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Muskrat

Muskrat

The muskrat, native to wetlands and marshes of Louisiana, is a semi-aquatic rodent resembling a small beaver. It has dense, waterproof fur ranging from brown to black, aiding in its aquatic lifestyle. With webbed hind feet and a flattened tail for propulsion, it is an excellent swimmer. Muskrats feed on aquatic vegetation, roots, and sometimes small invertebrates, sustaining themselves within their watery habitats. Their burrows, constructed along waterways, provide shelter and protection from predators.

Swamp Rabbit

The swamp rabbit, the largest in the cottontail genus, thrives in the Gulf Coast and south-central U.S., favoring swampy lowlands and water-rich habitats. Its waterproof dense fur, ranging in shades of dark brown, rusty brown, and black, aids its survival. These adept swimmers use water as refuge, often evading predators by diving under roots or overhangs or swimming away.

Cottonmouth Snake

These snakes probably aren’t your favorite animal. Large and venomous, these snakes are not exactly your friend. They are, however, important predator animals in any wetland environment. Often found near water, coiled and sometimes aggressive, you should never approach these snakes. Cottonmouths can travel over small streams but are hardly ever found far above ground level. Cottonmouths are brown or nearly black with small stripes near their heads. If you’re walking near water, be sure to watch where you’re walking …

Red Fox

Red foxes are found almost everywhere in the continental United States where there’s ample forest, tree cover or wetlands, and a many of these creatures call south Louisiana home. As more of their range has been developed in suburban neighborhoods and other structures, red foxes have adapted and become frequent trash scavengers. They’re good at escaping, so it isn’t super common to see a fox in a well-populated area. Red foxes are named for their reddish color and are very …

Beaver

Is it a nutria or a beaver? Louisiana is probably the only state in the country where you might have to ask yourself that question. Just take a look at their tails! Nutria have long slim tails, while beavers have their easily recognizable broad, flat tails. Beavers can be found almost anywhere in the United States where there’s ample water and are prevalent along Louisiana’s coast in freshwater bayous, ponds and lakes. They’re one of the only animals that can …

Louisiana Black Bear

Our state mammal! The Louisiana black bear is a specific species of American black bear and is also a recent conservation success. In 1992, the Louisiana black bear was listed as threatened due to deforestation that occurred throughout the state in the earlier part of the century, but after multiple paths of action were taken, the bear was removed from the list in 2016. The Atchafalaya Basin is an important habitat for these bears, who depend on both the basin’s …

Largemouth Bass

Prevalent along the Louisiana coast and beyond, largemouth bass are also a favorite for freshwater fishermen. Largemouth bass are usually found in freshwater and can be found in almost all freshwater bodies in Louisiana, even in backyard ponds, and can also survive in brackish estuaries. The fish prefer warm, shallow water and structures along shorelines and eat almost any kind of smaller aquatic animals, including fish and shellfish. Largemouth bass are also the largest of all black basses and can …

Whitetail Deer

Whitetail deer are prominent across the state of Louisiana and are a fixture of its hardbottom swamps and marshes. Whitetail deer are also one of the most sought-after species by Louisiana hunters. The deer population fell in the early 1900s, when logging and forest clearing was at an all-time high along south Louisiana. Whitetail deer currently have a healthy population in Louisiana, after decades of management and repopulation by the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries. Deer tend to congregate …

Gulf Sheepshead

Wondering if the fish you caught in a Louisiana estuary is a sheepshead? After all, the species is commonly mistaken for a juvenile black drum. Take a look in its mouth. No, really… just be prepared. The teeth you see are the fish’s namesake, and resemble sheep, or some say human’s, teeth. Gulf sheepshead have a wide range, found all the way up in Nova Scotia and as far south as Brazil, but they’re commonly found in warm Gulf of …

Black Drum

Prevalent along the Mississippi River Delta, black drum are a close relative to red drum, or redfish. Their behavior is similar to redfish, with the fish spending different stages of life in and out of brackish estuaries and males making a deep drumming noise to attract females when spawning. Unlike redfish, they can grow much bigger, with some growing to over 100 pounds. Smaller drum feed on small fish and crustaceans, while larger drum depend on harder-to-break shellfish like oysters, …

Crawfish

Crawfish! Not crayfish or “mudbugs.” Ask any south Louisianian what their favorite food is, and there’s a good chance they’ll tell you crawfish. These small crustaceans are reddish-brown in color, only turning bright red when boiled. They prefer flooded wetlands with flowing water. Crawfish are also farmed in large rice fields in coastal parishes during crawfish season, which usually stretches from February to May. Crawfish and rice are generally farmed in the same ponds because the shared space is beneficial …

Bull Shark

Sharks may not be the first animal you think of when you think about Louisiana’s coastal swamps and marshes, but these black-tipped fish are relatively common. Unlike other types of sharks, bull sharks can survive in freshwater bodies for a good bit of time, and they’ve even been found in the Mississippi River as far north as St. Louis. Bull sharks encounter humans more than other species of sharks, mostly because they prefer shallow bodies of water, including shallow estuaries …

Speckled Trout

The speckled trout, as it’s called across south Louisiana, is actually technically called a spotted seatrout. A favorite of recreational fishermen, speckled trout, or “specks” are found in estuaries with varying salinities across Louisiana’s coast. Specks prefer shallow water like shallow bayous, canals and oyster reefs when the weather is warmer and deeper water in estuaries during the cooler months. Specks have an iridescent, gray-colored back and a white underbelly, and their name comes from a spattering of black spots, …

North American River Otter

These playful mammals can be found in almost any freshwater body and are frequently found in the winding bayous and canals of Louisiana’s coastline. Covered in dark brown fur, river otters are semi-aquatic, living both in and out of the water. In Louisiana, river otters prey on shellfish like shrimp and crabs, as well as birds and turtles. River otter populations declined in the 19th and 20th centuries, when they were hunted for their fur, but have recently rebounded. Next …

Alligator

Love ‘em or hate ‘em, they’re an important part of coastal Louisiana’s ecosystems. These scaly predators keep animal populations in check. Although alligators are a common sight now in Louisiana’s marshes and bayous, it wasn’t always that way. Alligators were listed as an endangered species in 1967. Due to local, state and federal protections, however, the American Alligator population is back to booming, with the largest numbers in Louisiana and Florida, one million in each state. While alligator populations were …