Earthworms are common invertebrates in wetlands.
Wetlands, areas with water generally present above or just below the ground surface, are home to an enormous diversity of plants and animals, often collectively referred to as wetland species. The most common animal species in wetlands include many types of snakes, turtles, lizards, frogs, salamanders, and insects. Mammals such as beavers are common, as are many types of birds, including various species of ducks, geese, and songbirds. The most common plant species in wetlands include cattails, water lilies, and many types of rushes.
A swamp.
Swamps can take many different forms, including swamps, fens, swamps, and floodplains, and are found on every continent except Antarctica. Depending on the type of wetland and the part of the world in which it is located, a wetland will be home to many species of plants and animals. Some bog species may be more numerous in one area and others may be more common in another. Wetlands in many parts of the world are in danger of destruction due to urban development, and many endangered species live partially or exclusively in wetlands.
Ducks are common in wetlands.
Large mammals are responsible for a surprisingly large number of the world’s wetland species. Beavers and muskrats, two of the mammals most commonly associated with North American swamps, are found on that continent and in parts of Europe and Asia. The swamps and watersheds of South and Central America are home to the predatory jaguar, the muskrat-like nutmeg, and the bulky tapir. Several species of monkeys inhabit the mangroves of Southeast Asia, including the proboscis monkey and the long-tailed monkey. Even the mammals most commonly associated with dry habitats, such as deer, raccoons, wild boar, foxes, and wolves, can sometimes be found in swamps.
Crocodiles live in wetlands.
Reptiles are also well represented in the wetlands and there are many species of snakes, turtles and lizards in the wetlands. The water moccasin, the common snapping turtle and the wall lizard are some examples. Crocodilian animals such as alligators and alligators also inhabit certain wetlands.
Birds of all shapes and sizes inhabit wetlands throughout the year or sometimes only for a brief period as they pass through during migration. Many types of ducks and geese can be found swimming in marshy pools, and blackbirds perched on the tips of cattail plants are a common sight. Songbirds of many kinds abound, and species such as terns, gulls and sandpipers roam the edges of the marshes. Additionally, wading birds such as herons, egrets, and spruce trees find many wetland habitats perfect hunting grounds.
Cattails are the most common wet plant species.
In addition to the larger forms of wildlife, much of the animal life in wetlands consists of smaller creatures such as amphibians, fish, and insects. Frogs, toads, and salamanders are common amphibians, and several species of fish, including catfish, herring, salmon, and lungfish, swim in the swamp waters. Wetland insect species include familiar denizens such as dragonflies, dragonflies, and sissies and, of course, the ubiquitous mosquitoes. Earthworms, leeches, fairy shrimp, and crayfish are other common wetland invertebrates.
Raccoons can sometimes be found in swamps.
Of the many plant species common to swamps, cattail is perhaps the most recognizable. In addition, flora such as mangroves, water lilies, cypresses, and rushes, as well as some types of larch and fir trees, are found in various swamps around the world. A wide variety of flowering plants, grasses and trees, together with the impressive variety of animal species that live among them, make wetlands the most biologically diverse type of ecosystem in the world.