Animals hide in the dense forest of the Great Smoky Mountains.
The Great Smoky Mountains are part of the Blue Ridge portion of the Appalachian mountain range in the Eastern United States. The Smokies are a national park reserve, and parallel the state border between Tennessee and North Carolina. Wildlife abounds within the mountain range, and there are several hundred species of mammals, birds, fish, reptiles and amphibians, including some that have not yet been discovered.
Mammals
According to the National Park Service (NPS), there are at least 66 species of mammals living in the Smokies. Most well known are the American black bear and the elk. Along with these are bobcats, red and gray foxes, white-tailed deer and coyotes. Mountain lions and jaguars have been spotted by visitors to the area, but none has been officially confirmed as a resident.
Smaller mammals include squirrels, raccoons, beavers and mice. You may occasionally see a wild European hog, a non-native species that has lived and thrived in the woods for many years.
Birds and Fish
Park rangers have confirmed hundreds of species of birds within the park, from songbirds to raptors. Different species live at different elevations, and the watchful birder can spot as many as 100 species in a single day during migration season. Some of the most common sightings include grouse, crows, ravens and wild turkeys.
The NPS estimates that fish live in only 800 of the area's 2,100 miles of streams. Trout are of most interest to fishermen, but many other species can be spotted in the clear streams. Four types of fish are protected or endangered and should not be caught: the duskytail darter, smoky madtom, spotfin chub and yellowtail madtom.
Reptiles and Amphibians
The Great Smoky Mountains National Park is known as the salamander capital of the world. The All Taxa Biodiversity Inventory has counted 30 species that call the park home and the NPS states that they are the most abundant animal in the area. There are several varieties of frogs and toads as well.
Of 23 species of snakes, two are venomous: the Northern Copperhead and the Timber Rattlesnake. Both are reclusive and sightings are very rare. More common are encounters with the Eastern Garter Snake and the Northern Water Snake, a harmless species often mistaken for the more dangerous Cottonmouth (The Park Service assures that Cottonmouths do not live in the Great Smoky Mountains).
Synchronous Fireflies
A rare species, the synchronous firefly can match it's flashing light patterns to those around it. The best time to spot this phenomenon is in mid-June.
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