Will Murphey-Helms curated this story from the Wildlife and Conservation archive in App State’s Special Collections Research Center.

There are many animals that call the Appalachian mountains home. Their presence has helped cultivate Appalachian culture and created an ecosystem where every animal holds a valuable role.

According to a 2017 article from The Blowing Rocket, coyotes originally only inhabited the western plains of the United States.

The coyote population started to flourish in Appalachia and the Eastern side of the United States when the larger predator population of red wolves and mountain lions began to drop. This lowered competition for the coyote by giving them an increase in food resources.

According to the article, if the coyote is within a healthy habitat, “Their population can sustain a 70 percent loss, meaning that 70 percent of a pack can be destroyed and the pack will generate enough young to replace those that have been killed.”

In 1994, an Asheville Citizen-Times article covered the fragility and risk of extinction for the spruce-fir moss spider, a tarantula species “which has survived among the mosses on Grandfather Mountain since the ice age.”

The spruce-fir moss spider, which is “thumbtack-size,” lives within moist moss on the Fraser fir trees only at levels higher than 5,000 feet in elevation. The trees, which provide homes to these spiders, are described as “disappearing so fast,” which is the cause for these tiny tarantulas spot on the endangered species list.

The article gives an explanation to what makes this spider unique among tarantulas.

“The most easily recognized tarantulas are big and hairy and prefer tropical climates. But the spruce-fir moss spider is the family’s runt, and it is the only tarantula that is restricted to cold mountain tops,” the article read.

A 1999 News-Topic article was published that provided information on the Indiana bat and claims the bat, because it is a protected species, can be a benefit to society.

The Indiana bat, though posessinging a wing span of nine to eleven inches, possess a body less than two inches long. The small, yet well traveled bat is a migratory species found in 27 states in the Eastern U.S. The bat hibernates in caves and abandoned mines from October to April. Upon waking from hibernation it will head to areas in the Eastern woodlands for roasting and feeding. 

In 1967, the Indiana bat was designated by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service as an endangered species. According to the article, this is because of human disturbance during the hibernation period. The article reads, “Even slight disturbances can wake bats from their deep sleep, forcing them to use valuable energy reserves they need to survive winter hibernation.”

According to the article, the Indiana bat has many benefits for society, from helping the agriculture industry save money to helping advance medical operations. 

“Bats, for instance, consume vast quantities of night-flying insects, including species that cost farmers and foresters billions of dollars annually,” the article reads. “By studying hibernating bats, researchers have also learned new surgical techniques that involve lowering the temperature of the human body.”

Today, Appalachia is still home to these animals. The coyote population is still flourishing, the spruce-fir spider still resides on Grandfather Mountain and the Indiana bat still inhabits Appalachian caves.