Rhode Island Habitats, Mammals, Birds, Amphibians, Reptiles

Rhode Island is a small, relatively flat coastal state of less than 678,000 acres – the smallest state in the nation. Its highest point is only about 800 feet above sea level. Within Narragansett Bay, there are over 30 islands that are part of Rhode Island, plus Block Island which lies about 12 miles (19 km) off the southern coast. The entire state is located within the New England province of the Appalachian Region.

Rhode Island's forests are part of the Northeastern coastal forests ecoregion characterized by Appalachian Oak Forest and White Pine Region of southern New England. Before Europeans came to Rhode Island, forest covered about 90% of the state. Settlers cleared extensively for farming through the 1800s until 3/4 of the state was open. During the 1900s, the forests began to recover and, by 1985, 60% of the state was once again covered by forest. This was the peak for forest regrowth, however, as the late 1900s brought a rise in urban development. Today, the biggest challenge for Rhode Island (and all states) is forests fragmentation. Historically, the dominant forest type in Rhode Island was oak/hickory.

For a small state, Rhode Island has the whole range of wetlands. There are freshwater wetlands - palustrine, lacustrine, and riverine. Palustrine wetlands include ponds, wet meadows, swamps (mostly red maple swamps) and freshwater marshes and are the most abundant wetland type on Rhode Island (87%). The lacustrine and riverine wetlands in Rhode Island are freshwater tidal emergent wetlands, river and stream aquatic beds and floodplain shrub areas and riparian forest.

Rhode Islands saltwater or brackish wetlands are called marine (rocky shores and sandy intertidal beaches) or estuarine (salt marshes, tidal zones, aquatic beds, coastal shrub-scrub wetlands, and mudflats) and are all along the coast and around the islands. Estuarine wetlands make up about 11% of Rhode Island's wetlands.

Wetlands are very important habitats. They provide valuable wildlife habitat, stabilize shorelines and protect the land from storm surges and flooding. They act as filters to pollutants that run off the land from farms, towns and cities. Yet, for generations, people saw wetlands as dangerous and wasted land and set about filling them in and covering them over. It wasn't until late in the 1900s that people realized the vital importance of wetlands and set about protecting and reclaiming them.

bat (big brown)
bat (eastern pipistreile)
bat (eastern red)
bat (hoary)
bat (little brown)
bat (northern myotis)
bat (silver-haired)
bear (black)
beaver
bobcat
chipmunk (eastern)
coyote
deer (white-tailed)
fisher
fox (gray)
fox (red)
hare (snowshoe)
lemming (southern bog)
mink
mole (eastern)   
mole (hairy-tailed)
mole (star-nosed)
moose
mountain lion
mouse (house)
mouse (meadow jumping)
mouse (western jumping)
mouse (white-footed)
muskrat
opossum (Virginia)
otter (river)
porcupine
rabbit (eastern cottontail)  
rabbit (New England cottontail)  
raccoon
rat (black)
rat (Norway)
shrew (masked)
shrew (northern short-tailed)
shrew (smoky)
shrew (water)
skunk (striped)
squirrel (gray)
squirrel (red)
squirrel (southern flying)
vole (meadow)
vole (southern red-backed)
vole (woodland)
weasel (long-tailed)
weasel (short-tailed ) or ermine
woodchuck

Ocean Mammals:
dolphin (Atlantic spotted)
dolphin (Atlantic white-sided)
dolphin (bottlenose)
dolphin (long-beaked)
dolphin (long-finned pilot)
dolphin (Risso's)
dolphin (short-beaked common)
dolphin (short-finned pilot)
dolphin (striped)
dolphin (Pan-tropical spotted)
dolphin (white-beaked)
manatee (West Indian)
porpoise (harbor)
seal (gray)
seal (harbor)
seal (harp)
seal (hooded)
whale (blue)
whale (Cuvier's beaked)
whale (dense-beaked)
whale (dwarf sperm)
whale (fin)
whale (humpback)
whale (killer)
whale (North Atlantic bottlenose)
whale (North Atlantic right)
whale (northern minke)
whale (sei)
whale (Sowerby's beaked)
whale (sperm)
whale (white)

Amphibians
bullfrog (American)
frog (green)
frog (northern leopard)
frog (pickerel)
frog (wood)
newt (eastern) or red spotted
salamanders (four-toed)
salamanders (marbled)
salamanders (northern dusky)
salamanders (northern red-backed)
salamanders (northern spring)
salamanders (northern two-lined)
salamanders (spotted)
spring peeper (northern)
toad (American)
toad (eastern spadefoot)
toad (Fowler's)
treefrog (gray)

Reptiles
snake (black rat)
snake (eastern garter)
snake (eastern hog-nosed)
snake (eastern milk)
snake (eastern ribbon)
snake (eastern smooth green)
snake (eastern worm)
snake (northern black racer)
snake (northern brown)
snake (northern redbelly)
snake (northern ringneck)
snake (northern water)
terrapin (northern diamond-backed)
turtle (common musk) or (stinkpot)
turtle (eastern box)
turtle (eastern painted)
turtle (eastern snapping)
turtle (spotted)
turtle (wood)

albatross (yellow-nosed)
anhinga
avocet (American)
bittern (American)
bittern (least)
blackbird (Brewer's)
blackbird (red-winged)
blackbird (rusty)
blackbird (yellow-headed)
bluebird (eastern)
bluebird (mountain)
bobolink
bobwhite (northern)
booby (brown)
bunting (indigo)
bunting (lark)
bunting (painted)
bunting (snow)
cardinal (northern)
catbird (gray)
chat (yellow-breasted)
chickadee (black-capped)
chickadee (boreal)
chuck-will's-widow
coot (American)
cormorant (double-crested)
cormorant (great)
cowbird (brown-headed)
crane (sandhill)
creeper (brown)
crossbill (red)
crossbill (white-winged)
crow (American)
crow (fish)
cuckoo (black-billed)
cuckoo (yellow-billed)
curlew (Eskimo)
curlew (long-billed)
dickcissel
dove (mourning)
dove (white-winged)
dovekie
dowitcher (long-billed)
dowitcher (short-billed)
duck (American black)
duck (American wigeon)
duck (black scoter)
duck (Barrow's goldeneye)
duck (blue-winged teal)
duck (bufflehead)
duck (canvasback)
duck (common eider)
duck (common goldeneye)
duck (Eurasian wigeon)
duck (fulvous whistling)
duck (gadwall)
duck (green-winged teal)
duck (greater scaup)
duck (harlequin)
duck (king eider)
duck (lesser scaup)
duck (long-tailed)
duck (mallard)
duck (northern pintail)
duck (northern shoveler)
duck (redhead)
duck (ring-necked)
duck (ruddy)
duck (smew)
duck (surf scoter)
duck (tufted)
duck (white-winged scoter)
duck (wood)
dunlin
eagle (bald)
eagle (golden)
egret (cattle)
egret (great)
egret (little)
egret (reddish)
egret (snowy)
falcon (gyrfalcon)
falcon (peregrine)
finch (house)
finch (purple)
flicker (northern)
flycatcher (Acadian)
flycatcher (alder)
flycatcher (ash-throated)
flycatcher (fork-tailed)
flycatcher (great-crested)
flycatcher (Hammond's)
flycatcher (least)
flycatcher (olive-sided)
flycatcher (scissor-tailed)
flycatcher (vermillion)
flycatcher (willow)
flycatcher (yellow-bellied)
frigatebird (magnificent)
fulmar (northern)
gallinule (purple)
gannet (northern)
gnatcatcher (blue-gray)
godwit (Hudsonian)
godwit (marbled)
goldfinch (American)
goose (barnacle)
goose (Brant)
goose (cackling)
goose (Canada)
goose (great white-fronted)
goose (pink-fotted)
goose (Ross's)
goose (snow)
grackle (common)
grackle (great-tailed)
grèbe (eared)
grèbe (horned)
grèbe (pied-billed)
grèbe (red-necked)
grèbe (western)
grosbeak (black-headed)
grosbeak (blue)
grosbeak (evening)
grosbeak (pine)
grosbeak (rose-breasted)
grouse (ruffed)
guillemot (black)
gull (black-headed)
gull (black-tailed)
gull (Bonaparte’s)
gull (Franklin's)
gull (glaucous)
gull (glaucous-winged)
gull (herring)
gull (Iceland)
gull (ivory)
gull (laughing)
gull (lesser black-backed)
gull (little)
gull (mew)
gull (ring-billed)
gull (Sabine's)
gull (Thayer's)
harrier (northern)
hawk (broad-winged)
hawk (Cooper's)
hawk (northern goshawk)
hawk (red-shouldered)
hawk (red-tailed)
hawk (rough-legged)
hawk (sharp-shinned)
hawk (Swainson's)
heron (black-crowned night)
heron (great blue)
heron (green)
heron (little blue)
heron (reddish)
heron (tri-colored)
heron (yellow-crowned night)
hummingbird (ruby-throated)
hummingbird (rufous)
ibis (glossy)
ibis (white)
ibis (white-faced)
jackdaw (Eurasian)
jaeger (long-tailed)
jaeger (parasitic)
jaeger (pomarine)
jay (blue)
junco (dark-eyed)
kestrel (American)
killdeer
kingbird (eastern)
kingbird (western)
kingfisher (belted)
kinglet (golden-crowned)
kinglet (ruby-crowned)
kite (Mississippi)
kite (swallow-tailed)
kittiwake  (black-legged)
lapwing (northern)
lark (horned)
longspur (Lapland)
longspur (Smith's)
loon (common)
loon (Pacific)
loon (red-throated)
martin (purple)
meadowlark (eastern)
meadowlark (western)
merlin
merganser (common)
merganser (hooded)
merganser (red-breasted)
mockingbird (northern)
moorhen (common)
murre (common)
murre (thick-billed)
murrelet (long-billed)
nighthawk (common)
noddy (brown)
nuthatch (red-breasted)
nuthatch (white-breasted)
oriole (Baltimore)
oriole (Bullock's)
oriole (orchard)
osprey
ovenbird
owl (barn)
owl (barred)
owl (boreal)
owl (burrowing)
owl (eastern screech)
owl (great gray)
owl (great horned)
owl (long-eared)
owl (northern hawk)
owl (northern saw-whet)
owl (short-eared)
owl (snowy)
oystercatcher (American)
parakeet (monk)
parula (northern)
pelican (American white)
pelican (brown)
petrel (black-capped)
phainopepla
phalarope (red)
phalarope (red-necked)
phalarope (Wilson's)
pheasant (ring-necked)
phoebe (eastern)
phoebe (Say's)
pigeon (rock)
pipit (American)
plover (American golden)
plover (black-bellied)
plover (common ringed)
plover (lesser sand)
plover (piping)
plover (semipalmated)
plover (Wilson's)
puffin (Atlantic)
rail (black)
rail (clapper)
rail (king)
rail (Virginia)
rail (yellow)
raven (common)
razorbill
red knot
redshank (spotted)
redwing
robin (American)
ruff
sanderling
sandpiper (Baird's)
sandpiper (buff-breasted)
sandpiper (curlew)
sandpiper (least)
sandpiper (pectoral)
sandpiper (purple)
sandpiper (semipalmated)
sandpiper (solitary)
sandpiper (spotted)
sandpiper (stilt)
sandpiper (upland)
sandpiper (western)
sandpiper (white-rumped)
shearwater (Audubon's)
shearwater (black-capped)
shearwater (Cory's)
shearwater (great)
shearwater (manx)
shearwater (sooty)
shrike (loggerhead)
shrike (northern)
siskin (pine)
skimmer (black)
skua (great)
ski (South Polar)
sora
snipe (Wilson's)
solitaire (Townsend's)
sparrow (American tree)
sparrow (chipping)
sparrow (clay-colored)
sparrow (field)
sparrow (fox)
sparrow (grasshopper)
sparrow (Harris's)
sparrow (Henlow's)
sparrow (house)
sparrow (lark)
sparrow (LeConte's)
sparrow (Lincoln's)
sparrow (Nelson's)
sparrow (saltmarsh)
sparrow (Savannah)
sparrow (seaside)
sparrow (song)
sparrow (swamp)
sparrow (vesper)
sparrow (white-crowned)
sparrow (white-throated)
starling
stilt (black-necked)
stork (wood)
storm-petrel (Leach's)
storm-petrel (white-faced)
storm-petrel (Wilson's)
swallow (bank)
swallow (barn)
swallow (cave)
swallow (cliff)
swallow (northern rough-winged)
swallow (tree)
swan (mute)
swan (tundra)
swift (chimney)
tanager (scarlet)
tanager (summer)
tanager (western)
tern (Arctic)
tern (black)
tern (bridled)
tern (Caspian)
tern (common)
tern (Forster's)
tern (gull-billed)
tern (least)
tern (roseate)
tern (royal)
tern (sandwich)
tern (sooty)
thrasher (brown)
thrush (Bicknell's)
thrush (gray-cheeked)
thrush (hermit)
thrush (Swainson's)
thrush (varied)
thrush (wood)
titmouse (tufted)
towhee (eastern)
towhee (green-tailed)
tropicbird (red-billed)
tropicbird (white-tailed)
turkey (wild)
turnstone (ruddy)
veery
vireo (Bell's)
vireo (blue-headed)
vireo (Philadelphia)
vireo (red-eyed)
vireo (warbling)
vireo (white-eyed)
vireo (yellow-throated)
vireo (warbling)
vulture (black)
vulture (turkey)
warbler (bay-breasted)
warbler (black and white)
warbler (blackburnian)
warbler (blackpoll)
warbler (black-throated blue)
warbler (black-throated gray)
warbler (black-throated green)
warbler (blue-winged)
warbler (Canada)
warbler (Cape May)
warbler (Cerulean)
warbler (chestnut-sided)
warbler (Connecticut)
warbler (golden-winged)
warbler (hooded)
warbler (Kentucky)
warbler (magnolia)
warbler (mourning)
warbler (Nashville)
warbler (orange-crowned)
warbler (palm)
warbler (pine)
warbler (prairie)
warbler (prothonotary)
warbler (Tennessee)
warbler (Townsend's)
warbler (Virginia's)
warbler (Wilson's)
warbler (worm-eating)
warbler (yellow)
warbler (yellow-breasted)
warbler (yellow-rumped)
warbler (yellow-throated)
waterthrush (Louisiana)
waterthrush (northern)
waxwing (Bohemian)
waxwing (cedar)
wheatear (northern)
whimbrel
whip-poor-will (eastern)
willet
woodcock (American)
woodpecker (American tree-toed)
woodpecker (black-backed)
woodpecker (downy)
woodpecker (hairy)
woodpecker (Lewis's)
woodpecker (pileated)
woodpecker (red-bellied)
woodpecker (red-headed)
woodpecker (yellow-bellied sapsucker)
wood-pewee (eastern)
wren (Bewick's)
wren (Carolina)
wren (house)
wren (marsh)
wren (sedge)
wren (winter)
yellowlegs (greater)
yellowlegs (lesser)