Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Wildlife
Colorado wildlife correlates in part (but not completely) to elevation and climate, and the
number of animals, especially that of the more mobile ones, varies seasonally. In the alpine
zones, for instance, small rodents such as pikas inhabit rockfalls throughout the year, but
larger mammals such as Rocky Mountain elk and bighorn sheep are present only in sum-
mer.
The Great Plains have their own singular fauna, such as the swift pronghorn antelope
and prairie dogs. The swift pronghorn grazes short-grass plains nearest the mountains,
while the prairie dog is neither a prairie-dweller nor a dog: related to the squirrel, it lives in
sprawling burrows known as prairie dog 'towns.' Species such as mule deer and coyotes
range over a variety of zones from the plains to the peaks. The solitary, lumbering moose
prefers riparian zones. If luck is on your side, you'll see them wading in lakes and trudging
through wetlands in the Kawuneeche Valley in Rocky Mountain National Park.
The most famous animal of the Colorado plains was, of course, the magnificent buffalo
or bison that grazed the prairies in enormous herds until its near extinction. The bison sur-
vives in limited numbers in Wyoming, but the last-known wild Colorado resident was
killed in the South Park area in 1897. There are still bison in Colorado, but they're not
wild. They're livestock raised for meat.
Conservation plays an important role in Colorado's future. Contact the Nature Conservancy
(
www.nature.org
) for information on current issues and volunteer opportunities. To help out in Colorado
parks, contact the individual park offices.
Bears
The black bear is probably the most notorious animal in the Rockies. Despite the name, its
fur can have a honey or cinnamon tint, its muzzle can be tan, and it can even have white
spots on its chest. Adult males weigh from 275lb to 450lb; females weigh 175lb to 250lb.
They measure 3ft high on all fours and can be over 5ft when standing on their hind legs.
The largest populations of black bears live in areas where aspen trees propagate, and near
open areas of chokecherry and serviceberry bushes. Their range can stretch to 250 sq miles.
The grizzly bear, America's largest meat eater, is classified as an endangered species in
Colorado, but it is almost certainly gone from the state. The last documented grizzly in Co-
lorado was killed in 1979.
