent, builds a lodge like the beaver's out of reeds and twigs above the water line, with an entrance below water level.

A similar animal from South America, the coypu, or nutria, escaped from fur farms in the area and is now flourishing. In the swamps, the white tailed deer ha larger hoofs than normal to cope with muddy ground. The cypress swamp is also home to the flying squirrel that glides from tree to tree.  In the forest surrounding the swamp lives the common opossum, one of only a few marsupials (mammals whose young develop inside the mothers pouch) to live outside Australia.

Reptiles: Once quite rare, the alligator is returning in numbers now that hunting is illegal., The alligator lays its eggs in a nest of mud and grass. The mother helps the young out of the nest after they hatch. Other reptiles include venomous snakes such as the copperhead snakes and cottonmouth, as well l as harmless water snakes. The snapping turtle and map turtle (named for markings on its shell that resemble a map) also live in the marshes. Amphibians are also numerous, including several frog species.

Birds: The Mississippi Flyway is a hugh migration route that passes through the open marshes of Louisiana. In winter, a half million blue and snow geese fly in from Arctic breeding grounds. Other wintering species include the Canada Goose, mallard, ring necked duck, pintail, and shoveled. Summer migrants include the snowy egret, green heron, Louisiana heron, ibis, roseate spoonbill, least bittern, and darter. Smaller species such as warblers and hummingbirds spend the summer in the woods, while other birds just stop over in the swamps on their way farther north.

Plants: The bayous meander through cypress swamps where trees such as bald cypress and tupelo gum support other plants, tree orchids, ferns, and Spanish moss. Insect eating plants such as the sundew and pitcher plant live underneath the trees. The water hyacinth, a species from South America, grows rapidly and can clog bayous.

Aquatic Animals: The coastal marshes of Louisiana are important nurseries for shrimp, channel bass, and sea trout, which breed and mature here before swimming out to open sea. Moving inland through the salt and freshwater marshes, the species change with the water salinity (salt water), since fish, crabs, oysters, shrimp all prefer different conditions. The aquatic animals of the swamps provide a rich food supply for predators, including humans. Crayfish are considered a local delicacy, although supplies are dwindling. Fisherman also catch freshwater fish such as channel catfish and blue gill.

Conservation:
Threats to the Louisiana Swamps: The location of the Louisiana swamps around the Gulf of Mexico exposes them each year to hurricanes and tornadoes. These natural events, which can be devastating, are small compared to the long term problems created by man made disasters that also effect this area.  The salt marshes are vulnerable to oil spillage from the drilling rigs in the Gulf. Oil coats plants and wildlife, causing immediate damage and upsetting the delicate balance of the food chain. Inland, swamps are being reclaimed for agriculture.

The Brown Pelican: The brown pelican, the state symbol of Louisiana , was once common sight in the salt marshes at the mouth of the Mississippi. In the early 1960's, however, it mysteriously disappeared from the area. Scientist later discovered that pesticides such as DDT had washed into the river and entered the food chain, accumulating in the pelican by way of its fish prey. The chemicals gradually damaged the bird's brain and other organs, causing death. They also weakened the pelicans egg shells, making them more likely to break before the young birds could hatch. The pelican is being reintroduced into nature reserves but its recovery is slow.

The brown pelican attains full adult plumage and head markings when it is three years old. With reintroduction and careful protection, the brown pelican population is gradually recovering from its extinction in the Louisiana salt marshes in the 1960's.

To return to animal menu click here