Wildlife in Denver & Colorado

The Denver area is alive with wildlife. Here are some of the common creatures in Colorado.

Prairie Dog
Prairie dogs are among Colorado’s most “watchable” wildlife, they are everywhere! Adult males and females weigh from one to three pounds. The animals are 14 to 17 inches long. Prairie dog towns are an integral part of prairie ecosystems, this creating some issues with land development.

Red Fox
Foxes can be viewed at all times of the year throughout Colorado. Red foxes are reddish orange above, white below, and have a white-tipped tail and black ears and feet. Red foxes are three feet long and weigh nine to 11 pounds.

Coyote
Coyotes live statewide in Colorado and in many areas are quite common. The coyote is the size and shape of a small shepherd dog, about four feet in length with a full, black-tipped tail about 14 inches long. Weights are 30 to 40 pounds. Coyotes live just about everywhere in Colorado. The availability of food plays an important role.

Raccoon
Raccoons need no introduction. With their ringed, bushy tail, yellowish brown fur (with a blackish wash) and black facemask, they are unmistakable. Raccoons live statewide at moderate elevations. Adults are two to three feet long (one third of which is tail) and weigh eight to 22 pounds (heaviest in the autumn).

Elk
The Rocky Mountain elk is the largest of Colorado’s native deer (seven to nine feet long, with a four to six inch tail, and weighing 450 – 900 pounds). Mature males have large antlers, typically with six tines branching from each beam.

Mountain Lion
Colorado’s largest cat, adult lions are more than 6 feet long, with a graceful, black-tipped tail 32 inches long. They weigh 130 pounds or more. they are most abundant in foothills, canyons or mesa country. They are more at home in brushy areas and woodlands than in forests or open prairies.

Black Bear
Black bears are familiar to everyone, and with the demise of the grizzly bear they are the largest of Colorado’s carnivores. Adult males weigh from 275 pounds. Females weight about 175 pounds. Depending on the season, food supply and gender, black bears may weigh anywhere from 100 to 450 pounds. Black bears measure about 3 feet high when on all four feet. They can be 5 feet tall when standing on back legs.

Bald Eagle
Bald Eagles are a success story for the Endangered Species Act, as these animals have been brought back from the brink of extinction.

Bobcat
The most common cat in the region the bobcat is a very familiar animal, but with their secretive they are seldom seen. The animals are 32–37 inches long with a tail about 6 inches in length. They are most abundant in foothills, canyons, mesas, and plateaus.

Bighorn Sheep
After viewing these majestic creatures, it’s no wonder why they are the state mammal of Colorado. The Rocky Mountain Bighorn Sheep is found only in the Rockies, usually above timberline in rugged mountainous areas. The male sheep is three to three and a half feet tall at the shoulder and weighs up to three hundred pounds, while the female is slightly smaller.