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Wild about Peachtree City wildlife

Peachtree City is home to golf carts, golf courses, outdoor shopping malls, and 100 miles of trails. This segment explores the importance and role of nature and talks about how to identify, maintain, and safely observe the wildlife found in Peachtree City.
Peachtree City is home to golf carts, golf courses, outdoor shopping malls, and 100 miles of trails. This segment explores the importance and role of nature and talks about how to identify, maintain, and safely observe the wildlife found in Peachtree City.
Adeline Harper
Mammals, birds, and fish

Peachtree City is home to many mammals, birds, and fish, including the American Crow, Little Brown Bat, and Largemouth Bass. 

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The American Crow is one of the most common birds found in Peachtree City. Often confused with ravens, crows are smaller in size and have a slightly different call. Crows are omnivorous, eating almost anything including garbage, insects, eggs, frogs, snakes, and other small creatures. 

Crows can be found in cities, towns, farmlands, woods, shores, and almost anywhere that is not a desert. In farmlands, crows help farmers by eating insects and pests. They help “clean up” the ecosystem by feeding on dead animals and garbage.

 

To identify a crow, pay attention to the breast and bill of the bird when perching, and the tail when in flight. A crow has smooth breast feathers and a shorter and smaller bill, compared to a raven, and has a flat-shaped tail that can only be seen when in flight. 

Both crows and ravens are protected birds, but are rated as a “Low Concern” animal. Other birds found in Peachtree City include the Mourning Dove and American Robin.

Apart from deer and squirrels, Peachtree City is home to many mammals, such as the Little Brown Bat. These bats eat mainly insects, both flying and terrestrial, such as mosquitoes, beetles, and spiders. 

Little Brown Bats can be found all across America, but find their home in caves, trees, man-made structures, and under rocks. They can be seen flying around feeding during dusk and nighttime. 

Although very small, Little Brown Bats are responsible for pest control and can eat up to 1,000 insects and pests. Unfortunately, Little Brown Bats are classified as a Georgia “Endangered” animal. They are threatened by White Noise Disease and habitat destruction. 

To help protect these animals, add a bat house to your backyard. Bat houses are easy to build structures that can give Little Brown Bats a safe home. Bats are difficult to identify while in flight due to their speed and small size, but have glossy tan fur with medium size ears and are around the length of a middle finger. 

If you come across a bat, do not touch it, as many bats can carry diseases.

Georgia is the “Bass Capital” of America. The Largemouth Bass lives in many Peachtree City water bodies, including Lake Peachtree. They live in freshwater lakes and ponds with water temperatures in the high 70s and low 80s. They prefer to live in areas of water that contain lots of underwater cover such as fallen trees, wood, rocks, and watergrass. 

Largemouth bass belong to a group of fish collectively called black bass. These fish are carnivores and eat small creatures such as worms, salamanders, frogs, crayfish, snakes, ducklings, insects and other fish. 

Largemouth Bass are classified as a “Least Concern” animal and do not require much protection. However, some places still require fishermen to have a fishing license. 

To identify Largemouth Bass, pay attention to the length of the mouth, lateral coloring, and tail color. A Largemouth Bass’s mouth will extend beyond its eyes, and its lateral coloring is black with a broken pattern. Its tail color is light brown and yellow. 

No matter how big or small, all birds, mammals, and fish serve an important purpose within Peachtree City.

Reptiles and amphibians

Peachtree City is also home to many reptiles and amphibians, including cottonmouth snakes and Gray tree frogs.

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A cottonmouth snake is one of the two most common venomous snakes found in Peachtree City. The other most common venomous snake is the copperhead snake. Cottonmouth snakes are carnivores that eat mainly live creatures, like frogs, salamanders, and sometimes small squirrels or cats, but will also eat bird eggs and other snake eggs. 

Cottonmouths are also known as water moccasins, and can be found in swamps, forests, and near rivers. As a top predator, they balance out species within the ecosystem. 

Cottonmouths, along with many other venomous snakes are listed as Georgia’s “Least Concern” animal. If you come across a cottonmouth, immediately leave the area and do not try to get close to the snake. If it is in your backyard, spray cold water at the snake and it will most likely leave. 

To identify a cottonmouth, pay attention to the color of the body and the mouth. A cottonmouth has a dark brown and black colored body, but has a contrasting white colored mouth. When threatened, cottonmouths will coil into an “S” shape and open up their mouth to reveal a starch white and pink mouth.

Other reptiles found in Peachtree City include the Box turtle, Green Anole, and Eastern Garter snake. 

One of the hardest to find creatures in Peachtree City are amphibians, such as the Gray tree frog. These frogs eat small insects such as flies, gnats, and spiders, but will also eat snails, slugs, and even their own larvae. 

Gray tree frogs live in the entirety of Eastern North America, and make their home in forests, woods, swamps, and backyards. They act as pest control by eating insects, but are also a vital source of food for predators such as snakes. 

Gray treefrogs are listed as Georgia’s “Least Concern” animal, but are illegal to kill.

To identify Gray tree frogs, pay attention to the color and markings on the back. Gray tree frogs have a light gray body with dark gray rings around their legs, and a dark gray “splotch” or “star shape” on their back. 

Other amphibians found in Peachtree City include the Yellow Spotted salamander, and Green tree frog.

Slimy or scaly, reptiles and amphibians serve an important purpose within Peachtree City.

Insects, plants, and fungi

Peachtree City is surrounded by beautiful forests that have some of the most important organisms, such as Bracket mushroom, the Rosy Maple moth, and the Wrinkle-leaf Goldenrod.

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Bracket mushrooms, also known as shelf fungi, are a common species of mushrooms found in Peachtree City. They are a part of the Polypore fungus family and get their name from their flat, half circle shape. 

Bracket mushrooms can be found in woodlands, swamps, forests, and anywhere that has trees with a moderate climate. These fungi are decomposers that feed on dead trees and help contribute to the nitrogen cycle. 

Bracket mushrooms have thousands of variations, but all commonly share a few characteristics. Bracket fungi live solely on trees, and have a short stipe, or stem. Some bracket mushrooms can be eaten, but others are poisonous. 

Other mushrooms found in Peachtree City include Chanterelles, Milk Mushrooms, and Chicken of the Wood.

The Rosy Maple moth is one of the most beautiful insects found in Peachtree City. Adult Rosy Maple moths do not eat anything. However, the larvae eat maple tree leaves. 

Rosy Maple moths can be found all across eastern America, with a few populations in Canada. They live in solidarity their whole life, and make their home in forests and wooded areas, but are often found close to maple trees. 

These moths and their larvae act primarily as food for predators such as birds and frogs. They are classified as Georgia’s “Least Concern” animal. However, their habitats are threatened due to deforestation.

To identify a Rosy Maple moth, pay attention to the color and texture of their body. Rosy Maple moths are typically pink and yellow, but some may be white. All Rosy Maple moths have fluffy wings, bodies, and legs. 

The Wrinkle-leaf Goldenrod is a perennial plant found in the woods of Peachtree City. They can be found in low woods, meadows, old fields, pine barrens, and bogs.

Wrinkle-leaf Goldenrods act as a source of nectar and food for pollinators and insects such as  moths and caterpillars. This plant is not a source of seasonal allergies, due to the fact that the pollen from this plant is not light enough to be carried from the wind.

To identify a Wrinkle-leaf Goldenrod, they get their name from their leaves, which appear to be “wrinkled” near the veins. 

Even though they are the smallest, insects, plants, and fungi serve a crucial role in ecosystems.

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