Fish & Wildlife of the Intermountain Grassland
The intermountain grassland is home to a variety of wildlife species. Some of these animals are year-round residents like the western jumping mouse, while others are seasonal visitors such as the grasshopper sparrow that migrates south for the winter. Wildlife species listed on this page were selected because of adaptations that help them survive in an intermountain grassland environment. Click on the images below to view the Animal Field Guide 
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Mammals adapted to this ecosystem are associated with grasslands and the montane forest. Some make their homes in the grass, such as the meadow vole, while others, such as elk and deer, migrate down to this ecosystem for critical range in the winter.
| Elk | Western Jumping Mouse | Columbian Ground Squirrel | Grizzly Bear | ||||
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| Long-tailed Weasel | Bighorn Sheep | Masked Shrew | Meadow Vole | ||||
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Birds like the sandhill crane, bald eagle, grasshopper sparrow, Wilson's snipe, bobolink, yellow warblers, and osprey live in these grassland and riparian valleys.
| Northern Harrier | Western Meadowlark | Savannah Sparrow | Upland Sandpiper | ||||
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| American Kestrel | Sandhill Crane | Grasshopper Sparrow | Bald Eagle | ||||
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This ecosystem is home to amphibians and reptiles of both the grasslands and montane forest. Terrestrial garter snakes, spotted frogs, western toads, and painted turtles can be found here. The leopard frog once ranged throughout this ecosystem, but today this species can only be found east of the continental divide.
| Terrestrial Gartersnake | Western Toad | ||||||
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The large rivers and their tributaries of the intermountain grassland support a cold-water fishery. Although these are some of the nation's most famous trout rivers, many other native fish species take advantage of these highly productive waters.
| Mottled Sculpin | Longnose Sucker | Burbot | Mountain Whitefish | ||||
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