1. By: Julie Avery Class: Fourth Grade Year: 2012-2013 Living in a Swamp Ecosystem

2. Table of Contents Title Page ……………………………..p 1 Table of Contents………………………p 2 Description of the Habitat………………p 3 Animals in the Habitat………………….p 4 Photos of Animals………………………p 5 Adaptations of Animals…..……………..p 6 Plants in this Habitat……………………p 7 Photos of Plants………………………..p 8 Adaptations of Plants……………………p 9 Bird, Insect and Amphibian/Reptile……..p 10 Photos of these Creatures……………….p 11 Adaptations of these Creatures…………..p 12 Concluding Statement…………………..p 13 Glossary………………………………..p 14 Index…………………………………..p 15

3. Swamp Habitat Description A swamp habitat is a type of wetland that has marshy areas with lots of fresh or brackish water. It occurs in a warm environment that has longer summers and shorter winter- type weather. There are many species found in a swamp that rely on water for their food and homes. Swamps can be thousands of acres and are found in many southern states such as Florida, Mississippi, Alabama, Louisiana and Texas.

5. Three Animal Species in a Swamp Alligator Raccoon Black Bear

6. Photos of the Three Swamp Animals Black bear of the swamp habitat. Alligators are a top predator in the swamp habitat. Raccoons love to dig up the buried eggs of snapping turtles.

7. Adaptations that Cause these Animals to Survive in a Swamp Habitat The black bear eats many creatures of the swamp such as the swamp rabbits, small crayfish in the water and catfish that live there. The black bear also has long sharp claws for digging up roots and grasping smaller swamp creatures. The raccoon also eats the small insects and crayfish that live in the swamp, but also is a good digger and uncovers turtle and bird eggs buried on the sandy shores in a swamp. The alligator is the king of the swamp because it’s body is long and with a strong tail for swimming through the shallow waters of the swamp. He can also camouflage in the duckweed in wait for a blue heron or raccoon to come by for supper.

8. Three Plants Found in the Swamp Habitat Spanish Moss Duckweed Cypress Trees

9. Photos of the 3 Swamp Plants Cypress trees in a swamp. Spanish moss is also known as witches hair. Duckweed is food for turtles and fish of the swamp.

10. Adaptations of these Swamp Plants All of these plants need a warm wet environment to survive. Without the watery habitat of the swamp, they would not thrive. The duckweed actually floats on top of the water and gets its nutrients directly from the water itself. Cypress tree roots grow extremely long and are able to reach deeply into the muddy soil of the swamp so that they can stay secured in all the water. Spanish moss uses the nutrients from the cypress trees to survive and grow thick on the branches.

11. Other Creatures of the Swamp Snapping Turtle Cotton Mouth Water Moccasin Blue Heron

12. Photos of the Other Creatures of the Swamp Alligator Snapping Turtle Great Blue Heron of the Swamp The Venomous Cottonmouth Water Moccasin is a killer of the swamps.

13. Adaptations that Allow these Creatures to Thrive in the Swamp Habitat The alligator snapping turtle can live on land or in the water and eats the small shrimp and fish that live in the swampy waters of a swamp. The blue heron’s long legs allow it to hunt for small fish, insects and crustaceans in the shallow waters of the swamp ecosystem. The cotton mouth water moccasin hides itself in the low hanging branches of the cypress trees to ambush swamp rodents, beaver and small birds that live in the swamp. It is perfectly camouflaged within these trees and the Spanish moss hanging there.

14. My Conclusions About the Swamp Habitat In conclusion, after doing my research about the swamp habitat, I have learned three important facts. First, swamps can be both freshwater or saltwater depending on their location to an ocean or a freshwater source. Next, the plants that survive in the swamp all depend on the nutrients found in the waters of the swampy ecosystem. Finally, there are many dangerous predators that make their homes in the habitat of the swamp.

15. Glossary of Important Terms Habitat- the place or environment where a plant or animal naturally or normally lives and grows Predator – one that preys, destroys or devours Swamp - A seasonally flooded bottomland with more woody plants than a marsh and better drainage than a bog.