Petrified Forest U.S

National Park Service Petrified Forest U.S. Department of the Interior Petrified Forest National Park Arizona Common Animals

Although Petrified Forest is best known for its fossil clues to an ancient environment, it is also a living Park. Despite its seemingly barren appearance, Petrified Forest National Park supports hundreds of animal species. In this often demanding environment, animals have adapted many behavioral and physical means of survival. For example, black- tailed jackrabbits very long ears are radiators, helping to cool the animal during the heat of summer. Other creatures only come out in the relative cool of morning and evening. Some animals migrate or hibernate to escape the cold of winter. Keep your eyes open and watch for signs of the many animal species, large and small, that make Petrified Forest their home. (Bird information is available in the park Bird Checklist.)

Amphibians Can you imagine living underground for nine Ambystoma tigrinum Tiger Salamander months of the year and not eating, drinking, Anaxyrus (Bufo) cognatus Great Plains Toad or defecating? An amazing group of animals Anaxyrus Bufo punctatus Red-spotted Toad do just that—amphibians. It’s hard to imagine Anaxyrus (Bufo) woodhousii Woodhouse’s Toad that in this dry region animals that require Scaphiopus couchii Couch’s Spadefoot consistent moisture could thrive. Permeable Spea multiplicata Mexican Spadefoot (formerly skin allows amphibians to live in Petrified Scaphiopus multiplicata) Forest. Amphibians do not drink; instead, they Spea bombifrons Plains Spadefoot absorb water through their skins. Spadefoot toads, residents of the park, absorb water from the soil in which they hibernate. Although Couch’s spadefoot permeable skin allows for water absorption, it provides little barrier to evaporation. This causes amphibians’ water balance to be in constant flux. Evaporative water loss also results in loss of body temperature. This is why you often see amphibians on warm pavement in the evening. It is not an easy life for amphibians in this dry grassland. Tiger salamander

Reptiles Well adapted to the often dry environment of Lizards the region, reptiles play an important part in Aspidoscelis pai Pai Striped Whiptail (formerly maintaining the health of the ecosystem. Over A. inornatus Little striped whiptail) sixteen varieties of lizards and snakes make Aspidoscelis neomexicana New Mexico Whiptail Petrified Forest their home. Reptiles occupy Aspidoscelis velox Plateau Striped Whiptail a variety of habitats ranging from grassland to Crotaphytus collaris Eastern Collared Lizard rocky slopes. They consume large quantities of Holbrookia maculata Lesser Earless Lizard insects, spiders, scorpions, other reptiles and Phrynosoma hernandesi Greater Short-horned small mammals, thereby preventing infestations Lizard (formerly P. douglasii Short-horned of any single species. Respecting the entire lizard) reptile community helps preserve this balance. Sceloporus graciosus Sagebrush Lizard Sceloporus tristichus Plateau Lizard (formerly S. Snakes undulatus Eastern fence lizard) Arizona elegans Glossy Snake Uta stansburiana Common Side-blotched Crotalus viridis viridis Prairie (Hopi) rattlesnake Lizard Hypsiglena torquata Nightsnake Lampropeltis getula Common Kingsnake Lampropeltis triangulum Milksnake Masticophis taeniatus Striped Whipsnake Pituophis catenifer Gophersnake Collared lizard Thamnophis cyrtopsis Black-necked Gartersnake Rattlesnake Mammals Mammals are a diverse group of animals, burrows or migration, as well as physiological ranging from the delicate white-footed mouse adaptations, like hollow hairs for insulation. to the elegant mule deer. Mammals have fur or Many of the mammals found in Petrified Forest hair, produce milk for their offspring, and are National Park are rodents, a principal prey for warm-blooded. To live in the often extreme predators of the region. Early morning is the climate of the plateau country, mammals best time to view mammals while in the park. utilize survival strategies such as hiding in their Canis latrans Coyote Urocyon cinereoargenteus Gray fox Vulpes velox Swift fox Lynx rufus (Felis rufus) Bobcat Odocoileus hemionus Mule deer Coyote Antilocapra americana Pronghorn Bassariscus astutus Ringtail Procyon lotor Raccoon Taxidea taxus Badger Mephitis mephitis Striped skunk Spilogale gracilis Western spotted skunk Lepuscalifornicus Black-tailed jackrabbit Desert cottontail rabbit Sylvilagus audubonii Desert cottontail Notiosorex crawfordi Desert shrew Antrozous pallidus Pallid bat Corynorhinustownsendii Townsend’s big-eared bat Myotis californicus California myotis Myotis thysanodes Fringed myotis Myotis yumanensis Yuma myotis Pipistrellus hesperus Western pipistrelle Erethizon dorsatum Porcupine Cynomysgunnisoni Gunnison’s prairie Pallid Bat Ammospermophilus leucurus White-tailed antelope ground squirrel Spermophilusspilosoma Spotted ground squirrel Spermophilus variegatus Rock squirrel Thomomys bottae Botta’s pocket gopher American pronghorn Neotomaalbigula White-throated woodrat Neotoma cinerea Bushy-tailed woodrat Neotoma mexicana Mexican woodrat Neotoma stephensi Stephens’ woodrat Dipodomys ordii Ord’s kangaroo rat Perognathus flavus Silky pocket mouse Onychomys leucogaster Northern grasshopper mouse Peromyscus boylii Brush mouse Peromyscus crinitis Canyon mouse Peromyscusleucopus White-footed mouse Peromyscus maniculatus Deer mouse White-tailed antelope Peromyscus truei Pinon mouse ground squirrel Reithrodontomys megalotis Western harvest mouse Ord’s kangaroo rat Mus musculus House mouse

Invertebrates Invertebrates include far more animals that can Crustaceans be listed here. Arthropods—one of the most Pillbug (Isopod) diverse groups of creatures in the world— consist of such animals as spiders, crustaceans, Arachnids and insects. Please remember that even these Aphonopelma spp. Tarantula “bugs” have their place in the environment, Lycosa spp. Wolf spider often one of great importance. Invertebrates Latrodectus hesperus Western black widow White-lined sphinx moth enrich the soil, decompose, and control Centruroides exilicauda Arizona bark scorpion pests. This is just a tiny sample of the many Hadrurus arizonensis Giant hairy scorpion intertebrates in the park. Eremobates spp. Solpugid, windscorpions

Insects Myriapods Pepsis and Hemipepsis spp. Tarantula hawks Orthoporus ornatus Desert Millipede Praying mantids (Order Mantodea) Scolopendra heros Giant desert centipede Bombus sonorous Bumblebee Scutigera coleoptrata House centipede Dasymutilla spp. Velvet ant Tarantula Ascalapha odorata Black witch moth Battus philenor Pipevine swallowtail butterfly Hyles lineata White-lined sphinx moth Vanessa cardui Painted lady butterfly Eleodes spp. Pinacate beetle Millipede Pillbug Parabacillus spp. Stick Insect

Taking Care of Wildlife Only a fraction of animals found in the park are listed in this publication. Birds are not included here, having their own checklist.

National parks create oases of protection for many species of animals. Do not approach, feed, or harass any wildlife in Petrified Forest or any other national park area.