Do you ever wonder what kind of wildlife there is here in Virginia? Virginia is home to a vast variety of wonderful wildlife, and many different species. These are some of the most interesting and beautiful animals that live in Virginia.

The White-Tailed deer

The well-known white-tailed deer is very common in Virginia. These shy and cautious creatures live primarily in mixed forests and the mountains, which is why they thrive in this area. Their diet mostly consists of shrubs, buds, and birch, but it may vary depending on their habitat.  Most white-tailed deer live about six years, but the longest living one reached the age of 22. They also have terrific eyesight, excellent hearing, and are great swimmers.     

 The Eastern Tiger Swallow-Tail Butterfly   

One of nature’s most beautiful insects is the tiger swallow-tail butterfly. This butterfly is native to eastern North America. The appearance of this butterfly contains beautiful colors, black and yellow, that stand out amid other butterflies. This gorgeous butterfly is common in several habitats and is attracted to native nectar plants. The Tiger Swallowtail butterfly lives up to about 12 days.

Dove

Doves are breathtaking birds found all over the world, symbolizing peace in folklore and literature. A dove is a part of a biological family called Columbidae. There is only one other type of bird a part of this family, pigeons. Here are some of the particular species of doves:

• Mourning doves – A common type of dove that can be found all over North America, including Virginia. This dove represents love, peace and hope.
• Rock pigeons/Rock doves- These pigeons are also known as the common city pigeons, they mostly eat seeds and some other plants. 

• Eurasian collared doves- This type of dove is similar to the mourning dove, but is differentiated by the black collar on the back of its neck, a unique feature.

Doves live in many different environments on Earth, such as deserts, swamp forests, savannas, etc. 

Some doves, like mourning doves, live up to 2 – 4 years. Other doves can live up to 10 – 15 years.

The Eastern Gray Squirrel 

Squirrels are one of the most intelligent creatures out there. They tend to be bold and aggressive and are always on the alert in case there is any danger nearby, because they have lots of predators that are out to get them. Squirrels are omnivores who only eat nuts, fruit, and insects. An interesting fact about squirrels is that they can jump up to 10 feet,which is incredible feet for a small creature.  Squirrels live in many different habitats making them easy to find wherever you go. 

These are just some of the most wonderful, intelligent and beautiful wildlife that is found here in the state of Virginia.