Menu
Search
Browse by Grade & Subjects

Grade

Subjects

09. Animals of the Forest

Many, many types of animals make their home in the cove forest, including amphibians, reptiles, mammals and birds. Click on the topics below to see some of the various species that live in the cove forest.

Resource Type
Black-Bellied Salamander | The Cove Forest

Video

Grades

  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
  • 6
  • 7
  • 8
  • 9
  • 10
  • 11
  • 12
Black-Bellied Salamander | The Cove Forest
(Desmognathus quadramaculatus) This is the largest of the lungless salamanders in the cove forests. They are usually found in streams that have a rocky bottom and usually rest on wet rocks near these...
Spotted Salamander | The Cove Forest

Video

Grades

  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
  • 6
  • 7
  • 8
  • 9
  • 10
  • 11
  • 12
Spotted Salamander | The Cove Forest
(Ambystoma maculatum) The spotted salamander is one of the most colorful of the ambystomid salamanders. The shiny black back of the animal has a series of large yellow/yellow orange spots. These...
Golden Mouse | The Cove Forest Eastern Pipistrelle Bat | The Cove Forest

Video

Grades

  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
  • 6
  • 7
  • 8
  • 9
  • 10
  • 11
  • 12
Eastern Pipistrelle Bat | The Cove Forest
The pipistrelle is the smallest bat in the southern US. This is one of the most common bats in the cove forest. This bat is a very early evening feeder and tends to feed at treetop levels.
Golden Mouse | The Cove Forest Short-Tailed Shrew | The Cove Forest

Video

Grades

  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
  • 6
  • 7
  • 8
  • 9
  • 10
  • 11
  • 12
Short-Tailed Shrew | The Cove Forest
This shrew is very common and is one of the largest of the various shrew species weighing 11- 30 g. Food consists mainly of invertebrates such as earthworms, snails, and insects. However, these shrews...
Golden Mouse | The Cove Forest Deer Mouse | The Cove Forest

Video

Grades

  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
  • 6
  • 7
  • 8
  • 9
  • 10
  • 11
  • 12
Deer Mouse | The Cove Forest
(peromyscus maniculatus) This rodent is the most important prey item for the avian and mammalian predators that frequent the cove forest. This specis is the most widespread of North American rodents...
Golden Mouse | The Cove Forest Masked Shrew | The Cove Forest

Video

Grades

  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
  • 6
  • 7
  • 8
  • 9
  • 10
  • 11
  • 12
Masked Shrew | The Cove Forest
(sorex cinereus) This insectivore is related to the common moles. It is one of the smallest mammals found in the United States weighing between 2-5 g. It is constantly active with a very high...
Golden Mouse | The Cove Forest Red-Backed Vole | The Cove Forest

Video

Grades

  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
  • 6
  • 7
  • 8
  • 9
  • 10
  • 11
  • 12
Red-Backed Vole | The Cove Forest
(clethrionomys gapper) This rodent is a relative of the muskrat and lemming. This vole is found only in cove forests at higher altitudes in the mountains of South Carolina. It is semifossorial using...
Copperhead | The Cove Forest Rat Snake | The Cove Forest

Video

Grades

  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
  • 6
  • 7
  • 8
  • 9
  • 10
  • 11
  • 12
Rat Snake | The Cove Forest
(Elaphe obsoleta) The rat snake is one of the most diurnal of snakes found in the cove forest. This snake is a very adept climber and is frequently found climbing trees and nesting in tree cavities...
Copperhead | The Cove Forest Eastern Box Turtle | The Cove Forest

Video

Grades

  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
  • 6
  • 7
  • 8
  • 9
  • 10
  • 11
  • 12
Eastern Box Turtle | The Cove Forest
(Terrapene carolina) This turtle is very common and is highly terrestrial. The males have red eyes and the bottom of the shell (plastron) is scoped out; while the females have brown/yellow eyes and a...