America Black Bear of North Carolina

There are three species of bears in North America—the Polar Bear, Brown Bear (Grizzly), and Black Bear. The Black Bear is the only species found in North Carolina or anywhere in the eastern United States and is an important part of our cultural, historical and natural heritage.

In North Carolina, the Black Bear is usually black with a brown muzzle and sometimes a white patch on its chest. Bears have five toes on each foot, with sharp curved claws that help them climb trees and feed on insects and grubs in decaying logs. Black Bears rely mostly on their sense of smell and hearing due to their average (similar to humans’) eyesight, but are adept at climbing, running, swimming and digging. They can run as fast as 35 miles per hour!

Before Europeans came to the New World, Black Bears lived in all forested regions of North America and were abundant in North Carolina. However, Black Bears were often killed by early settlers to protect their families, crops and livestock. In time, bears across the state were also impacted by habitat loss from agricultural development and clear-cutting. By the mid-1900s, bears were only found in the most remote mountains and coastal swamps of our state. Then in the 1920s, the American chestnut blight (a tree-killing fungus) hit the Mountain Region, destroying the most important nut-producing tree for bears. As a result, bear populations suffered.

However, thanks to science-based management and bear sanctuaries, Black Bears have made a remarkable recovery in population and range. Black Bear expansion has occurred naturally as bears have moved into suitable habitats. As of 2012, there were approximately 17,000 bears in the state, occupying 61% of the state’s total land area.

For more Info: www.ncwildlife.org/Portals/0/Conserving/documents/Profile...

Tags:   Albemarle-Pamlico Peninsula American Black Bear Animal Bear Black Bear Carnivora Chordata Coastal Black Bear Conservation Environment Environmental Habitat Mammal Mammalia Mother Nature Nature Nikon AF-S 500mm f/5.6E PF ED VR Nikon D5 North Carolina Omnivores USA United States Ursidae Ursus Ursus americanus Wild Wildlife © 2022 RGL Photography Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge

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America Black Bear of North Carolina

There are three species of bears in North America—the Polar Bear, Brown Bear (Grizzly), and Black Bear. The Black Bear is the only species found in North Carolina or anywhere in the eastern United States and is an important part of our cultural, historical and natural heritage.

In North Carolina, the Black Bear is usually black with a brown muzzle and sometimes a white patch on its chest. Bears have five toes on each foot, with sharp curved claws that help them climb trees and feed on insects and grubs in decaying logs. Black Bears rely mostly on their sense of smell and hearing due to their average (similar to humans’) eyesight, but are adept at climbing, running, swimming and digging. They can run as fast as 35 miles per hour!

Before Europeans came to the New World, Black Bears lived in all forested regions of North America and were abundant in North Carolina. However, Black Bears were often killed by early settlers to protect their families, crops and livestock. In time, bears across the state were also impacted by habitat loss from agricultural development and clear-cutting. By the mid-1900s, bears were only found in the most remote mountains and coastal swamps of our state. Then in the 1920s, the American chestnut blight (a tree-killing fungus) hit the Mountain Region, destroying the most important nut-producing tree for bears. As a result, bear populations suffered.

However, thanks to science-based management and bear sanctuaries, Black Bears have made a remarkable recovery in population and range. Black Bear expansion has occurred naturally as bears have moved into suitable habitats. As of 2012, there were approximately 17,000 bears in the state, occupying 61% of the state’s total land area.

For more Info: www.ncwildlife.org/Portals/0/Conserving/documents/Profile...

Tags:   Albemarle-Pamlico Peninsula American Black Bear Animal Bear Black Bear Carnivora Chordata Coastal Black Bear Conservation Environment Environmental Habitat Mammal Mammalia Mother Nature Nature Nikon AF-S 600mm f/4G ED VR Nikon Z9 North Carolina Omnivores USA United States Ursidae Ursus Ursus americanus Wild Wildlife © 2022 RGL Photography Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge

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Northern Barred Owl | Alligator River NWR

The Barred Owl (Strix varia), also known as the Northern Barred Owl, Striped Owl or, more informally, Hoot Owl, is a North American large species of owl. A member of the true owl family, Strigidae, they belong to the genus Strix, which is also the origin of the family's name under Linnaean taxonomy. Barred owls are largely native to eastern North America but have expanded their range to the west coast of North America where they are considered invasive. Mature forests are their preferred habitat, but they can also acclimate to various gradients of open woodlands. Their diet consists mainly of small mammals, but this species is an opportunistic predator and is known to prey upon other small vertebrates such as birds, reptiles, and amphibians, as well as a variety of invertebrates.

For more info: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barred_owl

The Cornell Lab: www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Barred_Owl/id

Tags:   Albemarle-Pamlico Peninsula Animal Avian Barred Owl Bird Bird of Prey Birding Birdwatching Conservation Environment Environmental Habitat Hoot Owl Mother Nature National Wildlife Refuge Nature Nikon AF-S 600mm F4G ED VR Nikon D5 North Carolina Northern Barred Owl Ornithology Owl Predator Raptor Strigidae Striped Owl Strix varia USA United States Wildlife Alligator River NWR © 2022 RGL Photography

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Northern Barred Owl | Alligator River NWR

The Barred Owl (Strix varia), also known as the Northern Barred Owl, Striped Owl or, more informally, Hoot Owl, is a North American large species of owl. A member of the true owl family, Strigidae, they belong to the genus Strix, which is also the origin of the family's name under Linnaean taxonomy. Barred owls are largely native to eastern North America but have expanded their range to the west coast of North America where they are considered invasive. Mature forests are their preferred habitat, but they can also acclimate to various gradients of open woodlands. Their diet consists mainly of small mammals, but this species is an opportunistic predator and is known to prey upon other small vertebrates such as birds, reptiles, and amphibians, as well as a variety of invertebrates.

For more info: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barred_owl

The Cornell Lab: www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Barred_Owl/id

Tags:   Albemarle-Pamlico Peninsula Animal Avian Barred Owl Bird Bird of Prey Birding Birdwatching Conservation Environment Environmental Habitat Hoot Owl Mother Nature National Wildlife Refuge Nature Nikon AF-S 600mm F4G ED VR Nikon D5 North Carolina Northern Barred Owl Ornithology Owl Predator Raptor Strigidae Striped Owl Strix varia USA United States Wildlife Alligator River NWR © 2022 RGL Photography

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Red Wolves of Alligator River

The Red Wolf is the world’s most endangered Wolf. Once common throughout the Eastern and South-Central United States, Red Wolf populations were decimated by the early 20th century as a result of intensive predator control programs, as well as the degradation and alteration of the habitat that the species depends upon. When the Red Wolf was first designated as a species that was threatened with extinction under the Endangered Species Preservation Act in 1967, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service initiated efforts to conserve and recover the species. Today, about 15 to 17 red wolves roam their native habitats in eastern North Carolina as a nonessential experimental population, and approximately 241 Red Wolves are maintained in 45 captive breeding facilities throughout the United States.

For more Info: www.fws.gov/species/red-wolf-canis-rufus

The Red Wolf (Canis rufus) is a canine native to the Southeastern United States. Its size is intermediate between the coyote (Canis latrans) and Gray Wolf (Canis lupus).

The Red Wolf's taxonomic classification as being a separate species, a subspecies of the Gray Wolf Canis lupus rufus, or a Coywolf (a genetic admixture of Wolf and Coyote) has been contentious for nearly a century. Because of this, it is sometimes excluded from endangered species lists, despite its critically low numbers. Under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service currently recognizes the Red Wolf as an endangered species and grants protected status. Since 1996, the IUCN has listed the Red Wolf as a Critically Endangered Species; however, it is not listed in the CITES Appendices of Endangered Species.

For more Info: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_wolf

Tags:   Albemarle-Pamlico Peninsula Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge Animal Canine Canis rufus Conservation Endangered Species Environment Environmental Habitat Mammal Mammalia Mega-fauna Mother Nature Nature Nikon AF-S 600mm f/4G ED VR Nikon Z9 North Carolina Red Wolf Southeastern United States USA United States Wild Wildlife Wolf © 2022 RGL Photography

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