Wildlife

Black-tailed Prairie Dog

NPS photo

Scotts Bluff National Monument is one of the few places in the Panhandle of Nebraska where wildlife is protected in a natural environment. There are resident populations of various species of reptiles, amphibians, birds, mammals and invertebrates, although an inventory of invertebrates has not been done. Migrating bird species also utilize the Monument for rest and feeding. The Monument is surrounded by private land, approximately half of which is used for agriculture. This somewhat restricts the movement of animal populations in and out of the Monument. The larger prairie animals encountered by the pioneers, such as grizzly bears, bison, and elk are gone from the Monument, and will probably never return. Currently 21 fish, 6 amphibian, 7 reptile, 126 bird, and 29 mammal species have been identified within the Monument.

 

Commonly Seen Scotts Bluff Wildlife

• 

  Subterranean engineers

  Prairie Dogs

  There are two prairie dog towns in Scotts Bluff National Monument

• 

  Misunderstood denizen of the prairie

  Prairie Rattlesnakes

  Learn about these frequently misunderstood residents of Scotts Bluff National Monument.

• 

  Commonly seen Scotts Bluff Wildlife

  Mule Deer

  Learn about mule deer and their role in the Scotts Bluff ecosystem.

• 

  A wily predator of the plains

  Coyote

  Coyotes are adaptable animals that live throughout North America, including the western Great Plains.

• 

  Mammals of the monument!

  Other Scotts Bluff Mammals

  There are over 25 mammals that call Scotts Bluff National Monument home.

• 

  Feathered friends

  Common Birds of Scotts Bluff NM

  Learn more about some of the most commonly spotted birds at Scotts Bluff National Monument.

 

 

×

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.

Select a Park:

Scotts Bluff 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.