Many scaly and slimy animals tend to lay their eggs in swamps. Frogs, toads, newts and salamanders are amphibians, creatures that start off breathing in water and eventually breathe in air. Amphibians often lay eggs in warm standing waters like swamps. Reptiles, primitive cold-blooded animals, also make their homes in swamps. Well-known swamp reptiles include snakes and alligators.
Swamps often have very low levels of oxygen and experience constant flooding. As a result, many trees and plants do not adapt well to swampy environments. However, some species of plants and trees do quite well. According to the University of Florida's "Plant Management in Florida's Waters" website, "Tall trees such as cypress, water tupelo and black gum trees have adapted to the persistent flood environment." Additionally, Insectivorous plants and insects that gobble up other insects typically live in swamps.
If you have ever taken a walk into swampy areas, chances are you have had to swat at something that nipped at your arms. Many insects deposit their eggs into the stagnant waters of swamps, and many other insects and insect-like creatures live near the swamp looking for edible plant life and other insects. The Enchanted Learning website on mosquitoes explains that mosquitoes lay their eggs on the surface of swamps and, once their eggs hatch, the developing larvae "eat bits of floating organic matter and each other." In addition to mosquitoes, many types of flies, spiders and water- striders live in or around swamps.
Swamps may be noisy with the songs of birds. According to the State of Michigan's Department of Natural Resources, birds like the red-breasted grosbeak, downy woodpecker and many other bird species "are songbirds that inhabit forested wetlands." In addition, swamps are good breeding areas for certain types of hawks and herons.