Animal Name

Diet

(Alligator mississippiensis)

Southwest US; wetlands, lakes, and bayous, ranging as far north as southern Oklahoma

Carnivore; nutria, raccoons, otters, fish, turtles, frogs, etc.

Young eat insects and other small prey.

Black Bear

(Ursus americanus luteolus)

Mexico to Northern California and from Alaska across to the East Coast, with isolated populations in the Gulf Coast states.  The Louisiana Black Bear is a subspecies of the American Black Bear.

THREATENED

Omnivore; likes succulents and nutritious vegetation such as tubers, bulbs, nuts and young shoots, as well as energy-rich honey.  Also will eat grubs, carrion, fish, and young hoofed mammals.

Raccoon

(Procyon lotor)

Southern Canada, USA, Central America, and introduced to Europe and Asia; woods, swamps, prairies.  They thrive in agricultural areas, and prefer wet places for foraging

Omnivore; frogs, crawfish, fish, bird eggs, fruit, seeds, nuts, small rodents and insects

Cougar

(Felis (Puma) concolor)

Southern Canada to Patagonia; forest steppe including conifer, deciduous, and tropical forest, grasslands, and desert.

Carnivore; deer is its major prey

Eastern Glass Lizard

(Ophisaurus venralis)

Southeast Virginia to southern Florida, and west to eastern Louisiana; wet meadows, grasslands, and piney woods

Carnivore; insects, spiders, snails, eggs, small snakes, and lizards

Water Snake

Found throughout eastern and central US and Mexico; very common in Louisiana wetlands

Carnivore; fish and amphibians

Animal Name

Diet

Canada and the US including Alaska; fresh water streams, lakes

Carnivore; frogs, crawfish, crabs, fish (usually sluggish non-game fish), coots and ducklings

(called Copy in some areas)

Originally from Argentina, but now released and flourishing in the American South, Europe, and Africa; wetland habitats

Herbivore; eats all types of vegetation

Alligator Snapping Turtle

Southwestern Georgia and northern Florida to east central Texas, north in Mississippi Valley to Kansas, Iowa and extreme SW Indiana; lakes, rivers, bayous, and fresh water swamps

(Felis rufus)

Southern Canada to southern Mexico; thickets, swamps, and forests

Carnivore; enjoys rabbits best, but will also eat small hoofed mammals and ground birds

Red Fox

(Vulpes vulpes fulva)

Northern hemisphere from the Artic Circle to north Africa, Central American deserts, and Asiatic steppes

Omnivore; opportunistic forager with a diet that depends on what is available.  Eats rabbits, rodents, birds, invertebrates (beetles, grasshoppers, earthworms), fish, and fruit

(Agkistrodon piscivorus)

Virginia to Texas, and across southern Louisiana

Copperhead

(Agkistrodon contortix)

Southeastern United States; lowlands, low grounds near swamps, cypress bordered streams, and sometimes hilly regions

Carnivore; principally mice, but also will eat small birds, lizards, small snakes, amphibians, and insects

Southern Leopard Frog

(Rana utricula)

Long Island to South Florida, west to Texas; all shallow fresh water habitats, even slightly brackish coastal marshes

Carnivore; any smaller animals

Bull Frog

(Rana Catesbeiana)

Native to US; any aquatic habitat, prefers large bodies of still water

Carnivore; any smaller animals

Broad-headed Skink

(Eumeces laticeps)

Southern Pennsylvania to central Florida, west to eastern Kansas and central Texas; swampy forest to urban lots, essentially a woodland species

Carnivore; small mammals, baby birds, insects, and arthropods

Lousiana Milk Snake

(Lampropeltis triangulum amaura)

Southwest Arkansas and southeast Oklahoma to Gulf coast Texas

Carnivore; a constrictor that preys mostly on mice and other rodents

Speckled King Snake

(Lampropeltis getula holbrooki)

Southern Iowa to the Gulf of Mexico

Carnivore; eats other snakes (including venomous ones), rodents, lizards, small birds, and eggs

Western Pygmy Rattlesnake

(Sistrrurus miliarius steckeri)

Louisiana, Tennessee, Alabama, eastern Texas, Oklahoma and Arkansas; river floodplains, swamps, marshes, and wet prairies

Carnivore; mice, lizards, snakes, and frogs

Texas Rat Snake

(Elaphe obsolete lindheimerii)

From the Mississippi River west through central and south Texas; bayous, swamps, woods and stream valleys

Carnivore; rats, mice, birds, squirrels, lizards, and frogs

Eastern Garter Snake

(Thamnophis sirtalis sirtalis)

From Canada to the Gulf of Mexico, west to Minnesota and Texas; wide variety of habitats, usually near water

Carnivore; fish, worms, and amphibians

Black Masked Racer

(Coluber c. latrunculus)

Southeast Louisiana, along the east side of Mississippi, and north; bottomland hardwood and cypress regions

Carnivore; rodents, birds, lizards, snakes, eggs, and insects

Coral Snake

From eastern South Carolina south; habitats vary from well-drained pine woods, sandy open dry areas to moister environments like pond and lake banks

Carnivore; snakes, lizards, and frogs

Canebrake Rattlesnake

(Crotaltus horridus aticaudatus)

Lowlands of Virginia to northern Florida, west to central Texas, and north to southern Illinois; cane thickets and swamps

Carnivore; rodents are a dietary favorite, but will also eat birds, frogs, and lizards

Gulf Coast Toad

(Bufo valliceps valliceps)

Coastal prairies and Gulf coast beaches, as well as settled areas including roadside dumps, sewerage and irrigation ditches

Carnivore; any smaller animals

Ribbon Snake

(Thamnophis sauritus sauritus)

Semi-aquatic; never far from shallow waters

Carnivore; amphibians and small fish