American Animals Virginia and Washington

The wildlife in the US states of Virginia and Washington

By Rasma RaistersPublished about a year ago • 3 min read

Wildlife Of Virginia

Mammals

The US state of Virginia has forests and valleys between mountains and in these areas, many wild animals make their home.

Among them are shrews, squirrels, bats, and skunks.

There is also a large white-tail deer population. These deer help to maintain the population of predators throughout the state.

Among the predators are black bears who inhabit also coastal regions and bobcats, coyotes, and pumas.

Amphibians and Reptiles

Virginia is home to different species of salamanders. They make up the bulk of wild amphibian life. Among them is the Shenandoah Salamander an endangered species and only found on three mountains in northwestern Virginia.

Other amphibians making their home here are frogs, toads, and mudpuppies.

There are many snakes in the state with three species being venomous - the Northern Copperhead, Eastern Cottonmouth, and Timber Rattlesnake.

You can also find turtles and lizards including the small lizard known as the skink.

Birds

Living in Virginia are large birds like bald eagles that spend their time in the state year-round. Golden eagles winter through much of the state, particularly in the Appalachian Mountains.

Predatory birds known as raptors include the peregrine falcon, owls, and vultures.

Among smaller birds is the ivory-billed woodpecker.

Aquatic Life

Many fish and other water creatures make their homes in the many lakes, rivers and bay of Virginia. Among the fish are pike, perch, catfish, trout, and bass.

The state has two official state fish the brook trout (freshwater) and the striped bass (saltwater).

There are also different species of mollusks and crayfish.

On the coast of Virginia, you can find whale species like fin, sperm, and humpback whales.

Even though they do not stay all the time but come to visit for a period each year humpback whales and manatees swim into the Chesapeake Bay.

However, manatees, alligators, harbor, and gray seals are expanding their ranges and becoming more common in the bay. They are managed under the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972.

Harbor seals are usually wintertime visitors and arrive between October - April when the waters off the New England coast warm up and can be more often seen near the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel islands and on Eastern Shore beaches.

Wildlife of Washington

The US state of Washington is located in the Pacific Northwest. There are dry summers and wet, mild winters. The landscape varies with high mountain peaks, volcanoes, dense forests, vast prairies, marine waters, and wetlands and grasslands. To the west the state borders with the Pacific Ocean.

Official State Mammal

Olympic Marmot

Official State Marine Mammal

Orca

Places to see wildlife:

The Olympic National Park to the north of the Olympic Peninsula is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Here you can spot bobcats, grizzly bears, wolverines, and rodents.

Birds include bald eagles, thrushes, and owls.

Marine animals include whales, dolphins, and seals.

Mount Rainier National Park is located near the city of Tacoma and is the first ever-established national park in the US.

It is home to elk, coyotes, bobcats, beavers, foxes, marmots, pikas, mountain goats, and rodents.

Among birds, there are falcons, eagles, owls, and finches.

Discovery Park is located on the Puget Sound waterfront. It is the greenest space in Seattle. The park is home to some 270 species of birds, coyotes, and seals.

San Juan Islands National Monument is located in the Salish Sea next to the Canadian border.

Here you can see minks, river otters, and seals.

It is also a place for whale watching with grey, minke, and humpback whales as well as dolphins. Between April and October, you get to see killer whales.