plants animals
TRANSCRIPT
Flora and Fauna of the United States
National Bird
• Bald Eagle
National Bird (Almost)
• Benjamin Franklin wanted the national bird to be the Wild Turkey. But was overruled by John Adams.
National Tree
• Oak Tree
National Flower
• Rose
Animals• The United States has a diverse and unique
animal kingdom owing to being separated from Europe, Africa and Asia.
Animals
• Arctic Wolf– Lives mainly in Alaska and Canada
Animals
• American Black Bear– Indigenous to the Northern U.S. and Canada
Animals
• Husky dogs– Live in Alaska and Canada– Used as sled dogs
Animals
• Snowy Owl– Lives in the Arctic Circle
Animals
• American Bison (Buffalo)– Hunted to near extinction– White Buffalos are rare and considered sacred to
the Native Americans
Animals
• Coyote– Indigenous to North America– Lives all over the U.S.
Animals• American Alligator– Lives in Southeastern United States– Mostly in wetlands, marshes and swamps
Animals• Jaguar– Indigenous to the Americas– Only known population in
the United States exists in Arizona
Animals• Cougar– Ranges from Canada to South America– Known to live all over the United States– Have been known to attack humans, but it is rare
Animals
• Mustangs– Descended from Iberian horses– Used by cowboys in the “Old West”
Animals
• Jackrabbits– White and Black tailed– Live in the western United States and Mexico
Animals• Prairie Dog– Type of Squirrel– Lives primarily in the Western States and
Northern Mexico
Animals
• California Condor– Native to the Southwestern United States– Went extinct in the wild in 1987, but was bred in
captivity and reintroduced to the wild
Animals• Diamondback Rattlesnake– Two types: Eastern and Western
• Eastern Diamondback is typically bigger than the Western– Was a symbol of the American Revolution
Western Diamondback Eastern Diamondback
Animals
• Gila Monster– Native to Southwest United States– Venomous, but slow moving and not much threat
to humans
Animals
• Black Bass– Several families of black bass live throughout the
United States– Very popular for fishing
Animals
• Atlantic Wolffish– Also known as the Seawolf– Endemic to the Northern Atlantic Ocean– Illegal to fish for in American waters
Animals• Dolphin– Live all over the world’s oceans– Popular to swim with dolphins in Florida and
California
Animals
• Whales– Whale watching is a popular activity– Whaling is illegal in the United States
Plants• The United States has many types of plants, due
to the numerous types of ecosystems that exist– Forest, Desert, Tundra, Tropical, Mountainous, etc.
Plants• Yucca Tree– Also called the “Joshua Tree”– Native to the Mojave Desert in SW United States
Plants• Saguaro Cactus– Native to the Sonoran Desert in the U.S. and
Mexico– The Saguaro Wildflower is the state flower for
Arizona
Plants
• Goldenrod– Most common flower in the United States– Doesn’t exist in Hawaii
Plants• Maile– Indigenous to Hawaii– Used to make ‘leis’
Plants• California Red Wood– Tallest trees in the world– Can live to be almost 2000 years old– Found in California and Oregon.
Plants• Pine Trees– Exist throughout most of North America– Northern Pines used for Christmas Trees
Desert Pine Northern Pine
Plants• Palm Trees– Found in tropical climates– Mostly in Florida, California,
Hawaii, Texas and Louisiana
Plants• Mangrove Swamps– Exist in marshy wetlands– The Florida Everglades
Plants• Louisiana Bayou– White Top Pitcher Plant– More Mangrove swamps
Plants• Pacific Northwest– Has a very rich, diverse ecosystem due to steady
rains and active volcanoes.– Contains large Deciduous Forests.
Plants• Alaskan Tundra– Many small shrubs as the Tundra is a frozen
desert.
Plants• Yellowstone National Park– Country’s first national park– Contains many different ecosystems– Main ecosystem is the subalpine zone.
Plants
• Cherry Blossoms– Not native to the United States– Given to the U.S. by Japan as a gift in 1912– Today, they are a popular part of Washington D.C.