Definition of "Wetlands" - General Code 500: Vegetated areas where plants are rooted in water or water saturated soil or that regularly tolerate flooding for extensive time periods.

Diet:
It is an omnivore and feeds upon a variety of foods which include vegetation, carrion, fish, fruit, grubs, and hoofed mammals.

Interesting fact:
The largest black bear ever recorded weighed approximately 600 pounds, although the average size is around 200 pounds. The black bear may have brown or tan fur. It climbs trees easily.

American Black Bear Fact Sheet >

Their habitat preference includes ponds, lakes, rivers, grainfields, fresh and saltwater marshes.

Diet:
The Canada goose favors aquatic plants, small aquatic animals, grass, and grains.

Interesting fact:
The female is called a goose and the male is a gander. The young are know as goslings.

Canada Goose Fact Sheet »

Diet:
Dragonflies are predators and eat any terrestrial or aquatic insect they can catch. They are alos known to eat small fish during their larval stage.

Interesting fact:
Their larvae climb out of the water and harden up like the cocoon of a moth. The adult dragonfly will pull out of a small opening in its back, expand its wings and then fly away.

Diet:
It feeds primarily on fish.

Interesting fact:
Other names for the osprey include the fishing eagle and the fish hawk. Two of its talons will grip the fish in front and two in the back.

Diet:
It feeds on small insects and invertebrates.

Interesting fact:
This salamander is capable of climbing as high as 8 feet into trees, logs and bushes. The bite of this salamander can break the skin.

Diet:
In the wild this turtle feeds below the surface of the water on aquatic insects, fish, tadpoles, worms, carrion and certain types of water plants. In captivity, the painted turtle will accept raw hamburger meat, steak or lettuce.

Interesting fact:
The painted turtle populations need monitoring. Although painted turtles are common, young turtles are not as common as they once were.

Painted Turtle Fact Sheet »

Diet:
It feeds upon crayfish, insects, small birds, small rodents, insects, fruits, nuts, and garbage.

Interesting fact:
The raccoon is largely nocturnal in its habits and uses riparian (stream) corridors to travel. When it searches for food in water, it keeps its head up watching for predators and lets its hands find the food.

Raccoon Fact Sheet >

Diet:
It is an omnivore and feeds on seeds and a variety of insects, including caterpillars, grasshoppers, and beetles.

Interesting fact:
The red-winged blackbird always nests in swampy places, usually in reeds and cattails. The most dominant males set up their territory in the middle of the marsh, which is more protected from predators.

Red-winged Blackbird Fact Sheet >

Diet:
It feeds largely on a variety of fish species.

Interesting fact:
The river otter is a member of the weasel family, but has webbed toes for swimming.

River Otter Fact Sheet >

Diet:
It feeds on insects and macrobenthics (stream or lake bottom dwelling insects that can be seen with the naked eye).

Interesting fact:
This small frog may not reach maturity until the age of 7 or 8. The tadpoles of this frog can cling to rocks using a suckerlike mouth.

Distribution and Habitat:
There are many different species of water spiders found throughout the world. This spider was found at Caddo Lake, Texas, walking on top of the water and grabbing small insects for food.

Interesting fact:
Water spiders may dive under water to catch their prey or stay on the surface. There is one spider species that builds its web underwater. It wraps its legs around the air bubbles and carry them to its web, where it uses the air to breath, while waiting for its food.