Upstate NY Wildlife - Upstate New York Nature Guide

Upstate New York Wildlife Guides
This section is currently under development... but we'll be adding to it every chance we get. Currently you can browse the Reptiles and Amphibians, Mammals, Birds and Fish sections. You may also use the search below. Check back often for updates.



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Reptiles and Amphibians (frogs, toads, turtles, snakes, salamanders).
	Reptiles include turtles, snakes, lizards and skinks. Amphibians include frogs and salamanders (newts). The difference: reptiles are more adapted for land, with dry scaly skin and amniotic eggs. Amphibians are usually tied to water or moist areas and have slimy skin they can breath through.

Mammals (deer, bears, mice, rats, squirrels, rabbits, shrews, moles, voles, porcupines, foxes, weasels, skunks, raccoons).
	Mammals are defined as vertebrates (have a backbone) that provide nourishment to the young through lactation (through mammary glands). They have warm-blooded bodies and specialized teeth and fur. You will also find a sole Marsupial in this group.

Fish / Eels (salmon, trout, eels, lamprey, mudskippers, minnows, gars, herring, pike, smelt, perch, bowfins and many more).
	Fish are cold-blooded, aquatic vertebrates, with two pairs of paired fins (as well as several unpaired fins), gills for breathing underwater, and most are covered in scales. This section covers inland and freshwater fish, both stocked and wild populations found in the state. Our guide uses body shape to help you identify a family of fish.

Birds (songbirds, waterfowl, raptors).
	Birds are characterized by their beaks, hollow bones, feathers, warm-blooded metabolism and forearms modified into wings. You may recognize them as the flying things that poop on your car.



Trees
	Large plants with distinct woody trunks. You know what they are. Look here for descriptions and photos of trees. Need help identifying a tree? Ask here.

Insects and Arachnids (bugs, spiders, centipedes).
	Creepy, crawly bugs, spiders and slimy snails and slugs. If it has more than 4 legs, you'll find it in here. Worms don't really have legs, but you'll find them in here too. Nothing in this section yet. Check back later.

Small Plants and Shrubs
	The flowers, herbs, bushes, grasses, vines, ferns, and mosses both native and invasive found in upstate NY. As long as it's not a tree, with a distinct trunk, it'll be in this section. Nothing in this section yet. Check back later.

Crustaceans
	Crustaceans are closely related to insects and in Upstate NY are aquatic. They have exoskeletons and body segments. Examples are: crabs, shrimp and crayfish. Nothing in this section yet. Check back later.

Fungi
	Unlike a plant, a fungus doesn't derive energy from the sun, but actually externally digest substrate. They are more closely related to animals than plants. They are also a bitch to identify. So don't expect much out of this category. Nothing in this section yet. Check back later.

Mollusks
	Slimy, almost jelly-like bodies define these invertebrates (no backbone), though many of them have a calcium carbonate shell. Another defining characteristic is the muscular 'foot' used for motion. This group includes slugs, snails and mussels. Nothing in this section yet. Check back later.