Egrets in Assateague's marshes

Assateague Island is a barrier island, comprising the southern portion of Maryland's Atlantic coast and part of Virginia's Eastern Shore. It is known for its herds of feral ponies, descendant of 17th century horses and for the Assateague Lighthouse. It is accessible by car via bridges along Maryland State Highway 611 and from Chincoteague, Virginia, however there are few roads on the island. Off-road vehicles with permits are allowed in certain areas. Image File history File links Egrets-assateague. ... Image File history File links Egrets-assateague. ... Official language(s) None (English, de-facto) Capital Annapolis Largest city Baltimore Area  Ranked 42nd  - Total 12,417 sq mi (32,160 km²)  - Width 90 miles (145 km)  - Length 249 miles (400 km)  - % water 21  - Latitude 37°53N to 39°43N  - Longitude 75°4W to 79°33... This article does not cite its references or sources. ... The Eastern Shore of Virginia is on the Atlantic Coast of the Commonwealth of Virginia. ... A feral horse (an American mustang) in Wyoming A feral animal or plant is one that has escaped from domestication and returned, partly or wholly, to its wild state. ... Assateague Lighthouse is the 142 foot tall light house located on Assateague Island off the coast of the Virginia Eastern Shore. ... Chincoteague (IPA: ) is a town located in Accomack County, Virginia. ...

There are four bay side and two beach side backcountry sites available for camping. There are also several primitive campsites which are run by the National Park Service, as well as the State of Maryland. Kayak touring is a popular way to see the wildlife, especially on the calmer bay side. The best time to backcountry camp is in the spring and the fall. Summer months are known for heavy mosquito populations, particularly on the bay side.

The feral ponies have adapted to life on the island. To keep their numbers under control, a federal contraceptive program has been in place since 1994. Despite signs warning visitors not to feed the ponies, some people still do which can result in serious injuries as the animals can be quite aggressive. Large populations of birds also inhabit the island including American Oystercatcher, Great Blue Heron, and Snowy Egret. Species Magellanic Oystercatcher Blackish Oystercatcher American Black Oystercatcher American Oystercatcher Canarian Black Oystercatcher African Black Oystercatcher Eurasian Oystercatcher Australian Pies Oystercatcher Chatham Islands Oystercatcher Variable Oystercatcher Sooty Oystercatcher The Oystercatchers are a group of waders; they form the family Haematopodidae, which has a single genus, Haematopus. ... This article does not cite its references or sources. ... Binomial name Egretta thula (Molina, 1782) The Snowy Egret (Egretta thula) is a small white heron. ...

Except for a small Assateague State Park, the Maryland side of the island is within Assateague Island National Seashore. The Virginia side of the island is within Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge. Most of the water around the island is within the boundaries of the national seashore. The island has a land area of 63.21 km² (24.4 sq mi), and a permanent population of 7 persons, according to the 2000 census. All of the population lived in the Virginia portion.^[1] Assateague State Park is a public beach and state park of Maryland that lies at the northern end of Assateague Island. ... This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ... The 22nd United States Census, known as Census 2000 and conducted by the Census Bureau, determined the resident population of the United States on April 1, 2000, to be 281,421,906, an increase of 13. ...

The island's ponies are often referred to as wild ponies. In fact, this term is incorrect; horses are not native to the Americas. The correct term is feral, as the ponies are decendents of domesticated horses that adapted to life in the wild. A feral horse (an American mustang) in Wyoming A feral animal or plant is one that has escaped from domestication and returned, partly or wholly, to its wild state. ...

External links

• Assateague Island National Seashore
• Assateague State Park

Assateague is a great place to live but every body died.

References

1. ^ Block 3000, Block Group 3, Census Tract 9907, Worcester County, Maryland and Block 3000, Block Group 3, Census Tract 9901, Accomack County, Virginia United States Census Bureau