Although the stark appearance of Craters of the Moon may initially create an impression of lifelessness, many animals make their homes here. Birds and some rodents are seen most frequently. The changing weather and seasons play a large role in determining which animals are active at any given time.
Night and Day
Arid land animals have a variety of adaptations for dealing with the temperature and moisture stresses present at Craters of the Moon. Most desert animals are nocturnal, or mainly active at night. Nocturnal behavior is an adaptation to both predation and hot summer daytime temperatures. Nocturnal animals at Craters of the Moon include woodrats (also called packrats), skunks, foxes, bobcats, mountain lions, bats, nighthawks, owls, and most other small desert rodents.
Animals that are most active at dawn and dusk, when temperatures are cooler than mid-day, are called crepuscular. The subdued morning and evening light helps make them less visible to predators, but is bright enough to allow them to locate food. Some animals are crepuscular mainly because their prey is also. Crepuscular animals include mule deer, coyotes, porcupines, mountain cottontails, jackrabbits, and many songbirds.
Some desert animals are diurnal, or primarily active during the day. These include ground squirrels, marmots, chipmunks, lizards, snakes, hawks, and eagles.
Pronghorns migrate through Craters of the Moon in the spring and fall.
NPS Photo
Adapting to the Seasons
Many animals have a specific temperature range in which they are able to be active, and so their active times of day vary with the seasons. Snakes and lizards hibernate during the winter months, are diurnal during the late spring and early fall, and become crepuscular during the heat of summer. Many insects and some birds also alter their times of activity. Some animals, like ground squirrels and marmots, have one or more periods of estivation, a summer hibernation that allows them to avoid the hottest and driest periods.
Finding Water
Since there are few sources of water at Craters of the Moon, animals must get the moisture they need directly from their food. Mule deer munch bitterbrush leaves. Violet-green swallows snatch insects from the air. Rattlesnakes swallow rodents whole. Each of these foods contains water essential to life. A few rodents such as pocket mice and kangaroo rats do this so efficiently that they go their entire lives without drinking water.
Found Nowhere Else
Some animals are unique to Craters of the Moon and the surrounding area. Subspecies of Great Basin pocket mouse and yellow pine chipmunk are found nowhere else in the world. A unique population of pikas makes its home among the lava flows. Lava tube beetles and many other cave animals are found only in the lava tubes of eastern Idaho.
A handful of amphibians have been found in the park despite the harsh environment.
Species Attribute Definitions
Definitions
Occurrence
Occurrence values are defined below. One or more Occurrence Tags may be associated with each Occurrence value.
Present: Species occurs in park; current, reliable evidence available.
Probably Present: High confidence species occurs in park but current, verified evidence needed.
Unconfirmed: Species is attributed to park but evidence is weak or absent.
Not In Park: Species is not known to occur in park.
Occurrence Tags
Adjacent: Species is known to occur in areas near to or contiguous with park boundaries.
False Report: Species was reported to occur within the park, but current evidence indicates the report was based on misidentification, a taxonomic concept no longer accepted, or other similar problem of error or interpretation.
Historical: Species' historical occurrence in park is documented. Assigned based on judgment as opposed to determination based on age of the most recent evidence.
Abundance
Abundant:
Animals: May be seen daily, in suitable habitat and season, and counted in relatively large numbers.
Plants: Large number of individuals; wide ecological amplitude or occurring in habitats covering a large portion of the park.
Common:
Animals: May be seen daily, in suitable habitat and season, but not in large numbers.
Plants: Large numbers of individuals predictably occurring in commonly encountered habitats but not those covering a large portion of the park.
Uncommon:
Animals: Likely to be seen monthly in appropriate habitat and season. May be locally common.
Plants: Few to moderate numbers of individuals; occurring either sporadically in commonly encountered habitats or in uncommon habitats.
Rare:
Animals: Present, but usually seen only a few times each year.
Plants: Few individuals, usually restricted to small areas of rare habitat.
Occasional:
Animals: Occurs in the park at least once every few years, varying in numbers, but not necessarily every year.
Plants: Abundance variable from year to year (e.g., desert plants).
Unknown: Abundance unknown
Nativeness
Native: Species naturally occurs in park or region.
Non-native: Species occurs on park lands as a result of deliberate or accidental human activities.
Unknown: Nativeness status is unknown or ambiguous.
List Differences
The Checklist contains only those species that are designated as "present" or "probably present" in the park.
The Full List includes all the checklist species in addition to species that are unconfirmed, historically detected, or incorrectly reported as being found in the park. The full list also contains species that are "in review" because their status in the park hasn't been fully determined. Additional details about the status of each species is included in the full list.
The checklist will almost always contain fewer species than the full list.
Locations:Big Hole National Battlefield, Black Canyon Of The Gunnison National Park, City Of Rocks National Reserve, Craters Of The Moon National Monument & Preserve, Curecanti National Recreation Area, Fort Laramie National Historic Site, Grand Canyon-Parashant National Monument, Grand Teton National Park, Great Basin National Park, Hagerman Fossil Beds National Monument, John Day Fossil Beds National Monument, Lake Roosevelt National Recreation Area, Lava Beds National Monumentmore »
Offices:Inventory and Monitoring Division, Natural Resource Stewardship and Science Directorate, Upper Columbia Basin Inventory & Monitoring Network
Artemisia species, commonly known as sagebrush, are far from being the only species on the landscape. The sagebrush biome is composed of a rich mosaic of thousands of diverse plant species, which are largely driven by differences in climate, soil and elevation. These distinct sagebrush plant and animal communities occur in approximately 70 park units across the western U.S— all of which are experiencing significant threats from wildfire and droughts.
Locations:Craters Of The Moon National Monument & Preserve
Offices:Geologic Resources Division
Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve is one of the premiere volcanic sites in the National Park System. It is located on the eastern Snake River Plain in Idaho and preserves the “weird and scenic landscape” of three young lava fields located along the Great Rift System. The monument cinder cones, spatter cones, young basaltic lava flows, and lava tubes.
Locations:Abraham Lincoln Birthplace National Historical Park, Acadia National Park, Agate Fossil Beds National Monument, Alibates Flint Quarries National Monument, Allegheny Portage Railroad National Historic Site, American Memorial Park, Amistad National Recreation Area, Anacostia Park, Aniakchak National Monument & Preserve, Antietam National Battlefield, Apostle Islands National Lakeshore, Appalachian National Scenic Trail, Appomattox Court House National Historical Park, Arches National Park, Arkansas Post National Memorial, Assateague Island National Seashore, Aztec Ruins National Monument, Badlands National Park, Bandelier National Monument, Bent's Old Fort National Historic Site, Big Bend National Park, Big Cypress National Preserve, Big Hole National Battlefield, Big South Fork National River & Recreation Area, Big Thicket National Preserve, Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area, Biscayne National Park, Black Canyon Of The Gunnison National Park, Blackstone River Valley National Historical Park, Blue Ridge Parkway, Bluestone National Scenic River, Booker T Washington National Monument, Bryce Canyon National Park, Buffalo National River, Cabrillo National Monument, Canaveral National Seashore, Cane River Creole National Historical Park, Canyon de Chelly National Monument, Canyonlands National Park, Cape Cod National Seashore, Cape Hatteras National Seashore, Cape Lookout National Seashore, Capitol Reef National Park, Capulin Volcano National Monument, Carl Sandburg Home National Historic Site, Carlsbad Caverns National Park, Casa Grande Ruins National Monument, Catoctin Mountain Park, Cedar Breaks National Monument, Chaco Culture National Historical Park, Channel Islands National Park, Charles Pinckney National Historic Site, Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area, Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historical Park, Chickamauga & Chattanooga National Military Park, Chickasaw National Recreation Area, Chiricahua National Monument, City Of Rocks National Reserve, Colonial National Historical Park, Colorado National Monument, Congaree National Park, Coronado National Memorial, Cowpens National Battlefield, Crater Lake National Park, Craters Of The Moon National Monument & Preserve, Cumberland Gap National Historical Park, Cumberland Island National Seashore, Curecanti National Recreation Area, Cuyahoga Valley National Park, Death Valley National Park, Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area, Denali National Park & Preserve, Devils Postpile National Monument, Devils Tower National Monument, Dinosaur National Monument, Ebey's Landing National Historical Reserve, Effigy Mounds National Monument, Eisenhower National Historic Site, El Malpais National Monument, El Morro National Monument, Eleanor Roosevelt National Historic Site, Eugene O'Neill National Historic Site, Everglades National Park, Fire Island National Seashore, Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument, Fort Bowie National Historic Site, Fort Caroline National Memorial, Fort Davis National Historic Site, Fort Donelson National Battlefield, Fort Frederica National Monument, Fort Laramie National Historic Site, Fort Larned National Historic Site, Fort Matanzas National Monument, Fort Necessity National Battlefield, Fort Pulaski National Monument, Fort Raleigh National Historic Site, Fort Sumter and Fort Moultrie National Historical Park, Fort Union National Monument, Fort Union Trading Post National Historic Site, Fort Vancouver National Historic Site, Fort Washington Park, Fossil Butte National Monument, Fredericksburg & Spotsylvania National Military Park, Friendship Hill National Historic Site, Gates Of The Arctic National Park & Preserve, Gateway Arch National Park, Gauley River National Recreation Area, George Washington Memorial Parkway, George Washington Birthplace National Monument, George Washington Carver National Monument, Gettysburg National Military Park, Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument, Glacier National Park, Glacier Bay National Park & Preserve, Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, Golden Gate National Recreation Area, Golden Spike National Historical Park, Grand Canyon National Park, Grand Canyon-Parashant National Monument, Grand Portage National Monument, Grand Teton National Park, Grant-Kohrs Ranch National Historic Site, Great Basin National Park, Great Falls Park, Great Sand Dunes National Park & Preserve, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Greenbelt Park, Guadalupe Mountains National Park, Guilford Courthouse National Military Park, Gulf Islands National Seashore, Hagerman Fossil Beds National Monument, Haleakalā National Park, Harmony Hall, Harpers Ferry National Historical Park, Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park, Herbert Hoover National Historic Site, Home Of Franklin D Roosevelt National Historic Site, Homestead National Historical Parkmore »
Offices:Inventory and Monitoring Division, Natural Resource Stewardship and Science Directorate, Northeast Coastal and Barrier Inventory & Monitoring Network, Northeast Temperate Inventory & Monitoring Network, Northern Colorado Plateau Inventory & Monitoring Network, Northern Great Plains Inventory & Monitoring Network, Pacific Island Inventory & Monitoring Network, Rocky Mountain Inventory & Monitoring Network, San Francisco Bay Area Inventory & Monitoring Network, Sierra Nevada Inventory & Monitoring Network, Sonoran Desert Inventory & Monitoring Network, South Florida Caribbean Inventory & Monitoring Network, Southeast Alaska Inventory & Monitoring Network, Southeast Coast Inventory & Monitoring Network, Southern Colorado Plateau Inventory & Monitoring Network, Southern Plains Inventory & Monitoring Network, Southwest Alaska Inventory & Monitoring Network, Upper Columbia Basin Inventory & Monitoring Networkmore »
To steward amphibians effectively, managers need basic information about which species live in parks. But species lists need constant maintenance to remain accurate. Due to recent efforts, the National Park Service now has an up-to-date amphibian species checklist for almost 300 parks. This information can serve as the basis for innumerable conservation efforts across the nation.
Locations:Craters Of The Moon National Monument & Preserve
Wildlife biologists at Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve have a unique opportunity to understand pronghorn migration through the park. Pronghorns are one of the West’s iconic animals and have one of the longest land migrations in North America. A narrow migration corridor in Craters of the Moon allows for the use of trail cameras to capture pronghorns during their annual movements. The data from this study supports management decisions at the park.
Locations:Crater Lake National Park, Craters Of The Moon National Monument & Preserve, Grand Teton National Park, Lassen Volcanic National Park, Lava Beds National Monument, Rocky Mountain National Park, Yellowstone National Parkmore »
Baseline values of physiological stress can be incorporated into monitoring plans for pikas, providing park managers with additional information related to the vulnerability of this climate-sensitive model species that occurs within a large number of western parks.
Locations:Craters Of The Moon National Monument & Preserve
Offices:Inventory and Monitoring Division
Pikas live in the expansive lava flows of Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve—an atypical habitat in a harsh environment. Here we have a spectacular opportunity to learn more about how this species may respond to climate change over time.
Locations:Crater Lake National Park, Craters Of The Moon National Monument & Preserve, Grand Teton National Park, Great Sand Dunes National Park & Preserve, Lassen Volcanic National Park, Lava Beds National Monument, Rocky Mountain National Park, Yellowstone National Parkmore »
The National Park Service stewards pika populations in more than a dozen parks and seeks to understand the vulnerability of pikas and other mountain species to climate change. Pikas in Peril, funded in 2010, was a collaborative research program directed by scientists from the National Park Service, Oregon State University, University of Idaho, and University of Colorado-Boulder.
