Flora & Fauna
wells national estuarine research reserveThe Wells Reserve at Laudholm protects diverse habitats that support a rich flora and fauna. Many of these plants and animals are subjects of public enjoyment and scientific study.
Mammals
The harbor seal is the only marine mammal noted from the Wells Reserve, but land mammals living here include bats, squirrels, mice, muskrat, porcupine, coyote, fox, raccoon, fisher, otter, and deer. Bear and moose are unusual. Rare species include the New England cottontail.
Birds
At least 235 bird species have occurred at the Wells Reserve. The rare piping plover and least tern have nested at Laudholm Beach. Learn more about birds at the Wells Reserve:
Amphibians and Reptiles
Turtles, snakes, salamanders, toads, and frogs all occur at the Wells Reserve, some of them abundantly.
Fishes
Fifty-five fish species have been found in Wells Reserve waters. The most common are the American eel, alewife, common mummichog, Atlantic silverside, and three sticklebacks (fourspine, threespine, and ninespine). Download our fish checklist
We published Coastal Fish of Southern Maine and New Hampshire to help people get to know who swims along our shores. Buy your copy in the Laudholm Gift Shop.
Invertebrates
Estuaries are important for many intertidal and subtidal invertebrates, notably softshell clams, green crabs, and sandworms. Wells Reserve projects have also included several focusing on insects, especially dragonflies, damselflies, butterflies, and species that emerge from the salt-marsh surface.
Red foxes occasionally can be seen patrolling the grasslands around the historic Laudholm campus.
