Wildlife of the Dry Interior

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The dry interior is well-named as it lies in the rain shadow of the coastal mountains to the west. Each year, it receives only about 0.25m of precipitation. The valleys and low mountains are dry and hot in the summer reaching temperatures of 30 degrees Celcius or more (average summer temperature is about 20 degrees Celcius). In the winter, the temperature drops to about minus 20 degrees Celcius (average winter temperature is about minus 7 degrees Celcius). Plants that can survive these harsh conditions, such as cacti and range grass, do well here. In areas that are irrigated, such as fruit orchards, a green belt is seen. The animals that live in this region adapt well to the seasonal heat and dryness by either migrating elsewhere each fall or making a home under the soil to escape the heat of the day.

Click on a wildlife category to find out which plants and animals make their home in this region.

Mammals Birds Fish
Reptiles Amphibians Invertebrates
Plants Ferns, Mosses & Lichens Fungi


Fish

common namelatin name
Rainbow Trout

Birds
common namelatin name
perching birds
Calliope HummingbirdStellula calliope
Rufous Hummingbird Selasphorus rufus
Song Sparrow Melospiza melodia
Pine Siskin Carduelis pinus
Black-capped Chickadee Parus atricapillus
American Goldfinch Carduelis tristis
Swainson's Thrush Catharus ustulatus
Robin Turdus migratorius
Red-wing Blackbird Agelaius phoeniceus
Brewer's Blackbird Euphagus cyanocephalus
Western Bluebird Siala mexicana
Mountain Bluebird Sialia currucoides
Black-billed Magpie Pica pica
Gray Jay Perisoreus canadensis
Stellar's Jay Cyanocitta stelleri
Clark's Nutcracker Nucifraga columbiana
Tree Swallow Tachycineta bicolor
Cliff Swallow Hirundo pyrrhonota
Barn Swallow Hirundo rustica
Vaux's Swift Chaetura vauxi
Marsh Wren Cistothorus palustris
House Wren Troglodytes aedon
Downy Woodpecker Picoides pubescens
Hairy Woodpecker Picoides villosus
Northern Flicker Colaptes auratus
Common Nighthawk Chordeiles minor
Raven Corvus corax
Common Crow Corvus brachyrhynchos
Black-billed Magpie Pica pica
Brewers Blackbird Euphagus cyanocephalus
Red-winged Blackbird Agelaius phoeniceus
Belted Kingfisher Ceryle alcyon
birds of prey
Red-tailed Hawk Buteo jamaicensis
Turkey Vulture Cathartes aura
Great Horned Owl Bubo virginianus
Burrowing Owl Athene cunicularia
American Kestrel Falco sparverius
Prairie Falcon Falco mexicanus
Sharp-shinned Hawk Accipiter striatus
Northern Harrier Circus cyaneus
Osprey Pandion haliaetus
Bald Eagle Haliaeetus leucocephalus
water birds
Common Merganser Mergus merganser
Horned Grebe Podiceps auritus
Common Loon Gavia immer
Mallard Duck Anas platyrhynchos
Canada Goose Branta canadensis
shore birds
Great Blue Heron Ardea herodias
Sora Rail Porzana carolina
Killdeer Charadrius vociferus
Spotted Sandpiper Actitus macularia
Killdeer Charadrius vociferius
ground birds (chicken-like birds)
American Coot Fulica americana
California Quail Callipepla californica
Spruce Grouse Dendragapus canadensis
Ruffed Grouse Bonasa umbellus
White-tailed PtarmiganLagopus leucurus

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Mammals
common namelatin name
deer
Moose Alces alces
Mule Deer Odocoileus hemionus
Predators
Black Bear Ursus americanus
Grizzly Bear Ursus arctos horribilis
Wolf Canis lupus
Coyote Canis latrans
Rodents
Beaver Castor canadensis
Muskrat Ondatra zibethicus
Woodchuck Marmota monax
Columbian Ground SquirrelSpermophilus columbianus
Red Squirrel Tamiasciurus hudsonicus
Pocket GopherThomomys talpoides
Weasels
Striped Skunk Mephitis mephitis
Badger Taxidea taxus
Mink Mustela vison
Long-tailed Weasel Mustela frenata
Marten Martes americana
River Otter Lutra canadensis
insectivores
Western Small-footed BatMyotis ciliolabrum
California MyotisMyotis californicus
Western Long-eared BatMyotis evotis
Little Brown Bat Myotis lucifugus
Fringed Myotis Myotis thysanodes
Long-legged Myotis Myotis volans
Yuma Bat Myotis yumanensis
Big Brown Bat Eptesisus fuscus
Western Red Bat Lasiurus blossevilli
Hoary Bat Lasiurus cinereus
Silver-haired BatLasionycteris noctivaganscinereus
Spotted Bat Euderma maculatum
Townsend's Big-eared BatPlectus townsendii
Pallid BatAntrozous pallidus

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Amphibians
common namelatin name
Pacific Tree Frog Hyla regilla
Endangered Spotted FrogRana pretiosa
Wood Frog Rana sylvatica
Tiger Salamander Ambystoma tigrinum
Western Toad Bufo boreas
Great Basin Spadefoot Toad Scaphiopus intermontanus

Reptiles
common namelatin name
Western Rattlesnake Crotalus viridis
Northern Alligator Lizard Gerrhonotus coeruleus
Rubber Boa Charina bottae
Racer Coluber constrictor
Bullsnake Pituophis melanoleucus
Common Garter Snake Thamnophis sirtalis
Western Terrestrial Garter Snake Thamnophis elegans
Western Painted Turtle Chrysemys picta
Western Skink Eumeces skiltonianus

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Invertebrates
common namelatin name
Painted Lady Butterfly Cynthia cardui
Black Field Cricket


Plants
common namelatin name
Trees
Lodgepole Pine Pinus contorta
White Spruce Picea glauca
Trembling Aspen Populus tremuloides
Willow species
Shrubs
River Alder Alus rugosa
Prickly Rose Rosa acicularis
Black Gooseberry Ribes lacustre
Herbs
Indian Paintbrush
Wild Strawberry
Common Yarrow Achillea millefolium
Arctic Lupine Lupinus articus
Fireweed Epilobium angustifolium
Bearberry Arctostaphylos uva-ursi
Soopolallie Shepherdia canadensis
Bunchberry Cornus canadensis
Western Wood Lily Lilium philadelphicum variety andinum
Blue Columbine Aquilegia brevistyla
Arctic Coltsfoot Petasites frigidus
Leafy Arneca Arnica chamissonis
Star-flowered Solomon's-Seal Smilacina stellata
Stinging Nettle Urtica dioica


Ferns , Mosses & Lichens
common namelatin name
Speckled Horsehair LichenBryoria fuscescens


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