Wildlife
What lives in Saguaro
Last verified NPS species database
Every animal below comes from the National Park Service’s own species list for Saguaro: 69 mammals, 215 birds, 51 reptiles, 8 amphibians and 0 fish recorded as present. Status words (present, unconfirmed, not in park) are the NPS’s, not ours.
Animals people ask about
Black bear
Ursus americanus
Coyote
Canis latrans
Mountain lion
Puma concolor
Bobcat
Lynx rufus
Rattlesnakes
Crotalus atrox · Common · any rattlesnake species
Gila monster
Heloderma suspectum
Desert tortoise
Gopherus agassizii · Common
Golden eagle
Aquila chrysaetos · Rare
Bighorn sheep
Ovis canadensis
By group
Species counts
Present or probably present per the NPS list. “Listed” includes species the NPS has evaluated but marks unconfirmed or not in park.
- Mammals
- 69
- 102 listed · 3 non-native
- Birds
- 215
- 246 listed · 4 non-native
- Reptiles
- 51
- 62 listed
- Amphibians
- 8
- 11 listed · 1 non-native
- Fish
- 0
- 0 listed
Endangered Species Act
1 threatened or endangered species
Federal listing status as recorded in the NPS species database.
| Species | Scientific name | Status in park | Abundance | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yellow-billed Cuckoo | Coccyzus americanus | Rare | Threatened |
Mammals
All 69 mammals recorded in Saguaro
Most abundant first, as the NPS rates them.
| Species | Scientific name | Status in park | Abundance | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Abert's squirrel | Sciurus aberti | |||
| Alleghanian Spotted Skunk | Spilogale putorius | |||
| American badger | Taxidea taxus | |||
| American beaver | Castor canadensis | |||
| American black bear | Ursus americanus | |||
| Antelope jackrabbit | Lepus alleni | |||
| ARIZONA COTTON RAT | Sigmodon arizonae | |||
| Arizona gray squirrel | Sciurus arizonensis | |||
| Arizona pocket mouse | Perognathus amplus | |||
| Bailey's pocket mouse | Chaetodipus baileyi | |||
| Big brown bat | Eptesicus fuscus | |||
| Black-tailed jackrabbit | Lepus californicus |
Show the other 57 mammals ↓The other 57
| Species | Scientific name | Status in park | Abundance | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bobcat | Lynx rufus | |||
| Botta's pocket gopher | Thomomys bottae | |||
| Brazilian free-tailed bat | Tadarida brasiliensis | |||
| Brush mouse | Peromyscus boylii | |||
| Cactus mouse | Peromyscus eremicus | |||
| California leaf-nosed bat | Macrotus californicus | |||
| California myotis | Myotis californicus | |||
| Catamount | Puma concolor | |||
| Caucasian wildcat | Felis silvestris | Non-native | ||
| Cave myotis | Myotis velifer | |||
| Cliff Chipmunk | Tamias dorsalis | |||
| Collared peccary | Pecari tajacu | |||
| Common gray fox | Urocyon cinereoargenteus | |||
| Common raccoon | Procyon lotor | |||
| Coyote | Canis latrans | |||
| Crawford's Gray Shrew | Notiosorex crawfordi | |||
| Deer mouse | Peromyscus maniculatus | |||
| Desert cottontail | Sylvilagus audubonii | |||
| Desert Fox | Vulpes macrotis | |||
| Domestic cattle | Bos taurus | Non-native | ||
| Eastern Small-footed Bat | Myotis leibii | |||
| Feral dog | Canis familiaris | Non-native | ||
| Fringed myotis | Myotis thysanodes | |||
| Fulvous harvest mouse | Reithrodontomys fulvescens | |||
| Harris antelope squirrel | Ammospermophilus harrisii | |||
| Hoary bat | Lasiurus cinereus | |||
| Hooded skunk | Mephitis macroura | |||
| Lesser long-nosed | Leptonycteris curasoae | |||
| Lesser Long-nosed Bat | Leptonycteris yerbabuenae | |||
| Long-legged myotis | Myotis volans | |||
| Long-tongued bat | Choeronycteris mexicana | |||
| Merriam's kangaroo rat | Dipodomys merriami | |||
| Mexican Woodrat | Neotoma mexicana | |||
| Mule deer | Odocoileus hemionus | |||
| Pallid bat | Antrozous pallidus | |||
| Pocketed free-tailed bat | Nyctinomops femorosaccus | |||
| Ringtail | Bassariscus astutus | |||
| Rock Pocket Mouse | Chaetodipus intermedius | |||
| Rock squirrel | Spermophilus variegatus | |||
| Round-tailed Ground Squirrel | Spermophilus tereticaudus | |||
| Silver-haired bat | Lasionycteris noctivagans | |||
| Sonoran Desert pocket mouse | Chaetodipus penicillatus | |||
| South American Coati | Nasua nasua | |||
| Southern Grasshopper Mouse | Onychomys torridus | |||
| Southwestern myotis | Myotis auriculus | |||
| Striped skunk | Mephitis mephitis | |||
| Townsend's big-eared bat | Plecotus townsendii | |||
| Western Harvest Mouse | Reithrodontomys megalotis | |||
| Western pipistrelle | Pipistrellus hesperus | |||
| Western red bat | Lasiurus blossevillii | |||
| Western white-throated woodrat | Neotoma albigula | |||
| White-backed hog-nosed skunk | Conepatus mesoleucus | |||
| White-footed Deermouse | Peromyscus leucopus | |||
| White-nosed coati | Nasua narica | |||
| White-tailed deer | Odocoileus virginianus | |||
| Yellow-nosed Cotton Rat | Sigmodon ochrognathus | |||
| Yuma myotis | Myotis yumanensis |
Birds
215 birds — show the list ↓
Birds
215 birds — show the list ↓
| Species | Scientific name | Status in park | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cooper's hawk | Accipiter cooperii | ||
| Northern Goshawk | Accipiter gentilis | ||
| Sharp-shinned Hawk | Accipiter striatus | ||
| Spotted Sandpiper | Actitis macularius | ||
| Northern Saw-whet Owl | Aegolius acadicus | ||
| White-throated Swift | Aeronautes saxatalis | ||
| Red-winged Blackbird | Agelaius phoeniceus | ||
| Rufous-winged Sparrow | Aimophila carpalis | ||
| Cassin's Sparrow | Aimophila cassinii | ||
| Rufous-crowned Sparrow | Aimophila ruficeps | ||
| Black-throated Sparrow | Amphispiza bilineata | ||
| Mallard | Anas platyrhynchos | ||
| California Scrub Jay | Aphelocoma californica | ||
| Gray-breasted Jay | Aphelocoma ultramarina | ||
| Golden Eagle | Aquila chrysaetos | ||
| Black-chinned hummingbird | Archilochus alexandri | ||
| Great Blue Heron | Ardea herodias | ||
| Long-eared Owl | Asio otus | ||
| Verdin | Auriparus flaviceps | ||
| Juniper Titmouse | Baeolophus ridgwayi | ||
| Bridled Titmouse | Baeolophus wollweberi | ||
| Cedar Waxwing | Bombycilla cedrorum | ||
| Great horned owl | Bubo virginianus | ||
| Zone-tailed hawk | Buteo albonotatus | ||
| Red-tailed hawk | Buteo jamaicensis | ||
| Gray Hawk | Buteo nitidus | ||
| Swainson's Hawk | Buteo swainsoni | ||
| Common Black-Hawk | Buteogallus anthracinus | ||
| Lark Bunting | Calamospiza melanocorys | ||
| Gambel's quail | Callipepla gambelii | ||
| Scaled Quail | Callipepla squamata | ||
| Anna's hummingbird | Calypte anna | ||
| Costa's Hummingbird | Calypte costae | ||
| Northern Beardless-Tyrannulet | Camptostoma imberbe | ||
| Cactus wren | Campylorhynchus brunneicapillus | ||
| Whip-Poor-Will | Caprimulgus vociferus | ||
| Crested Caracara | Caracara cheriway | ||
| Red-faced Warbler | Cardellina rubrifrons | ||
| Northern Cardinal | Cardinalis cardinalis | ||
| Pyrrhuloxia | Cardinalis sinuatus | ||
| Lawrence's Goldfinch | Carduelis lawrencei | ||
| Pine Siskin | Carduelis pinus | ||
| Lesser Goldfinch | Carduelis psaltria | ||
| Cassin's Finch | Carpodacus cassinii | ||
| House Finch | Carpodacus mexicanus | ||
| Purple martin | Carpodacus purpureus | ||
| Turkey Vulture | Cathartes aura | ||
| Hermit Thrush | Catharus guttatus | ||
| Canyon Wren | Catherpes mexicanus | ||
| Brown creeper | Certhia americana | ||
| Vaux's Swift | Chaetura vauxi | ||
| Killdeer | Charadrius vociferus | ||
| Lark Sparrow | Chondestes grammacus | ||
| Lesser Nighthawk | Chordeiles acutipennis | ||
| Common Nighthawk | Chordeiles minor | ||
| Northern Harrier | Circus cyaneus | ||
| Marsh Wren | Cistothorus palustris | ||
| Evening Grosbeak | Coccothraustes vespertinus | ||
| Yellow-billed Cuckoo | Coccyzus americanus | Threatened | |
| Northern flicker | Colaptes auratus | ||
| Guilded flicker | Colaptes chrysoides | ||
| Rock Dove | Columba livia | Non-native | |
| Inca Dove | Columbina inca | ||
| CommonGround-dove | Columbina passerina | ||
| Olive-sided Flycatcher | Contopus cooperi | ||
| Greater pewee | Contopus pertinax | ||
| Western wood pewee | Contopus sordidulus | ||
| Black Vulture | Coragyps atratus | ||
| Common Raven | Corvus corax | ||
| Stellar's Jay | Cyanocitta stelleri | ||
| Broad-billed Hummingbird | Cynanthus latirostris | ||
| Montezuma Quail | Cyrtonyx montezumae | ||
| Yellow-rumped warbler | Dendroica coronata | ||
| Grace's warbler | Dendroica graciae | ||
| Black-throated Gray Warbler | Dendroica nigrescens | ||
| Hermit warbler | Dendroica occidentalis | ||
| Yellow Warbler | Dendroica petechia | ||
| Townsend's Warbler | Dendroica townsendi | ||
| Pacific-slope flycatcher | Empidonax difficilis | ||
| Buff-breasted flycatcher | Empidonax fulvifrons | ||
| Hammond's Flycatcher | Empidonax hammondii | ||
| Dusky flycatcher | Empidonax oberholseri | ||
| Cordilleran Flycatcher | Empidonax occidentalis | ||
| Gray Flycatcher | Empidonax wrightii | ||
| Horned Lark | Eremophila alpestris | ||
| Magnificent hummingbird | Eugenes fulgens | ||
| Brewer's Blackbird | Euphagus cyanocephalus | ||
| Merlin | Falco columbarius | ||
| Prairie Falcon | Falco mexicanus | ||
| Peregrine Falcon | Falco peregrinus | ||
| American Kestrel | Falco sparverius | ||
| Greater Roadrunner | Geococcyx californianus | ||
| Common Yellowthroat | Geothlypis trichas | ||
| Northern Pygmy Owl | Glaucidium gnoma | ||
| Pinyon Jay | Gymnorhinus cyanocephalus | ||
| Barn Swallow | Hirundo rustica | ||
| Yellow-breasted Chat | Icteria virens | ||
| Bullock's Oriole | Icterus bullockii | ||
| Hooded Oriole | Icterus cucullatus | ||
| Scott's Oriole | Icterus parisorum | ||
| Dark-eyed Junco | Junco hyemalis | ||
| Yellow-eyed junco | Junco phaeonotus | ||
| Loggerhead Shrike | Lanius ludovicianus | ||
| Hooded merganser | Lophodytes cucullatus | ||
| Red Crossbill | Loxia curvirostra | ||
| Belted Kingfisher | Megaceryle alcyon | ||
| Tecolote occidental | Megascops kennicottii | ||
| Whiskered Screech Owl | Megascops trichopsis | ||
| Acorn woodpecker | Melanerpes formicivorus | ||
| Lewis' Woodpecker | Melanerpes lewis | ||
| Gila woodpecker | Melanerpes uropygialis | ||
| Wild Turkey | Meleagris gallopavo | ||
| Lincoln's Sparrow | Melospiza lincolnii | ||
| Song Sparrow | Melospiza melodia | ||
| Elf owl | Micrathene whitneyi | ||
| Northern Mockingbird | Mimus polyglottos | ||
| Bronzed Cowbird | Molothrus aeneus | ||
| Brown-headed Cowbird | Molothrus ater | ||
| Townsend's Solitaire | Myadestes townsendi | ||
| Ash-throated Flycatcher | Myiarchus cinerascens | ||
| Dusky-capped Flycatcher | Myiarchus tuberculifer | ||
| Brown-crested flycatcher | Myiarchus tyrannulus | ||
| Painted redstart | Myioborus pictus | ||
| Sulphur-bellied Flycatcher | Myiodynastes luteiventris | ||
| Clark's Nutcracker | Nucifraga columbiana | ||
| Black-crowned Night Heron | Nycticorax nycticorax | ||
| Macgillivray's warbler | Oporornis tolmiei | ||
| Sage Thrasher | Oreoscoptes montanus | ||
| Flammulated owl | Otus flammeolus | ||
| Osprey | Pandion haliaetus | ||
| Harris' Hawk | Parabuteo unicinctus | ||
| Parula americana | Parula americana | ||
| House Sparrow | Passer domesticus | Non-native | |
| Fox Sparrow | Passerella iliaca | ||
| Lazuli Bunting | Passerina amoena | ||
| Blue Grosbeak | Passerina caerulea | ||
| Indigo Bunting | Passerina cyanea | ||
| Varied Bunting | Passerina versicolor | ||
| Band-tailed Pigeon | Patagioenas fasciata | ||
| American Cliff Swallow | Petrochelidon pyrrhonota | ||
| Olive warbler | Peucedramus taeniatus | ||
| Phainopepla | Phainopepla nitens | ||
| Common poorwill | Phalaenoptilus nuttallii | ||
| Black-headed Grosbeak | Pheucticus melanocephalus | ||
| Arizona Woodpecker | Picoides arizonae | ||
| Ladder-backed woodpecker | Picoides scalaris | ||
| Hairy Woodpecker | Picoides villosus | ||
| Abert's Towhee | Pipilo aberti | ||
| Green-tailed Towhee | Pipilo chlorurus | ||
| Canyon towhee | Pipilo fuscus | ||
| Spotted Towhee | Pipilo maculatus | ||
| Hepatic tanager | Piranga flava | ||
| Western tanager | Piranga ludoviciana | ||
| Summer Tanager | Piranga rubra | ||
| Mountain Chickadee | Poecile gambeli | ||
| Blue-gray Gnatcatcher | Polioptila caerulea | ||
| Black-tailed Gnatcatcher | Polioptila melanura | ||
| Vesper Sparrow | Pooecetes gramineus | ||
| Purple Martin | Progne subis | ||
| Bushtit | Psaltriparus minimus | ||
| Vermilion Flycatcher | Pyrocephalus rubinus | ||
| Great-tailed Grackle | Quiscalus mexicanus | ||
| Ruby-crowned Kinglet | Regulus calendula | ||
| Golden-crowned Kinglet | Regulus satrapa | ||
| Rock Wren | Salpinctes obsoletus | ||
| Black Phoebe | Sayornis nigricans | ||
| Say's Phoebe | Sayornis saya | ||
| Broad-tailed hummingbird | Selasphorus platycercus | ||
| Rufous Hummingbird | Selasphorus rufus | ||
| Mountain Bluebird | Sialia currucoides | ||
| Western bluebird | Sialia mexicana | ||
| Red-breasted Nuthatch | Sitta canadensis | ||
| White-breasted nuthatch | Sitta carolinensis | ||
| Pygmy nuthatch | Sitta pygmaea | ||
| Red-naped sapsucker | Sphyrapicus nuchalis | ||
| Williamson's Sapsucker | Sphyrapicus thyroideus | ||
| Black-chinned sparrow | Spizella atrogularis | ||
| Brewer's sparrow | Spizella breweri | ||
| Chipping Sparrow | Spizella passerina | ||
| Northern Rough-winged Swallow | Stelgidopteryx serripennis | ||
| Calliope Hummingbird | Stellula calliope | ||
| Eurasian Collared Dove | Streptopelia decaocto | Non-native | |
| Spotted Owl | Strix occidentalis | ||
| Eastern Meadowlark | Sturnella magna | ||
| Western Meadowlark | Sturnella neglecta | ||
| European Starling | Sturnus vulgaris | Non-native | |
| Tree Swallow | Tachycineta bicolor | ||
| Violet-green swallow | Tachycineta thalassina | ||
| Bewick's Wren | Thryomanes bewickii | ||
| Bendire's Thrasher | Toxostoma bendirei | ||
| Crissal Thrasher | Toxostoma crissale | ||
| Curve-billed thrasher | Toxostoma curvirostre | ||
| House wren | Troglodytes aedon | ||
| Elegant Trogon | Trogon elegans | ||
| American Robin | Turdus migratorius | ||
| Western Kingbird | Tyrannus verticalis | ||
| Cassin's Kingbird | Tyrannus vociferans | ||
| Barn Owl | Tyto alba | ||
| Orange-crowned Warbler | Vermivora celata | ||
| Lucy's Warbler | Vermivora luciae | ||
| Nashville Warbler | Vermivora ruficapilla | ||
| Virginia's warbler | Vermivora virginiae | ||
| Bell's vireo | Vireo bellii | ||
| Cassin's Vireo | Vireo cassinii | ||
| Yellow-green Vireo | Vireo flavoviridis | ||
| Warbling vireo | Vireo gilvus | ||
| Hutton's Vireo | Vireo huttoni | ||
| Plumbeous Vireo | Vireo plumbeus | ||
| Solitary vireo | Vireo solitarius | ||
| Gray Vireo | Vireo vicinior | ||
| Wilson's warbler | Wilsonia pusilla | ||
| Yellow-headed Blackbird | Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus | ||
| White-winged dove | Zenaida asiatica | ||
| Mourning Dove | Zenaida macroura | ||
| White-crowned sparrow | Zonotrichia leucophrys |
Reptiles
51 reptiles — show the list ↓
Reptiles
51 reptiles — show the list ↓
| Species | Scientific name | Status in park | Abundance | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Glossy Snake | Arizona elegans | |||
| Zebra-tailed Lizard | Callisaurus draconoides | Common | ||
| Variable Sandsnake | Chilomeniscus stramineus | Rare | ||
| Canyon Spotted Whiptail | Cnemidophorus burti | Uncommon | ||
| Gila Spotted Whiptail | Cnemidophorus flagellicaudus | |||
| Sonoran Spotted Whiptail | Cnemidophorus sonorae | Uncommon | ||
| Western Whiptail | Cnemidophorus tigris | Common | ||
| Western Banded Gecko | Coleonyx variegatus | Common | ||
| Greater earless lizard | Cophosaurus texanus | Common | ||
| Westerndiamondback rattlesnake | Crotalus atrox | Common | ||
| Sidewinder | Crotalus cerastes | Uncommon | ||
| Black-tailed Rattlesnake | Crotalus molossus | Common | ||
| Northern Pacific Rattlesnake | Crotalus oreganus | Uncommon | ||
| Green Rattlesnake | Crotalus scutulatus | Uncommon | ||
| Tiger rattlesnake | Crotalus tigris | Uncommon | ||
| Prairie Rattlesnake | Crotalus viridis | Uncommon | ||
| Collared Lizard | Crotaphytus collaris | Uncommon | ||
| Ringneck Snake | Diadophis punctatus | Rare | ||
| Common Desert Iguana | Dipsosaurus dorsalis | |||
| Arizona Alligator Lizard | Elgaria kingii | |||
| Great Plains Skink | Eumeces obsoletus | |||
| Leopard lizard | Gambelia wislizenii | Rare | ||
| Agassiz's Desert Tortoise | Gopherus agassizii | Common | ||
| Gila monster | Heloderma suspectum | |||
| Lesser earless lizard | Holbrookia maculata | Common | ||
| Night snake | Hypsiglena torquata | Common | ||
| Sonora Mud Turtle | Kinosternon sonoriense | Common | ||
| Common Kingsnake | Lampropeltis getula | Uncommon | ||
| Arizona Mountain Kingsnake | Lampropeltis pyromelana | Uncommon | ||
| Western blind snake | Leptotyphlops humilis | Uncommon | ||
| Sonoran Whipsnake | Masticophis bilineatus | Common | ||
| Coachwhip | Masticophis flagellum | Common | ||
| Sonoran Coralsnake | Micruroides euryxanthus | Uncommon | ||
| Greater Short-horned Lizard | Phrynosoma hernandesi | Uncommon | ||
| Regal horned lizard | Phrynosoma solare | Uncommon | ||
| Maricopa Leafnose Snake | Phyllorhynchus browni | Rare | ||
| Gopher snake | Pituophis catenifer | Common | ||
| Longnose Snake | Rhinocheilus lecontei | Common | ||
| Big Bend Patchnose Snake | Salvadora deserticola | |||
| Eastern Patch-nosed Snake | Salvadora grahamiae | Uncommon | ||
| Patchnose snake | Salvadora hexalepis | Uncommon | ||
| Clark's Spiny Lizard | Sceloporus clarkii | Common | ||
| Desert spiny lizard | Sceloporus magister | Uncommon | ||
| Plateau Fence Lizard | Sceloporus tristichus | Uncommon | ||
| Ground Snake | Sonora semiannulata | Rare | ||
| Smith's Black-headed Snake | Tantilla hobartsmithi | Uncommon | ||
| Ornate Box Turtle | Terrapene ornata | |||
| Blackneck Garter Snake | Thamnophis cyrtopsis | Common | ||
| Lyre snake | Trimorphodon biscutatus | Uncommon | ||
| Tree Liazard | Urosaurus ornatus | Common | ||
| Side-blotched lizard | Uta stansburiana | Common |
Amphibians
8 amphibians — show the list ↓
Amphibians
8 amphibians — show the list ↓
| Species | Scientific name | Status in park | Abundance | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sonoran desert toad | Bufo alvarius | Uncommon | ||
| Great plains toad | Bufo cognatus | Uncommon | ||
| Red-spotted toad | Bufo punctatus | Common | ||
| Canyon treefrog | Hyla arenicolor | Uncommon | ||
| Bullfrog | Rana catesbeiana | Non-native | ||
| Lowland Leopard Frog | Rana yavapaiensis | Uncommon | ||
| Couch's spadefoot | Scaphiopus couchii | Common | ||
| Mexican Spadefoot | Spea multiplicata |
Where this comes from
NPSpecies is the National Park Service’s database of the species documented in each park. We show its vertebrate lists as published: a species is “present” when the park has confirmed it, “unconfirmed” when reports exist without verification, and “not in park” when the NPS has ruled it out (often tagged “historical” for animals that once lived there). Lists lag reality by months or years and seeing an animal is never guaranteed. Plants, insects and other invertebrates are not included here. Browse the full NPSpecies list for Saguaro.
Sources · 2
- 1.NPSpecies — the National Park Service species database (IRMA), full and detail species lists — Saguaro (SAGU) · National Park Service (U.S. Department of the Interior)
- 2.Saguaro National Park — Nature & wildlife (nps.gov) · National Park Service
FAQ
Saguaro wildlife questions
- Are there bears in Saguaro?
- Yes. The NPS species list for Saguaro records black bear as present.
- Are there wolves in Saguaro?
- The NPS species list for Saguaro does not include gray wolf, so there is no record of them in the park.
- Are there mountain lions in Saguaro?
- Yes. The NPS species list for Saguaro records mountain lion as present.
- Are there rattlesnakes in Saguaro?
- Yes. The NPS species list for Saguaro records rattlesnakes as present, listed as common.
- How many animal species live in Saguaro?
- The NPS species database lists 69 mammal, 215 bird, 51 reptile, 8 amphibian and 0 fish species as present or probably present in Saguaro, including 1 federally threatened or endangered species. Plants and invertebrates are not counted here.
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