The West Virginia Highlands, with its diversity of habitats, wide range of elevation/weather, and extensive wilderness areas, is home to a wide variety of wildlife. There are 57 species of amphibians and reptiles, 72 wild mammals, 178 species of fish and over 300 species of birds. Four large mammals have been hunted to the point that they no longer exist in WV. Those are moose, elk, mountain bison and the eastern cougar (now considered extinct by the USFWS). This gallery highlights a variety of the wildlife commonly found in the WV highlands.
