Rhode Island is home to over 800 native and non-native wildlife species. Coyotes, raccoons, and skunks are among the most common mammals and are often found close to homes due to their opportunistic nature. Rhode Island is also home to deer, opossums, turtles, squirrels, rabbits, and a variety of wide variety of birds. Some of the major wildlife groups are described below.

Mammals

The class Mammalia represents some of the largest animals in our woodlands. Throughout Rhode Island’s history, various mammals have left the landscape, been introduced, or have returned to the state. Of the 90+ species of mammals that inhabit Rhode Island, the Virginia opossum, coyote, fisher, and beaver have recently established or reestablished breeding populations. Black bear sightings have also increased recently as CT and MA breeding populations grow.

Rhode Island is home to several generalist mammal species, such as the white-tailed deer, that are well suited for living in proximity to humans. Rhode Island’s New England cottontail population has not fared as well over the last century, as the species requires dense regeneration – a stage of forest succession that is no longer abundant. These two mammal species represent the dynamic that human development has created, as a once abundant species diminishes and another overpopulates our landscape.

Foxes, squirrels, raccoons, weasels, and bats are also among the most common Rhode Island mammal species. Statewide monitoring of hunting and trapping of game species provides annual harvest data, which helps the state to calculate population sizes and identify the presence of new species. These estimates are used to prioritize future conservation management activities.

To learn more about common Rhode Island wildlife species, including rabbits, raccoons, fishers, deer, bats, bears, and skunks, visit dem.ri.gov/wildlife.

Birds

Over 400 bird species are known to occur in Rhode Island, with around 170 nesting species and 150 regular migrants, according to Rhode Island’s 2005 Wildlife Action Plan. Woodlands and shrublands are especially important components of land bird habitat, as they provide opportunities for food, shelter, and nesting.

Shrubland and early successional woodland birds are among the most threatened throughout the state and throughout New England, as these habitat types continue to decrease. The northern bobwhite, American woodcock, willow flycatcher, eastern kingbird, brown thrasher, blue-winged warbler, prairie warbler, eastern towhee, field sparrow, and cerulean warbler are just a few at-risk species that require this kind of habitat in Rhode Island.

Woodpeckers, warblers, and owls can also be seen in our forest canopies while wild turkeys pass through the undergrowth. But these groups represent only a fraction of the Rhode Island bird watcher’s repertoire. eBird is a birdwatcher’s tool that provides lots of information about birds in Rhode Island and where to view them.

Reptiles and Amphibians

Salamanders, frogs, toads, turtles, and snakes are common throughout Rhode Island’s woodlands. Several amphibian and reptile populations depend upon vernal pools (where water collects seasonally in low areas of the forest floor) to breed. These habitat features are generally at-risk as land development transforms or eliminates vernal pools. Therefore, organizations aiming to conserve these species often give priority to vernal pool monitoring and identification.

Rhode Island’s wooded uplands provide moist conditions and down woody material to support other stages of reptile and amphibian development. Many species seek protection beneath logs and branches, where they find insects or other food sources. Reptiles and amphibians are also known to eat berries, grasses, flowers, or even small mammals and birds.

Twenty-seven reptiles and amphibians are considered “species of concern” in Rhode Island, meaning that populations are low or habitat is threatened. Among these species are reptiles such as the eastern box turtle, the eastern hognose snake, and the eastern ribbon snake; and amphibians such as the eastern spadefoot toad and the northern leapard frog.

For more information, see RIDEM publications on Native Snakes and Turtles or a description of an ongoing URI study of freshwater turtles.

Because marine fisheries are so important in coastal states such as Rhode Island, we tend to forget that freshwater fisheries can be great indicators of habitat quality and can even influence off shore fisheries. Many species of fish are considered anadromous, which means that they live out most of their lives in the ocean, but swim inland when it comes time to spawn. Unfortunately, Rhode Island’s 500+ dams make this transition difficult. The Atlantic sturgeon – an anadromous fish in Rhode Island and one of the oldest species in the world – now holds a place on the Endangered Species list.

Water quality is highly dependent on forest cover. Vegetation can stop erosion and paths of pollution while shade from the canopy keeps water temperatures cool. Therefore, land conversion and urbanization directly influence fish habitat. To boost fish populations and support recreational inland fishing, many Rhode Island waters are stocked with trout, bass, and various anadromous species. Our efforts against land conversion can also have a profound impact on preventing future endangerment and extirpation.

Invertebrates

Thousands of species invertebrates are likely to exist in Rhode Island, but only about 400 species have been recorded in Rhode Island’s Natural Heritage Database. Therefore, knowledge of this group is somewhat limited. Foresters and forest ecologists often focus on species that threaten trees, such as the Asian longhorned beetle and the hemlock woolly adelgid, in order to better understand these species’ relationships.

Invertebrates can be great environmental indicators. For example, the presence of mayflies indicates good water quality due to the species’ intolerance of low dissolved oxygen levels. Invertebrates can also be sensitive to changes in temperature, competitors, ground cover, or any number of environmental factors.

Threatened and Endangered Species

Several species are considered threatened or endangered within Rhode Island. This distinction is put in place to help wildlife populations recover. See our Threatened and Endangered Species page for listings and more information. Visit the RIDEM webpage for wildlife management research and resources including the RI Wildlife Action Plan.

Wildlife Habitat