Commonly Seen Animals
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Below are some of the more commonly noticed animals at Rock Creek Park. Some vocalize, drawing attention to themselves in certain seasons. Others are more active in one season, building nests or perhaps collecting food for winter.
In addition to the information below, see the bird checklists taken at Rock Creek Park throughout the year by the DC Audobon society (and join a fieldtrip!)
Commonly Seen/Heard Animals | Scientific Name | Best Season to see or hear |
---|---|---|
eastern chipmunk | Tamias striatus | Fall |
eastern gray squirrel | Sciurus carolinensis | |
raccoon | Procyon lotor | |
red fox | Vulpes vulpes | |
white-tailed deer | Odocoileus virginianus | (Fawns) Summer |
belted kingfisher | Megaceryle alcyon | Spring/Summer |
great blue heron | Ardea herodias | |
red-bellied woodpecker | Melanerpes carolinus | |
red-shouldered hawk | Buteo lineatus | Spring |
wood duck | Aix sponsa | Spring/Summer |
mallard | Anas platyrhynchos | Spring/Summer |
toads | Anaxyrus (Bufo) species | Spring |
tiger swallowtail butterfly | Papilio glaucus | Summer |
Less Commonly Seen/Heard Animals | Scientific Name | Best Season to see or hear |
---|---|---|
beaver | Castor canadensis | |
coyote | Canis latrans | |
muskrat | Ondatra zibethicus | |
opossum | Didelphis marsupialis | |
southern flying squirrel | Glaucomys volans | |
downy woodpecker | Picoides pubescens | |
ovenbird | Seiurus aurocapillus | Summer |
pileated woodpecker | Dryocopus pileatus | |
wood thrush | Hylocichla mustelina | Spring/Summer |
eastern box turtle | Terrapene carolina carolina | Summer |
red-eared slider | Trachemys scripta elegans | |
wood frog | Lithobates sylvaticus (Rana sylvatica) | Spring |
black rat snake | Elaphe obsoleta obsoleta | Summer |
garter snake | Thamnophis sirtalis sirtalis | Summer |
northern water snake | Nerodia sipedon | Summer |