Wetland Wildlife
This bird of prey feed almost exclusively on fish. They have evolved unique adaptations such as nasal valves that prevent water from entering the nostrils while under water and a reversible outer toe that aids in fish capture.
What are Osprey?
This frog is one of the first frogs that you will see in the spring breeding in vernal pools.
What are spring peepers?
The largest salamander in New Hampshire
What is the mudpuppy?
These forests are found adjacent to river systems that experience regular flooding.
What are floodplain forests?
This state-endangered turtle is known for its bright yellow throat and "smiling" appearance.
What is the Blanding's turtle?
This species is known as the "ecosystem engineer" that alters or creates new wetland habitats.
What are beaver?
Caddisfly larvae and cases; clam shrimp; spire-shaped snails; flat-spire snails; and fingernail clams are some of the several species that are considered these for vernal pools.
What are secondary vernal pool indicators?
This salamander's life cycle is considered one of the most complex of all the salamanders - egg to larvae with external gills to terrestrial juvenile with lungs to aquatic adults.
What is the Eastern red-spotted newt?
This wetland habitat is located along the 18-mile NH coastline, covering about 6,000-7,500 acres.
What are tidal wetlands or salt marshes?
fun fact: NH WAP identifies six coastal habitats - Salt Marsh, Beaches and Dunes, Coastal Islands and Rocky Shores, Estuarine, Marine-Nearshore, Marine-Offshore
This common turtle cannot fully retract their head or limbs into their shell.
What is the snapping turtle?
The NH snake, a species of greatest conservation need, that is most known for inhabiting the edges of shallow wetlands, ponds and marshes.
What are Eastern ribbonsnakes?
This common species that breeds in vernal pools surrounds its egg mass with a singular gelatinous membrane.
What are spotted salamanders?
This state-endangered salamander lays their eggs in the fall, under logs or leaves next to a wetland feature. The female will remain with the eggs until rains fill the pool and the larvae hatch.
What are marbled salamanders?
This type of wetland habitat is dominated by shrubs and tree samplings less than 20 feet tall. Common plants include alder, willow, dogwood and red maple.
What are scrub-shrub wetlands?
This highly aquatic turtle is also known as the "stinkpot".
What is the Eastern musk turtle?
This state-threatened dragonfly species is restricted to wetland habitats containing extensive floating or suspended Sphagnum.
What are ringed boghaunters?
Two adaptations or strategies that allow vernal pool macroinvertebrates to thrive in these, often temporary, wetland features.
What are rapid life cycles and drought-resistant eggs?
This family of salamanders are nocturnal and spend their day in leaf litter or in burrows. They migrate in the spring to ponds, wetlands and streams to breed and lay their eggs in clumps on submerged material in the water.
What is Ambystomatidae - also called "mole salamanders"?
This type of wetland is considered the predominant forested wetland in New Hampshire and is home to swamp sparrows, moose, and green-backed herons for example.
What are red maple swamps?
This turtle is most often found near forested streams and rivers, feeding on invertebrates.
What is the wood turtle? (state species of special concern)
This guild of species are widely known as the "livers" of aquatic ecosystems, filtering out algae, pollutants and even some viruses!
What are freshwater mussels?
This "living fossil" from the order Anostraca lays eggs (known as cysts) that are extraordinarily tough, capable of surviving temperatures down to -300 F, boiling water for two hours, and even trips into space!
What are fairy shrimp?
These 3 species of salamanders in New Hampshire prefer living in cold-water streams, brooks and seepages.
What are the spring salamander, Northern two-lined salamander and the Northern dusky salamander?
This type of wetland is generally covered with water during the growing season and consists of cattails, pickerelweed, water lilies and sedges and are home to many wildlife species such as painted turtles, bullfrogs, minks, rails and red-winged blackbirds.
What are marshes?
Where rare, protected turtles may be found, projects that may impact important areas such as nesting sites or hibernacula, commonly have this conservation measure condition.
What are "timing restrictions"?