Wildlife
What lives in Theodore Roosevelt
Last verified NPS species database
Every animal below comes from the National Park Service’s own species list for Theodore Roosevelt: 37 mammals, 162 birds, 9 reptiles, 6 amphibians and 29 fish recorded as present. Status words (present, unconfirmed, not in park) are the NPS’s, not ours.
Animals people ask about
Coyote
Canis latrans · Common
Mountain lion
Puma concolor · Uncommon
Bobcat
Lynx rufus · Common
Moose
Alces alces · Rare
Elk
Cervus elaphus · Abundant
Bighorn sheep
Ovis canadensis · Common
Pronghorn
Antilocapra americana · Common
Rattlesnakes
Crotalus viridis · any rattlesnake species
Bald eagle
Haliaeetus leucocephalus
Golden eagle
Aquila chrysaetos
Canada lynx
Lynx canadensis
Gray wolf
Canis lupus · Historical
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
- 50
- 66 listed · 3 non-native
- Birds
- 163
- 224 listed · 7 non-native
- Reptiles
- 9
- 13 listed
- Amphibians
- 6
- 8 listed
- Fish
- 29
- 32 listed · 3 non-native
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Northern Bat | Myotis septentrionalis | Probably Present | Endangered |
Mammals
All 50 mammals recorded in Theodore Roosevelt
Most abundant first, as the NPS rates them.
| Species | Scientific name | Status in park | Abundance | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ELK | Cervus elaphus | Abundant | ||
| American Bison | Bos bison | Common | ||
| BADGER | Taxidea taxus | Common | ||
| BEAVER | Castor canadensis | Common | ||
| Bighorn sheep | Ovis canadensis | Common | ||
| BLACK-TAIL PRAIRIE DOG | Cynomys ludovicianus | Common | ||
| BOBCAT | Lynx rufus | Common | ||
| COYOTE | Canis latrans | Common | ||
| DEER MOUSE | Peromyscus maniculatus | Common | ||
| EASTERN COTTONTAIL | Sylvilagus floridanus | Common | ||
| FERAL HORSE | Equus caballus | Common | Non-native | |
| HOUSE MOUSE | Mus musculus | Common | Non-native |
Show the other 38 mammals ↓The other 38
| Species | Scientific name | Status in park | Abundance | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LEAST CHIPMUNK | Tamias minimus | Common | ||
| MEADOW VOLE | Microtus pennsylvanicus | Common | ||
| MULE DEER | Odocoileus hemionus | Common | ||
| PORCUPINE | Erethizon dorsatum | Common | ||
| PRAIRIE VOLE | Microtus ochrogaster | Common | ||
| PRONGHORN ANTELOPE | Antilocapra americana | Common | ||
| WHITE-FOOTED MOUSE | Peromyscus leucopus | Common | ||
| WHITE-TAIL DEER | Odocoileus virginianus | Common | ||
| BUSHY-TAILED WOODRAT | Neotoma cinerea | Uncommon | ||
| Catamount | Puma concolor | Uncommon | ||
| NORTHERN POCKET GOPHER | Thomomys talpoides | Uncommon | ||
| MOOSE | Alces alces | Rare | ||
| THIRTEEN-LINED GROUND SQUIRREL | Spermophilus tridecemlineatus | Rare | ||
| BIG BROWN BAT | Eptesicus fuscus | Probably Present | ||
| COTTONTAIL | Sylvilagus audubonii | |||
| DOMESTIC CATTLE/LONGHORN | Bos taurus | Non-native | ||
| FOX SQUIRREL | Sciurus niger | |||
| FRANKLIN GROUND SQUIRREL | Spermophilus franklinii | |||
| HOARY BAT | Lasiurus cinereus | Probably Present | ||
| JACK RABBIT | Lepus townsendii | |||
| LEAST WEASEL | Mustela nivalis | |||
| LITTLE BROWN MYOTIS | Myotis lucifugus | |||
| LONG-EARED MYOTIS | Myotis evotis | Probably Present | ||
| LONG-LEGGED MYOTIS | Myotis volans | Probably Present | ||
| LONGTAIL WEASEL | Mustela frenata | |||
| MEADOW JUMPING MOUSE | Zapus hudsonius | Probably Present | ||
| MINK | Mustela vison | |||
| MUSKRAT | Ondatra zibethicus | Probably Present | ||
| Northern Bat | Myotis septentrionalis | Probably Present | Endangered | |
| NORTHERN GRASSHOPPER MOUSE | Onychomys leucogaster | Probably Present | ||
| NUTTALL'S COTTONTAIL | Sylvilagus nuttallii | Probably Present | ||
| OLIVE-BACKED POCKET MOUSE | Perognathus fasciatus | Probably Present | ||
| RACCOON | Procyon lotor | |||
| RED FOX | Vulpes vulpes | |||
| SILVER-HAIRED BAT | Lasionycteris noctivagans | Probably Present | ||
| Small-footed Myotis | Myotis ciliolabrum | Probably Present | ||
| STRIPED SKUNK | Mephitis mephitis | |||
| WESTERN HARVEST MOUSE | Reithrodontomys megalotis | Probably Present |
Birds
163 birds — show the list ↓
Birds
163 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 | Probably Present | |
| Red-winged Blackbird | Agelaius phoeniceus | ||
| Wood Duck | Aix sponsa | ||
| Baird's Sparrow | Ammodramus bairdii | ||
| Grasshopper Sparrow | Ammodramus savannarum | ||
| Northern Pintail | Anas acuta | ||
| American Wigeon | Anas americana | ||
| Northern Shoveler | Anas clypeata | ||
| Green-winged Teal | Anas crecca | ||
| Blue-winged Teal | Anas discors | ||
| Mallard | Anas platyrhynchos | ||
| Gadwall | Anas strepera | ||
| Sprague's Pipit | Anthus spragueii | ||
| Golden Eagle | Aquila chrysaetos | ||
| Ruby-throated Hummingbird | Archilochus colubris | ||
| Great Blue Heron | Ardea herodias | ||
| Short-eared Owl | Asio flammeus | ||
| Long-eared Owl | Asio otus | ||
| Burrowing Owl | Athene cunicularia | ||
| Tufted Titmouse | Baeolophus bicolor | ||
| Upland Sandpiper | Bartramia longicauda | ||
| Cedar Waxwing | Bombycilla cedrorum | ||
| Bohemian Waxwing | Bombycilla garrulus | ||
| Canada Goose | Branta canadensis | ||
| Snowy Owl | Bubo scandiacus | ||
| Great Horned Owl | Bubo virginianus | ||
| Bufflehead | Bucephala albeola | ||
| Red-tailed Hawk | Buteo jamaicensis | ||
| Rough-legged Hawk | Buteo lagopus | ||
| Ferruginous Hawk | Buteo regalis | ||
| Swainson's hawk | Buteo swainsoni | ||
| Lark Bunting | Calamospiza melanocorys | ||
| Lapland Longspur | Calcarius lapponicus | ||
| Chestnut-collared Longspur | Calcarius ornatus | ||
| Common Redpoll | Carduelis flammea | ||
| Hoary Redpoll | Carduelis hornemanni | ||
| Pine Siskin | Carduelis pinus | ||
| American Goldfinch | Carduelis tristis | ||
| Cassin's Finch | Carpodacus cassinii | ||
| Purple Finch | Carpodacus purpureus | ||
| Turkey Vulture | Cathartes aura | ||
| Veery | Catharus fuscescens | ||
| Swainson's Thrush | Catharus ustulatus | ||
| Brown Creeper | Certhia americana | ||
| Belted Kingfisher | Ceryle alcyon | ||
| Killdeer | Charadrius vociferus | ||
| Snow Goose | Chen caerulescens | ||
| Lark Sparrow | Chondestes grammacus | ||
| Common Nighthawk | Chordeiles minor | ||
| Northern Harrier | Circus cyaneus | ||
| Evening Grosbeak | Coccothraustes vespertinus | ||
| Black-billed Cuckoo | Coccyzus erythropthalmus | ||
| Northern Flicker | Colaptes auratus | ||
| Rock Pigeon | Columba livia | Non-native | |
| Western Wood-Pewee | Contopus sordidulus | ||
| SAGE GROUSE | Controcercus urophasianus | ||
| American Crow | Corvus brachyrhynchos | ||
| Common Raven | Corvus corax | ||
| Blue Jay | Cyanocitta cristata | ||
| Yellow-rumped Warbler | Dendroica coronata | ||
| Yellow Warbler | Dendroica petechia | ||
| Bobolink | Dolichonyx oryzivorus | ||
| Gray Catbird | Dumetella carolinensis | ||
| Least Flycatcher | Empidonax minimus | ||
| Horned Lark | Eremophila alpestris | ||
| Rusty Blackbird | Euphagus carolinus | ||
| Brewer's Blackbird | Euphagus cyanocephalus | ||
| Merlin | Falco columbarius | ||
| Prairie Falcon | Falco mexicanus | ||
| Peregrine Falcon | Falco peregrinus | ||
| American Kestrel | Falco sparverius | ||
| Common Yellowthroat | Geothlypis trichas | ||
| Sandhill Crane | Grus canadensis | ||
| House Finch | Haemorhous mexicanus | Non-native | |
| Bald Eagle | Haliaeetus leucocephalus | ||
| Barn Swallow | Hirundo rustica | ||
| Yellow-breasted Chat | Icteria virens | ||
| Bullock's Oriole | Icterus bullockii | ||
| Orchard Oriole | Icterus spurius | ||
| Dark-eyed Junco | Junco hyemalis | ||
| Northern Shrike | Lanius excubitor | ||
| Loggerhead Shrike | Lanius ludovicianus | ||
| Herring Gull | Larus argentatus | ||
| Gray-crowned Rosy-Finch | Leucosticte tephrocotis | ||
| Western Screech-Owl | Megascops kennicottii | ||
| Red-headed Woodpecker | Melanerpes erythrocephalus | ||
| Wild Turkey | Meleagris gallopavo | Non-native | |
| Song Sparrow | Melospiza melodia | ||
| Black-and-white Warbler | Mniotilta varia | ||
| Brown-headed Cowbird | Molothrus ater | ||
| Townsend's Solitaire | Myadestes townsendi | ||
| Long-billed Curlew | Numenius americanus | ||
| Black-crowned Night-Heron | Nycticorax nycticorax | ||
| Mourning Warbler | Oporornis philadelphia | ||
| Osprey | Pandion haliaetus | ||
| House Sparrow | Passer domesticus | Non-native | |
| Savannah Sparrow | Passerculus sandwichensis | ||
| Lazuli Bunting | Passerina amoena | ||
| Blue Grosbeak | Passerina caerulea | ||
| Indigo Bunting | Passerina cyanea | ||
| American White Pelican | Pelecanus erythrorhynchos | ||
| Gray Partridge | Perdix perdix | Non-native | |
| Cliff Swallow | Petrochelidon pyrrhonota | ||
| Double-crested Cormorant | Phalacrocorax auritus | ||
| Common Poorwill | Phalaenoptilus nuttallii | ||
| Wilson's Phalarope | Phalaropus tricolor | ||
| Ring-necked Pheasant | Phasianus colchicus | Non-native | |
| Black-headed Grosbeak | Pheucticus melanocephalus | ||
| Black-billed Magpie | Pica hudsonia | ||
| Downy Woodpecker | Picoides pubescens | ||
| Hairy Woodpecker | Picoides villosus | ||
| Pine Grosbeak | Pinicola enucleator | ||
| Spotted Towhee | Pipilo maculatus | ||
| Snow Bunting | Plectrophenax nivalis | ||
| Pied-billed Grebe | Podilymbus podiceps | ||
| Black-capped Chickadee | Poecile atricapillus | ||
| Vesper Sparrow | Pooecetes gramineus | ||
| Common Grackle | Quiscalus quiscula | ||
| Ruby-crowned Kinglet | Regulus calendula | ||
| Bank Swallow | Riparia riparia | ||
| Rock Wren | Salpinctes obsoletus | ||
| Say's Pheobe | Sayornis saya | ||
| Ovenbird | Seiurus aurocapilla | ||
| Northern Waterthrush | Seiurus noveboracensis | ||
| American Redstart | Setophaga ruticilla | ||
| Mountain Bluebird | Sialia currucoides | ||
| Eastern Bluebird | Sialia sialis | ||
| Red-breasted Nuthatch | Sitta canadensis | ||
| White-breasted Nuthatch | Sitta carolinensis | ||
| Dickcissel | Spiza americana | ||
| American Tree Sparrow | Spizella arborea | ||
| Brewer's Sparrow | Spizella breweri | ||
| Clay-colored Sparrow | Spizella pallida | ||
| Chipping Sparrow | Spizella passerina | ||
| Field Sparrow | Spizella pusilla | ||
| Northern Rough-winged Swallow | Stelgidopteryx serripennis | ||
| Barred Owl | Strix varia | ||
| Western Meadowlark | Sturnella neglecta | ||
| European Starling | Sturnus vulgaris | Non-native | |
| Tree Swallow | Tachycineta bicolor | ||
| Violet-green Swallow | Tachycineta thalassina | ||
| Brown Thrasher | Toxostoma rufum | ||
| Lesser Yellowlegs | Tringa flavipes | ||
| House Wren | Troglodytes aedon | ||
| American Robin | Turdus migratorius | ||
| Sharp-tailed Grouse | Tympanuchus phasianellus | ||
| Eastern Kingbird | Tyrannus tyrannus | ||
| Western Kingbird | Tyrannus verticalis | ||
| Orange-crowned Warbler | Vermivora celata | ||
| Yellow-throated Vireo | Vireo flavifrons | ||
| Warbling Vireo | Vireo gilvus | ||
| Red-eyed Vireo | Vireo olivaceus | ||
| Plumbeous Vireo | Vireo plumbeus | ||
| Wilson's Warbler | Wilsonia pusilla | ||
| Yellow-headed Blackbird | Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus | ||
| Mourning Dove | Zenaida macroura | ||
| White-crowned Sparrow | Zonotrichia leucophrys | ||
| Harris's Sparrow | Zonotrichia querula |
Reptiles
9 reptiles — show the list ↓
Reptiles
9 reptiles — show the list ↓
| Species | Scientific name | Status in park | Abundance | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| COMMON SNAPPING TURTLE | Chelydra serpentina | |||
| WESTERN PAINTED TURTLE | Chrysemys picta | |||
| Racer | Coluber constrictor | |||
| PRAIRIE RATTLESNAKE | Crotalus viridis | |||
| EASTERN HOGNOSE | Heterodon nasicus | |||
| Greater Short-horned Lizard | Phrynosoma hernandesi | |||
| BULLSNAKE | Pituophis catenifer | |||
| SAGEBRUSH LIZARD | Sceloporus graciosus | |||
| Eastern Plains Garter Snake | Thamnophis radix |
Amphibians
6 amphibians — show the list ↓
Amphibians
6 amphibians — show the list ↓
| Species | Scientific name | Status in park | Abundance | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TIGER SALAMANDER | Ambystoma tigrinum | |||
| GREAT PLAINS TOAD | Bufo cognatus | |||
| Woodhouse's toad | Bufo woodhousii | Abundant | ||
| BOREAL CHORUS FROG | Pseudacris maculata | Abundant | ||
| LEOPARD FROG | Rana pipiens | Uncommon | ||
| PLAINS SPADEFOOT TOAD | Spea bombifrons |
Fish
29 fish — show the list ↓
Fish
29 fish — show the list ↓
| Species | Scientific name | Status in park | Abundance | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Black Bullhead | Ameiurus melas | |||
| Freshwater drum | Aplodinotus grunniens | |||
| RIVER CARPSUCKER/CARPSUCKER | Carpiodes carpio | |||
| White Sucker | Catostomus commersonii | |||
| Lake Chub | Couesius plumbeus | |||
| BROOK STICKLEBACK | Culaea inconstans | |||
| CARP/EUROPEAN CARP | Cyprinus carpio | Non-native | ||
| NORTHERN PIKE | Esox lucius | |||
| Iowa Darter | Etheostoma exile | |||
| GOLDEYE | Hiodon alosoides | |||
| WESTERN SILVERY MINNOW | Hybognathus argyritis | |||
| Brassy Minnow | Hybognathus hankinsoni | |||
| PLAINS MINNOW | Hybognathus placitus | |||
| Channel catfish | Ictalurus punctatus | |||
| GREEN SUNFISH | Lepomis cyanellus | Non-native | ||
| Bluegill | Lepomis macrochirus | Non-native | ||
| Burbot | Lota lota | |||
| Shorthead Redhorse | Moxostoma macrolepidotum | |||
| Golden Shiner | Notemigonus crysoleucas | |||
| Emerald Shiner | Notropis atherinoides | |||
| SAND SHINER | Notropis stramineus | |||
| STONECAT | Noturus flavus | |||
| Northern redbelly dace | Phoxinus eos | |||
| FATHEAD MINNOW | Pimephales promelas | |||
| FLATHEAD CHUB | Platygobio gracilis | |||
| LONGNOSE DACE | Rhinichthys cataractae | |||
| Sauger | Sander canadensis | |||
| Walleye | Sander vitreus | |||
| CREEK CHUB | Semotilus atromaculatus |
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 Theodore Roosevelt.
Sources · 2
- 1.NPSpecies — the National Park Service species database (IRMA), full and detail species lists — Theodore Roosevelt (THRO) · National Park Service (U.S. Department of the Interior)
- 2.Theodore Roosevelt National Park — Nature & wildlife (nps.gov) · National Park Service
FAQ
Theodore Roosevelt wildlife questions
- Are there bears in Theodore Roosevelt?
- The NPS species list for Theodore Roosevelt does not include black bear, so there is no record of them in the park.
- Are there wolves in Theodore Roosevelt?
- No. The NPS species list marks gray wolf as "not in park" for Theodore Roosevelt (NPS tag: Historical).
- Are there mountain lions in Theodore Roosevelt?
- Yes. The NPS species list for Theodore Roosevelt records mountain lion as present, listed as uncommon.
- Are there rattlesnakes in Theodore Roosevelt?
- Yes. The NPS species list for Theodore Roosevelt records rattlesnakes as present.
- How many animal species live in Theodore Roosevelt?
- The NPS species database lists 37 mammal, 162 bird, 9 reptile, 6 amphibian and 29 fish species as present or probably present in Theodore Roosevelt, including 1 federally threatened or endangered species. Plants and invertebrates are not counted here.
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