There is an absolutely phenomenal variety of wildlife at Big Bend National Park. About 450 species of birds can be found here over the course of the year -- that's more than at any other national park and nearly half of all those found in North America. At latest count there were also about 75 species of mammals, close to 70 species of reptiles and amphibians, and more than three dozen species of fish.
This is the only place in the United States where you'll find the Mexican long-nosed bat, listed by the federal government as an endangered species. Other endangered species that make their homes in the park include the black-capped vireo and a tiny fish -- the Big Bend gambusia, which we hope prospers and multiplies because its favorite food is mosquito larvae.
Birders consider Big Bend National Park a key bird-watching destination, especially for those looking for some of America's more unusual birds. Among the park's top bird-watching spots are Rio Grande Village and Cottonwood campgrounds, the Chisos Basin, and the Hot Springs. Species to watch for include the colorful golden-fronted woodpecker, which can often be seen year-round among the cottonwood trees along the Rio Grande; and the rare colima warbler, whose range in the United States consists solely of the Chisos Mountains at Big Bend National Park. Among the hundreds of other birds that call the park home (at least part of the year) are scaled quail, spotted sandpipers, white-winged doves, greater roadrunners, lesser nighthawks, white-throated swifts, black-chinned and broad-tailed hummingbirds, acorn woodpeckers, northern flickers, western wood-pewees, ash-throated flycatchers, tufted titmice, bushtits, cactus and canyon wrens, loggerhead shrikes, Wilson's warblers, and Scott's orioles.
Mammals you may see in the park include desert cottontails, black-tailed jackrabbits, rock squirrels, Texas antelope squirrels, Merriam's kangaroo rats, coyotes, gray foxes, raccoons, striped skunks, mule deer, and white-tailed deer. There are occasional sightings of mountain lions, usually called panthers here, in the Green Gulch and Chisos Basin areas. Four attacks on humans have occurred at the park, with no fatalities. Black bears, which were frequently seen in the area until about 1940, were mostly killed off by area ranchers who saw them as a threat to their livestock. However, with the protection provided by national park status, they began to return in the mid-1980s and have now established a small population.
There are a number of reptiles in the park, including some poisonous snakes, such as diamondback, Mojave, rock, and black-tailed rattlesnakes, plus the trans-pecos copperhead. Fortunately, it is unlikely you will see a rattler or copperhead, since they avoid both the heat of the day and busy areas. You are more apt to encounter nonpoisonous western coachwhips, which are often seen speeding across trails and roadways. Sometimes called "red racers," they're reddish, sometimes bright red, and among America's fastest snakes. Other nonpoisonous snakes that inhabit the park include Texas whipsnakes, spotted night snakes, southwestern black-headed snakes, and black-necked garter snakes.
Among the lizards you may see scurrying along desert roads and trails is the southwestern earless lizard -- adult males are green with black and white chevrons on their lower sides, and often curl their black-striped tails over their backs. You'll also see various whiptail lizards in the desert, but in the canyons and higher in the mountains, watch for the crevice spiny lizard, which is covered with scales and has a dark collar. Although rare, there are also western box turtles in the park, as well as several types of more common water turtles.
