Animals in America Alabama and Alaska

Wildlife of Alabama

The US state of Alabama has varied topography ranging from steep hills to fertile flatlands, lakes, and rivers. The state has a coastline on the Gulf of Mexico that includes 600 miles of tidal bay and bayou shoreline. Within Alabama, there are over 60 types of natural habitat, including forests, woodlands, wetlands, glades, and prairies. For most of the year, the weather is warm and humid and snowfalls are rare.

There are more than 4,500 documented species in Alabama. Among these animals are 62 native mammals, 22 species of rodents, 16 bat species, 4 rabbit species, one marsupial – the opossum, and 433 bird species.

Rodents in the state include gray squirrels, fox squirrels, chipmunks, and southern flying squirrels.

In the coastal waters are sharks, strange fish like the Clymene dolphin, and common marine mammals like the killer whale and California sea lion.

Bat species include the Mexican free-tailed bat, eastern red bat, and evening bat.

One of the strangest animals in Alabama is the nine-banded armadillo.

Official State Animal

North American black bear

Official State Amphibian

Red Hills salamander

Places to see animals

Eufaula National Wildlife Refuge has 11,000 acres of wildlife and wetlands. Here you can see many of the state’s wildflowers.

Among wildlife are alligators, white-tail deer, great blue herons, and wood ducks.

In the marshes are turtles, crayfish, frogs, and minnows.

The Alabama Wildlife Center is the oldest and largest rehabilitation center in the state for injured and orphaned wild birds.

The center conducts education sessions with live birds so people can learn about barred owls, red-tailed hawks, and other raptors.

Bon Secours National Wildlife Refuge is a protected area for the Alabama beach mouse and other threatened species.

Alligators in Alabama have become a popular tourist attraction. People enjoy taking swamp tours to see them up close. Alligator Alley in Dauphin is a railed boardwalk that lets visitors view alligators safely from a distance.

Endangered Animals

Rice’s whale, a species of baleen whale, native to the Gulf of Mexico.

Alabama beach mouse is one of the rarest mouse species in the world.

Appalachian cottontails are found only in northern Alabama.

Marsh rabbit

Continued conservation efforts will help protect endangered animals that help those ecosystems stay healthy.

Wildlife of Alaska

Alaska is the largest of the 50 US states. It is located on the northwest border of Canada. In the winter months, there are parts of the state that don’t have sunlight for two months. In the summer the same areas don’t have a sunset for nearly three months. The climate in Alaska ranges between subarctic and tundra.

The state has a lot of native wildlife with 112 species of mammals, several species of large and small rodents, 530 different types of birds, and other kinds of wildlife.

Off the coast of Alaska, there are three separate shark species.

Official State Animal

Moose

Official State Bird

Willow Ptarmigan

Official State Marine Mammal

Bowhead Whale

Official State Fish

Giant King Salmon

Official State Insect

Spot Skimmer Dragonfly

Denali National Park and Preserve is home to a great variety of wildlife.

Among them are grizzly bears, Dali sheep, caribou, wolves, black bears, flying squirrels, and porcupines.

Chugach State Park is among the four biggest state parks in the country.

The tidal Turnagain Arm has beluga whales and migrating salmon.

In the mountain valleys are bears, moose, and wolves.

At Katmai National Park you can see brown bears, moose, caribou, red foxes, wolves, lynx, and several species of fish.

Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve has a lot of marine life, waterfowl, and shorebirds. Off the coast, there are whales and puffins.

In the waters, you can also see Orca whales and humpbacks.

Porpoises also swim in the bay as well as otters and harbor seals.

On land, you can see bears, wolves, moose, and mountain goats.

Among birds, there are horned and tufted puffins, pigeon guillemots, pelagic cormorants, and glaucous-winged gulls.

Endangered species in Alaska are:

Northern sea otters

Polar bears

Spectacled eiders

Short-tailed albatross

Wood bisons