Animals

The high-elevation ecosystems of Valles Caldera National Preserve, ranging from 8,000 to 11,254 feet high, combine abundant rainfall, mixed-conifer forests, and deep, rich soils to support a great diversity of wildlife including several thousand elk and healthy populations of mountain lions, bears, bobcats, and coyotes.

Valles Caldera is home to 3 threatened and endangered animal species:

• Jemez Mountains salamander (Plethodon neomexicanus)
• New Mexico meadow jumping mouse (Zapus hudsonius luteus)
• Mexican spotted owl (Strix occidentalis lucida).

Additionally, at least 40 bird species of conservation concern are known to occupy Valles Caldera. The park's central location within the Jemez Mountains provides landscape connectivity among a mosaic of protected lands like Bandelier National Monument and the Santa Fe National Forest. This ensures that wildlife corridors and habitat are preserved across manmade boundary lines for holistic ecosystem protection and function.

Wildlife Viewing

Wildlife viewing at Valles Caldera is a highly memorable experience. While elk are the most popular animal to observe in the park, visitors may also delight in witnessing the shenanigans of a Gunnison's prairie dog colony, the intense concentration of a coyote on the hunt, and the symphony of birdsong on an early-morning hike. Please remember to maintain a safe and respectful distance when watching wildlife. If their behavior changes because of your presence, you're too close!

Valles Caldera National Preserve is one of the American Southwest's premier wildlife viewing destinations. Learn more on our Wildlife Observing page.

 

Elk

Approximately 2,500 elk call Valles Caldera home.

Prairie Dogs

Gunnison's prairie dogs are many park visitors' first wildlife encounter.

Coyote

Coyotes are frequently spotted hunting near the park's Entrance Station.

Black Bear

Black bears can be spotted during the summer months.

Mountain Lions

The Jemez Mountains provide great habitat for mountain lions.

Long-tailed Weasel

Long-tailed weasels are tiny but mighty hunters common to the park.

Pika

A climate-sensitive species, pika live in the highest elevations of Valles Caldera.

Mexican Wolves

Mexican wolves are native to Valles Caldera, passing through as recently as December 2023.

 

×

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:

Valles Caldera National Preserve

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.