Animals

The Virginia Living Museum is home to more than 250 species of animals and plants found throughout Virginia including reptiles, mammals, birds and fish. With its rivers and waterfalls, mountains and sandy coast, Virginia has an array of wildlife ranging from the extremely rare red wolf to jellyfish. The Chesapeake Bay is the world’s richest marine-life estuary. Experience the Bay’s diversity year round at the VLM. Plus explore the underwater worlds of a steamy cypress swamp and a cool mountain stream. Most of the mammals and birds on exhibit could not survive in the wild because they were either injured, orphaned or born in captivity.

Other Native Virginia Animals

Black Drum

Scientific Name: Pogonias cromis

Yellow Perch

Scientific Name: Perca flavescens

Yellow Tang

Scientific Name: Zebrasoma flavascens

Lined Seahorse

Scientific Name: Hippocampus erectus

American Red Wolf

Scientific Name: Canis Rufus

Gag

Scientific Name: Mycteroperca microlepis

North American Porcupine

Scientific Name: Erethizon dorsatum

White-tailed Deer

Scientific Name: Odocoileus virginianus

Shrimp

Scientific Name: Caridea

Lookdown

Scientific Name: Selene vomer

Brook Trout

Scientific Name: Salvelinus fontinalus

Yellow Tail Blue Damsel

Scientific Name: Chrysiptera parasema

Opossum

Scientific Name: Didelphidae

Mushroom Leather Coral

Scientific Name: Sarcophyton sp.

Spotted Turtle

Scientific Name: Clemmys guttata

Mountain Redbelly Dace

Scientific Name: Phoxinus oreas

Bullhead Catfish

Scientific Name: Ameiurus spp.

Flame Angel

Scientific Name: Centropyge loriculus

Greater Siren

Scientific Name: Siren lacertina

Summer Flounder

Scientific Name: Paralichthys dentatus

Striped Skunk

Scientific Name: Mephitis mephitis

Wood Turtle

Scientific Name: Clemmys insculpta

Common Mudpuppy

Scientific Name: Necturus maculosus

Smallmouth Bass

Scientific Name: Micropterus dolomieu

Beaver

Scientific Name: Castor Canadensis

Rock Bass

Scientific Name: Ambloplites rupestris

Largemouth Bass

Scientific Name: Micropterus salmoides

Northern River Otter

Scientific Name: Lontra canadensis

Common Snapping Turtle

Scientific Name: Chelydra serpentina

Ocean surgeonfish

Scientific Name: Acanthurus bahianus

Cobia

Scientific Name: Rachycentron canadum

Bluefish

Scientific Name: Pomatomus saltatrix

Striped Bass

Scientific Name: Morone saxatilis

Red Foxes

Scientific Name: Vulpes vulpes

Longnose Gar

Scientific Name: Lepisosteus osseus

Coyote

Scientific Name: Coyotl

Spadefish

Scientific Name: Chaetodon faber

Common Carp

Scientific Name: Cyprinus carpio

Eastern Hellbender

Scientific Name: Cryptobranchus alleganiensis alleganiensis

Vultures

Scientific Name: Cathartes

Atlantic Croaker

Scientific Name: Micropogonias undulates

Rainbow Trout

Scientific Name: Oncorhynchus mykiss

Eastern Tiger Salamander

Scientific Name: Ambystoma tigrinum tigrinum

Harris Hawk

Scientific Name: Parabuteo unicinctus

Timber Rattlesnake

Scientific Name: Crotalus horridus

American Alligator

Scientific Name: Alligator mississippiensis

Groundhog

Scientific Name: Marmota monax

Bobcat

Scientific Name: Lynx Rufus

Wood Frog

Scientific Name: Rana sylvatica

Heads Up! The Virginia Living Museum planetarium is CLOSED today for maintenance, but will reopen tomorrow. 

Wild Explorations

Heads Up! The Changing Exhibit Gallery, where our Wild Explorations exhibit lives, will close at 3PM today in preparation for an after hours event!