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Animals

Black bear at Catoctin Mountain Park

(photo by William F. Voigt)

In an area of the country that is rapidly being converted to shopping centers, houses, and pavement, Catoctin Mountain Park serves as a virtual oasis for a number of animals. This 5,810 acre forested ecosystem is habitat to more than 280 species of animals.

A short walk on one of Catoctin Mountain Park’s trails will take you into the forest environment. Animals you are likely to see there are squirrels, chipmunks, white-tailed deer, pileated woodpeckers and wild turkey, maybe a box turtle, and if you are extremely fortunate, a black bear.

A journey to one of Catoctin’s high gradient streams may reveal fish, salamanders, frogs, crayfish, birds and insects.

Stay overnight at Owens Creek Campground, and you might hear the duck-like cackle of the wood frog, the hoot of a great horned owl, or see bats zipping overhead in search of insects.

For more information about animal species in Catoctin Mountain Park see the Inventory and Monitoring information of the National Capital Region Network.

 

 

Click here to learn more about the:

Amphibians - Check out the salamanders, frogs and toads.

Birds - See the list of bird species found in the park. Thirteen are of conservation concern.

Fish - Find native brook trout, as well as rainbow trout, brown trout, and other species.

Insects, spiders, centipedes, and millipedes - View some of the fascinating photos.

Mammals - Read about the small and large mammals that have been sighted in the park.

Reptiles- Learn about the snakes, turtles, lizards, and skinks that find homes here.