What Animals Live in the Woods?
Beavers, bears, bobcats, coyotes, foxes and weasels are a few of the animals that call woods and forests home. Organisms of all kinds live in the woods, and they range from small bacteria and viruses to amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals. The animals living in the woods occupy different spaces within their environments; some nest in trees, while others live in dens or make their homes beneath fallen trees.
Black bears are among the largest and most common forest-dwelling animals. They reside primarily in dense woodlands but may also wander into swamps and inhabit low-level mountainsides. Bears may reach over 6 feet in length, and stand over three feet tall at the shoulder. Males can weigh up to 500 pounds when fully grown, and females can reach 300. Bears are considered omnivores, meaning they eat plants and animals. Their diet varies with the seasons but generally includes nuts, berries, fish, small rodents and insects. While bears generally live among trees and in dens located in forest interiors, beavers congregate by bodies of water, such as small rivers and streams. Beavers fall on the smaller side of forest animals and are uniquely adapted for life in water and on land. They nest in dams constructed of fallen trees and feed primarily on fish and crustaceans found in the water.
