Opossum
(Didelphis virginiana)
|
Common along streams and marshes near woodland. |
Masked Shrew
(Sorex cinerus) |
Found in poorly drained fields.
|
Smoky Shrew
(Sorex fumeus)
|
Inhabits moist fields. |
| Short-tailed Shrew
(Blarina brevicauda)
|
Common in wooded and swampy areas. |
|
Starnose Mole (Condylura
cristata)
|
Abundant in vicinity of swamps and brooks.
|
Little Brown Myotis (Bat)
(Myotis lucifugus)
|
Numerous but rarely seen. Roosts in hollow trees and under eaves. |
Red Bat
(Lasiurus borealis)
|
This solitary creature is occasionally seen during the day flying
along wooded streams. |
Black Bear
(Ursus americanus)
|
Rarely seen on the Refuge.
|
Raccoon
(Procyon lotor)
|
Very numerous over the entire Refuge. |
Longtail Weasel
(Mustela frenata)
|
A common but infrequently seen inhabitant of upland areas. |
Mink
(Mustela vison)
|
Fairly common in wet areas but rarely seen.
|
River Otter
(Lutra Canadensis)
|
Extirpated in the Great Swamp until it reappeared in the 1970's. Now
present in small numbers and thought to be reproducing. |
Striped Skunk
(Mephitis mephitis)
|
Common but seldom seen. |
Red Fox
(Vulpes vulpes)
|
Very common throughout the Refuge.
|
Gray Fox
(Urocyon cinereoargenteus)
|
Fairly common in brushy woodlands. |
Woodchuck
(Marmota monax)
|
Occasionally seen near their burrows in dry upland fields and
woodlands. |
|
Eastern Chipmunk (Tamias striatus)
|
Commonly found in upland woods.
|
| Eastern Gray Squirrel (Sciursu
carolinensis)
|
Very common in upland hardwoods. When hollow trees are in short
supply, look for their round, leaf nests constructed high in the tops of
trees. |
| Red Squirrel (Tamiasciurus
hudsonicus)
|
May be seen in evergreen trees or surrounding hardwoods. |
Southern Flying Squirrel
(Glaucomys volans)
|
Fairly common, but seldom seen during the day.
|
Beaver
(Castor canadensis)
|
Rarely seen through the Refuge.
|
|
White-footed Mouse (Peromyscus
leucopus)
|
Abundant in woodland areas. |
Gapper’s Redback Vole
(Clethrionomys gapperi)
|
A ground-dwelling vole of damp and cool forests.
|
Meadow Vole
(Microtus pennsylvanicus)
|
Common in fields and grassy areas. |
Pine Vole
(Microtus pinetorum)
|
Found primarily in hardwood areas, in contrast to common name. |
Muskrat
(Ondatra zibethicus)
|
Abundant where there is water. Look for their mound-shaped houses in
swamps and marshes.
|
Norway Rat
(Rattus norvegicus)
|
Found in and around old farm buildings. |
House Mouse
(Mus musculus)
|
Present in buildings and fields. |
| Meadow Jumping Mouse (Zapus
hudsonius)
|
Occasionally seen in fields. May be mistaken for frogs when seen
jumping through the grass. |
Woodland Jumping Mouse
(Napaeozapus insignis)
|
Found in wet and heavily wooded areas. |
| Eastern Cottontail (Sylvilagus
floridanus)
|
Seen frequently in brushy upland areas. |
| Whitetail Deer (Odocoileus
virginianus)
|
Very common throughout the Refuge. Viewing opportunities best in
early morning and early evening. |
Human Being
(Homo sapiens)
|
Often neglected as belonging to the kingdom of animals. Like other
mammals, this species requires clean air to breathe, pure water to
drink, unpoisoned food, and open space in which to roam. |
|
Other species are probably present on the Refuge but have not yet
been verified. Reports of additional species are welcome. Please
contact:
Refuge Manager
Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge
Pleasant Plains Road, RD 1, Box 152
Basking Ridge, New Jersey, 07920-9615
Telephone (201) 425-1222
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Great Swamp is one of more than 470 refuges in the National Wildlife
Refuge System administered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The
National Wildlife Refuge System is a network of lands and waters managed
specifically for the protection of wildlife and wildlife habitat and
represents the most comprehensive wildlife
management program in the world. Units of the system stretch across the
United States from Northern Alaska to the Florida Keys and include small
islands in the Caribbean and South Pacific. The character of the Refuges
is as diverse as the nation itself.
The Service also manages National Fish Hatcheries, and provides
Federal leadership in habitat protection, fish and wildlife research,
technical assistance and the conservation and protection of migratory
birds, certain marine mammals and threatened and endangered species.
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
U.S. FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE
Illustrations by Mary Friel O’Connor
|
Although established primarily to preserve habitat for migratory
birds, there is an abundance of other wildlife, including many mammals.
Toward evening, visitors are likely to see whitetail deer grazing in
fields. The red fox and raccoon are common but rarely seen during
daylight hours. Muskrats are frequently seen in wet areas at dawn and
dusk - especially during the spring.