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About the Lake County Forest Preserves' Species Database

The Chicago region is home to a wide variety of natural habitats – from prairies and forests to Lake Michigan. Within those settings live thousands of distinctive plant and wildlife species. Lake County itself is home to more endangered and threatened species than any other county in Illinois.

At your Lake County Forest Preserves, we're working to preserve and restore the habitats that our native wildlife and plants need to survive and thrive. We're also here to help you enjoy the many wonderful creatures that live all around us. The Lake County Forest Preserves’ Species Database is just one way to do that. We developed the database so that students and others interested in Lake County’s biodiversity could have a single resource to access information about the plants, amphibians, reptiles, birds, arthropods, and mammals found here.

When this Web site was launched in September 2006, it included information and images of more than 400 species. We hope to add species to it over time.

Disclaimers

Information provided on this Web site applies to Lake County, Illinois, specifically and may not be relevant or complete for other regions. We have strived to provide accurate and correct identifications, taxonomy, and descriptions. However, we realize that errors may occur. If you locate errors among the data, please contact us so that we may correct them in the database.

The Species Database is a collaborative effort between the Lake County Forest Preserves, Topics Education, local plant and animal experts, and other partners. Some species records contain links to third-party Web sites. The linked sites are not under the control of the Lake County Forest Preserves and the Lake County Forest Preserves is not responsible for the contents of any linked Web site.

This database was developed under a grant from the Department of Education. However, it does not necessarily represent the policy of the Department of Education, and you should not assume endorsement by the Federal Government.

Image Use

A variety of organizations and individuals have supplied photographs for the Lake County Forest Preserves' Species Database. Please be aware that most of these contributors maintain copyright. Refer to the copyright notification listed with each photo before using the images in any way.

Selected Bibliography

The following publications were among those used to verify data included in the database:

Borror, Donald and Richard White. A Field Guide to Insects: America north of Mexico (Peterson Field Guide Series). Houghton Mifflin Co.: 1970.

Burt, William and Richard Grossenheider. A Field Guide to Mammals: North American north of Mexico (Peterson Field Guide Series), 3^rd edition. Houghton Mifflin Co.: 1980.

Carpenter, Lynne and Joel Greenberg. A Birder's Guide to the Chicago Region. Northern Illinois University Press: 1999.

Klots, Elsie. The New Field Book of Freshwater Life. G. P. Putnam and Sons: 1966.

Opler, Paul. Peterson First Guide to Butterflies and Moths (Peterson First Guides). Houghton Mifflin Co.: 1994.

Phillips, C.A., R.A. Brandon and E.O. Moll. Field Guide to Amphibians and Reptiles of Illinois. Illinois Natural History Survey Manual 8. Champaign, Ill.: Illinois Natural History Survey: 1999.

Pyle, Robert. National Audubon Society field guide to North American butterflies (Audubon Society field guide series). Alfred A. Knopf: 1998.

Smith, Philip W. The Amphibians and Reptiles of Illinois. Illinois Natural History Survey Bulletin 28(1):1-298. 1961.

Swink, Floyd and Gerould Wilhelm. Plants of the Chicago Region, 4^th edition. Indiana Academy of Science: 1994.

Voss, Edward G. Michigan Flora; Part I: Gymnosperms and Monocots; Part II: Dicots; and Part III: Dicots-concluded. Cranbrook Inst. of Science: 1985.

Wright, Amy. Peterson First Guide to Caterpillars (Peterson First Guides). Houghton Mifflin Co.: 1993.

Young, Dick. Kane County Wild Plants & Natural Areas: Kane County, Illinois, 2^nd edition. Kane County Forest Preserve District: 1994.