Mount Mitchell State Park is a 4,789-acre North Carolina state park located in Yancey County, North Carolina, and is the highest point east of the Mississippi River. Established in 1915, it became the first state park in North Carolina, and by doing so, it also established the North Carolina State Parks System within the same bill.
The park boasts a remarkable diversity of flora and fauna, making it a haven for nature enthusiasts. Visitors can enjoy hiking trails that wind through the fragrant balsam forests and offer opportunities to spot wildlife.
You are reading: Discover 7 Animals Roaming Atop North Carolina’s Tallest Mountain
In this article, we will discover seven animals that roam atop North Carolina’s tallest mountain, Mount Mitchell.
6 Animals Roaming Atop North Carolina’s Tallest Mountain
Black bears
Black bears are common in the Mount Mitchell State Park area and can often be seen foraging for food. Visitors to the park should be aware of bear activity and take necessary precautions, such as storing food properly and carrying bear spray while hiking. Foraging bears have been active and sometimes aggressive at the Commissary Ridge backcountry camping area.
Black bears have also been active in and around the park, inflicting damage to vehicles and camping equipment. It is important to remember that black bears in the wild are opportunistic and may feed on human food if it is not properly stored.
Elk
While elk are not found on Mount Mitchell itself, the nearby Cataloochee Valley is home to a population of reintroduced elk that can be seen wandering free and wild in the valley.
The elk population in the valley was reintroduced in 2001 and has since grown to over 200 animals. Visitors to Mount Mitchell State Park can take a scenic drive to Cataloochee Valley and observe the elk in their natural habitat.
The park also offers camping facilities, and visitors may spot white-tailed deer, black bears, striped skunks, bobcats, and gray foxes in the area.
Red squirrels
Red squirrels are found in the spruce-fir forests on Mount Mitchell. They are arboreal, primarily herbivorous rodents that make a drey (nest) out of twigs in a branch-fork, forming a domed structure about 25 to 30 cm in diameter. The drey is lined with moss, leaves, grass, and bark, and tree hollows and woodpecker holes are also used.
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Red squirrels rely on trees for food, with their diet mainly made up of seeds and nuts. Pine seeds are a particular favorite, but they will also take hazelnuts, and the seeds of larch and spruce.
Also eaten are fruit, tree shoots, bark, lichen, and fungi. Young birds and eggs may be taken, but this is rare. In autumn, squirrels will bury seeds and nuts, ready to be eaten in winter when food is scarce. The red squirrel is a solitary animal and is shy and reluctant to share food with others.
Peregrine falcons
Peregrine falcons are birds of prey in the genus Falco, which includes about 40 species. The peregrine falcon (Falco peregrinus) is a cosmopolitan bird of prey in the family Falconidae. It is a large, crow-sized falcon with a blue-grey back, barred white underparts, and a black head.
The peregrine falcon is renowned for its speed, reaching over 320 km/h (200 mph) during its characteristic hunting stoop (high-speed dive), making it the fastest member of the animal kingdom.
Peregrine falcons are the largest falcon over most of the continent, with long, pointed wings and a long tail. They are powerful and fast-flying, hunting medium-sized birds, dropping down on them from high above in a spectacular stoop.
Peregrine falcons were virtually eradicated from eastern North America by pesticide poisoning in the middle 20th century, but after significant recovery efforts, they have made an incredible rebound and are now regularly seen in many large cities and coastal areas.
Eastern box turtles
Eastern box turtles (Terrapene carolina) are one of the most commonly seen turtles in the wild. They are a subspecies of the common box turtle and are native to the eastern part of the United States.
Eastern box turtles have a high-domed, rounded, hard upper shell, called a carapace, with vivid orange and yellow markings on its dark surface. They typically grow to 10 centimeters by 15 centimeters (4 inches by 6 inches), making them a bit larger than other subspecies within their range.
Eastern box turtles are predominantly terrestrial and live in a variety of vegetative areas, including woodlands, field edges, thickets, marshes, bogs, and stream banks. They are slow crawlers, extremely long-lived, and slow to mature, with relatively few offspring per year.
Eastern box turtles are herbivorous and feed on a variety of plants, including fruits, berries, and mushrooms. They are also known to eat insects, snails, and other small animals.
Eastern box turtles are popular pets, and sometimes when people do not want them anymore, or they move, they release the turtles into the wild.
Spiders
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Spiders are air-breathing arthropods that have eight legs, chelicerae with fangs generally able to inject venom, and spinnerets that extrude silk. They are the largest order of arachnids and rank seventh in total species diversity among all orders of organisms.
Spiders are found worldwide on every continent except for Antarctica, and have become established in nearly every land habitat. There are more than 45,000 known species of spiders, found in habitats all over the world. While spiders are widely feared, only a few species are dangerous to people.
Spiders will only bite humans in self-defense, and few produce worse effects than a mosquito bite or bee sting. Most of those with medically serious bites, such as recluse spiders (genus Loxosceles) and widow spiders (genus Latrodectus), would rather flee and bite only when trapped, although this can easily arise by accident.
The mountain is home to a variety of spider species, including the endangered spruce-fir moss spider.
FAQS
1. What kind of animals can be found in Mount Mitchell State Park?
Mount Mitchell State Park is home to a variety of wildlife, including black bears, elk, white-tailed deer, red squirrels, peregrine falcons, eastern box turtles, and spiders.
2. Are black bears dangerous to visitors of Mount Mitchell State Park?
Black bears are common in the Mount Mitchell State Park area and can be dangerous if visitors do not take necessary precautions, such as storing food properly and carrying bear spray while hiking. Visitors should be aware of bear activity and take necessary precautions.
3. Can visitors see elk in Mount Mitchell State Park?
While elk are not found on Mount Mitchell itself, the nearby Cataloochee Valley is home to a population of reintroduced elk that can be seen wandering free and wild in the valley. Visitors to Mount Mitchell State Park can take a scenic drive to Cataloochee Valley and observe the elk in their natural habitat.
4. What is the diet of red squirrels?
Red squirrels are primarily herbivorous rodents that feed on a variety of plants, including seeds and nuts. Pine seeds are a particular favorite, but they will also take hazelnuts, and the seeds of larch and spruce. Also eaten are fruit, tree shoots, bark, lichen, and fungi.
5. Are there white-tailed deer in Mount Mitchell State Park?
While there is a source that claims there are no white-tailed deer in the park, they are commonly spotted in the park according to other sources. Visitors may still have the opportunity to spot these graceful animals while hiking or driving through the park.
6. What kind of spiders can be found on Mount Mitchell?
The mountain is home to a variety of spider species, including the endangered spruce-fir moss spider. Spiders are air-breathing arthropods that have eight legs, chelicerae with fangs generally able to inject venom, and spinnerets that extrude silk.
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Category: Animals
