Wyoming is a landlocked state in the western United States, characterized by dry semi-arid, and continental climates, marked by extreme temperatures both in summer and winter. The state’s eastern half falls within the Great Planes, while the western part is within the Rocky Mountains, making the state the meeting point for the two.
The state’s landscape includes vast plains, towering peaks, prairies, forests, canyons, and rivers. Naturally, it is an ideal place for wildlife to survive and thrive. This is where the famous Yellowstone National Park is located, while other noteworthy sites attracting wildlife enthusiasts include the Grand Teton National Park and Devils Tower National Monument. Find out what are the native animals of the ‘Equality State.’
List of Different Types of Animals Found in Wyoming
Mammals
- American Bison
- Pronghorn
- White-tailed Deer
- Mule Deer
- Elk
- Bighorn Sheep
- Moose
- Black Bear
- Grizzly Bear
- Cougar
- Bobcat
- Lynx
- Gray Wolf
- Coyote
- Wolverine
- Red Fox
- Swift Fox
- American Badger
- American Marten
- Long-tailed Weasel
- Short-tailed Weasel
- American Mink
- North American River Otter
- Spotted Skunk
- Striped Skunk
- American Beaver
- North American Porcupine
- Black-tailed Prairie Dog
- Wyoming Ground Squirrel
- Golden-mantled Ground Squirrel
- Uinta Ground Squirrel
- Fremont’s Uinta Chipmunk
- Fremont’s Chipmunk
- Eastern Cottontail Rabbit
- Snowshoe Hare
- White-tailed Jackrabbit
- American Pika
- Ord’s Kangaroo Rat
- Deer Mouse
- Big Free-tailed Bat
- Big Brown Bat
- Little Brown Bat
- Hoary Bat
Birds
- Western Meadowlark
- Northern Cardinal
- American Robin
- House Finch
- Northern Flicker
- Black-billed Magpie
- Wild Turkey
- Western Grebe
- American Coot
- Red-tailed Hawk
- Sharp-shinned Hawk
Reptiles
- Western Painted Turtle
- Plains Box Turtle
- Eastern Spiny Softshell
- Black Hills Red-bellied Snake
- Great Basin Gopher Snake
- Desert Striped Whipsnake
- Pale Milksnake
- Northern Rubber Boa
- Plains Black-headed Snake
- Plains Hog-nosed Snake
- Plains Garter Snake
- Red-sided Garter Snake
- Valley Garter Snake
- Smooth Green Snake
- Midget-faded Rattlesnake
- Prairie Rattlesnake
- Great Basin Skink
- Greater Short-horned Lizard
- Plateau Fence Lizard
- Prairie Racerunner
Amphibians
- Tiger Salamander
- Boreal Chorus Frog
- American Bullfrog
- Northern Leopard Frog
- Plains Spadefoot Toad
- Wyoming Toad
- Woodhouse’s Toad
- Western Toad
- Great Plains Toad
- Columbia Spotted Frog
Fishes
- Cutthroat Trout
- Yellowstone Cutthroat Trout
- Bonneville Cutthroat Trout
- Bear River Cutthroat Trout
- Rainbow Trout
- Brook Trout
- Arctic Grayling
- Mountain Whitefish
- Lake Chub
- Utah Chub
- Roundtail Chub
- Common Shiner
- Redside Shiner
- Golden Shiner
- Longnose Dace
- Longnose Dace
- Speckled Dace
- White Sucker
- Flannelmouth Sucker
- Bluehead Sucker
- Mountain Sucker
- Largescale Sucker
- Longnose Sucker
- Plains Minnow
- Brassy Minnow
- Fathead Minnow
Insects and Invertebrates
- Sheridan’s Green Hairstreak Butterfly
- Monarch Butterfly
- Painted Lady
- Honey Bee
- Carpenter Bee
- Ladybug
- Grasshopper
- Mosquito
- House Fly
- Green Darner
- Twelve-spotted Skimmer
- Western Forktail
- Miller Moth
- Firefly
- Western Harvester Ant
- Paper Wasp
- Praying Mantis
- Wheel Bug
- House Cricket
- Scissor Grinder Cicada
- Mayfly
- Earwig
- Alfalfa Weevil
- Ground Beetle
- Crane Fly
- Bush Katydid
- Western Black Widow
- Brown Recluse
- Common House Spider
State Animals of Wyoming
| State Mammal | American Bison |
| State Bird | Western Meadowlark |
| State Reptile | Horned Lizard |
| State Fish | Cutthroat Trout |
| State Insect | Sheridan’s Green Hairstreak Butterfly |
FAQ
Wyoming has several large ungulates, like the bison, elk, and moose, which can get aggressive if threatened. There are many predatory carnivores, with cougars, grizzlies, black bears, wolves, wolverines, and coyotes all native to the state. Then there are the venomous and deadly snakes, the midget-faded, prairie rattlesnakes, and the fearsome western black widow spider.
The Fremont’s Uinta chipmunk and Wyoming toad are endemic to Wyoming, meaning they are not found anywhere else in the world.
Most of the native animals in this state have stable populations. The endemic Wyoming toad is actually extinct in the wild and lives only in captivity in the Mortenson Lake National Wildlife Refuge. Some fish species are also listed as endangered, like the bonytail chub, humpback chub, and speckled dace.
