North Carolina

Although I’ve been to North Carolina several times I’ve only spent two weekends looking for mammals, a 2016 weekend in Cape Hatteras, and a 2022 visit to the Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge and surrounding area.

Alligator River National Wildlife Reserve

Red Wolf, Canis rufus

In February 2022 it took Todd Pusser about 16 hours driving around the Alligator River NWR to find Charles Foley and I one of the last 25 Red Wolves left in the wild. Other species included numerous River Otters, Virginia Opossums, Raccoons, White-tailed Deer, Black Bears, Raccoons, Coypu and a White-footed Mouse. We also saw Bottle-nosed Dolphins off of Nag’s Head.

North American River Otter, Lontra canadensis

Cape Hatteras

Atlantic Spotted Dolphins, Stenalla frontalis

In August 2016 I spent two days at sea on consecutive Cape Hatteras birdwatching pelagic trips  I saw the  Atlantic Spotted Dolphins I had hoped for, and a pod of Gervais’ Beaked Whales that I had only dreamt of!

Gervais’ Beaked Whale, Mesoplodon europaeus (photo Kate Sutherland). Note the “Tiger striping”. 

Gates County and the Great Dismal Swamp

Golden Mouse, Ochrotomys nuttalli

In February 2022 Charles Foley and I visited Floyd and Signa Williams home near the Great Dismal Swamp. With their, and Todd Pusser’s help, we found Golden Mice, as well as four more common rodents species: White-footed and Cotton Mice, Marsh Rice Rats and Hispid Cotton Rats.

Hispid Cotton Rat, Sigmodon hispidus