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Wetland Inhabitants
Wetlands are full of life! Animals like the muskrat, diamondback
terrapin, or periwinkle snail live in salty wetlands year-round, while
others - rockfish, deer, or blue crab, to name a few - come to wetlands
at different times for food or shelter. Some birds like ducks, geese,
and swans visit the Bay's wetland areas during the fall and winter.
Though they might not live in our Bay year round, they are still
important to the whole wetland ecosystem.
Below are pictures of some common wetland inhabitants and visitors. Each picture has a number below it.
On your Wetland Inhabitants Worksheet, match the number of each picture to its description. Once
you've completed the Worksheet, you can view the correct answers on the next page.
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A |
The Diamondback terrapin is a year-round marsh dweller who likes to eat snails, worms, insects, crabs, and fish. |
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B |
The Periwinkle snail crawls up and down on blades of marsh grasses as the tide rises and falls to avoid the water. She eats bits of algae and decaying plants. |
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C |
The fiddler crab lives in the marsh mud and eats dead plants. |
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D |
The graceful blue heron nests in the wetland and wades in nearby shallow waters, hunting for fish and crabs to eat. |
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E |
The raccoon doesn’t live in a wetland, but visits to hunt for crabs, oysters, clams, fish, and dragonflies. |
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F |
Blue crabs are often in the marsh when the tide is high. They eat small fish and oysters. They also use the marsh as a hideout when shedding their hard shells. |
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G |
Rockfish use the marsh as a nursery for their young. The baby fish hide among the wetland plants when the tide is high. |
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H |
Cordgrass grows in the low marsh areas that get flooded with the high tides. This grass is an excellent hiding place for small fish and and soft shell crabs. |
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