Pocahontas County has a diverse range of fauna, both present and historical, including various mammals, reptiles, birds, fish, and insects, as well as numerous fossils.
Mammals:
- Historically, the area was home to buffalo and elk, though these species disappeared from the region.
- Deer were once plentiful, with some hunters claiming to have killed as many as 1700 in their lifetime. Deer are now nearly extinct in the region.
- Panthers are no longer present, though a few black bears remain.
- Wolves, once destructive to livestock, have not been seen in about 20 years. Bounties were paid for wolves in the past, and, more recently, for wild cats and foxes. In 1860, for example, the county treasury paid for two wolves, 69 wildcats, and 17 gray foxes.
- Smaller animals common to the North Atlantic States are still present.
Reptiles:
- Frogs are particularly numerous.
- Toads, lizards, and newts are common.
- Several species of non-venomous snakes are common.
- Rattlesnakes and copperheads are occasionally seen but are less common than in the past.
Birds:
- The abundance of forest attracts a wide variety of birds, though game birds have become rare due to hunting.
- Eagles are present, with bounties paid on them in the past. In 1894, bounties were paid on six eagles.
- In the spring and summer, the woodlands are filled with birdsong.
Fish:
- The clear waters of the rivers are home to trout and other small fish.
Insects:
- Insect life is plentiful and varied, including several that are harmful to farmers. Mosquitoes are found in the woods but rarely venture into the open.
- A pest in the early 1890s nearly destroyed the standing pine.
Fossils:
- Fossils in the area are not limited to remains of plants and animals, but also include tracks, impressions, casts, replacements and other traces of former life, including nests and implements.
- The Pocono Series in Pocahontas County contains both marine and plant fossils.
- The Broad Ford Sandstone has at least two zones of marine fossils.
- The Chemung Series carries marine fossils as well as fossil tree horizons and smaller plants.
- The Catskill Series contains fish remains, including bones, plates, and teeth.
- The Greenbrier Series contains marine fossils such as corals, brachiopods, bryozoa, crinoids, and gastropods.
- The Maccrady shale has marine fossils and shark teeth.
- The Oriskany Series contains marine fossils, including Leptaena rhomboidalis and Orbicu-loidea ampla.
- The Marcellus Series contains fossils, including Anoplotheca acutiplicata.
Other notable points:
- The area was once known as the "Wilderness" or the "Wilds of Pocahontas" due to its dense, undisturbed forests and abundant game.
- There are also reports of "wild cattle" in the area, which would have multiplied if not for the pressures of settlement, with roundups occurring twice yearly.
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