Little is known about the animal communities at BMP. Although Ashe County ranks 24th in the state for numbers of rare animal species and 14th out of all mountain counties (NCNHP 1999) the modest ranking is in part accurate and in part an indication of the great need for animal surveys. Groups which have been surveyed more thoroughly in Ashe County include birds, fishes, salamanders, and ephemeral aquatic insects such as mayflies, stoneflies, and caddisflies. Animal surveys are most needed for terrestrial mollusks and most groups of terrestrial invertebrates.
Sixteen rare vertebrate and 14 rare invertebrate species are known to exist or have been documented historically in Ashe County. Of these, only one is federally listed, but nine are Federal Species of Concern (formerly referred to as Federal Candidates for Listing). Several species historically documented from Ashe County have not been found in approximately the last 25 years; however, these species are suspected to still be extant and we may discover them through BMP surveys. As with the rare plant species of Ashe County, many of the rare animal species are primarily of northern distribution. Certain rare species are recorded from locations so near Ashe County that they should be expected to occur in the BMP. These include the northern saw-whet owl (Aegolius acadicus) and the federally-endangered Carolina northern flying squirrel (Glaucomys sabrinus coloratus), both present in high elevation habitats in the Watauga County Long Hope Valley.
Bluff Mountain Preserve 