Scientific name:
Elaph obsoleta

Also called rat snake and black snake. A long (up to eight feet), muscular snake that is usually completely black, though it does occasionally have small white spots. Subspecies can be yellow or differently colored, such as the yellow rat snake which can be found along the coast of North Carolina. Eats small mammals, birds, eggs and lizards. Active spring, summer and fall, though mostly nocturnal during the summer.

Scientific name:
Opheodrys aestivus

A thin, tapering, uniformly green snake with a white or yellow-green underside. Grows to about four feet. Usually found in trees or bushes, it occasionally comes down to feed on large insects. Very timid and completely harmless.

Scientific name:
Terrapene Carolina

A mid-sized turtle that feeds on worms, slugs, berries, mushrooms, and various plants. They are most active after heavy rains or on cool, humid mornings. Box turtles can live for over 100 years, though they will rarely leave an area the size of a football field, so the box turtles you see in your yard have likely been there for years.

Scientific name:
Buteo jamaicensis

A large, stocky hawk that is often seen soaring over open grassland. The coloration is extremely varied from one hawk to the next, so they can be difficult to identify. Eats mostly small mammals, though it will occasionally feed on other birds. Often seen pearched on trees at the edge of a wooded area, looking for mice.

Scientific name: Odocoileus virginianus

The white tailed deer is the most abundant hoofed mammal in the United States. In recent years, they have become so numerous that they are a constant threat to motorists at night. Though they are usually nocturnal, they can be seen at any time of day. Deer are browsers, and tear the leaves off low bushes and trees.

Scientific name:
Ceuthophilus maculatus

North Carolina is home to three different mantid species: the praying mantis, the Chinese mantis, and the Carolina mantis. The Carolina mantis is the only native species, the praying mantis and Chinese mantis were both introduced accidentally from southern europe and china in the late 1800s. Mantises are extremely beneficial, eating many common garden pests. They hatch from eggcases of 200-300 in spring, and can grow up to 3 1/2 inches by fall (the Chinese mantis is by far the largest). The mantis in the photo hatched only a few minutes before. Mantis egg cases can be relocated to gardens by snipping off the branch they are attached to and taping it to another plant.

Scientific name:
Arilus cristadus

Wheel bugs are so named for the distinctive crest on their thorax, the only insect in North America with such a structure. Feeding on other insects, they can inject a powerful toxin that renders their prey immobile. Though the effects on humans are less severe, a jab from the wheel bug's proboscis can be more painful than a bee sting and leave a large mark for weeks.

Scientific name:
Lycosa carolinensis

The Carolina wolf spider is the largest wolf spider in the United States. They do not make webs like other spiders, but actively hunt their prey. They eat anything they can overpower. Though they can deliver a bite to humans, they are generally harmless and should be left alone, as they are very beneficial predators.

Scientific name:
Sceliphron caementarium

Mud dauber wasps shape long tunnels out of mud on the sides of houses and trees. One spider paralyzed with venom (though still alive) is stuffed into each tunnel, and one egg is laid on each. When the young hatch, they eat the spider before cocooning and maturing into adult wasps. The adults drink nectar.

Scientific name:
Amanita bisporigera

The destroying angel is one of the deadliest mushrooms in the world. One bite can easily kill an adult human. It is easily identified by its pure white color, smooth cap, and distinctive "skirt" around the stem.