he animal life of the Southeast is as varied as any region in the nation.he animal life of the Southeast is as varied as any region in the nation.
Bartram referred to animals in a general way as when he mentioned the aquatic animals in subterranean waters of Florida, accommodations for domestic animals on the Alachua Savanna, protection of Indian crops against predatory animals, Florida abounding in game, protection of game on Georgia coastal islands. He also cited many species by name.
Prevalent in the region during his travels were: the Florida, eastern black and Louisiana bears; beavers in Florida and Georgia, the big beaver—the Indian name for the manatee; white tailed dear; American bison, buffalo; wildcat; domestic cattle; cur dogs; Florida wolves; a few eastern elk or wapiti in the Appalachian Mountains; gray and red foxes, with the former preying on lambs; horses; saltmarsh mink; opossum; otters; skunk or pole cat; Indian ponies; porcupines; eastern cottontail rabbits; raccoons; rats and gophers; black fox and gray squirrels and the Florida flying squirrel; chipmunk; the Florida and eastern cougar; and eastern and Florida wolves.
Occasionally Bartram went astray in making his identification of animals. This could hardly have been otherwise with the existing state of taxonomic knowledge.
Inquiry of state game officials in December, 1977, indicated that all of the animals mentioned by Bartram are found in the region in varying numbers, except for the porcupine, elk, buffalo and possibly the wolf and Indian pony.
 |
 |