Smokies Most Wanted

The Carolina anole (Anolis carolinensis) (US: /əˈnoʊ.li/ ( listen)) is an arboreal lizard found primarily in the southeastern United States and some Caribbean islands. Other common names include the American green anole, American anole, and red-throated anole. It is also sometimes referred to as the American chameleon due to its ability to change color from several brown hues to bright green, and its somewhat similar appearance and diet preferences. Howev less ↑

The common snapping turtle (Chelydra serpentina) is a large freshwater turtle of the family Chelydridae. Its natural range extends from southeastern Canada, southwest to the edge of the Rocky Mountains, as far east as Nova Scotia and Florida. This species and the larger alligator snapping turtles are the only Macrochelys species in this family found in North America (though the common snapping turtle, as its name implies, is much more widespread). less ↑

The eastern screech owl or eastern screech-owl (Megascops asio) is a small owl that is relatively common in Eastern North America, from Mexico to Canada. This species is native to most wooded environments of its distribution, and more so than any other owl in its range, has adapted well to manmade development, although it frequently avoids detection due to its strictly nocturnal habits. less ↑

The killdeer (Charadrius vociferus) is a medium-sized plover. The genus name Charadrius is a Late Latin word for a yellowish bird mentioned in the fourth-century Vulgate. It derives from Ancient Greek kharadrios a bird found in ravines and river valleys (kharadra, "ravine"). The specific vociferus is Latin and comes from vox, "cry" and ferre, "to bear". less ↑

The peregrine falcon (Falco peregrinus), also known as the peregrine, and historically as the duck hawk in North America, is a widespread bird of prey in the family Falconidae. A large, crow-sized falcon, it has a blue-grey back, barred white underparts, and a black head. As is typical of bird-eating raptors, peregrine falcons are sexually dimorphic, with females being considerably larger than males. The peregrine is renowned for its speed, reaching over 320 km/h (200  less ↑

The mallard (/ˈmælɑːrd/ or /ˈmælərd/) (Anas platyrhynchos) is a dabbling duck that breeds throughout the temperate and subtropical Americas, Eurasia, and North Africa and has been introduced to New Zealand, Australia, Peru, Brazil, Uruguay, Argentina, Chile, the Falkland Islands, and South Africa. This duck belongs to the subfamily Anatinae of the waterfowl family Anatidae. The male birds (drakes) have a glossy green head and are grey on wings and belly while the females (hens or du less ↑

The common starling (Sturnus vulgaris), also known as the European starling, or in the British Isles just the starling, is a medium-sized passerine bird in the starling family, Sturnidae. It is about 20 cm (8 in) long and has glossy black plumage with a metallic sheen, which is speckled with white at some times of year. The legs are pink and the bill is black in winter and yellow in summer; young birds have browner plumage than the... less ↑

The nine-banded armadillo (Dasypus novemcinctus), or the nine-banded, long-nosed armadillo, is a medium-sized mammal found in North, Central, and South America, making it the most widespread of the armadillos. Its ancestors originated in South America, and remained there until the formation of the Isthmus of Panama allowed them to enter North America as part of the Great American Interchange. The nine-banded armadillo is a solitary, mainly nocturnal animal, found in many kind less ↑

The giant swallowtail (Papilio cresphontes) is the largest butterfly in North America. It is abundant through many parts of North America and ranges south as far as Colombia and Venezuela. Though it is often valued in gardens for its striking appearance, its larval stage can be a serious pest to citrus farms, which has earned its caterpillars the names orange dog or orange puppy. The giant swallowtail caterpillars have developed remarkable camouflage from predators by less ↑

Argent and sable moths or Rheumaptera hastata are day flying moths of the Geometridae family, with distinctive black and white colourings. They tend to live on wetlands and hillsides. The larvae spin together the leaves of their food plants (such as birch and bog myrtle) to form their cocoons. It was named argent and sable in 1778. Argent and sable refers to the heraldic color names for black and white. Their distribution is Holarctic. less ↑

Isochaetes beutenmuelleri, the spun glass slug moth, is a moth of the Limacodidae family. It is found in the United States from New York to Florida and west to Colorado and Texas. The name comes from the appearance of their pupal stage, when they are very nearly transparent, and covered in spiny hairs containing poison that can cause dermatitis, as is not uncommon for other so-called stinging caterpillars. less ↑

The European hornet (Vespa crabro) is the largest eusocial wasp in Europe and the largest vespine in North America. It is actually the only true hornet found in North America. V. crabro is usually regarded as a pest by those humans who come into contact with it. Vespines, like V. crabro, are known for making nests out of surrounding plant materials and other fibers to create intricate paper nests. Unlike most other vespines, reproductive suppression involves... less ↑

Agrilus planipennis, commonly known as the emerald ash borer, is a green buprestid or jewel beetle native to northeastern Asia that feeds on ash species. Females lay eggs in bark crevices on ash trees, and larvae feed underneath the bark of ash trees to emerge as adults in one to two years. In its native range, it is typically found at low densities and does not cause significant damage to trees native to the area. Outside... less ↑

The red-legged grasshopper (Melanoplus femurrubrum) is a species of grasshopper belonging to the genus Melanoplus. It is one of the most common grasshoppers found in Mexico, the United States, and Canada. This grasshopper is frequently used as a model organism in scientific studies, due to their abundance throughout North America and behavioral response to changes in climate. less ↑

The Ashy Clubtail (Phanogomphus lividus) is an early spring species and darker than most other clubtails, with little color on the abdomen. The face is pale green without dark stripes and the vertex is brown. The thorax is grayish-green with a parallel-sided middorsal thoracic stripe. The antehumeral and humeral stripes are fused, with the former sometimes free at its upper end. Occasionally, a thin, interrupted yellowish line is visible between them. The mid- and third lateral stripes are confluent and faint brown lateral stripe often present at the rear edge of thorax. The legs are brownish throughout with a yellow line externally on the tibiae. The abdomen is largely black with a thin pale yellow middorsal line nearly continuous on the middle segments. Segments 8 and 9 are only slightly enlarged in the male and have relatively little yellow dorsally. Segment 10 is brownish-yellow and the male caudal appendages are black.

Abbott, J.C. 2006-2019. OdonataCentral: An online resource for the distribution and identification of Odonata. Available at https://www.odonatacentral.org/index.php/FieldGuideAction.get/id/46156 (Accessed: July 12, 2019). less ↑

The green darner or common green darner (Anax junius), after its resemblance to a darning-needle, is a species of dragonfly in the family Aeshnidae. One of the most common and abundant species throughout North America, it also ranges south to Panama. It is well known for its great migration distance from the northern United States south into Texas and Mexico. It also occurs in the Caribbean, Tahiti, and Asia from Japan to mainland China. It is... less ↑

Asclepias exaltata is a species of flowering plant in the family Apocynaceae known by the common names poke milkweed and tall milkweed. It is native to eastern North America. It blooms from late spring to early summer. The flowers are green and white. Poke milkweed is found in moist woodland habitats. It grows in moist soil and sunny or partly shaded places. It grows from 0.6 to 1.5 meters (2.0 to 4.9 ft) tall. less ↑

Celastrus scandens, commonly called American bittersweet or bittersweet, is a species of Celastrus that blooms mostly in June and is commonly found on rich, well-drained soils of woodlands. It is a sturdy perennial vine that may have twining, woody stems that are 30 feet (9.1 m) or longer and an inch or more thick at the base. The stems are yellowish-green to brown and wind around other vegetation, sometimes killing saplings by restricting further growth. It has less ↑

Elephant's foot is a native plant which occurs in low woods and along streams. Valued for its late summer to fall bloom and large, attractive lower leaves. Bloom consists of many small flower heads which are arranged in compound inflorescences. Each individual flower head rests upon leafy bracts and contains 2-5, tubular, pale lavender disc florets. When in full bloom, an entire inflorescence may be mistaken for a large, single bloom. Although a member of the composite family, the flowers of elephant's foot are not daisy-like in appearance because each flower head contains only disc flowers. Similar in appearance and closely related to the ironweeds (Vernonia). Large lower leaves provide the inspiration for the common name of Elephant's foot.
(Source: Missouri Botanical Garden) less ↑

Solidago bicolor, with several common names including white goldenrod, silverrod and (in Québec) verge d’or bicolore, is a plant species native to much of eastern North America. It is found in Canada (from Manitoba to Nova Scotia) and in the United States (every state completely east of the Mississippi except Florida). It prefers sandy and rocky soils, and can frequently be found along roadsides. less ↑

Smallanthus uvedalia is known as Hairy Leafcup, Bear's Foot, Yellow Leafcup, or Uvedalia. It is a tall leafy plant with very large leaves and yellow flowers with typical aster family structure - ray flowers and disk flowers. Leaves are opposing. The occasional branches seem to arise from the leaf axils. Uvedalia has been used for medicinal purposes, including treatment of rheumatism and hair loss.
(Source: Wildflowers of the United States) less ↑

Arnoglossum reniforme (great Indian plantain) is a North American species of plants in the sunflower family. It is native to the central and east-central United States primarily in the Appalachian Mountains, the Ohio/Tennessee Valley, and the Mississippi Valley. There are additional populations in the east (New Jersey, Maryland, Pennsylvania, South Carolina) and farther west in Oklahoma. less ↑

This perennial has large, stalked leaves and flowers with 6-16 yellow petals radiating from (and drooping beneath) a greenish-yellow head. The plant grows 3-5 ft tall and flowers are 2.5-4 inches in diameter. Coneflower is extremely common along shady mountain streams in the park and blooms from July to October.

Source: Peter White, Tom Condon, Janet Rock, Carol Ann McCormick, Pat Beaty & Keith Langdon. 2003. Wildflowers of the Smokies. Great Smoky Mountains Association, Gatlinburg, TN. p. 169. less ↑

Ailanthus altissima /eɪˈlænθəs ælˈtɪsɪmə/, commonly known as tree of heaven, ailanthus, or in Standard Chinese as chouchun (Chinese: 臭椿; pinyin: chòuchūn; literally: "foul smelling tree"), is a deciduous tree in the Simaroubaceae family. It is native to both northeast and central China, as well as Taiwan. Unlike other members of the genus Ailanthus, it is found in temperate climates rather than the tropics. The tree grows rapidly and is capa less ↑

Quercus muehlenbergii, the chinkapin oak (or chinquapin oak), is an oak in the white oak group (Quercus sect. Quercus). The species was often called Quercus acuminata in older literature. Quercus muehlenbergii, (its specific epithet often misspelt muhlenbergii) is native to eastern and central North America, ranging from Vermont west to Wisconsin and south to South Carolina, western Florida, New Mexico, and northeastern Mexico from Co less ↑

Campsis radicans (trumpet vine or trumpet creeper, also known in North America as cow itch vine or hummingbird vine), is a species of flowering plant of the family Bignoniaceae, native to the eastern United States and naturalized in parts of the western United States as well as in Ontario, parts of Europe, and scattered locations in Latin America. Growing to 10 m (33 ft), it is a vigorous, deciduous woody vine, notable for its showy trumpet-shaped flowers. less ↑

Liparis liliifolia, common name brown widelip orchid, is a species of orchids native to eastern Canada (Quebec and Ontario) and the eastern United States (the Appalachians, Ozarks, the Great Lakes Region and the Ohio and Upper Mississippi Valleys but not the southern coastal plains). Other common names include, lily-leaved twayblade, large twayblade and mauve sleekwort. less ↑

Triphora trianthophoros is a small, terrestrial, semi-saprophytic orchid. The showiest member of its genus, Leaves are small (~1 cm X 1.5 cm) and typically dark green to purple. The orchid blooms from July through September, but is infamous for its elusive nature, with ephemeral flowers lasting for only several hours on a few days of the year. It has further been reported that populations across a region synchronize blooming on specific days, making observation of flowering specimens even more difficult. Several forms of T. trianthophoros exist, including forma albidoflava (Keenan) with white flowers, forma caerulea (P.M. Brown) with blue flowers, and forma rossii (P.M. Brown) with multi-colored flowers. less ↑

Platanthera psycodes, commonly called lesser purple fringed orchid or small purple-fringed orchid, is a species of orchid, genus Platanthera, occurring from eastern Canada (from Manitoba to Newfoundland) to the east-central and northeastern United States (Great Lakes Region, Appalachian Mountains, and New England). It is imperiled in Illinois, Tennessee, North Carolina, and Kentucky. less ↑