Animals Living in Death Valley

Death Valley got its name during the California Gold Rush in 1849, after 13 pioneers perished while attempting to cross it to reach the gold fields. It is the driest and hottest place in North America, with a record high of 134 °F on July 10, 1913, and some parts receiving only two inches of rainfall annually.

Despite these harsh desert conditions, not only do several diverse species thrive in the Death Valley National Park, some of these creatures are endemic to the region. There are approximately 51 species of mammals, 307 birds, 36 reptiles, three species of amphibians, and six species of fish. Commonly found animals include coyotes, kangaroo rats, roadrunners, and bighorn sheep.

List of Animals that live in Death Valley National Park

Mammals

American Badger
Black-tailed Jackrabbit
Bobcat
Brazilian Free-tailed Bat
Brush Mouse
Burro
Bushy-tailed Woodrat
Cactus Mouse
California Ground Squirrel
California Myotis
Canyon Mouse
Chisel-toothed Kangaroo Rat
Coyote
Deer Mouse
Desert Bighorn Sheep
Desert Cottontail
Desert Kangaroo Rat
Desert Pocket Mouse
Desert Shrew
Desert Woodrat
Fringed Myotis
Gray Fox
Great Basin Pocket Mouse
Hoary Bat
Horse
House Mouse
Kit Fox
Little Pocket Mouse
Long-tailed Pocket Mouse
Merriam Kangaroo Rat
Mojave Ground Squirrel
Mountain Cottontail
Mountain Lion
Mule Deer
Pallid Bat
Panamint Chipmunk
Panamint Kangaroo Rat
Panamint Pocket Gopher
Pinon Mouse
Porcupine
Pygmy Pocket Gopher
Ringtail
Roundtail Ground Squirrel
Silver-haired Bat
Small-footed Myotis
Southern Grasshopper Mouse
Spotted Skunk
Western Big-eared Bat
Western Harvest Mouse
Western Pipistrelle
Whitetail Antelope Squirrel

Birds

American Crow
American Robin
Anna’s Hummingbird
Ash-throated Flycatcher
Barn Swallow
Bewick’s Wren
Black Phoebe
Black-headed Grosbeak
Black-tailed Gnatcatcher
Black-throated Gray Warbler
Black-throated Sparrow
Blue Grosbeak
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
Blue-winged Teal
Brewer’s Blackbird
Brewer’s Sparrow
Brown-crested Flycatcher
Brown-headed Cowbird
Bullock’s Oriole
Bushtit
California Scrub-Jay
Cassin’s Finch
Cassin’s Kingbird
Cedar Waxwing
Chipping Sparrow
Chukar
Clark’s Nutcracker
Cliff Swallow
Common Raven
Common Yellowthroat
Costa’s Hummingbird
Eastern Kingbird
European Starling
Fox Sparrow
Gambel’s Quail
Gray Flycatcher
Great Blue Heron
Great Egret
Great-tailed Grackle
Greater Roadrunner
Green Heron
Hairy Woodpecker
Hermit Thrush
Hooded Oriole
Horned Lark
House Finch
Inca Dove
Indigo Bunting
Juniper Titmouse
Killdeer
Lark Sparrow
Lazuli Bunting
LeConte’s Thrasher
Lesser Goldfinch
Lesser Nighthawk
Loggerhead Shrike
Long-billed Curlew
Lucy’s Warbler
MacGillivray’s Warbler
Mallard
Mountain Bluebird
Mountain Chickadee
Mountain Quail
Mourning Dove
Northern Flicker
Northern Harrier
Northern Mockingbird
Northern Pintail
Northern Rough-winged Swallow
Northern Shoveler
Orange-crowned Warbler
Pacific-slope Flycatcher
Phainopepla
Pine Siskin
Pinyon Jay
Red Crossbill
Red-naped Sapsucker
Red-shouldered Hawk
Red-tailed Hawk
Red-winged Blackbird
Redhead
Rock Pigeon
Rock Wren
Rose-breasted Grosbeak
Ruddy Duck
Sagebrush Sparrow
Say’s Phoebe
Scott’s Oriole
Song Sparrow
Spotted Towhee
Swainson’s Thrush
Tree Swallow
Verdin
Vermilion Flycatcher
Violet-green Swallow
Warbling Vireo
Western Kingbird
Western Meadowlark
Western Tanager
Western Wood-Pewee
White-winged Dove
Willow Flycatcher
Wilson’s Phalarope
Wilson’s Warbler
Yellow Warbler
Yellow-breasted Chat
Yellow-headed Blackbird
Yellow-rumped Warbler

Reptiles

California King Snake
California Lyre Snake
Chuckwalla
Coachwhip
Collared Lizard
Desert Banded Gecko
Desert Glossy Snake
Desert Iguana
Desert Night Lizard
Desert Night Snake
Desert Patch-nosed Snake
Desert Side-blotched Lizard
Desert Spiny Lizard
Desert Tortoise
Great Basin Fence Lizard
Great Basin Gopher Snake
Great Basin Whiptail
Leopard Lizard
Mojave Desert Sidewinder
Mojave Fringe-toed Lizard
Mojave Rattlesnake
Mojave Shovel-nosed Snake
Nevada Shovel-nosed Snake
Panamint Alligator Lizard
Panamint Rattlesnake
Rosy Boa
Sagebrush Lizard
Southern Desert Horned Lizard
Striped Whipsnake
Utah Black-headed Snake
Western Blind Snake
Western Brush Lizard
Western Ground Snake
Western Leaf-nosed Snake
Western Long-nosed Snake
Western Red-tailed Skink
Western Skink
Zebra-tailed Lizard

Fish

Amargosa Pupfish
Cottonball Marsh Pupfish
Devils Hole Pupfish
Salt Creek Pupfish
Saratoga Springs Pupfish

Amphibians

Bullfrog
Inyo Mountains Slender Salamander
Pacific Treefrog
Red Spotted Toad
Western Toad

Insects

Becker’s White Butterfly
Checkered White Butterfly
Indra Swallowtail Butterfly
Sagebrush Checkerspot Butterfly
Square-spotted Blue Butterfly
Western Pygmy-blue Butterfly

FAQs

1. What are the most dangerous animals in Death Valley?

Mountain lions and certain venomous snakes like the Panamint Rattlesnake.

2. What is the rarest animal in Death Valley?

Devils Hole Pupfish

3. What is the most endangered animal in Death Valley?

Devils Hole Pupfish

4. How do animals survive in Death Valley?

Most of the animals living in Death Valley require less water. For instance, bighorn sheep can survive for days without water, losing a third of their weight due to dehydration.