Animals and Plants

Flight demonstration at the Center for the Birds of Prey in Awendaw. Image courtesy of SCPRT.

Discover the animals and plants that also call South Carolina home.

Animals

• Reptiles and Amphibians of South Carolina and Georgia
  Learn about reptile and amphibian species that could be living in your backyard!
• South Carolina Rare, Threatened, & Endangered Species by County
  Click on your county to find out which species of animals are rare, threatened, or endangered.
• IPPL
  The International Primate Protection League in Summerville is a sanctuary for rescued gibbon apes.

Birds

• Carolina Wren
  Adopted as the South Carolina state bird in 1948, the Great Carolina Wren can be found in fields, woodlands, and swamps.
• Red-cockaded Woodpecker
  This endangered woodpecker lives in the longleaf pine forests of South Carolina.
• Where do South Carolina Ducks come from?
  Most of the ducks that fly to South Carolina in winter come from the Great Lakes Region and the St. Lawrence Plain.
• American Oystercatchers
  This large shorebird lives along the coast year round.

Specific Animals

• Lovebugs
  Swarms of lovebugs can be found in the spring and fall all along the Southeast coastline.
• Manatees in South Carolina
  Manatees have been observed in South Carolina since 1850, but are relatively rare.
• Charleston Bump Echinoderms
  See starfish, brittle stars, sea urchins, and other echinoderms that were found 80-100 miles southeast of Charleston.
• Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake
  Watch this short video on this interesting and dangerous snake.
• Sea Turtle Rescue
  Learn about the Sea Turtle Hospital and rescue programs along the coast.
  • Green sea turtle papercraft
    Make your own sea turtle out of paper!

Trees

Watercolor of "The May-Apple Plant," now known commonly as maypop or purple passionflower. Likely drawn in the 1760s or 1770s. Ethelind Pope Brown Collection of South Carolina Natural History, Rare Books and Special Collections, University of South Carolina Libraries.

• Trees of South Carolina
  A gallery of trees in South Carolina.
• What Tree is This?
  Learn to identify common trees in your region.
  • When I grow up
• The Pines of South Carolina
  Learn about the 7 different types of pine trees in South Carolina. 
• Angel Oak 
  Learn about this more than 400 year old tree in Johns Island, SC.

Plants

• SC Plant Atlas
  The Plant Atlas contains over 3000 plant species, with range and images.
• Mystery Plants of SC
  Can you figure out the plant based on a picture and description?
• Exotic Plant Pest Species of SC
  Invasive exotic or non-native plants can compete with native species and often take over an entire landscape and reduce plant biodiversity.
• South Carolina Rare, Threatened, & Endangered Species by County
  Click on your county to find out which species of plants are rare, threatened, or endangered.
• Glossary of Plant Terms
  Check out this glossary that defines many plant terms, some with useful images.

Natural Communities

• The Natural Communities of South Carolina
  This publication defines all the natural communities within South Carolina and gives examples of plants and threatened species that live in each community.
• South Carolina’s Natural Wildflower Communities
  Not just for wildflowers, these natural communities have distinct plants and other features.

Natural History

• Ethelind Pope Brown Collection of South Carolina Natural History
  Explore these drawings made in the 1760s or 1770s of plants and animals that live in South Carolina.
• Henry William Ravenel (1814-1887): South Carolina Botanist
  Meet Henry Ravenel, an important botanist of the Civil War era who maintained an extensive personal collection of plant specimens.
• Southern Nature: Scientific Views of the Colonial American South
  Learn about several Southern naturalists in the Colonial Era, such as John Lawson and William Bartram.