Animals

Bobcats are one of the rarer sights at Dinosaur National Monument. They can occasionally be seen near prairie dog towns, like this one waiting at the burrow's entrance.

NPS / Molly Swindle

 

Dinosaur National Monument is a land of rivers and deserts, of mountains, woodlands, and canyons. On the sagebrush flats, white-tailed prairie dogs perch at the edge of their burrows on the lookout for hungry peregrine falcons. Bighorn sheep and mountain lions survey boaters from rugged river canyons while humpback chubs swim in the water beneath their paddles. During the day, side-blotched lizards sun themselves beneath 1,000 year old petroglyphs that capture their likeness. At night, Great Basin spadefoot toads emerge from soft sands to hunt for insects, the Milky Way reflected in their golden eyes.

Nearly 400 different kinds of animal call this diverse landscape home, including 5 species of amphibians, over 200 birds, 40 kinds of fish, nearly 70 mammals, and 14 different reptiles. While most shy away from people, those who are patient and respectful of their space may be rewared with unforgettable sightings.

For a complete list of animals found in Dinosaur National Monument, use the NPS Species tool below.

 

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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.

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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.

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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

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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.

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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.

Select a Park:

Dinosaur National Monument

Select a Species Category (optional):

All Amphibians Birds Fish Mammals Reptiles Vascular Plants

Get Checklist Get Full List List Differences

Species attribute definitions

Search results will be displayed here.

Visit NPSpecies for more comprehensive information and advanced search capability. Have a suggestion or comment on this list? Let us know.

 

Woodhouse's Toad, Anaxyrus woodhousii

NPS / Jake Frank

Amphibians

Amphibians are ectothermic (cold-blooded) vertebrates that live part of their lives in water and part on land. Dinosaur National Monument is home to 5 confirmed species of amphibians. There are 4 known members from the order Anura, which includes frogs and toads. The park is also home to the tiger salamander (Ambystoma tigrinum). Because of how sensitive they are to environmental change, scientists often rely on amphibian populations to gauge environmental health. In this way, amphibians serve an important role in conservation science, both here and around the world.

 

Gray Flycatcher, Empidonax wrightii

NPS / Cindy McIntyre

Birds

People are often surprised to learn that Dinosaur National Monument is home to living dinosaurs, too. While the big, toothy ones died out long ago, most paleontologists believe birds are actually direct descendents of theropod dinosaurs, and the only members of the dinosaur lineage alive today. Birds are endothermic (warm-blooded) vertebrates that lay eggs and have beaks, feathers, and a lightweight skeleton. Over 200 species of birds have been confirmed in Dinosaur National Monument. While some migrate to and from the monument, like the beautiful sandhill cranes, others live here year-round.

 

Bonytail Chub, Gila elegans

NPS / Dinosaur National Monument

Fish

Fish are aquatic vertebrates that have gills, but don't have limbs with digits (fingers and toes). While Dinosaur National Monument is home to over 50 species of fish, only 14 of them are actually native to the Green and Yampa rivers. Historic dam projects and non-native species introduced by state and federal agencies to meet sportfishing demands in the past have taken a toll on native fish. Today, 3 of the 14 native species are endangered and one is classified as threatened. In an effort to help restore native fish populations, the National Park Service is a partner in the Upper Colorado Endangered Fish Recovery Program.

 

White-tailed Prairie Dog, Cynomys leucurus

NPS / Jake Frank

Mammals

Mammals are a group of endothermic (warm-blooded) vertebrates that nourish their young with milk. Dinosaur National Monument is home to nearly 70 species of mammals. Although nearly all of them are fearful of people, sharp-eyed and patient visitors may see several while visiting the monument. What you see largely depends on when you visit and what parts of the monument you explore. Keep in mind that many of the monument's mammals are scared of humans. Some even carry diseases that can spread to humans and their pets, including dogs. For their safety and yours, give wildlife plenty of space.

 

Ornate Tree Lizard, Urosaurus ornatus

NPS / Jake Frank

Reptiles

Reptiles are a very broad class of vertebrates that breathe air and have scales covering all or part of their bodies. While Dinosaur National Monument is known mostly for its extinct reptiles, there are at least 14 confirmed species of extant (living) reptiles still residing in the monument today. The park is home to 6 species of lizards and 8 species of snakes, 3 of which are venomous. Although testudines (turtles, tortoises, and terrapins) also lived here millions of years ago, today only their fossils remain.