Wildlife

The Virginia opossum, commonly known as the North American opossum, is the only marsupial found north of Mexico. In the United States, the animal is typically referred to simply as a possum. It is a solitary and nocturnal animal about the size of a domestic cat. It is a successful opportunist.

The southern short-tailed shrew is a gray, short-tailed shrew that inhabits the eastern United States. It has a comparatively heavy body, with short limbs and a thick neck, a long, pointed snout and ears that are nearly concealed by its soft, dense fur.

The Seminole bat is found in the Southeastern United States. This includes Louisiana, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, South Carolina and parts of Texas, Tennessee, Arkansas and North Carolina. There are also records of Seminole bats as far as Mexico.

Black bears can typically be found in three distinct regions in Georgia, although they will range over larger areas in search of food. They can be found in the North Georgia mountains, along the Ocmulgee River drainage system in the central part of the state and in the Okefenokee Swamp in the southeast.

The Florida gar is a species of gar found in the US from the Savannah River and Ochlockonee River watersheds of Georgia and throughout peninsular Florida. Florida gar can reach a length over 3 ft. The young feed on zooplankton and insect larvae, as well as small fish. Adults mainly eat fish, shrimp, and crayfish.

Bowfin are bony fish related to gars in the infraclass Holostei. Common names include mudfish, mud pike, dogfish, griddle, grinnel, swamp trout, and choupique.

The American Eel is a catadromous fish, which means that it spends its adult life in freshwater, but returns to the ocean, specifically the Sargasso Sea to spawn. After spawning, the American Eel dies. American Eels have a varied diet including worms, small fish, crustaceans, clams, and other mollusks. They can reach sizes of up to 60 inches, but most only reach 20 inches. The bodies of American Eels are coated in a thick mucus which gives the fish its slimy look as well as protection from parasites and diseases.

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 fish is unique in the fact that it has brightly colored red fins.