Norman Lakes National Park

**Norman Lakes National Park** is a federally protected wilderness area in Central Minnesota. It is close to Maashkinoozhe Lake and Green City.

It is rumored that the park is home to paranormal entities, cryptids and a variety of unexplained phenomena, twhsch i being covered up by a shadowy secret organization.

## Geography

Many lakes are located within the park, Norman Lake, the largest and main lake in the park, Lake Maybelle and Lake Brendan, two offshoot lakes.

Norman Lakes National Park is also home to a multitude of caves, such as Big Root Cave, Bear Cave and Deer Cave.

## Wildlife of the Park

### Mammals

A variety of mammal species are native to the park. Opossums, Beavers, Moose, White-tailed Deer, Black Bears, Canada Lynx, Cougars, Coyotes, Timber Wolves, River Otters, Raccoons and Foxes are all found within its borders.

#### Endangered Species

A moderately-sized herd of American Mastodon are found in the park's woodland and wetland areas, Several Giant Beaver (*Castoroides ohioensis*) have been released or naturally migrated into the park. Four non-endemic bat species are found in the park as well, these being the Big Brown Bat, Little Brown Myotis, Northern Myotis and Tri-colored Bat.

A variety of endemic species are found within the park, mostly in the caves and lakes

* Thorny Pig-rat
* Aberrant Unmen
* Balloon-sinused Caver
* Bear Cave Homunculus
* Big Root Cave Homunculus
* Cave Dweller
* Bear Cave Viperbat
* Big Root Cave Viperbat
* Deer Cave Viperbat
* North American Gibbonbat
* Big Root Cave Blind Terracete
* Big Root Cave Blind Zeuglodon
* Lake Brendan Eel-Whale
* Lake Maybelle Eel-Whale
* Lake Norman Eel-Whale

### Birds

Some bird species in the park include Trumpeter Swans, Wood Ducks, Common Loons, Wild Turkey, Ruffed Grouse, Bald Eagles, Northern Goshawks, Osprey, Red-shouldered Hawks and a variety of owls like Barred Owls, Boreal Owls, Burrowing Owls, Common Barn Owls, Great Horned Owls, and Short-eared Owls

#### Endangered Species

Greater Prairie-Chickens, King Rails, Piping Plovers, Bell’s Vireo, Cerulean Warblers, Hooded Warblers, Lark Sparrows, Loggerhead Shrikes, and Purple Martins are all found within park limits.

### Reptiles and Amphibians

Norman Lakes National Park has the greatest herpetological diversity in the State. Being home to common species such as American Toads, Northern Leopard Frogs, Common Mudpuppies, Four-toed Salamanders and Spotted Salamanders, Common Snapping Turtles, Smooth Softshells and Western Painted Turtles, Common Five-lined Skinks, Common Garter Snakes, Gopher Snakes, Lined Snake, Northern Water Snake, the venomous Timber Rattlesnake and Western Ratsnakes

#### Endangered Species

Blanding’s Turtles, Wood Turtles and Northern Cricket Frogs are found within the park.

#### Endemic Species

##### Thyreophorans

* Bear Cave Fae Beasts
* Bear Cave Microdragons
* Big Root Cave Fae Beasts
* Big Root Cave Microdragons
* Branchwalker
* Common Brush Dragon
* Common Pine Dragon
* Deer Cave Fae Beasts
* Deer Cave Microdragons
* Eastern Back-Paddler
* Lake Brendan Ammondosaur
* Lake Brendan Dragon
* Lake Brendan Serpent
* Lake Maybelle Ammondosaur
* Lake Maybelle Dragon
* Marsh Mud Wallower
* Northern Pine Dragon
* Northern Mud Wallower
* Thunderbird
* Western Back-Paddler

##### Gekkonidae

* Bear Cave Flatekko
* Big Root Cave Jawed Gekko

##### Mosasaurs

* Lake Brendan Leopard Mosa
* Lake Norman Mosa

##### Retrosaurs

* Big Root Cave Retroceratops
* Big Root Cave Retrotyrannid

##### Sauropterygians

* Lake Brendan Plesi
* Lake Norman Plesi
* Lake Norman Plio

##### Anura

* Barking Frogfly
* Bear Cave Invertebranurans (450)
* Bear Cave Jellyphrogs (68)
* Bear Cave Liquid Toads (213)
* Big Root Cave Frogfly
* Big Root Cave Giant Cephalopodanuran
* Big Root Cave Invertebranurans (731)
* Big Root Cave Jellyphrogs (157)
* Big Root Cave Liquid Toads (313)
* Black Frogbat
* Blind Frogfly
* Blue-legged Butterfly Poison Frog
* Blue-spotted Butterfly Poison Frog
* Crayfish-eating Frogfly
* Croaking Frogbat
* Deer Cave Invertebranurans (578)
* Deer Cave Jellyphrogs (614)
* Deer Cave Liquid Toads (533)
* Dwarf Yellow Frogfly
* Eight-spotted Frogfly
* Giant Frogfly
* Golden Frogfly
* Great Lakes Frogbat
* Green Frogbat
* Green Frogfly
* Green-and-Gold Butterfly Poison Frog
* Nine-spotted Frogfly
* Red-and-Blue Butterfly Poison Frog
* Red-backed Butterfly Poison Frog
* Red-striped Frogfly
* Screaming Frogfly
* Silver Butterfly Poison Frog
* Slimy Frogbat
* Spotted Frogbat
* Stinking Frogfly
* Twelve-spotted Frogbat
* Twin-striped Frogbat

##### Urodela

* Big Root Cave Blind Salamander
* Big Root Cave Monster
* Deer Cave Blind Salamander
* Lake Brendan Monster
* Lake Maybelle Monster
* Lake Norman Monster
* Snotwriggler

### Fishes

Norman Lakes is well-known for its sportfishing (Catch and Release only) being home to popular species such as Muskellunge, Northern Pike, Walleye, Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass and Warmouth.

Fathead Minnow, Golden Shiner, Black Bullhead, Brown Bullhead, Channel Catfish, American Eel, Northern Brook Lamprey, Yellow Perch, Bluegill, Green Sunfish, Northern Sunfish, Pumpkinseed, and Rock Bass are also found in the park's waters

#### Endangered Species

American Paddlefish, Lake Sturgeon, Pallid Shiner, Pugnose Shiner, Crystal Darter and Least Darter

A variety of cavefish are also endemic to the park

* Big Root Cave Blindcat
* Giant Blindcat
* Aquamarine Guppikeet
* Blind Flightless Guppikeet
* Blind Guppikeet
* Emperor Guppikeet
* Empress Guppikeet
* Flattened Cave Guppikeet
* Flightless Guppikeet
* Great Lakes Guppikeet
* Hovering Guppikeet
* Mississippi Guppikeet
* Orange Guppikeet
* Queen Guppikeet
* Rainbow Guppikeet
* Royal Purple Guppikeet
* Teal-and-yellow Guppikeet
* Teal-tailed Guppikeet
* Turquoise Guppikeet
* Big Root Cave Blind Fish
* Cave Crawler

### Invertebrates

#### Endangered Species

Several rare and endangered insects and molluscs are found in Norman Lakes National Park

* Big Root Cave Crayfish
* Deer Cave Crayfish
* Brown Marmorated Stink Bug
* Candy-striped Leafhopper
* Red-tailed Leafhopper
* Brown-belted Bumblebee
* Rusty-patched Bumblebee
* Monarch Butterfly
* Creek Heelsplitter
* Ebonyshell
* Elephantear
* Elktoe
* Fatmucket
* Giant Floater
* Higgin’s Eye
* Lake Floater
* Mapleleaf
* Monkeyface
* Mucket
* Purple Wartyback
* Salamander Mussel
* Sheepnose
* Snuffbox
* Threehorn Wartyback
* Threeridge
* Winged Mapleleaf
* Yellow Sandshell

A small population of Rocky Mountain Locusts have been reintroduced to the park.