plants animals

Flora and Fauna of the United States

National Bird

• Bald Eagle

National Bird (Almost)

• Benjamin Franklin wanted the national bird to be the Wild Turkey. But was overruled by John Adams.

National Tree

• Oak Tree

National Flower

• Rose

Animals• The United States has a diverse and unique

animal kingdom owing to being separated from Europe, Africa and Asia.

Animals

• Arctic Wolf– Lives mainly in Alaska and Canada

Animals

• American Black Bear– Indigenous to the Northern U.S. and Canada

Animals

• Husky dogs– Live in Alaska and Canada– Used as sled dogs

Animals

• Snowy Owl– Lives in the Arctic Circle

Animals

• American Bison (Buffalo)– Hunted to near extinction– White Buffalos are rare and considered sacred to

the Native Americans

Animals

• Coyote– Indigenous to North America– Lives all over the U.S.

Animals• American Alligator– Lives in Southeastern United States– Mostly in wetlands, marshes and swamps

Animals• Jaguar– Indigenous to the Americas– Only known population in

the United States exists in Arizona

Animals• Cougar– Ranges from Canada to South America– Known to live all over the United States– Have been known to attack humans, but it is rare

Animals

• Mustangs– Descended from Iberian horses– Used by cowboys in the “Old West”

Animals

• Jackrabbits– White and Black tailed– Live in the western United States and Mexico

Animals• Prairie Dog– Type of Squirrel– Lives primarily in the Western States and

Northern Mexico

Animals

• California Condor– Native to the Southwestern United States– Went extinct in the wild in 1987, but was bred in

captivity and reintroduced to the wild

Animals• Diamondback Rattlesnake– Two types: Eastern and Western

• Eastern Diamondback is typically bigger than the Western– Was a symbol of the American Revolution

Western Diamondback Eastern Diamondback

Animals

• Gila Monster– Native to Southwest United States– Venomous, but slow moving and not much threat

to humans

Animals

• Black Bass– Several families of black bass live throughout the

United States– Very popular for fishing

Animals

• Atlantic Wolffish– Also known as the Seawolf– Endemic to the Northern Atlantic Ocean– Illegal to fish for in American waters

Animals• Dolphin– Live all over the world’s oceans– Popular to swim with dolphins in Florida and

California

Animals

• Whales– Whale watching is a popular activity– Whaling is illegal in the United States

Plants• The United States has many types of plants, due

to the numerous types of ecosystems that exist– Forest, Desert, Tundra, Tropical, Mountainous, etc.

Plants• Yucca Tree– Also called the “Joshua Tree”– Native to the Mojave Desert in SW United States

Plants• Saguaro Cactus– Native to the Sonoran Desert in the U.S. and

Mexico– The Saguaro Wildflower is the state flower for

Arizona

Plants

• Goldenrod– Most common flower in the United States– Doesn’t exist in Hawaii

Plants• Maile– Indigenous to Hawaii– Used to make ‘leis’

Plants• California Red Wood– Tallest trees in the world– Can live to be almost 2000 years old– Found in California and Oregon.

Plants• Pine Trees– Exist throughout most of North America– Northern Pines used for Christmas Trees

Desert Pine Northern Pine

Plants• Palm Trees– Found in tropical climates– Mostly in Florida, California,

Hawaii, Texas and Louisiana

Plants• Mangrove Swamps– Exist in marshy wetlands– The Florida Everglades

Plants• Louisiana Bayou– White Top Pitcher Plant– More Mangrove swamps

Plants• Pacific Northwest– Has a very rich, diverse ecosystem due to steady

rains and active volcanoes.– Contains large Deciduous Forests.

Plants• Alaskan Tundra– Many small shrubs as the Tundra is a frozen

desert.

Plants• Yellowstone National Park– Country’s first national park– Contains many different ecosystems– Main ecosystem is the subalpine zone.

Plants

• Cherry Blossoms– Not native to the United States– Given to the U.S. by Japan as a gift in 1912– Today, they are a popular part of Washington D.C.