Wyoming Habitats, Mammals, Birds, Amphibians, Reptiles

Wyoming is a diverse and beautiful state covering 62.6 million acres with many habitat types. Overall, 42% of Wyoming is owned privately – mostly in the eastern great plains area of the state. Wyoming can be broken down in several "ecoregions" to help describe different areas of the state.

The Great Plains-Palouse Dry Steppe Province includes Wyoming's shortgrass and mixedgrass prairies – also called the American steppe. This region is found covering the eastern third of Wyoming. It is dry land due to the "rain shadow effect" of the Rocky Mountains that block rainfall generated from the moisture off the Pacific Ocean. Though treeless, the prairie region is not all flat, but includes rolling hills, badlands, bluffs and low ridges. This area has much of Wyoming's urban development, farms and ranchland.

The Intermountain Semidesert Province includes Wyoming's arid region and covers the largest area of the state of all the ecoregions. This windy, semidesert includes valleys and basins covered in sagebrush and other drought tolerant shrubs and grasses. Along the rivers that run through this region, there are cottonwoods and willows forming a riparian zone in the floodplain.
The Southern Rocky Mountain Steppe-Open Woodland-Coniferous Forest-Alpine Meadow Province includes Wyoming's Southern Rockies. These peaks reach 13,000 feet with milder valleys between them. From valley floor to mountain top, this forested region has many zones with a wide range of vegetation.

The Black Hills Coniferous Forest Province includes the Black Hills on the Wyoming-South Dakota border. These low mountains are covered mostly in ponderosa pine, but spruce, paper birch, ash, elm, aspen, lodgepole and bur oak are also found. The Black Hills are surrounded by lower, open, arid sagebrush country. The Black Hills have habitat for elk, pronghorn antelope, bison, mule deer and white-tailed deer.

Wyoming forests cover 9.8 million acres – 16% of the state. Of that forest, 83% is federally owned. The most common forest type is lodgepole pine (28%) followed by spruce-fir (25%), ponderosa pine (14%), pinyon-juniper (13%), Douglas fir (7%), aspen (8%), and other softwoods.

Wyoming is an arid state with relatively little wetland habitat. Yet wetlands are very important habitats providing valuable habitat for migrating and breeding birds and other wildlife. 70% of Wyoming's birds are wetland or riparian bird species (they need wetlands for breeding and/or feeding). Wetlands also stabilize shorelines and – acting like a sponge – they protect the land from flooding during wet times and drought during dry times. They also act as filters to pollutants that run off the land from farms, towns and cities. For generations, people saw wetlands as wasted land and filled them in and covered them over. It wasn't until late in the 1900s that people realized the vital importance of wetlands and set about protecting and reclaiming them. There was never an abundance of wetlands in Wyoming, but before European settlers came to the state, wetland covered 3.2% of the land. Today, less than half of that remains (1.5% - less than 1 million acres) and more than half of those are not year round.

For more information about your state's mammals (including Latin names) click on individual animal links or for another (off-site) resource: FORESTS

antelope (pronghorn)
badger
bat (big brown)
bat (Brazilian free-tailed)
bat (California myotis)
bat (fringed)
bat (hoary)
bat (Keen's)
bat (little brown myotis)
bat (long-eared myotis)
bat (long-legged myotis)
bat (pallid)
bat (red)
bat (silver-haired)
bat (small-footed)
bat (spotted)
bat (Townsend's big-eared)
bat (Yuma myotis)
bear (black)
bear (grizzly)
beaver (American)
bighorn sheep
bison (American)
bobcat
chipmunk (cliff)
chipmunk (least)
chipmunk (Uinta)
chipmunk (yellow-pine)
coyote 
deer (mule)
deer (white-tailed)
elk
ferret (black-footed)
fisher
fox (gray)
fox (red)
fox (swift)
ground squirrel (golden-mantled)
ground squirrel (spotted)
ground squirrel (thirteen-lined)
ground squirrel (Uinta)
ground squirrel (Wyoming)
hare (snowshoe)
jackrabbit (black-tailed)
jackrabbit (white-tailed)
kangaroo rat (Ord's)
lynx (Canadian)
marmot (yellow-bellied)
marten (American)
mink
mole (eastern)
moose

mountain lion
mouse (canyon)
mouse (deer)
mouse (Great Basin)
mouse (hispid pocket)
mouse (house)
mouse (meadow jumping)
mouse (northern grasshopper)
mouse (olive-backed)
mouse (pinon)
mouse (plains harvest)
mouse (plains pocket)
mouse (silky pocket)
mouse (western harvest)
mouse (western jumping)
mouse (white-footed)
muskrat
opossum (Virginia)
otter (river)
pika (American)
pocket gopher (Idaho)
pocket gopher (northern)
pocket gopher (plains)
pocket gopher (Wyoming)
porcupine
prairie dog (black-tailed)
prairie dog (white-tailed)
rabbit (eastern cottontail)
rabbit (desert cottontail)
rabbit (Nuttall's)
rabbit (pygmy)
raccoon
rat (Norway)
ringtail
shrew (dusky)
shrew (dwarf)
shrew (Hayden's)
shrew (masked)
shrew (Merriam's)
shrew (Preble's)
shrew (pygmy)
shrew (vagrant)
shrew (water)
skunk (eastern spotted)
skunk (striped)
skunk (western spotted)
squirrel (Abert's)
squirrel (fox)
squirrel (northern flying)
squirrel (red)
vole (heather)
vole (long-tailed)
vole (meadow)
vole (montane)
vole (prairie)
vole (sagebrush)
vole (southern red-backed)
vole (plains)
weasel (least)
weasel (long-tailed)
weasel (short-tailed) or ermine
wolf (gray)
wolverine
woodrat (bushy-tailed)

For more information about Wyoming's mammals (including Latin names) click on individual animal links or for another (off-site) resource: LINK

Amphibians
bullfrog (American)
frog (boreal chorus)
frog (Columbia spotted)
frog (northern leopard)
frog (wood)
salamander (tiger)
spadefoot (Great Basin)
spadefoot (plains)
toad (boreal)
toad (Great Plains)
toad (Woodhouse's) or Rocky Mountain
toad (Wyoming)

Reptiles
lizard (greater short-horned)
lizard (great plains earless)
lizard (northern alligator)
lizard (northern sagebrush)
lizard (northern tree)
lizard (plateau fence)
lizard (prairie)
lizard (prairie racerunner)
skink (many-lined)
snakes (Black Hills red-bellied)
snakes (bull)
snake (common garter)
snakes (eastern yellow-bellied racer)
snake (Great Basin gopher)
snake (midget faded rattlesnake)
snakes (northern rubber boa)
snakes (pale milk)
snakes (plains black-headed)
snakes (plains hog-nosed)
snake (plains garter)
snakes (prairie rattlesnake)
snake (smooth greensnake)
snakes (wandering garter)
turtle (eastern snapping)
turtle (ornate box)
turtle (western painted)
turtle (western spiny softshell)
 
For more information about Wyoming amphibians and reptiles (including Latin names) click on individual animal links or for another (off-site) resource: Amphibians, Reptiles

avocet (American)
bittern (American)
bittern (least)
blackbird (Brewer's)
blackbird (red-winged)
blackbird (rusty)
blackbird (yellow-headed)
bluebird (eastern)
bluebird (mountain)
bluebird (western)
bobolink
bobwhite (northern)
brambling
bunting (indigo)
bunting (lark)
bunting (lazuli)
bunting (painted)
bunting (snow)
bushtit
caracara (crested)
cardinal (northern)
catbird (gray)
chat (yellow-breasted)
chickadee (black-capped)
chickadee (mountain)
coot (American)
cormorant (double-crested)
cowbird (brown-headed)
crane (sandhill)
crane (whooping)
creeper (brown)
crossbill (red)
crossbill (white-winged)
crow (American)
cuckoo (black-billed)
cuckoo (yellow-billed)
curlew (long-billed)
dickcissel
dipper (American)
dove (African collared)
dove (Eurasian collared)
dove (mourning)
dove (white-winged)
dowitcher (long-billed)
dowitcher (short-billed)
duck (American black)
duck (American widgeon)
duck (Barrow's goldeneye)
duck (black scoter)
duck (blue-winged teal)
duck (bufflehead)
duck (canvasback)
duck (cinnamon teal)
duck (common shelduck)
duck (common goldeneye)
duck (Eurasian widgeon)
duck (gadwall)
duck (garganey)
duck (greater scaup)
duck (green-winged teal)
duck (harlequin)
duck (lesser scaup)
duck (long-tailed)
duck (mallard)
duck (northern pintail)
duck (northern shoveler)
duck (redhead)
duck (ring-necked)
duck (ruddy)
duck (ruddy shelduck)
duck (surf scoter)
duck (tufted)
duck (white-winged scoter)
duck (wood)
dunlin
eagle (bald)
eagle (golden)
egret (cattle)
egret (great)
egret (snowy)
falcon (gyrfalcon)
falcon (peregrine)
falcon (prairie)
finch (black rosy)
finch (brown-capped rosy)
finch (Cassin's)
finch (gray-crowned rosy)
finch (house)
finch (purple)
flicker (northern)
flycatcher (ash-throated)
flycatcher (Cordilleran)
flycatcher (dusky)
flycatcher (gray)
flycatcher (great-crested)
flycatcher (Hammond's)
flycatcher (least)
flycatcher (olive-sided)
flycatcher (scissor-tailed)
flycatcher (vermillion)
flycatcher (willow)
frigatebird (lesser)
gallinule (purple)
gnatcatcher (blue-gray)
godwit (Hudsonian)
godwit (marbled)
goldfinch (American)
goldfinch (Lawrence's)
goldfinch (European)
goldfinch (lesser)
goose (Brant)
goose (cackling)
goose (Canada)
goose (great white-fronted)
goose (Ross's)
goose (snow)
grackle (common)
grackle (great-tailed)
grèbe (Clark's)
grèbe (eared)
grèbe (horned)
grèbe (pied-billed)
grèbe (red-necked)
grèbe (western)
grosbeak (black-headed)
grosbeak (blue)
grosbeak (evening)
grosbeak (pine)
grosbeak (rose-breasted)
grosbeak (yellow)
grouse (dusky)
grouse (greater sage)
grouse (ruffed)
grouse (sharp-tailed)
gull (black-headed)
gull (Bonaparte’s)
gull (California)
gull (Franklin's)
gull (glaucous)
gull (glaucous-winged)
gull (great black-backed)
gull (Heermann's)
gull (herring)
gull (laughing)
gull (lesser black-backed)
gull (little)
gull (mew)
gull (ring-billed)
gull (Ross's)
gull (Sabine's)
gull (Thayer's)
harrier (northern) - marsh hawk
hawk (broad-winged)
hawk (Cooper's)
hawk (ferruginous)
hawk (Harris's)
hawk (northern goshawk)
hawk (red-shouldered)
hawk (red-tailed)
hawk (rough-legged)
hawk (sharp-shinned)
hawk (Swainson's)
heron (black-crowned night)
heron (great blue)
heron (green)
heron (little blue)
heron (tricolored)
heron (yellow-crowned night)
hummingbird (Anna's)
hummingbird (black-chinned)
hummingbird (broad-tailed)
hummingbird (calliope)
hummingbird (magnificent)
hummingbird (ruby-throated)
hummingbird (rufous)
ibis (glossy)
ibis (white)
ibis (white-faced)
jaeger (parastic)
jay (blue)
jay (gray)
jay (pinyon)
jay (Stellar's)
jay (western scrub)
junco (dark-eyed)
kestrel (American)
killdeer
kingbird (Cassin's)
kingbird (eastern)
kingbird (western)
kingfisher (belted)
kinglet (golden-crowned)
kinglet (ruby-crowned)
kite (Mississippi)
kite (white-tailed)
kittiwake (black-legged)
lark (horned)
longspur (chestnut-collared)
longspur (Lapland)
longspur (McCown's)
longspur (Smith's)
loon (common)
loon (Pacific)
loon (red-throated)
loon (yellow-billed)
magpie (black-billed)
martin (purple)
meadowlark (western)
merganser (common)
merganser (hooded)
merganser (red-breasted)
merlin
mockingbird (northern)
moorhen (common)
murrelet (ancient)
murrelet (long-billed)
nighthawk (common)
nutcracker (Clark's)
nuthatch (pygmy)
nuthatch (red-breasted)
nuthatch (white-breasted)
oriole (Baltimore)
oriole (Bullock's)
oriole (orchard)
oriole (Scott's)
osprey
ovenbird
owl (barn)
owl (barred)
owl (boreal)
owl (burrowing)
owl (great gray)
owl (great horned)
owl (eastern screech)
owl (flammulated)
owl (long-eared)
owl (northern hawk)
owl (northern pygmy)
owl (northern saw-whet)
owl (short-eared)
owl (snowy)
owl (western screech)
partridge (chukar)
partridge (gray)
parula (northern)
pelican (American white)
pelican (brown)
phalarope (red)
phalarope (red-necked)
phalarope (Wilson's)
pheasant (ring-necked)
phoebe (eastern)
phoebe (Say's)
pigeon (band-tailed)
pigeon (rock)
pipit (American)
pipit (Sprague's)
plover (American golden)
plover (black-bellied)
plover (mountain)
plover (piping)
plover (semipalmated)
plover (snowy)
poorwill (common)
prairie-chicken (greater)
ptarmigan (white-tailed)
rail (Virginia)
rail (yellow)
raven (common)
red knot
redpoll (common)
redpoll (hoary)
redstart (American)
robin (American)
sanderling
sandpiper (Baird's)
sandpiper (buff-breasted)
sandpiper (least)
sandpiper (pectoral)
sandpiper (semipalmated)
sandpiper (solitary)
sandpiper (spotted)
sandpiper (stilt)
sandpiper (upland)
sandpiper (western)
sandpiper (white-rumped)
shearwater (streaked)
shrike (loggerhead)
shrike (northern)
siskin (pine)
solitaire (Townsend's)
sora
snipe  (Wilson's)
sparrow (American tree)
sparrow (Baird's)
sparrow (black-throated)
sparrow (Brewer's)
sparrow (Cassin's)
sparrow (chipping)
sparrow (clay-colored)
sparrow (field)
sparrow (fox)
sparrow (golden-crowned)
sparrow (grasshopper)
sparrow (Harris's)
sparrow (house)
sparrow (lark)
sparrow (Le Conte's)
sparrow (Lincoln's)
sparrow (Nelson's sharp-tailed)
sparrow (sage)
sparrow (Savannah)
sparrow (song)
sparrow (swamp)
sparrow (vesper)
sparrow (white-crowned)
sparrow (white-throated)
starling (European)
stork (wood)
stilt (black-necked)
swallow (bank)
swallow (barn)
swallow (cliff)
swallow (northern rough-winged)
swallow (tree)
swallow (violet-green)
swan (mute)
swan (trumpeter)
swan (tundra)
swan (whooper)
swift (chimney)
swift (white-throated)
tanager (hepatic)
tanager (scarlet)
tanager (summer)
tanager (western)
tern (Arctic)
tern (black)
tern (Caspian)
tern (common)
tern (least)
thrasher (brown)
thrasher (sage)
thrush (gray-cheeked)
thrush (hermit)
thrush (Swainson's)
thrush (varied)
thrush (wood)
titmouse (juniper)
towhee (canyon)
towhee (green-tailed)
towhee (spotted)
turkey (wild)
turnstone (ruddy)
veery
vireo (blue-headed)
vireo (Cassin's)
vireo (gray)
vireo (Philadelphia)
vireo (plumbeous)
vireo (red-eyed)
vireo (warbling)
vireo (white-eyed)
vireo (yellow-throated)
vulture (turkey)
warbler (bay-breasted)
warbler (blackburnian)
warbler (blackpoll)
warbler (black-and-white)
warbler (black-throated blue)
warbler (black-throated gray)
warbler (black-throated green)
warbler (blue-winged)
warbler (Canada)
warbler (Cape May)
warbler (chestnut-sided)
warbler (Connecticut)
warbler (golden-winged)
warbler (hermit)
warbler (hooded)
warbler (Kentucky)
warbler (MacGillivray's)
warbler (magnolia)
warbler (mourning)
warbler (Nashville)
warbler (orange-crowned)
warbler (palm)
warbler (pine)
warbler (prairie)
warbler (prothonotary)
warbler (red-faced)
warbler (Tennessee)
warbler (Townsend's)
warbler (Virginia's)
warbler (Wilson's)
warbler (worm-eating)
warbler (yellow)
warbler (yellow-rumped)
warbler (yellow-throated)
waterthrush (northern)
waxwing (Bohemian)
waxwing (cedar)
whimbrel
willet
wood-pewee (eastern)
wood-pewee (western)
woodcock (American)
woodpecker (Acorn)
woodpecker (American three-toed)
woodpecker (black-headed)
woodpecker (downy)
woodpecker (hairy)
woodpecker (Lewis's)
woodpecker (pileated)
woodpecker (red-bellied)
woodpecker (red-headed)
woodpecker (red-naped sapsucker)
woodpecker (white-headed)
woodpecker (Williamson's sapsucker)
woodpecker (yellow-bellied sapsucker)
wren (Bewick's)
wren (canyon)
wren (Carolina)
wren (house)
wren (marsh)
wren (rock)
wren (sedge)
wren (winter)
yellowlegs (greater)
yellowlegs (lesser)
yellowthroat (common)

For more information about Wyoming's birds (including Latin names) click on individual animal links or for another (off-site) resource: LINK