Wanderlust World Wanderlust World New Jersey's varied habitats—coastal plains, pine barrens, wetlands, ridges, and suburban greenways—support a rich mix of native fauna.
Common: White-tailed deer, gray squirrel, cottontail rabbit, raccoon, red fox, coyote (expanding), meadow vole, short-tailed shrew.
Less common/secretive: Black bear (northwest), bobcat, river otter, mink, beaver.
Backyard regulars: Northern cardinal, Carolina wren, tufted titmouse, blue jay, red-bellied woodpecker, mourning dove, house finch, American goldfinch.
Water/coastal: Great blue heron, egrets, osprey, red-winged blackbird, clapper rail.
Raptors: Red-tailed hawk, Cooper's hawk, barred owl, great horned owl.
Migration highlight: Cape May is a world-renowned stopover for warblers, raptors, shorebirds.
Snakes: Eastern garter, northern water, black rat, eastern milk, copperhead (venomous, south), timber rattlesnake (venomous, endangered, north).
Turtles: Eastern box, painted, snapping, diamondback terrapin (coastal).
Frogs/Toads: Spring peeper, wood frog, gray treefrog, green frog, bullfrog, Fowler's toad.
Brook/brown/rainbow trout (stocked + wild), largemouth/smallmouth bass, chain pickerel, yellow perch, sunfish, American eel, striped bass (tidal rivers), bluefish, weakfish, flounder (estuaries).
Habitat fragmentation, road mortality, invasive species (emerald ash borer, spotted lanternfly, snakehead), and climate change are ongoing threats. NJDEP's Endangered and Nongame Species Program monitors rare species.