Animals

Here is your source for information on the identification, habitat, ecology, reproduction, range, and distribution of Vermont’s animals.

To date, Chronic Wasting Disease has not been detected in any deer populations within Vermont.

What is Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD)?

Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is a fatal neurological (brain and nervous system) disease found in deer, elk, caribou, and moose (cervids) populations in certain geographical locations in North America. CWD is caused by a mutant protein, called a prion.

Bats in the attic, bears in the beehives, deer eating the beans, raccoons in the garbage: the list of wildlife problems goes on.

Many wildlife species can become a nuisance under certain circumstances. Here are some resources for help with nuisance wildlife.

U.S. Department of Agriculture's Animal Damage Control Unit

Berlin, Vermont   Phone number:  802-223-8690 or visit their website on protecting property.

Zebra mussels are typically found in infested lakes and rivers attached to hard surfaces including rocks, other mussels, plant stems, docks, boats, and pipes. In Vermont, they have become established in Lake Champlain and Lake Bomoseen.

Spiny waterfleas (Bythotrephes longimanus) are typically found in areas of deep, cold, open water. In Vermont, spiny waterfleas are currently found in Lake Champlain.

Asian Clams (Corbicula fluminea) prefer sand or fine gravel substrates in lakes and rivers that contain high levels of oxygen. In Vermont, Asian clams are currently only found in Lake Bomoseen.

In their native range, alewives (Alosa pseudoharengus) are a saltwater fish that swim up freshwater rivers and streams to spawn. Landlocked populations are able to complete their entire life cycle in freshwater and are usually considered invasive. Alewives are found in deep, open waters except during spawning season when they move to shallower waters in bays and tributaries. In Vermont, alewives are established in Lake Champlain and Lake St. Catherine.