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

Striped Skunk

Scientific Name: Mephitis mephitis

Snubnose Darter

Scientific Name: Etheostoma simoterum

Timber Rattlesnake

Scientific Name: Crotalus horridus

Brown Trout

Scientific Name: Salmo trutta

Flame Angel

Scientific Name: Centropyge loriculus

American Red Wolf

Scientific Name: Canis Rufus

Wood Frog

Scientific Name: Rana sylvatica

Black Drum

Scientific Name: Pogonias cromis

Greater Siren

Scientific Name: Siren lacertina

Rainbow Trout

Scientific Name: Oncorhynchus mykiss

Spotted Turtle

Scientific Name: Clemmys guttata

White Sucker

Scientific Name: Catostomus commersonii

Lookdown

Scientific Name: Selene vomer

Common Snapping Turtle

Scientific Name: Chelydra serpentina

Northern River Otter

Scientific Name: Lontra canadensis

Atlantic Croaker

Scientific Name: Micropogonias undulates

Smallmouth Bass

Scientific Name: Micropterus dolomieu

Rock Bass

Scientific Name: Ambloplites rupestris

Bowfin

Scientific Name: Amia calva

Yellow Tang

Scientific Name: Zebrasoma flavascens

Mushroom Leather Coral

Scientific Name: Sarcophyton sp.

Channel Catfish

Scientific Name: Ictalurus punctatus

Bluefish

Scientific Name: Pomatomus saltatrix

Eastern Glass Lizard

Scientific Name: Ophisaurus ventralis

Grey Snapper

Scientific Name: Lutjanus griseus

Eastern Cottonmouth

Scientific Name: Agkistrodon piscivorus piscivorus

North American Porcupine

Scientific Name: Erethizon dorsatum

Longnose Gar

Scientific Name: Lepisosteus osseus

Gag

Scientific Name: Mycteroperca microlepis

Ocean surgeonfish

Scientific Name: Acanthurus bahianus

Yellow Tail Blue Damsel

Scientific Name: Chrysiptera parasema

Wood Turtle

Scientific Name: Clemmys insculpta

Groundhog

Scientific Name: Marmota monax

Mountain Redbelly Dace

Scientific Name: Phoxinus oreas

Windowpane Flounder

Scientific Name: Scophthalmus aquosus

Crevalle Jack

Scientific Name: Caranx hippos

Shrimp

Scientific Name: Caridea

Beaver

Scientific Name: Castor Canadensis

Shortnose Sturgeon

Scientific Name: Acipenser brevirostrum

Red Foxes

Scientific Name: Vulpes vulpes

American Alligator

Scientific Name: Alligator mississippiensis

Common Carp

Scientific Name: Cyprinus carpio

Cobia

Scientific Name: Rachycentron canadum

Raccoon

Scientific Name: Procyon lotor

Lined Seahorse

Scientific Name: Hippocampus erectus

White-tailed Deer

Scientific Name: Odocoileus virginianus

Bullhead Catfish

Scientific Name: Ameiurus spp.

Bubbletip Anemone

Scientific Name: Entamacea quadricolor

Eastern Tiger Salamander

Scientific Name: Ambystoma tigrinum tigrinum

Heads Up!

The Virginia Living Museum will open at 11AM to the public today to allow staff to get operations up and running after extensive power loss last night.

This will NOT interfere with regular summer camp operations, camp will begin at 9AM. 

Thank you for your patience!

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!