Your Guide to Shenandoah National Park by Michael Joseph Oswald

Author:Michael Joseph Oswald [Oswald, Michael Joseph]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: National, Park, Big, Old, Trail, Appalachian, Rag, Skyland, Virginia, Drive, Resort, Skyline, Rapidan Camp, Shenandoah, Meadows
ISBN: 9781621280033
Publisher: Stone Road Press
Published: 2012-04-10T00:00:00+00:00

Flora & Fauna (SHEN)

Shenandoah’s forests are classified as “oak-hickory” but many other trees take root within the park. Pine, maple, birch, basswood, blackgum, tulip poplar, chestnut, and a few stands of hemlock can all be found here. Mountain laurel, which blooms in June, can be found along Skyline Drive. It is a native species, but these shrubs were planted by the CCC in the 1930s. Variation in latitude and elevation help create astounding diversity. More than 1,000 species of ferns, grasses, lichens, mosses, fungi and wildflowers exist in the park.

The creation of Shenandoah National Park helped reestablish the area as a refuge for wildlife. In the 1700s, early European settlers noted the region’s abundance and diversity of animals. By the late 1800s, American bison, elk, beaver, and river otter were extirpated. Many over-hunted species have now returned or been reintroduced. Shenandoah is home to one of the densest populations of black bears in the United States. Somewhere between 300 and 500 bears reside here. In all there are more than 50 species of mammals in the park. White-tail deer and gray squirrels are often seen along the roadway, while bobcats, black bears, moles, and shrews are more elusive. Ten species of toads and frogs and fourteen species of salamanders or newts live here. Twenty-five species of reptiles have found refuge in Shenandoah including eighteen snakes, five turtles, three skinks, and one lizard. Viewing and photographing wildlife is a popular activity, but please help keep wildlife wild. Be sure to stay a safe distance from animals and never feed or provoke them.

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