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Utahns! Weird And Wonderful Wildlife Can Be Spotted Right In Our Backyards

Utah Division of Wildlife Resources

 

 

Everyone who lives in Utah is aware that we have plenty of mule deer. If you’ve lived here for any appreciable amount of time, you’ve probably seen gopher snakes and maybe even a quail or two, but there are some wildlife species here in Utah that are a little harder to glimpse.

For example roadrunners, made famous by cartoons, can be spotted running around some parts of southern Utah.. if you’re lucky.

“One of my co-workers took a little video of a roadrunner, ironically running across the road, and it was really cool," said Faith Jolley who works for the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources, or the DWR.

“Utah is home to a lot of different wildlife, some of it is pretty unique. We just kind of wanted to educate some of the public about some of these different animals that they may not even be aware live in Utah.”

Ever heard of a Pika? It is a small rodent that looks a bit like a guinea pig. They live mostly in rocky canyons at high elevations in Utah.

The DWR has compiled a list of five species to look out for the next time Utahns are out enjoying our beautiful state. Along with roadrunners and pika, they highlighted flying squirrels, snipes and river otters, all of which call our state home.