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Explore Utah
Utah wildlife and plants
The animals and plants of Utah's mountain forests, red-rock desert, sagebrush valleys and Great Salt Lake wetlands.
Get to know Utah through the animals and plants that live here. Browse the 63 profiles by habitat or region, compare a species' seasonal habits, and follow the linked agency and university sources when you want to learn more. Start with the landscape you expect to visit, then narrow the list to wildlife or plants.
This is an introduction, not a full inventory or field guide. Region labels show where a species lives, not where you will see it. Seasonal notes describe general patterns, and we don't publish exact sites for nests, roosts, colonies or rare plants. Check the land manager's current access information separately before a trip.
Choose a way in
I saw something and want to learn about it.Search a common or scientific name below. If you don't know the name, start with a broad group and habitat, then compare the profile's details rather than relying on color alone.
I'm planning a nature walk.Choose a region and habitat, and read a few profiles before you leave. Keep expectations flexible: a quiet walk is still a chance to notice plants, tracks and the way habitats connect.
I'm visiting with children or a new observer.Pick one plant and one animal to learn about. Make the goal careful observation, not finding every species on a checklist.
Learn the landscape
A seasonal comparison makes a familiar landscape easier to read. At Arches, rainfall strongly shapes the wildflower display; at Cedar Breaks, high meadows bloom through a short summer. Those are local examples of why one statewide "best week" would mislead. Try the mountain and desert habitats, then the spring and summer pages.
Each profile answers three separate questions: what the organism is, what habitat or range its sources support, and what a visitor can responsibly observe. Conservation labels are shown with their category, scope and date, because a federal listing, a state priority list and a native-or-introduced label answer different questions.
File photo: Mule deer beside and crossing a paved road at Bryce Canyon (2016-09-19 01:15). Photo: Donald Hobern from Copenhagen, Denmark · CC BY 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons
File photo: Mule deer beside and crossing a paved road at Bryce Canyon (2016-09-19 01:15). Photo: Donald Hobern from Copenhagen, Denmark · CC BY 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons
The largest member of the deer family in Utah, at home where northern mountain forest meets water.
Alces alces
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File photo: A mountain goat standing on a trail on Mount Timpanogos (Taken on 2 June 2016, 20:03:35). Photo: An Errant Knight · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
File photo: A mountain goat standing on a trail on Mount Timpanogos (Taken on 2 June 2016, 20:03:35). Photo: An Errant Knight · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Utah's only bear, which isn't always black and eats mostly plants.
Ursus americanus
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File photo: Cougars recorded at night by a trail camera in Zion National Park (2008-07-06 01:27). Photo: Zion National Park · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons
File photo: Cougars recorded at night by a trail camera in Zion National Park (2008-07-06 01:27). Photo: Zion National Park · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons
A seldom-seen wild cat named for its short, bobbed tail.
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File photo: Townsend’s big-eared bat in Utah, BLM archive. One of the bat species found in the state. Photo: John Larson / BLM Utah · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons
File photo: Townsend’s big-eared bat in Utah, BLM archive. One of the bat species found in the state. Photo: John Larson / BLM Utah · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons
Insect-eating flying mammals whose lives depend on suitable roosts, water and a safe seasonal cycle.
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File photo: Gopher snake, Arches National Park archive, May 2017. One of Utah’s nonvenomous snake species. Photo: Marty Tow / National Park Service · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons
File photo: Gopher snake, Arches National Park archive, May 2017. One of Utah’s nonvenomous snake species. Photo: Marty Tow / National Park Service · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons
A diverse group of native predators best appreciated without handling or close-range identification attempts.
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File photo: american pika on a rock holding a mouthful of green plants. Photo: Mark Penninger, U.S. Forest Service - Pacific Northwest Region · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons
File photo: american pika on a rock holding a mouthful of green plants. Photo: Mark Penninger, U.S. Forest Service - Pacific Northwest Region · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons
A warty mountain amphibian whose breeding waters and disease risks require a light touch from visitors.
Anaxyrus boreas
Plants
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File photo: a limber pine growing among red rock hoodoos on Bryce Canyon's Navajo Loop Trail. Photo: Krzysztof Ziarnek, Kenraiz · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
File photo: a limber pine growing among red rock hoodoos on Bryce Canyon's Navajo Loop Trail. Photo: Krzysztof Ziarnek, Kenraiz · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
A slow-growing native pine of harsh mountain sites, with five needles in each bundle.
Pinus flexilis
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File photo: a Douglas-fir beside red rock hoodoos in Agua Canyon, Bryce Canyon National Park. Photo: Krzysztof Ziarnek, Kenraiz · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
File photo: a Douglas-fir beside red rock hoodoos in Agua Canyon, Bryce Canyon National Park. Photo: Krzysztof Ziarnek, Kenraiz · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
The maple behind the red and orange on Utah's fall hillsides.
Acer grandidentatum
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File photo: Leafy Gambel oak branches in a canyon — Johnson Lakes Canyon, Kane County, May 2016. Photo: Andrey Zharkikh from Salt Lake City, USA · CC BY 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons
File photo: Leafy Gambel oak branches in a canyon — Johnson Lakes Canyon, Kane County, May 2016. Photo: Andrey Zharkikh from Salt Lake City, USA · CC BY 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons
A thicket-forming native oak that links Utah's foothills with mountain woodlands and provides important wildlife food and cover.
Quercus gambelii
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File photo: Ponderosa pines growing among red sandstone in Gifford Canyon — Zion National Park, September 2016. Photo: Krzysztof Ziarnek, Kenraiz · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
File photo: Ponderosa pines growing among red sandstone in Gifford Canyon — Zion National Park, September 2016. Photo: Krzysztof Ziarnek, Kenraiz · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
A slender wildflower whose long trumpets rise from finely divided leaves and offer nectar to hummingbirds and other visitors.
Ipomopsis aggregata
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File photo: arrowleaf balsamroot in full yellow bloom on a sagebrush hillside. Photo: Jim Morefield from Nevada, USA · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons
File photo: arrowleaf balsamroot in full yellow bloom on a sagebrush hillside. Photo: Jim Morefield from Nevada, USA · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons
