Unusual species include the northern flying squirrel, northern saw-whet owl, purple finch, Swanson's thrush, magnolia warbler, red crossbill, winter wren, peregrine falcon, Blue Ridge St. John's wort, mountain rattlesnake root, mountain bittercress, Grays lilly, and three-toothed cinquefoil. There is a salamander special management area on the north side of Whitetop Mountain with the greatest known diversity of salamanders for any area on earth of comparable size. The pygmy salamander, shovelnose salamander and Weller's salamander are found here.