Wildlife Conservation in Colorado by Stacy Baker

Have you ever wondered how Colorado

would look without all of its wildlife?

Once upon a fleeting time…

some Coloradans wondered the same thing.

How we treat our forests, lakes, and rivers

affects the lives of animals, fish, and insects.

The Colorado Division of Wildlife

was formed to make rules about hunting and fishing.

Now, hunters and fishermen play a big role

in protecting animals and their homes.

To hunt or fish in Colorado, you have to pay fees.

That money goes to the conservation efforts.

Colorado wetlands are home to

lots of birds, fish, insects, and plants.

The Colorado Pikeminnow is a long, skinny fish

that looks like a silver-gold torpedo.

The Pikeminnow lives in the Colorado River

and was once the river’s top predator.

A mountain wetland ecosystem is healthy

if you can find Boreal Toads there.

Boreal Toads live along the water edges.

They like a little shade, but mostly bask in the sun.

Preble’s Meadow Jumping Mouse

has big feet and a long tail with a round little body.

They live in areas between the water and the trees,

and they can jump up to three feet!

The Willow Flycatcher is a tiny,brownish-green bird with a yellow belly.

They live by water with willow and cottonwood.

They fly to Mexico for winter and return in spring.

All of these wetland creatures are considered

threatened, at risk of disappearing.

Conservation efforts like limiting human exposure

and reducing pollution helps keep these animals safe.

West of the Rocky Mountains

You can find the “sagebrush sea.”

The shrublands are home to lots of

wildflowers, grass, and shrubs.

You can also find a Pygmy Rabbit,

a small creature that mainly eats sagebrush.

They are the size of a grapefruit

and have short, hairy ears.

American Badgers live in sagebrush

and they usually come out at night.

American Badgers eat small rodents

and they are experts at digging.

A Pronghorn is the fastest mammal

In North America.

They can run up to 60 miles per hour

And have fantastic eyesight.

The Geater-Sage Grouse uses the sagebrush

for nesting and finding food.

They are funny little birds with

small heads and big, puffy chests.

All of the life in the sagebrush ecosystemplay a part in keeping it healthy.

Bees can pollinate, burrowers provide shelter,

and insects can recycle soil to make fresh plants.

Colorado provides a wide range

of forest habitats for wildlife.

You can find aspen groves near streams and lakes,

or spruce-fir forests higher up the mountains.

Elk and deer love to roam the Colorado forests.

Moose enjoy forests with shade and water.

Be on the lookout for black bears

near chokecherry bushes.

Mountain lions linger around

thick brush and woodlands.

Lynx are smaller cats with big paws.

They like a dense, snowy forest.

Golden eagles like to roam,

but they hunt their prey in coniferous forests.

You might even be able to spot a bald eagle

soaring up and over the evergreens.

Enjoying all that Colorado has to offer

means caring for it as well.

When we pay to enter a national park,

we contribute to keeping it clean and safe.

Healthy habitats mean good soil for flowers and

plants, lots of insects, reptiles, and amphibians.

Every ecosystem helps feed another.

Let’s all work together and enjoy the

Colorado wildlife for many years to come!