Southeastern wildlife

The species profiles below are a one-stop-shop for information about the the Service's Southeast region is responsible for protecting and/or recovering.

Eastern hellbender. Photo by Will Parson, Chesapeake Bay Program, CC BY-NC 2.0.

Eastern hellbender

This large amphibian can be found crawling around the bottoms of clear, silt-free mountain streams. They are generally nocturnal, spending most of the day under rocks on the stream floor, emerging at night to hunt crayfish. Visit the species profile...
Elfin-woods warbler. Photo by Mike Morel.

Elfin-woods warbler

The elfin-woods warbler was discovered in 1968. In 2016, the elfin-woods warbler was listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act with a Section 4(d) rule providing exemptions for certain agriculture and forestry activities that may benefit the species. Visit the species profile...
Photo by Monte McGregor, Center Mollusk Conservation, Kentucky DFWR.

Fanshell

The fanshell is a green and yellow, medium sized mussel found in various rivers in Alabama, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia. It is protected as an endangered species. Visit the species profile...
A Florida panther. Photo by Larry W. Richardson, USFWS.

Florida panther

The Florida panther is a subspecies of Puma concolor (also known as mountain lion, cougar, or puma) and represents the only known breeding population of puma in the eastern United States. It is protected as endangered under the Endangered Species Act. Visit the species profile...
Frecklebelly madtom. Photo by USFWS.

Frecklebelly madtom

The frecklebelly madtom is a small catfish that inhabits channels and tributaries of medium to large river systems in Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, and Tennessee. Visit the species profile...
A pair of gadwalls. Photo by Stacey Hayden, USFWS.

Gadwall

Sometimes known affectionately as the “gray duck” by hunters, gadwall are medium-sized dabbling ducks common across temperate areas worldwide. As their nickname indicates, both males and females have gray-brown to gray plumage that is less flashy than many other species. Conservation status Low concern. Related content Nov 12, 2018 | 2 minute read News Hunting season opens with a bang on Merritt Island Refuge Range Gadwall primarily nest in the Prairie Pothole Region of the north-central United States and Canada and, to a lesser extent, in southern portions of the boreal forest and prairie parklands. Visit the species profile...
Clump of green pitcher plants. Photo by Gary Peeples, USFWS.

Green pitcher plant

The carnivorous green pitcher plant has hollow leaves contain liquid and enzymes. When insects fall into the pitchers, they’re digested and the nutrients in the bodies are incorporated into the plant’s tissues. Visit the species profile...