Animal Life on the Salt Marsh
Coastal Habitats
- Marsh Deer
Crawlers and Swimmers
Salt Marshes suit many species.The marsh is crawling with hundreds of kinds of invertebrates. Fiddler crabs, hermit crabs and stone crabs join snails, mussels and worms in finding food and shelter in the salt marsh.
Fish and shrimp come into salt marshes looking for food or for a place to lay their eggs. Juvenile southern flounder and shrimp are among the commercially importantn species that find shelter in the salt marsh while they grow.
Fliers and Walkers
Marine animals aren't the only ones to benefit from the marsh's bounty. Ducks, geese and wading birds large and small come to feast on grasses, fish and insects.
Mammals come too, drawn by the abundant seeds and leaves of the marsh plants or by the other animals. Pygmy mice, rats and nutria come for the plant matter while coyotes and raccoons come to eat other mammals, fish and invertebrates.
Select a coastal habitat: