Animals in Louisiana

Louisiana is a southeastern state known for its vast swamps and bayous. More than 40% of the U.S.’s wetlands are in Louisiana. The state has rich, fertile soil and lush vegetation. Louisiana has a subtropical climate that features hot, humid summers with frequent rain showers and short, mild winters.

The state has three distinct types of vegetation. There are forests with pine trees, cypresses, and other hardwoods; prairies and dry grasslands; and marshlands dominated by live oaks. Louisiana’s mysterious swamps and bayous have long fascinated travelers and inspired countless myths and legends. These murky waters are home to hundreds of wild animals, including fish, turtles, alligators, snakes, rodents, and fur-bearing mammals like muskrats and beavers.

Wild Animals in Louisiana

Louisiana has many animals that are common to southern states, including squirrels, foxes, wolves, and shorebirds. You will find bobcats, catfish, blue crabs, black snakes, great blue herons, great horned owls, and brown pelicans.

It’s only natural, however, that this mysterious place would produce some unusual and exotic animals. Some of the state’s strange native inhabitants include the gopher tortoise, crayfish, southern leopard frog, and Louisiana pine snake.

The Louisiana black bear is a subspecies of the North American black bear that is native to the state. The Louisiana black bear was endangered until recently, but its population is currently stable.

Louisiana has battled destructive invasive species, including apple snails, ticks, and fire ants. Various species of spiders can also be found in Louisiana.

The Rarest Animal in Louisiana

One of the rarest animals in the world, the white alligator, is native to Louisiana. White alligators are not albinos. They have a unique condition called leucism that causes loss of pigmentation.

White alligators are extremely fare. In fact, biologists believe there are only about 100 in the entire world. They can be found in freshwater lakes, marshes, swamps, and rivers in the southeastern region of the United States.

The Official State Animal of Louisiana

The brown pelican is the state’s official animal. With a wingspan of 8 feet, it is the smallest of the pelican species. Pelicans hunt by diving into the sea and catching fish. Brown pelicans were on the endangered species list in 1970, but conservation efforts helped restore their populations.

This bird is an important cultural symbol for the people of Louisiana. A recent news item highlights their importance.

In 2010, a brown pelican tagged “Red 332” was rescued from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. After cleaning oil from it and rehabilitating it, wildlife experts released the pelican in Brunswick, Georgia. In 2021, the bird was spotted in Louisiana at its old breeding grounds. It traveled 700 miles to return home. To people in Louisiana, this was a harbinger of genuine hope.

The Two Largest Animals in Louisiana

Of all the varying wildlife in Louisiana, which is the biggest? There are two we have decided tower above or below the others: the North American black bear and the American alligator.

The American alligator is an armored reptile that resides in the swamps and freshwater areas of the state. This official state reptile can be anywhere from 6 to 14 feet long. The female weighs around 200 pounds and the male 500 pounds.

The North American black bear is even bigger. The average bear weighs 200-600 pounds. When on all fours, they are roughly 2 to 3 feet tall.

Where To Find The Top Wild Animals in Louisiana

Louisiana is home to a variety of species due to the varying habitats. In this Southern state, you will find marshes, bayous, swamps, wetlands, forests, woodlands, and even prairies. Regions with water, like the coastal marshes and swamps, make up about 40 percent of the state.

• Cypress Island Nature Preserve is a 9,500-acre stretch of cypress trees, tupelos and hardwood forest that is home to alligators, snakes and turtles. Lake Martin, which is part of the preserve, is a key nesting site for blue heron, egrets, white ibis and roseate spoonbills.
• Big Branch Marsh National Wildlife Refuge protects more than 15,000 acres of marshland and piney woods.
• The world-famous Atchafalaya Basin is the largest river swamp in the U.S. It combines bottomland hardwood forests in the north with brackish water and salt marshes in the south, where it borders the Gulf of Mexico. With almost 1 million acres of swampland, bayous and backwater lakes, it is an important habitat for reptiles, amphibians and mammals. More than 100 fish species, 250 bird species and 65 reptile and amphibian species live in the Atchafalaya. Nutria, foxes, beavers, rodents and otters find food and shelter here.
• Lake Maurepas is the 2nd largest lake in Louisiana and is a part of the Pontchartrain Basin, which covers 1,700,000 acres of abandoned delta in the southeastern part of the state. The water has low amounts of saline and contains many types of fish including mostly freshwater and some marine during times of higher salinity. In addition to fishing, hunting and trapping are popular here due to the population of white-tailed deer, squirrel, rabbit, and waterfowl.

The Most Dangerous Animals in Louisiana Today

When people think about dangerous animals in Louisiana, they may assume it’s the alligator. In fact, Louisiana and Florida are home to the most alligators in the country, with about 2 million in Louisiana alone. But are alligators actually the most dangerous animal in Louisiana? The answer is no because they rarely attack humans, and when they do, they often don’t end in death. There are only about unprovoked 7 alligator attacks a year.

Louisiana is home, however, to 3 venomous and poisonous creatures you will definitely want to avoid. The eastern diamondback rattle snake is a pit viper that can take down a human with its lethal venom. Death by snake is very rare. Then, brown recluse spiders, which are the size of a dime, and black widows, which are black with a distinctive red hourglass mark on their backs, can be found hiding under rocks or even in people’s basements in Louisiana. Any human bitten by one of these spiders should immediately seek medical attention. Here are two more dangerous animals in Louisiana:

Tarantula hawk wasp: This large, strange wasp preys on tarantulas by sweeping them up and repeatedly injecting venom into their heads. If that doesn’t scare you, consider that its sting, although rare, is excruciating. Researchers have described the pain as “unrelenting” and as second only to the sting of the bullet ant. The good news is that the pain only lasts a few minutes and does not cause serious damage.

Coral snake: These red-banded snakes have venom potent enough to cause paralysis in an adult human. They like to hide in bushes and shrubs, and they don’t give any warning before they strike.

Endangered Animals in Louisiana

Louisiana has suffered from environmental damage. Decades of reliance on the petroleum industry caused widespread water pollution. Hurricane Katrina and the Deepwater Horizon oil spill devastated the state’s waters. The oil spill was especially dangerous to brown pelicans. Nearly 6,000 pelicans died in the spill. The state’s human and natural inhabitants have shown resilience in the face of these problems, and Louisiana’s important ecosystems are on the road to recovery.

• The West Indian manatee (Trichecus manatus) is a gentle aquatic mammal that lives in the warm coastal waters of Louisiana. Manatees are endangered and protected under the Marine Mammal Protection Act.
• The long-tailed weasel (Mustela frenata) is a native weasel with a long body and short legs. It usually lives near water, including marshes, swamps and riverbanks. It is one of the rarest animals in Louisiana.
• Alligators were once endangered in Louisiana, but these apex predators have made a full comeback. There are more than 1 million wild alligators living in the state’s marshes, rivers and lakes and another million on alligator farms. The state’s alligator management program, managed by the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, is recognized internationally as a conservation success story and a model for sustainability.
• The gopher tortoise (Gopherus polyphemus) lives in the coastal plains of Louisiana. In the wild, this tortoise can live 40 to 60 years. Listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act, it is listed as critically imperiled by the state of Louisiana. The state has instituted controlled fires in gopher tortoise habitats, which improve the habitat for tortoises, wild turkeys, quail and grouse.

Mysterious Marshes

Louisiana’s wetlands, swamps, and bayous are among the most fascinating and important ecosystems in the country. Despite some setbacks, the state has taken steps to protect its precious natural resources. The dark, mysterious waters of Louisiana’s swamps and wetlands continue to be safe havens for many wild creatures.

If traveling to the swamps of Louisiana, you may want to be on the lookout for more than alligators and cypress trees. Cajun legend has it that a swamp monster, known as the Rougarou, lurks about the swamps. This shape-shifter has a human body with the head of a wolf but can shift into human form as desired.

Another mysterious being found in the swamps is the fishing spider. They reside in the roots of cypress and tupelo trees before they go fishing for a meal. These 3 inch spiders will create air bubbles to house their bodies, enabling them to travel underwater. They will catch minnows with their poisonous bites.

Native Plants in Louisiana

The Pelican State is home to a large number of plant species. From the Magnolia blossom, to the bald cypress, native plants in Louisiana have the perfect environment to thrive. These plants are interesting and worth exploring.

The bald cypress is found throughout Southern swamps and is one of Louisiana’s state trees. Massive in size, this conifer grows to around 70 feet tall and 25 feet wide. Some ancient bald cypresses date back 150 years and are even larger. While they are found in the swamps, bald cypresses can grow in both dry and wet environments.

The magnolia tree is undoubtedly a symbol of the South, and they thrive across Louisiana. These gorgeous trees have been around a long time; in fact, their fossils date them back 100 million years, ranking them some of the first flowering plants. They were believed to be pollinated by beetles.

Flag of Louisiana

The flag of Louisiana consists of a blue field featuring a pelican and its young in a nest above a ribbon emblazoned with the state motto “Union Justice Confidence.”

The pelican on the flag is tearing at its breast to feed her young. Interestingly, pelicans do not feed their young in this way. Instead, they regurgitate food and feed them with their bills directly into their baby’s mouths. The picture, however, is supposed to symbolize self-sacrifice and dedication to family.

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Louisianian Animals

Admiral Butterfly

Stunningly beautiful wings

Agkistrodon Contortrix

Albino (Amelanistic) Corn Snake

Albino corn snakes make great beginner snakes.

American Eel

Don't eat raw eel! Their blood is poisonous to humans when consumed raw.

Armyworm

They are so named because they "march" in armies of worms from one crop to another in search of food

Bagworm Moth Caterpillar

They continually enlarge their protective cases

Banded Water Snake

Some water snakes defend themselves violently.

Basilosaurus

Beewolf wasp

They hunt bees

Blue Tang

One of the most colorful members of the genus Acanthurus

Brown Water Snake

Has more scales than any other water snake on the continent: 27 to 33 rows of dorsal scales!

Cane Spider

Cane spiders don't spin webs to catch prey

Catahoula Leopard

The state of Louisiana's only native dog breed

Clearnose Skate

The skate with translucent nose patches

Common Yellowthroat

The Common Yellowthroat stays close to the ground and uses stealth to survive!

Congo Snake

Corn Snake

Corn snakes are partly arboreal and are excellent climbers.

Crocodylomorph

Crocodylomorphs include extinct ancient species as well as 26 living species today.

De Kay’s Brown Snake

They have specialized jaws for removing snails from shells.

Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake

This is the biggest venomous snake in North America, with a few that reach 8 feet long.

Eastern Fence Lizard

Females are usually larger than males.

Eastern Glass Lizard

When the glass lizard loses its tail it can grow another one. But the new tail lacks the markings of the old one and is usually shorter.

Eastern Hognose Snake

Eastern hognose snakes are venomous, but only to frogs and toads.

Eastern Woodrat

The eastern woodrat mating ritual involves a potentially deadly fight between the male and female before reproduction begins!

Flea

Adult fleas can jump up to 7 inches in the air

Fox Squirrel

Although it is a tree squirrel, it spends most of its time on the ground.

Giant Desert Centipede

They are the largest centipede in North America

Gopher Tortoise

It is the only species of tortoise native to Florida.

Harlequin Coral Snake

Red touches yellow kills a fellow, red touches black a friend of Jack.

Jack Crevalle

One of the biggest species in the Caranx genus

Jackrabbit

They can run as fast as 45 mph.

Kentucky Warbler

The Kentucky Warbler appears to wear bright yellow cat-eye glasses!

King Snake

King Snakes eat other types of snakes.

Labahoula

The AKC does not recognize this breed or the parent breed Catahoula

Ladyfish

Ladyfish are aggressive fighter when hooked, making them a favorite of anglers.

Mealybug

They have a symbiotic relationship with ants.

Milk Snake

Mockingbird

Mockingbirds are incredible mimics that can learn hundreds of songs!

Mourning Warbler

The Mourning Warbler was named for its gray head, which resembles a mourning veil!

Mud Snake

Mud snakes can lay over 100 eggs at a single time!

Nematode

Nematodes range in size from 1/10 of an inch to 28 feet long

Orb Weaver

Females are about four times the size of males

Owl

The owl can rotate its head some 270 degrees

Polyphemus Moth

The Polyphemus moth doesn’t and can't eat, except when it's a caterpillar!

Pompano Fish

They are bottom-feeders

Pygmy Rattlesnake

Pygmy rattlesnakes’ rattle is so small it can only be heard from about three feet away.

Quahog Clam

Their hinged shell protects their soft body

Queen Snake

Queen snakes have armor-like scales on the top of their head

Rat Snakes

Rat snakes are constrictors from the Colubridae family of snakes.

Red-Bellied Woodpecker

Red-Bellied Woodpeckers will often steal the nests of other birds.

Red-Shouldered Hawk

Red-Shouldered Hawks reuse the same nesting area each year.

Rooster

Will mate with the entire flock!

Rough Earth Snake

It has a pointed snout that is uses to burrow into moist soil.

Rough Green Snake

Rough green snakes are great pet snakes because they're low-maintenance.

Seagull

Some gulls are capable of using tools

Smokybrown Cockroach

Has up to 45 eggs per egg case

Smooth Earth Snake

Valeria Biddle Blaney (1828-1900) collected the first specimen in Maryland.

Southeastern Blueberry Bee

N/A

Southern Black Racer

These snakes live underground, beneath piles of leaf litter or in thickets, and they are expert swimmers.

Swallowtail Butterfly

N/A

Texas Rat Snake

The Texas rat snake is one of the most common subspecies of the western rat snake in the wild.

Tree Cricket

They make music with their wings

Western Rat Snake

Western rat snakes have special scales on their belly that help them climb up trees.

Louisianian Animals List