The Great Blue Heron

Name: Ardea herodias
Location found: Manshac
Habitat: wetlands.

Karl Netzhammer

Horseshoe crab

Name: Limulus polyphemus
Location found: biloxi beach
Habitat: gulf of mexico


Karl Netzhammer

Mole crab

Name: hippoidea
Location found: Grand Isle
Habitat: Sandy beaches


Karl Netzhammer

The Cattle Egret

Name: Bubulcus ibis
Location found: Audubon park
Habitat: jungle, tropical, and wetland areas.


Native to Africa, this stocky heron first invaded South America before invading the U.S. via the tropics.


Karl Netzhammer

Monk parakeet

Name: Myiopsitta monachus
Location found: City park
Habitat: warm climates.

An agricultural pest in its native South American range, the Monk Parakeet was first brought to the U.S. as a cage bird. They were so popular that over 60,000 were imported between 1969 and 1972. By the 1980's it had already been released in many parts of the country and had established small breeding colonies.

Karl Netzhammer

Barred Owl

Name: Strix varia
Location found: heard around manshac
Habitat: wetland and forest areas.

are nocturnal predatory birds with a range that extends into the wetlands of Louisiana. Few animals hunt barred owls, with the exception of the great horned owl and humans. Elusive and shy, they are seldom seen, but their distinctive call is often heard.

Karl Netzhammer

Cotton mouth

Name: Agkistrodon piscivorus leucostoma
Location found: Big branch trip number 2
Habitat: Almost anywhere water is found.

is an aquatic, heavy-boded snake with hemotoxic venom, meaning that it breaks down blood and tissue cells, causing hemorrhaging. Thriving in the warm, moist environment of the wetlands, the western cottonmouth reproduces rapidly and is among the most common reptile species in southern Louisiana.

Karl Netzhammer