South Carolina's Wildlife
New to the area?
South Carolina is fortunate to have a great variety of wildlife. The state Wildlife and Marine Resources Department operates a comprehensive wildlife management program to restore game populations. There are large numbers of white-tailed deer, opossum, rabbit, and raccoon living in the area, as well as a wide variety of freshwater and saltwater fish including clams, oysters, shrimp, crab, shad, bass, carp, crappie, and trout.In addition to these animals, there are many interesting
species inhabiting the state that may be a little different from those that you are used to. Check out some of these wildlife facts!
Take a good look at that log floating in a pond, because, chances are that it's not a log but an alligator. Alligators are indigenous to South Carolina and are found in lakes, swamps, and slow-moving streams. To get more information on alligators, click on the links below.
American Alligator Fact Sheet http://www.uga.edu/~srel/gators.htm
GROUNDHOG DAY AND LOWCOUNTRY ALLIGATORS http://www.dnr.state.sc.us/wild/gator.html
Ever notice those little green lizards running up the walls, sometimes on the inside of the house? They're called Green Anoles, and they are actually good to have around because they eat bugs. Click on the link below to learn more about Green Anoles.
http://www.uga.edu/~srel/green_anole.htm
It's a rainy evening, and you can't believe the racket that you hear when you step outside. The noise that you are hearing is coming from the Barking Treefrogs.
Click on the link below to learn more about Barking Treefrogs. 
http://www.uga.edu/~srel/barking_treefrog.htm
These magnificent creatures are on the endangered species list. They build their nests in the beaches of South Carolina, instinctively returning to their place of birth to lay their eggs.
Click on this link to learn about the Sea Turtle Tracking Project http://www.dnr.state.sc.us/marine/turtles.html
It's hard not to be fascinated by these intelligent creatures that are so prevalent in coastal South Carolina's waters. Interestingly, dolphins indigenous to the waters off the coast of Hilton Head have developed an unusual behavior for catching fish that has not been seen elsewhere, and which is being studied by different groups such as the National Geographic Society.
Click on the next link to see the Dolphin FAQ page. http://www.tursiops.org/cetus/faq.html
Click on this link to see the National Geographic web page "Dolphins: The Wild Side" http://www.nationalgeographic.com/media/tv/press/990202.html
There are many different types of birds that are native to South Carolina. Among them are the Great Blue Heron, the Snowy Egret, and the Bald Eagle. Click on these links to learn more.
Where are the Birds? Migration across South Carolina http://www.conterra.com/dsbailey/
The Carolina Bird Club http://members.aol.com/cbirdclub/index.html
The South Carolina Center for Birds of Prey http://www.charleston.net/org/sccbp/
Audubon's Birds of America http://employeeweb.myxa.com/rrb/Audubon/index.html
Additional Points of Interest...
Did you know that bobcats were indigenous to South Carolina? 
The following web sites will provide you with a wealth of knowledge about wildlife in South Carolina.
South Carolina Wildlife Federation http://www.scwf.org/backyard/index.html
GORP-South Carolina National Wildlife Refuges http://www.gorp.com/gorp/resource/us_nwr/sc.HTM
Wildlife FAQ http://virtual.clemson.edu/groups/newberry/common/wildlife.htm
Earthtrust - Wildlife Conservation Worldwide http://leahi.kcc.hawaii.edu/~et/
The World-Wide Web Virtual Library: Animal health, well-being and rights http://www.tiac.net/users/sbr/animals.html
A few words about bugs......
If you've moved to this state from another part of the country, especially from the north, you are probably going to come across bugs that you've never seen before. On top of that, these bugs are going to be the size of golf carts. My cat used to leave dead mice at our doorstep. Now he leaves dead Palmetto Bugs. My advice to you is to find a good exterminator, and sign a contract with him. The bugs were here long before we were, and they're going to be here long after we're gone.
If you are interested in more information on insects, click on this link: http://dir.yahoo.com/Science/Biology/Zoology/Animals__Insects__and_Pets/Insects/
Last Revised: August 3, 1999