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

Lined Seahorse

Scientific Name: Hippocampus erectus

Yellow Perch

Scientific Name: Perca flavescens

Eastern Hellbender

Scientific Name: Cryptobranchus alleganiensis alleganiensis

Striped Skunk

Scientific Name: Mephitis mephitis

Bald eagle

Scientific Name: Haliaeetus leucocephalus

Rock Bass

Scientific Name: Ambloplites rupestris

Black Drum

Scientific Name: Pogonias cromis

Timber Rattlesnake

Scientific Name: Crotalus horridus

Yellow Tail Blue Damsel

Scientific Name: Chrysiptera parasema

Bubbletip Anemone

Scientific Name: Entamacea quadricolor

Longnose Gar

Scientific Name: Lepisosteus osseus

Windowpane Flounder

Scientific Name: Scophthalmus aquosus

Red Drum

Scientific Name: Sciaenops ocellatus

Yellow Tang

Scientific Name: Zebrasoma flavascens

Cobia

Scientific Name: Rachycentron canadum

Largemouth Bass

Scientific Name: Micropterus salmoides

Crevalle Jack

Scientific Name: Caranx hippos

North American Porcupine

Scientific Name: Erethizon dorsatum

Northern River Otter

Scientific Name: Lontra canadensis

Atlantic Croaker

Scientific Name: Micropogonias undulates

Opossum

Scientific Name: Didelphidae

White-tailed Deer

Scientific Name: Odocoileus virginianus

American Red Wolf

Scientific Name: Canis Rufus

Spadefish

Scientific Name: Chaetodon faber

Gag

Scientific Name: Mycteroperca microlepis

Summer Flounder

Scientific Name: Paralichthys dentatus

Eastern Tiger Salamander

Scientific Name: Ambystoma tigrinum tigrinum

Flame Angel

Scientific Name: Centropyge loriculus

Common Carp

Scientific Name: Cyprinus carpio

Common Mudpuppy

Scientific Name: Necturus maculosus

Shrimp

Scientific Name: Caridea

Mountain Redbelly Dace

Scientific Name: Phoxinus oreas

Mushroom Leather Coral

Scientific Name: Sarcophyton sp.

Red Foxes

Scientific Name: Vulpes vulpes

Coyote

Scientific Name: Coyotl

Bowfin

Scientific Name: Amia calva

Wood Frog

Scientific Name: Rana sylvatica

Smallmouth Bass

Scientific Name: Micropterus dolomieu

Shortnose Sturgeon

Scientific Name: Acipenser brevirostrum

Eastern Glass Lizard

Scientific Name: Ophisaurus ventralis

Bluefish

Scientific Name: Pomatomus saltatrix

Greater Siren

Scientific Name: Siren lacertina

Raccoon

Scientific Name: Procyon lotor

White Sucker

Scientific Name: Catostomus commersonii

Rainbow Trout

Scientific Name: Oncorhynchus mykiss

Beaver

Scientific Name: Castor Canadensis

Snubnose Darter

Scientific Name: Etheostoma simoterum

Bobcat

Scientific Name: Lynx Rufus

Ocean surgeonfish

Scientific Name: Acanthurus bahianus

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!