Prairie Species

Prairie Vole

Order:Rodentia

Family:Cricetidae

Genus:Microtus

Species:M. ochrogaster

Identifying characteristics: Head and body 31/2- 5 in. long. Tail is about 1 inch long. Grayish to dark brown. Tail short for a vole, belly is whitish or yellowish. Found in prairies and other dry habitats.

Special Adaptations: create runways underground and through vegetation that is used f

or predator protection and a food source.

Little Bluestem

Order:Cyperales

Family:Poaceae

Genus: Schizachyrium

Species: S. scoparium

Identifying Characteristics: Forms in dense mounds, 18-24 inches high. Slender, blue-green stems, red with white seeds that appear in september.

Special Adaptations: Year round plant. Prefers dry, sandy soils, but can tolerate a wide ranges. Cannot live near marshes or other wetlands due to moist soils.

Staghorn Sumac

Order:Sapindales

Family:Anacardiaceae

Genus:Rhus

Species:R. typhina

Identifying Characteristics: Deciduous shrub or small tree. Alternate, pinnately compound leaves, each with 9-31 serrated leaflets. Fruit is most identifiable characteristic: dense clusters of small red to pinkish dropes at the end of each branch.

Special Adaptations: Grows in dry or poor soils that other plants may be intolerant to.

Panicgrass

Order:Cyperales

Family:Poaceae

Genus:Panicum

Species:P. dichotomiflorum

Identifying Characteristics: Tall perennial grass, about 3-31/2 feet tall. Growing in bunches.

Special Adaptations: grows in dry soils.

Big Tooth Aspen

Order:Salicales

Family:Salicaceae

Genus:Populus

Species:P. grandidentata

Identifying Characteristics:Leaves similar to trembling aspen, but are larger and also have

larger teeth. Bark is greenish and thin when young, when older, bark becomes a grey co

lor and gets thicker and has grooves.

Special Adaptations: Is able to adapt to a wide variety of soil types. Prefers sandy soils.

Queen Anne's Lace

Order:Apiales

Family:Apiaceae

Genus:Daucus

Species:D. carota

Identifying Characteristics:Grows up to 4 feet tall in dry areas. Leaves are fern like. Tiny white flowers blooming in lacy, flat topped clusters. Each flower has a dark purpleish center.

Special Adaptations: May be considered a invasive plant due to the fact that it was introduced from Europe. Will sometimes crowd out other native plants.

Prairie Cup Plant

Order:

Family:

Genus:Silphium

Species:S. perfoliatum

Identifying Characteristics: 4-10 feet tall. Central stem is thick, hairless and square. Large leaves that join together on a central stem to form a cup that can hold water. Sunflower like.

Special Adaptations: Grow in a variety of soil types.

Sky Blue Aster

Order:Asterales

Family:Asteraceae

Genus:Symphyotrichum

Species:S. oolentangiense

Identifying Characteristics: 1.5-3 feet tall. Leave are alternate and as they move up the stem they become shorter and more narrow. Compound flowers that consist of about 10-20 flowers that are lavender or light blue in color.

Special Adaptations: Rather small distribution. Dry to moist prairie like soils.

Species from all over Merry Lea

American Sycamore

Order:Proteales

Family:Platanaceae

Genus:Platanus

Species:P. occidentalis

Identifying Characteristics:Easily recognizable by its mottled exfoliating bark, which might even make it look whitewashed. Leaves are alternate, broadly ovate or obicular, large, with 3-5 lobes. Kinda looks similar to a large maple leaf.

Special Adaptations: Although it is usually found in wetlands and riparian areas. Sycamores have adapted to dryer areas in Argentina and Australia. They also have a very large range in the United States.

Eastern Cottonwood

Order:Salicales

Family:Salicaceae

Genus:Populus

Species:P. deltoides

Identifying Characteristics: Alternate leaves that look like a triangle, or deltoid. Bark is smooth to lightly fissured, silvery white when young and darker grey when older.

Special Adaptations: Seeds are released in a cotton like capsule.

Painted Turtle

Order:Testudines

Family:Emydidae

Genus:Chrysemys

Species:C. picta

Identifying Characteristics: Top of shell is green to black in color with some red markings along the side. Yellowish underside with a black or red-brown spot. The skin is dark green with yellow stripes on face and red stripes along the body.

Special Adaptations: Only turtle that is found across the entire North American continent.

Kill Deer

Order:Charadriiformes

Family:Charadriidae

Genus:Charadrius

Species:C. vociferus

Identifying Characteristics: Plover. Large round head, large eyes, and short bill, characteristic of a plover. Especially slender and lanky with a long, pointed tail and long wings. Brownish tan on top and white below. White chest is barred with 2 black bands, and brown face is marked with black and white patches.

Special Adaptations: One of the least water-associated birds of all shorebirds.

Mallard Duck

Order:Anseriformes

Family:Anatidae

Genus:Anas

Species:A. platyrhynchos

Identifying Characteristics: Male (breeding) has a bright green head, black rear, and yellowish-orangeish bill tipped with black. The female is light brown. Both will show a blue-

purple spot lined with white on wings while in flight.

Special Adaptations: Strongly migratory bird.

Waterlily

Order:Nymphaeales

Family:Nymphaeaceae

Genus:Nymphaea

Species:

Identifying Characteristics: Aquatic plant. Usually a flower that is placed on top of a lily pad, which is green and looks like the circular bottom of the plant. Come is many

different colors. The one that I saw was white, but I had problems narrowing it down to species because there are so many.

Red Headed Woodpecker

Order:Piciformes

Family:Picidae

Genus:Melanerpes

Species:M. erythrocephalus

Identifying Characteristics: Male and Females look alike. Entire head, neck, throat, and upper breast are bright red. The wings and tail are blueish black with white squares on rear part of wings and butt. White chest. Relatively small bird. Bill is long and chisil shaped.

Special Adaptations: Prefer nesting in dead trees but prefer a habitat with few tall, wide trees.

Red Squirrel

Order: Rodentia

Family:Sciuridae

Genus:Sciurus

Species:S. vulgaris

Identifying Characteristics: Coat color varies in color with location and time of year. Coat colors range from red to black. Underside is always a white-cream color.

Special Adaptations: Prefers living in coniferous forest due to high amount of food, but have a large distribution. Tail is very long to help with balance.

Red Back Salamander

Order:Caudata

Family:Plethodontidae

Genus:Plethodon

Species:P. cinereus

Identifying Characteristics: Dark, small salamander with a red or rust colored stripe along its back and tail.

Special Adaptations: Entirely terrestrial. Does not even go into the water to breed.