NATURAL AREAS AND REGIONS 



445 



swamp rabbit {Sylvilagus aqualicus 

 aquaticus), known as "cane-cutter," 

 abundant over lowlands of state except 

 southeast, found in all river swamps, 

 and ranges up small streams; coast 

 swamp rabbit {Sylvilagus aquaticus 

 litloralis), coast west of Mobile Bay; 

 marsh rabbit {Sylvilagus palustris palus- 

 tris), south counties, east of Mobile 

 Bay, salt marshes, swamps, ponds, and 

 streams in timber; Virginia deer, com- 

 mon in big swamps at head of Mobile Bay. 



Birds (A. H. H.). Snake-bird, cor- 

 morant, hooded merganser, wood duck, 

 least bittern, great blue heron, little 

 blue heron, green heron, black-crowned 

 night heron, yellow-crowned night 

 heron, king rail, Louisiana clapper rail, 

 purple gallinule, Florida gallinule, wood- 

 cock, barred owl, kingfisher, Acadian 

 flycatcher, red-winged blackbird, boat- 

 tailed grackle, Alabama seaside sparrow, 

 white-eyed vireo, prothonotary warbler, 

 Swainson warbler, Bachman warbler, 

 Marian marsh wren. 



Reptiles. Common snapping turtle 

 {Chelydra serpentina), inhabits slow- 

 running muddy rivers and streams, 

 ponds and marshes; common mud turtle 

 {Kinosternon subruhrum); box turtles 

 {Terrapene Carolina and T. major); 

 Alabama terrapin {Pseudemys alabamen- 

 sis), tends to frequent salt marshes; 

 Mobile terrapin {Pseudemys mobilensis) ; 

 diamond-back terrapin {Malaclemys 

 pileata), requires salt water, found in 

 salt marshes, salt and brackish water; 

 southern soft-shell turtle {Amyda ferox) ; 

 alligator {Alligator mississippiensis) , 

 rivers and swamps of coastal plain; 

 scorpion; ribbon snake {Thamnophis 

 sauritus), borders of streams and lakes 

 in mountainous regions; Ostensacken's 

 snake {T. sackenii); common garter 

 snake {T. sirtalis), along streams and 

 brooks; green water snake {Matrix 

 cyclopion); diamond-back water snake 

 (iV. rhombifera) ; striped water snake 

 {N. rigida); banded water snake (A^. 

 sipedon fasciata); ground snake {Pota- 

 mophis striatulus) ; ring-necked snake; 

 king-snake, meadows and cultivated 

 fields; horn snake {Farancia abacura), 



burrowing, in swampy Btretches of 

 timber; water moccasin {Agkistrodon 

 piscivorus), poisonous, ciilldl "cotton- 

 mouth," abuiiihitit in swamps adjoining 

 rivers; diamond-back rattler {Crolalus 

 adamanteus), poisonous, rare. 



b. Forest border. Much of the locally 

 distributed animal life yet to be con- 

 sidered can be grouped as belonging to a 

 "forest border" habitat — that is, living 

 where rather narrow regions of shrubs 

 and thickets lie between forest and 

 treeless areas. Even before any land 

 was cleared for agriculture this tyi)eof 

 habitat was occasional throughout the 

 state, and quite considerable in the 

 prairie belt. 



Animals. Mammals. AUeghenian 

 spotted skunk, borders of brushy 

 swamps and waste land generally, not 

 in wet swamps nor heavj' timber; east- 

 ern skunk {Mephitis nigra), den in 

 brush}^ thicket, rock pile, gully, pro- 

 tected location; old-field mouse {Pero- 

 myscus polionotus polionotui), weedy 

 hedgerows, neglected fields, edges of 

 open timber, in east part of state; 

 Merriam harvest mouse {Reithrodoulo- 

 mys humulis merriami), brushy borders 

 of cultivated land; cotton rat, weed- 

 grown borders of fields, brushy pastures; 

 deer mouse, borders of cultivated fields, 

 and brushy hedgerows; eastern cotton- 

 tail rabbit, old fields, brier patches, 

 brushy borders of woodland; least shrew 

 {Cryptotis parva), in grass, fields, and 

 borders of cultivated land. 



Birds (A. H. H.). Bob-white, spar- 

 row hawk, screech owl, yellow-billed 

 cuckoo, red-headed woodpecker, night- 

 hawk, kingbird, meadowlark, orchard 

 oriole, Baltimore oriole, goldfinch, chip- 

 ping sparrow, field sparrow, Baciunan 

 sparrow, towhee, cartlinal, purple mar- 

 tin, white-eyed vireo, blue-winged warb- 

 ler, prairie warbler, Maryland yellow- 

 throat, yellow-breasted chat, mocking- 

 bird, catbird, brown thrasher, Bewick 

 wren, brown-headed nuthatch, robin, 

 bluebird, barn owl, |)urple grackle. 



Reptiles. Reptiles listed for prairie; 

 also: gray rat snake, green snake, 

 hog-nosed snake, chameleon. 



