For our Pennsylvania ecology class we are going to classify the native animals to Pennsylvania into six, very basic groups; big game animals, small game animals, non-game animals, fur bearing animals, waterfowl, and threatened & endangered animals. This classification will include mammals and birds, two separate classifications in our biology class but together here as game and non-game animals. There are approximately 67 native species of mammals and over 200 different species of birds currently living in our state but we're just going to introduce some of the more common game and non-game species.
Big game animals make up the smallest group. There are only four big game animal native to Pennsylvania; the black bear, the elk, the whitetail deer (our state animal), and the eastern wild turkey. In addition to Pennsylvania's four big game animals, the Keystone State offers a variety of small game animals for wildlife viewers and hunters to pursue as well. Small game animals play a large role in our deciduous forest ecosystem here in Pennsylvania. Not only do small game animals add to the biodiversity of our state's forests, but small game animals are also prey for larger predators like coyotes, foxes, bobcats, and hawks. Pennsylvania's list of non-game animals, animals illegal to hunt, trap, catch, fish, or possess, has quite a few familiar names. The ground dwelling non-game animals only really consist of the river otter, porcupine, and the chipmunk. The avian (bird) list is a bit longer but just as many familiar names on it; osprey, bald eagles, blue heron, hawks, songbirds, owls, great egrets, and falcons. The only flying mammal on the non-game list is the bat which Pennsylvania has nine different species. |
The fur bearing animals are animals that are hunted or trapped primarily for their fur instead of their meat. Mink, fox, raccoon, beaver, muskrat, bobcat, coyote, and opossum make up fur bearers.
Waterfowl is a species of bird that spends all or most of its time around a water environment such as a lake, swamp, marsh or river. All geese, ducks, and swans are classified as waterfowl. Most waterfowl are migratory birds that annually travel to areas more suitable for its survival during winter months. Threatened & endangered animals are animals in which their population numbers have dropped so low they risk the possibility of extinction to their species. Threatened animal species are organisms whose population has decreased to very low numbers. The endangered animals are organisms whose population is so low it is in the danger of becoming extinct. Please click the following links for more information on each of the six different types of native animals to Pennsylvania.
|
PA Ecology 4th period Room 204 Mr. Solderich [email protected] last revised 8/3/15