Title: Vermilion Parish Wetlands
1Vermilion Parish Wetlands
2This is Vermilion Parish. Vermilion Parish is
covered with wetlands.
3Wetlands are lands that are covered in
water.Swamps and marshes are types of wetlands.
4Wetlands covered with grass and small bushes are
called swamps.
5Marshes are different than swamps. Marshes are
wetlands that are covered with trees.
6Throughout these wetlands are small streams.A
small, slow moving stream or creak is called a
bayou.
7Many animals and insects live in Vermilions
wetlands. A place where an animal lives is
called its habitat.
8Many bird make their homes in the trees that
fill Vermilion Parish wetlands.
9Birds like the great egret spend most of its day
flying around looking for food. Egrets like to
eat fish, frogs and crawfish found in the water
and the grassy areas of Vermilion Parish.
10Egrets also like to eat snakes. Snakes sometimes
hide from egrets in the trees and the tall
grasses found in the marshes and swamps of
Vermilion Parish.
11The smaller egrets like to eat insects. They are
eating the insects hiding in this freshly cut
rice field.
12Some insects use their habitat for protection.
Can you find the cricket hiding? It uses its
environment to camouflage itself. Camouflage
means to blend into the environment.
13Spiders also feed to the insects that live around
them. The Orb Spider builds her web to catch
insects.
14Dragonflies also eat insects. They are also
called mosquito hawks because they like to
mosquitoes.
15Frogs eat insects too. They camouflage
themselves to hide from birds and alligators
while looking for food.
16Alligators also live in the swamps and marshlands
of Vermilion Parish. They feed on the many fish
that live in the waters with them.
17This is an alligator garfish. Alligator garfish
have a pointy nose and very sharp teeth. They
can grow up to 9 feet long.
18Another type of fish that lives in Vermilion
Parish wetlands is called a catfish. People
catch catfish because they are good to eat.
19Vermilion Parish has a large variety of wildlife
living within its wetlands. Can you draw a
picture of other wetland animals that live in
Vermilion Parish.