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

Brook Trout

Scientific Name: Salvelinus fontinalus

Vultures

Scientific Name: Cathartes

Spadefish

Scientific Name: Chaetodon faber

White Sucker

Scientific Name: Catostomus commersonii

Flame Angel

Scientific Name: Centropyge loriculus

Timber Rattlesnake

Scientific Name: Crotalus horridus

Red Drum

Scientific Name: Sciaenops ocellatus

Cobia

Scientific Name: Rachycentron canadum

Eastern Glass Lizard

Scientific Name: Ophisaurus ventralis

North American Porcupine

Scientific Name: Erethizon dorsatum

Raccoon

Scientific Name: Procyon lotor

American Alligator

Scientific Name: Alligator mississippiensis

Greater Siren

Scientific Name: Siren lacertina

Bald eagle

Scientific Name: Haliaeetus leucocephalus

Bullhead Catfish

Scientific Name: Ameiurus spp.

Opossum

Scientific Name: Didelphidae

Red Foxes

Scientific Name: Vulpes vulpes

Shrimp

Scientific Name: Caridea

Wood Turtle

Scientific Name: Clemmys insculpta

Brown Trout

Scientific Name: Salmo trutta

Harris Hawk

Scientific Name: Parabuteo unicinctus

Common Mudpuppy

Scientific Name: Necturus maculosus

Windowpane Flounder

Scientific Name: Scophthalmus aquosus

Ocean surgeonfish

Scientific Name: Acanthurus bahianus

Bobcat

Scientific Name: Lynx Rufus

Coyote

Scientific Name: Coyotl

Lookdown

Scientific Name: Selene vomer

Smallmouth Bass

Scientific Name: Micropterus dolomieu

Common Snapping Turtle

Scientific Name: Chelydra serpentina

Eastern Tiger Salamander

Scientific Name: Ambystoma tigrinum tigrinum

Spotted Turtle

Scientific Name: Clemmys guttata

Channel Catfish

Scientific Name: Ictalurus punctatus

Bowfin

Scientific Name: Amia calva

Atlantic Croaker

Scientific Name: Micropogonias undulates

Striped Bass

Scientific Name: Morone saxatilis

Eastern Cottonmouth

Scientific Name: Agkistrodon piscivorus piscivorus

Rock Bass

Scientific Name: Ambloplites rupestris

Crevalle Jack

Scientific Name: Caranx hippos

Gag

Scientific Name: Mycteroperca microlepis

Lined Seahorse

Scientific Name: Hippocampus erectus

Northern River Otter

Scientific Name: Lontra canadensis

Longnose Gar

Scientific Name: Lepisosteus osseus

Common Carp

Scientific Name: Cyprinus carpio

Striped Skunk

Scientific Name: Mephitis mephitis

Wood Frog

Scientific Name: Rana sylvatica

American Red Wolf

Scientific Name: Canis Rufus

Bluefish

Scientific Name: Pomatomus saltatrix

White-tailed Deer

Scientific Name: Odocoileus virginianus

Black Drum

Scientific Name: Pogonias cromis

Eastern Hellbender

Scientific Name: Cryptobranchus alleganiensis alleganiensis
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Heads Up!

The Virginia Living Museum staff will begin setting up for an after hours event around 3PM on the main floor.

This should not interfere with your experience and we will not be closing early.

 

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!