Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
being, there are no plans to introduce more from other areas, in part because of the fear that new
animals would bring in new diseases.
CHIPMUNKS
Of the 22 species of chipmunks in North America, 21 can be found in
the western United States. It is often difficult to tell one chipmunk species from
another (at least for humans), but it's usually fairly easy to distinguish chipmunks
from their cousins the squirrels, because chipmunks have black-and-white facial
stripes and squirrels do not. The Uinta, least, and cliff species of chipmunks are
found at both Bryce Canyon and Zion. The
cliff chipmunk,
which is often seen
in rocky areas near cliffs, is usually the biggest of the three, sometimes reaching
more than 10 inches long. The
Uinta
is usually seen scurrying about in pine and fir
forests, such as those in both parks' campgrounds, while the
leastchipmunks
are
at home in open areas of desert terrain, such as the beginning sections of the Under
the Rim Trail, at Bryce Canyon. All three have brown and gray fur, and black-and-
white stripes on their backs (although the cliff chipmunks' stripes may be less dis-
tinct than the others), in addition to facial stripes.
Chipmunk
COYOTES
Coyotes are survivors, and they are increasing in population throughout
the United States. They are seen—or more often heard—throughout both Zion and
Bryce Canyon, where they hunt rabbits, rodents, and other small animals. Tan or
yellow-gray, with bushy tails, coyotes look much like domestic dogs and usually
weigh 30 to 40 pounds. They can run at over 25 mph, reaching 40 mph for short
periods. One way to easily distinguish between a dog and a coyote is that coyotes
run with their tails down, while domestic dogs run with their tails up. Coyote
choruses are often heard at night, consisting of a series of sharp yelps, barks, and
howls.
