Arthropods, crustaceans, and mollusks 

 dominate the niacroinvertebrates of the 

 Congaree, Swamp (SC). Three dragonflies 

 ( Epiaeschna heros , Tetragoneuria cy nasura , 

 G omphus exjjisl are abundant and assumed 



associated with Zone 

 the red Procambarus 



II. Crayfish such as 

 cl ar kii (west of the 



Mobile system) and P. troglodytes (east of 

 Altamaha system) are (along with crayfish 

 from Zones IV) an important food for a 

 host of vertebrates such as the eel, cat- 

 fish, warmouth, amphiuma, glossy water 

 snake, ibis, otter, and raccoon. Densi- 

 ties ranging from 21 to 46/m2 have been 

 reported (Konikoff 1977; V. Lambou, Envi- 

 ronmental Protection Agency, Las Vegas, 

 NV; personal communication). Crayfish, in 

 fact, form one-third of the faunal biomass 

 of the Suwannee River floodplain (Wharton 

 1S77). Large fishing spiders ( Dolomedes 

 spp.) and Pi rata maculatus , which are 

 found under the liverwort Porel la platy- 

 phyl loidea , are characteristic of Zone II. 

 Several snails ( Vi vipara , Campeloma , 

 Pomacea, and Lioplaxl live in and around 

 Zones II and III (Figure 47). Fingernail 

 clams of the genera Sphaerium , Euper a, 

 Musculium , and Pisidium often dominate the 

 benthic biomass of Zones II and III. These 

 tiny (<10mm) clams are present in enormous 

 numbers. Some clams (Anodonta, Ligumia , 

 Corbicula ) occur in Zone II sloughs, but 

 the clam fauna is in general poorly known. 

 The Altamaha River (GA) is unique in pos- 

 sessing six endemic clam species, all in 

 the family Unionidae (Figure 48). These 

 clams require particular species of fish 

 as hosts for their larvae; a diverse fish 

 fauna may be essential to clam diversity 

 and survival. 



Vertebrates 



The most characteristic fish fauna of 

 inundated Zone II sloughs are top minnows 

 ( Fundulus spp., Gambusia affinis ), killi- 

 fishes ( Heterandria formosa , Lucania 

 parva ), swamp darter ( Etheostoma fusi- 

 forme ), pirate perch ( Aphredoderus saya- 

 nus), lake chubsucker ( Irimyzon suce"tta ), 

 yellow bullhead ( Ictalurus natalis ), flier 

 ( Centrarchus macropterus ), warmouth ( Lepo- 

 mis gu losus ), and three top predators: the 

 bowfin ( Ami a calva ), redfin pickerel (Esox 

 americanus ), and chain pickerel ( Esox 

 niger ). 



Dominant amphibia are the lesser 

 siren ( Siren intermedia ) and amphiuma 



( Amphiuma means ), which seek refuge in 

 root holes and crayfish holes during dry- 

 down. The amphibious salamanders include 

 the southern dusky ( Desn.ognathus fuscus 

 au riculatus ), the many-lined ( Sterochilus 

 marqinatus ), and the dwarf ( Euryc ia quad- 

 ridigitata ). The mud salamander "( Pseudo- 

 triton montanus ) and the two-lined sala- 

 mander TF bislineata ) occur around the 

 edge of Zones II and III. 



Frogs are less specific to Zone II 

 but include the cricket frog, river frog 

 ( Rana h eckscheri ), and southern leopard 

 frog, and at breeding times several other 

 species such as the bird-voiced tree frog 

 ( Hyla aviyoca ). Some depression pools 

 (Zone III) may support annual breeding 

 aggregations of spotted and marbled sala- 

 manders, as well as temporary water-breed- 

 ing frogs and toads from Zones IV and V. 



Only a few reptiles are locally abun- 

 dant in Zone II areas. The dominants 

 appear to be the eastern mud turtle ( Kino- 

 sternon subrubrum ) , glossy water snake 

 ( Natrix rigida ), perhaps the mud snake 

 ( Farancia abacura ), and certainly the red- 

 bellied water snake ( Natrix erythrogaster ) 

 and cottonmouth ( Agkistrodo n piscivorus ). 

 In a tupelo gum-cypress association of an 

 anastomosing blackwater creek (Zone II, 

 Four Hole Swamp, SC) the yellow-bellied 

 turtle ( Chrysemys scripta ), brown water 

 snake ( Natrix taxispilota ), "greenish" rat 

 snake ( Elaphe obsoleta )~and anole (Anolis 

 spp.) were abundant (Hall 1976). 



Passerine (perching) birds character- 

 istic of Zone II are limited largely to 

 the prothonotary warbler, tufted tit- 

 mouse, parula warbler, and common grackle. 

 The wood duck nests near water if possible 

 and often in Zone II. The yellow-crowned 

 night heron and green heron are common 

 breeding residents, and rookeries of great 

 blue heron, great egret, and white ibis 

 also occur in Zone II. 



The red-shouldered hawk is a charac- 

 teristic raptor of Zone II. Swallow- 

 tailed kites feed and nest in this zone on 

 Wambau Creek (SC) and perhaps on the 

 Altamaha River (GA). The snail-eating 

 limpkin is found chiefly here (and along 

 sloughs in Zones IV and V) above tidal 

 range where Vi vipara georgiana and other 

 snails abound. Many wintering birds such 

 as robins make heavy use of tupelo fruits; 



87 



