Petrified Forest National Park may be best known for brilliantly colored petrified wood and the striped badlands of the Painted Desert, but the park also protects a surprisingly rich community of living wildlife. Pronghorn move across open grasslands, coyotes hunt along washes, golden eagles soar over the badlands, and colorful collared lizards bask on sun-warmed rocks.
Many of the park’s animals are easy to overlook. The wide landscape can appear almost empty in the middle of the day, particularly during hot weather. Yet rabbits shelter beneath shrubs, prairie dogs remain near underground colonies, kit foxes wait for darkness, bats emerge after sunset, and spadefoot toads may spend much of the year hidden underground.
Petrified Forest is also not quite the desert many visitors imagine. Although the Painted Desert name suggests an extremely barren landscape, much of the park is actually semi-arid shortgrass prairie. Grasslands, badlands, pinyon-juniper woodland, riparian corridors, sand dunes, seasonal wetlands, and rocky slopes create a surprisingly varied collection of habitats.
The best wildlife watching usually comes early or late in the day. Birds, rabbits, and lizards are among the animals visitors see most frequently, while secretive mammals such as bobcats, badgers, and kit foxes require considerably more luck.
β‘ Petrified Forest Wildlife Fast Facts
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Main ecosystem | Semi-arid shortgrass prairie |
| Signature large mammal | Pronghorn |
| Other large mammals | Elk, mule deer, coyotes and bobcats |
| Small predators | Kit foxes and badgers |
| Prairie mammal | Gunnison’s prairie dog |
| Recorded bird species | About 258 |
| Common raptors | Golden eagles and red-tailed hawks |
| Common birds | Ravens, horned larks, scaled quail and roadrunners |
| Reptiles | More than 16 kinds of snakes and lizards |
| Venomous snake | Prairie rattlesnake |
| Notable lizard | Eastern collared lizard |
| Amphibians | Tiger salamanders, toads and spadefoots |
| Common invertebrates | Tarantulas, scorpions, butterflies, moths, bees and beetles |
| Best wildlife time | Early morning and late afternoon |
Season, temperature, rainfall, and time of day all affect what animals are visible. A park that seems quiet at noon may become considerably more active as evening approaches.
πΎ Petrified Forest Is Really a Grassland
One of the most useful things to understand about wildlife at Petrified Forest is that this is primarily a grassland ecosystem, not simply a barren desert.
Much of the park belongs to the Intermountain Basin semi-arid steppe and shortgrass prairie environment. Grasses, sagebrush, saltbush, wildflowers, and other drought-adapted vegetation cover large portions of the landscape.
Those grasslands support grazing animals such as pronghorn and provide habitat for rodents, rabbits, birds, reptiles, and the predators that depend on them.
Badlands add exposed slopes and rocky terrain, while pinyon-juniper woodland on mesa tops provides additional cover. The Puerco River and smaller wet areas create narrow riparian zones where cottonwoods, willows, insects, birds, and mammals find resources that are scarce in surrounding uplands.
The result is a far more complicated ecosystem than the word “desert” suggests.
π¦ Pronghorn
The pronghorn is one of the most distinctive large animals in Petrified Forest National Park.
Often casually called an antelope, the pronghorn is not a true antelope. It belongs to its own North American family and has no close living relative on the continent.
Its tan-and-white coloration blends beautifully into open grassland.
The large white rump patch is especially noticeable when an animal begins moving away.
Pronghorn depend on broad open landscapes where they can detect predators from great distances. Petrified Forest’s extensive grasslands provide exactly that type of habitat.
π¨ Built for Speed
Pronghorn are among the fastest land mammals on Earth.
Adults are capable of reaching speeds around 55 miles per hour for short distances and can maintain remarkably high speeds longer than most modern predators.
That speed is particularly useful in open prairie.
Unlike a deer trying to disappear into thick vegetation, a pronghorn often survives by seeing danger early and outrunning it.
Their large eyes and elevated position provide a broad field of view across the grasslands.
Watching a pronghorn standing motionless against the Painted Desert is impressive. Seeing one run reveals how perfectly the species is adapted to open country.
π Where to Look for Pronghorn
Scan broad grasslands rather than focusing only on petrified wood deposits and badland formations.
Pronghorn may appear as small tan shapes surprisingly far from the road.
Binoculars are extremely helpful.
Morning and evening provide particularly good viewing opportunities because animals tend to become more active when temperatures are cooler.
If you see a herd, watch from a distance rather than attempting to move closer.
An animal that begins staring continuously, walking away, or running because of your presence has already been disturbed.
π¦ Mule Deer
Mule deer also live within Petrified Forest National Park.
Their enormous ears immediately distinguish them from many other North American deer.
Mule deer use a variety of park habitats, including pinyon-juniper woodland and areas where shrubs provide browse.
Early morning and late afternoon are usually the best times to watch for them.
During warm periods, deer may spend much of the day resting in shaded or sheltered areas.
Their camouflage works extremely well against the muted browns, grays, and greens of the plateau landscape, so scan slowly.
π« Elk
Elk also occur in Petrified Forest, although many visitors do not associate the park with them.
The surrounding region of northeastern Arizona contains extensive grassland and woodland habitat that large grazing mammals can use.
Seeing an elk in the Painted Desert landscape can therefore be surprising but is entirely possible.
As with all large wildlife, maintain substantial distance.
Never approach an elk simply because it appears calm.
Large hoofed animals are capable of moving quickly and can become dangerous when crowded.
πΊ Coyotes
Coyotes are among Petrified Forest’s most adaptable predators.
They can live in grassland, badlands, shrubland, woodland, and the margins of human development.
Their diet is equally flexible.
Coyotes may eat rodents, rabbits, insects, reptiles, carrion, and plant foods according to what is available.
That flexibility helps them survive in an environment where food and water resources change throughout the year.
Visitors may see a coyote crossing open grassland or trotting along a distant wash.
Hearing one is another possibility, particularly around the edges of daylight.
π£ Look for Coyote Tracks
Even when coyotes remain invisible, they leave evidence.
Sandy washes and softer soil may preserve tracks.
Coyote scat can also contain fur, bone fragments, seeds, insect remains, and other clues to what the animal has been eating.
Tracks are often a useful reminder that the park becomes much more active after visitors leave.
Many mammals move most frequently during darkness, when temperatures fall and human activity disappears.
π¦ Kit Foxes
The kit fox is one of the park’s smaller and more secretive predators.
Its large ears are particularly well adapted to arid environments. They assist with hearing but also provide surface area that can help release body heat.
Kit foxes are primarily nocturnal.
That makes them difficult for ordinary daytime visitors to see.
They feed on rodents, rabbits, insects, reptiles, and other small prey.
Much of the animal’s daily life takes place in and around underground dens, which provide protection from heat, cold, and predators.
A visitor who sees a kit fox in daylight has had an unusually fortunate wildlife encounter.
π Bobcats
Bobcats also live throughout the park.
These medium-sized wild cats have short tails, spotted coats, and an exceptionally quiet hunting style.
They prey on rabbits, rodents, birds, and other small animals.
Bobcats can occupy a wide variety of environments, from rocky slopes to brushy washes and woodland edges.
Like coyotes, they are often most active around dawn and dusk.
Tracks may be easier to find than the cat itself.
A bobcat can stand only a short distance from a trail and remain almost invisible if vegetation or broken terrain provides enough cover.
𦑠Badgers
American badgers are among the park’s most powerful digging mammals.
Their low, stocky bodies, strong forelimbs, and long claws make them exceptionally effective at excavating soil.
Badgers hunt animals that live underground, including rodents.
Rather than chasing prey across open ground like a coyote, a badger may simply dig directly into its burrow system.
Large freshly disturbed areas of soil can sometimes reveal digging activity even when the badger is nowhere in sight.
Give any badger substantial space.
They are not animals to approach closely.
πΏοΈ Gunnison’s Prairie Dogs
Gunnison’s prairie dogs live within Petrified Forest’s grassland ecosystem.
Prairie dogs are highly social ground squirrels that live in colonies containing networks of underground burrows.
Those burrows offer protection from predators and extreme weather.
Prairie dog colonies can influence an entire ecosystem.
Their grazing affects vegetation, their excavation alters soil, and abandoned burrows can provide shelter for other species.
Prairie dogs themselves are also prey for coyotes, badgers, raptors, and other predators.
Watching a colony for several minutes may reveal much more activity than is apparent at first glance.
π Black-Tailed Jackrabbits
Black-tailed jackrabbits are among the animals visitors are most likely to encounter.
Despite their name, jackrabbits are technically hares rather than rabbits.
Their enormous ears are one of their most obvious desert adaptations.
Those ears provide excellent hearing while also helping radiate excess body heat.
Long legs allow jackrabbits to move rapidly across open ground when threatened.
During the hottest part of the day, they often remain motionless in sheltered depressions or shaded areas.
Morning and evening provide better chances of seeing them actively feeding.
π Desert Cottontails
Desert cottontails also occur throughout the park.
They are smaller and more compact than jackrabbits, with shorter ears and the familiar pale tail that gives cottontails their name.
Look for them around shrubs and areas providing quick access to cover.
Cottontails feed on grasses and other vegetation and become an important prey species for coyotes, bobcats, foxes, hawks, owls, and snakes.
The National Park Service identifies rabbits, along with birds and lizards, as some of the animals visitors see most frequently.
π¦ Porcupines
North American porcupines occur within Petrified Forest National Park.
Their presence can surprise visitors who associate porcupines mainly with dense forests.
Porcupines are excellent climbers and use woody vegetation where available.
Their sharp quills provide an effective defense against predators.
Contrary to a persistent myth, porcupines cannot shoot their quills.
The quills detach when a predator or other animal makes contact with them.
Because sightings are not especially common, seeing a porcupine can become one of the more memorable mammal encounters in the park.
π Kangaroo Rats and Other Rodents
Much of Petrified Forest’s nighttime ecosystem depends on rodents.
Species include kangaroo rats, pocket mice, deer mice, woodrats, ground squirrels, pocket gophers, grasshopper mice, and other small mammals.
These animals consume seeds, vegetation, insects, and other foods.
In turn, they feed snakes, owls, hawks, coyotes, foxes, bobcats, and badgers.
Kangaroo rats are particularly well adapted to dry environments.
Their physiology allows them to obtain much of the moisture they require from their food rather than depending heavily on standing water.
During daylight, most remain hidden in burrows.
π¦ Bats
Several bat species live in the park, including pallid bats, Townsend’s big-eared bats, California myotis, fringed myotis, Yuma myotis, and canyon bats.
Most become active after sunset.
Bats are important predators of insects and may consume large numbers of moths, beetles, and other flying arthropods during the night.
Their nocturnal lifestyle makes them easy for ordinary park visitors to overlook.
Yet bats are part of the reason the grassland and riparian food web continues functioning after darkness falls.
π¦ Golden Eagles
Golden eagles are among the largest and most impressive birds at Petrified Forest.
Their broad wings allow them to soar for long periods above grasslands, cliffs, mesas, and badlands.
Golden eagles hunt mammals and birds and may also feed on carrion.
Scanning the sky above ridges is one of the best ways to find them.
Do not assume every large dark soaring bird is a golden eagle.
Turkey vultures and large hawks can appear similar at a distance.
Binoculars make identification much easier.
π¦ Red-Tailed Hawks
Red-tailed hawks are another familiar raptor.
They frequently hunt from elevated perches or soar above open terrain while searching for rodents and other prey.
The grasslands of Petrified Forest provide excellent hunting habitat.
Adults often show the reddish tail that gives the species its name, although plumage varies considerably.
Roadside utility structures, trees, and rocky high points can all serve as perches.
Watch carefully while driving through the park, but use designated pullouts rather than stopping in the roadway.
π¦ Burrowing Owls
The burrowing owl is one of the park’s most charismatic small raptors.
Unlike most owls, burrowing owls spend much of their time on or near the ground.
They use underground burrows for shelter and nesting.
Prairie dog burrows and other abandoned mammal holes can provide suitable sites.
Burrowing owls are also unusual because they may be active during daylight, particularly around morning and evening.
Their long legs and upright posture make them relatively distinctive when standing near a burrow entrance.
π¦ Common Ravens
Common ravens are among the easiest birds to see.
These highly intelligent birds thrive throughout the American West.
Ravens eat carrion, insects, eggs, small animals, plant foods, and scraps when humans make them available.
Never feed them.
Ravens that learn to associate people and vehicles with food can become unnaturally concentrated around developed areas.
Their intelligence also makes them fascinating to watch.
Pairs may soar together, investigate objects, or use surprisingly complex behavior while searching for food.
π¦ Horned Larks
Horned larks are classic birds of open grassland.
Their subtle brown coloration blends extremely well with dry soil and prairie vegetation.
They frequently forage on the ground for seeds and insects.
Because Petrified Forest contains extensive open grassland, horned larks are among its characteristic birds.
Listen as well as look.
Birdsong often reveals the presence of grassland birds before movement on the ground becomes obvious.
π¦ Greater Roadrunners
Greater roadrunners also occur in the park.
Although capable of flight, roadrunners spend much of their time on the ground hunting insects, lizards, snakes, rodents, and other small prey.
They can move rapidly through open terrain using their long legs and tails for balance.
Roadrunners are more commonly associated with warmer southwestern deserts, making a sighting on Petrified Forest’s high plateau particularly interesting.
π¦ Scaled Quail
Scaled quail inhabit grassland and shrubland within the park.
Their pale gray-blue appearance and scaled-looking feather pattern make them distinctive at close range.
Groups often run rather than fly when disturbed.
Quail feed heavily on seeds but also take insects and other foods.
Early morning and late afternoon are good times to watch for groups moving through vegetation.
π¦ A Surprisingly Good Birding Park
Approximately 258 bird species have been documented in Petrified Forest National Park.
The number is high because the park contains several different habitats.
Grasslands support horned larks, raptors, and quail.
Pinyon-juniper areas support woodland species.
The Puerco River riparian corridor provides cottonwoods, willows, water, insects, and shelter for birds that would otherwise have little reason to stop in such an arid region.
Seasonal ponds add still more habitat.
Migration produces especially dramatic changes.
π Fall Bird Migration
August and September can be particularly interesting for birders.
Migratory species passing through the park may include hummingbirds, kinglets, waxwings, and numerous warblers.
That means a fall visit may produce birds that are not present during much of the rest of the year.
Seasonal wetlands and riparian vegetation can become especially productive locations.
Bring binoculars and spend some time standing quietly rather than simply moving from viewpoint to viewpoint.
π¦ Eastern Collared Lizards
The eastern collared lizard is one of the park’s most spectacular reptiles.
Adults can display striking combinations of green, blue, yellow, and other bright colors.
They are often seen during warmer months on rocks and open ground.
Collared lizards are active predators that eat insects and smaller vertebrates.
They can also move remarkably quickly.
Do not attempt to catch one.
Besides stressing the animal, some lizards can bite or deliberately detach part of their tail when grabbed.
π¦ Short-Horned Lizards
Greater short-horned lizards are another fascinating Petrified Forest resident.
Often called “horny toads,” they are actually lizards.
Their broad flattened bodies, spikes, and mottled coloration provide excellent camouflage against rocky and gravelly soil.
One of their most extraordinary defensive abilities is the capacity to squirt blood from around the eyes when threatened by certain predators, particularly canids.
Most visitors will simply see a small armored-looking lizard attempting to remain completely still.
Give it space and enjoy the camouflage rather than attempting to pick it up.
π¦ Whiptails
Several types of whiptail lizards occur within the park, including New Mexico whiptails and striped whiptails.
These slender, quick-moving reptiles actively search the ground for insects and other small prey.
One particularly fascinating species, the New Mexico whiptail, reproduces through parthenogenesis.
Populations consist of females capable of producing offspring without males.
Their rapid movements make them easy to notice but surprisingly difficult to watch for long.
π Prairie Rattlesnakes
Prairie rattlesnakes occur in Petrified Forest National Park.
They are venomous but generally want to avoid confrontation with people.
A rattle is a warning rather than an invitation to get closer.
If you encounter a rattlesnake, stop and determine where the animal is located.
Then give it substantial room to leave.
Never attempt to touch, move, or pose beside one.
Watch where you place hands and feet around rocks, vegetation, and shaded crevices.
π Gopher Snakes
Gopher snakes are large nonvenomous snakes that can sometimes be mistaken for rattlesnakes.
When threatened, a gopher snake may flatten its body, hiss, and vibrate its tail.
If the tail strikes dry vegetation, the resulting sound can resemble a rattle.
This mimicry may discourage predators.
Gopher snakes are valuable hunters of rodents and other small animals.
There is no need to move one encountered on a trail.
Give it space and let it continue.
π Kingsnakes
California kingsnakes also occur in the park.
Kingsnakes are powerful constrictors and eat a variety of prey, including rodents, lizards, and other snakes.
They possess resistance to the venom of certain venomous snakes and may prey on rattlesnakes.
Despite their impressive feeding habits, kingsnakes are not dangerous to people when left alone.
Their contrasting bands or patterns make them among the park’s more striking reptiles.
π Whipsnakes and Nightsnakes
Striped whipsnakes are slender, fast-moving daytime hunters.
They pursue lizards and other small prey using speed rather than ambush.
Chihuahuan nightsnakes follow a very different strategy.
As their name implies, they are primarily active after dark.
Nightsnakes are rear-fanged and mildly venomous, but they are not considered dangerous to people.
The contrast between the two species demonstrates how animals divide the same landscape by both habitat and time of day.
π‘οΈ Reptile Activity Changes With the Heat
Reptiles depend on external heat to regulate body temperature.
That means the best time to see them changes with the season.
During cooler portions of spring and fall, lizards and snakes may be active during daylight.
As summer temperatures increase, many shift activity toward morning and evening.
At extreme temperatures, reptiles also need shade.
A lizard sitting openly in the morning may disappear beneath a rock or shrub by noon.
πΈ Amphibians in a Dry Landscape
Amphibians seem almost impossible in a landscape as dry as Petrified Forest.
Yet the park supports tiger salamanders, several kinds of toads, and multiple species of spadefoot.
Their lives are closely tied to periods when water becomes available.
Some species can spend extraordinarily long periods underground.
Spadefoots survive dry conditions by burrowing into the soil, where they remain protected until rainfall changes conditions above ground.
A heavy storm can therefore transform amphibian activity almost overnight.
πΈ Spadefoot Toads
Spadefoots are among the most remarkable animals in the park.
The hardened structures on their hind feet help them dig backward into soil.
Underground, they can remain protected during long dry periods.
When substantial rain creates temporary pools, adults emerge rapidly to feed and reproduce.
Their young must develop quickly because these temporary pools may disappear.
Most visitors will never see this part of Petrified Forest’s wildlife unless their visit happens to coincide with the right weather.
π¦ Tiger Salamanders
Tiger salamanders provide another surprise.
These large amphibians can spend substantial portions of their lives underground, emerging when moisture conditions allow.
Their ability to survive in a semi-arid environment illustrates how important temporary and seasonal wetlands are.
A landscape that looks uniformly dry from the road actually contains a network of small habitats that appear and disappear as rainfall changes.
π·οΈ Tarantulas
Tarantulas are among the park’s largest spiders.
They spend much of their lives associated with burrows and are normally much less dangerous than their appearance suggests.
Visitors may occasionally see them crossing roads or trails.
Never pick one up.
Observe from a distance and allow the spider to continue moving.
Tarantulas feed on insects and other small animals and become prey themselves for specialized predators such as tarantula hawk wasps.
π¦ Scorpions
Scorpions also occur in Petrified Forest.
Most are nocturnal and remain hidden during daylight beneath rocks, vegetation, or inside crevices.
They hunt insects, spiders, and other small invertebrates.
Avoid placing hands beneath rocks or into spaces you cannot see.
Visitors generally have little reason to fear scorpions when ordinary common-sense precautions are followed.
π Tarantula Hawks
Tarantula hawks are enormous wasps known for their unusual relationship with tarantulas.
A female hunts a tarantula, paralyzes it with a sting, and uses the immobilized spider as food for her developing offspring.
Adults are often seen visiting flowers for nectar.
Their striking bodies and large size attract attention, but they should not be handled.
The sting is famously painful.
Leave the wasp alone and it is unlikely to bother you.
π¦ Butterflies and Moths
Butterflies and moths contribute another layer of diversity.
Seasonal wildflowers provide nectar, while caterpillars become important food for birds, reptiles, spiders, and other predators.
Monarchs may occur around milkweed.
Migration and seasonal rainfall strongly influence which species are present.
In a productive wildflower year, insect activity can become one of the most noticeable aspects of the grassland.
π The Small Animals Matter
Beetles, ants, solitary bees, flies, grasshoppers, spiders, centipedes, millipedes, and countless other small creatures rarely receive the same attention as pronghorn or eagles.
Yet they perform much of the ecological work.
They pollinate plants, decompose dead material, move soil, control other insect populations, and provide food for animals higher in the food web.
A collared lizard depends on insects.
A bird may depend on those lizards.
A hawk may depend on smaller birds or rodents.
The entire system is connected.
π Why Dawn and Dusk Are Best
The National Park Service specifically recommends arriving as early as park hours allow and remaining as late as permitted if wildlife watching is a priority.
Many mammals are crepuscular, meaning they concentrate activity around dawn and dusk.
These cooler periods reduce heat stress while providing enough light to find food.
Animals may also feel more secure than they do under bright midday conditions.
The timing benefits visitors in another way: low-angle sunlight intensifies the colors of the Painted Desert.
Wildlife and landscape photography therefore peak at roughly the same times.
π Petrified Forest After Dark
Petrified Forest’s wildlife community changes dramatically after dark.
Kit foxes emerge.
Bats begin hunting insects.
Rodents leave burrows.
Owls become active.
Some snakes and other reptiles move after temperatures fall.
Unfortunately for casual wildlife watchers, the park generally closes to ordinary day-use visitors at night.
That means much of the park’s most active animal community remains unseen.
Backcountry users following current park rules may experience a different side of the ecosystem, but everyone should check current access regulations before planning nighttime activity.
π§οΈ Wildlife After Rain
Rain can create dramatic changes.
Temporary pools form.
Amphibians emerge.
Insects become more active.
Plants respond with new growth and flowers.
Rodents and grazing mammals benefit as vegetation becomes more productive.
Reptile activity may also change.
Heavy rain should never be treated only as a wildlife opportunity, however. Washes, backcountry routes, and badland surfaces can become hazardous.
Wait for safe conditions.
πΈ Wildlife in Spring
Spring is one of the best seasons for general wildlife viewing.
Temperatures are usually moderate enough for animals to remain active through more of the day.
Bird migration increases diversity.
Reptiles begin emerging as temperatures warm.
Wildflowers and insects can become abundant when winter and spring precipitation has been favorable.
Pronghorn, deer, coyotes, and rabbits are all worth watching for across grassland.
βοΈ Wildlife in Summer
Summer heat pushes much of the wildlife toward the edges of daylight.
Arrive early.
Birds may be active shortly after sunrise, while mammals finish nighttime feeding and reptiles begin warming themselves.
As temperatures climb, activity often falls.
Late afternoon can produce another burst of movement.
Summer thunderstorms also create rapid changes in animal activity and may trigger amphibian emergence.
π Wildlife in Fall
Fall brings cooler weather and excellent bird migration.
August and September are particularly productive for migratory species.
Reptiles remain active while temperatures stay warm enough but gradually become less visible as autumn progresses.
Large mammals become easier to watch outside the hottest part of the day.
Clear fall mornings can be excellent for scanning grasslands for pronghorn and raptors.
βοΈ Wildlife in Winter
Winter does not mean the park becomes empty.
Pronghorn, mule deer, elk, coyotes, rabbits, and resident birds remain active.
Some migratory birds actually arrive specifically for the colder season.
Mountain bluebirds, white-crowned sparrows, and dark-eyed juncos are among the winter visitors documented by the park.
Reptiles and amphibians become much less active as temperatures fall.
Snow can occasionally transform the grasslands and Painted Desert, creating a completely different wildlife landscape.
πΎ Best Places to Look for Wildlife
There is no single wildlife-viewing area comparable to a zoo enclosure.
The best strategy is to pay attention throughout your visit.
Open grasslands are excellent for pronghorn, coyotes, raptors, and rabbits.
Pinyon-juniper areas may contain mule deer, bobcats, cottontails, quail, and lizards.
The Puerco River corridor and other wetter areas attract birds, insects, and mammals seeking water and vegetation.
Rocky slopes and badlands are good places to watch for reptiles.
The wider your range of habitats, the more species you may encounter.
π Wildlife Watching From the Park Road
The park road provides surprisingly good wildlife opportunities.
Drive slowly and scan the landscape instead of focusing solely on viewpoints.
Pronghorn may appear far out on the prairie.
Coyotes sometimes cross the roadway.
Ravens and raptors use roadside areas.
Lizards and snakes may also cross pavement, particularly when road surfaces retain warmth.
Never stop in the travel lane for an animal.
Use an established pullout and observe with binoculars.
π£ Wildlife Watching on Foot
Walking reveals details that are easy to miss from a vehicle.
Look for tracks in soft soil, animal burrows, feathers, scat, reptile movement, and birds feeding low in grassland vegetation.
Move quietly.
Occasionally stop completely and listen.
Grasslands may appear empty simply because animals detected you before you detected them.
A few quiet minutes can be much more productive than constantly walking.
π· Wildlife Photography
A telephoto lens is ideal.
The purpose is not simply to make animals appear larger in a photograph.
A longer lens allows wildlife to continue behaving naturally while you remain at an appropriate distance.
Do not chase pronghorn, crowd rabbits, surround reptiles, or block an animal’s path.
If your subject changes direction, stops feeding, begins staring continuously, or moves away because of you, increase your distance.
Natural behavior makes a better photograph anyway.
π« Never Feed Wildlife
Never feed animals in Petrified Forest National Park.
This applies to everything from coyotes and deer to ravens and ground squirrels.
Wildlife that receives human food can lose its natural caution.
Animals may begin approaching roads, parking lots, or people, increasing the risk of vehicle collisions and conflicts.
Human food is also nutritionally inappropriate for many wild species.
Keep snacks secure and pack out every piece of trash.
π Pets and Wildlife
Petrified Forest is unusually pet-friendly compared with many national parks.
Leashed pets are permitted on paved roads and trails as well as designated wilderness areas, subject to current park rules.
Dogs must remain on a leash no longer than six feet.
Wildlife safety still matters.
Keep pets well away from pronghorn, coyotes, rabbits, reptiles, birds, and other animals.
Never allow a dog to chase wildlife or investigate a snake.
Hot pavement can also become dangerous for paws during warm weather.
𦴠The Wildlife Story Goes Back More Than 200 Million Years
Few national parks connect modern wildlife and ancient animals as dramatically as Petrified Forest.
The rocks preserve an extraordinary fossil record from the Late Triassic, roughly 227 to 205 million years ago.
The ancient ecosystem contained giant amphibians, freshwater fish, armored reptiles, phytosaurs, early dinosaurs, and numerous other organisms.
Even freshwater sharks once occupied ancient waterways represented in the park’s rocks.
Those creatures lived in landscapes dramatically different from today’s grasslands.
Their fossils allow scientists to reconstruct entire ancient ecosystems rather than simply individual animals.
π Ancient Reptiles
Some of Petrified Forest’s most famous fossils belong to reptiles that would look almost alien today.
Phytosaurs superficially resembled crocodiles but belonged to a different evolutionary lineage.
Armored aetosaurs occupied the same ecosystems.
Other reptiles included long-necked tanystropheids, drepanosaurs, and the aquatic Vancleavea.
Early dinosaurs were present as well.
The park’s paleontologists continue discovering new material as erosion exposes fresh rock.
πΈ Giant Amphibians of the Triassic
Modern spadefoots and tiger salamanders may seem modest, but Petrified Forest’s fossil record includes much larger ancient amphibians.
Metoposaurs were enormous salamander-like predators associated with Triassic waterways.
Their fossils demonstrate that ancient Petrified Forest was once dramatically wetter.
Rivers, floodplains, lakes, and lush vegetation supported a completely different animal community.
Modern amphibians living in temporary pools provide a fascinating living connection to that ancient story.
π¦ Freshwater Sharks
Perhaps one of the strangest facts about Petrified Forest is that fossils of freshwater sharks occur in the park.
The Triassic ecosystem supported a diverse collection of aquatic animals including sharks, lungfish, coelacanths, and other fishes.
Today, standing among dry badlands and grasslands makes that ancient aquatic world difficult to imagine.
That contrast is exactly why the fossil record is so valuable.
The landscape has changed repeatedly, but evidence of earlier ecosystems remains preserved beneath visitors’ feet.
π Wildlife Conservation
Petrified Forest protects far more than petrified logs.
Its grasslands represent important habitat in a region where intact native prairie has become increasingly valuable.
Wildlife depends on large connected landscapes.
Pronghorn need open ground.
Predators require enough territory to find prey.
Migratory birds need places to rest and feed.
Amphibians depend on scattered wetlands.
Preserving the entire ecosystem allows those relationships to continue rather than protecting individual species in isolation.
π What Wildlife Are You Most Likely to See?
Birds, lizards, and rabbits provide the best odds.
Ravens are especially conspicuous.
Jackrabbits and cottontails are common enough that patient visitors frequently encounter them.
Warm-weather hikers may see collared lizards, whiptails, or other reptiles.
Pronghorn are the standout large mammal and can sometimes be spotted across open grassland.
Coyotes, bobcats, kit foxes, and badgers are progressively harder to find.
That does not mean they are absent.
Most wild animals survive precisely because they are good at avoiding detection.
π Best Strategy for Wildlife Watching
A few simple habits significantly improve your chances:
- Arrive early.
- Stay until later in the day when possible.
- Carry binoculars.
- Scan open grassland slowly.
- Watch the edges of washes and vegetation.
- Stop periodically and listen.
- Look for tracks and burrows.
- Visit several habitat types.
- Drive slowly.
- Never chase or feed wildlife.
Patience matters more than mileage.
You may see more animals by quietly watching one grassland for fifteen minutes than by rushing between five overlooks.
π Final Thoughts
Petrified Forest National Park is much more alive than its name suggests.
Pronghorn race across shortgrass prairie while mule deer browse along wooded mesa tops. Coyotes hunt rabbits and rodents, bobcats move quietly through broken country, badgers excavate burrows, and kit foxes wait for darkness before emerging.
Above them, golden eagles and red-tailed hawks patrol the open landscape. Ravens investigate almost everything, horned larks forage through the grass, burrowing owls use underground shelters, and migrating birds crowd the park during seasonal movements.
At ground level, another community becomes visible. Collared lizards bask on rocks. Whiptails race through open areas. Rattlesnakes hunt rodents. Spadefoots wait underground for rain. Tarantulas and scorpions become active when conditions suit them.
And beneath all of that modern wildlife lies evidence of an even older worldβone populated by giant amphibians, strange armored reptiles, early dinosaurs, and freshwater sharks more than 200 million years ago.
The best way to appreciate Petrified Forest wildlife is to resist the temptation to treat the park simply as a collection of petrified logs and scenic overlooks.
Slow down.
Look across the grasslands.
Listen around the Puerco River.
Watch the sky for raptors and the trail for reptiles.
Come early or stay late.
The landscape may look still at first, but with patience, Petrified Forest reveals itself as a remarkably active living ecosystem.
π Related Articles
- Saguaro National Park Wildlife: Javelinas, Coyotes, Birds, Reptiles & More
- Redwood National Park Wildlife: Roosevelt Elk, Bears, Birds & More
- The Top 10 National Parks in the World
π Sources & Further Reading
- National Park Service β Animals β Overview of Petrified Forest wildlife, animal activity patterns, and the best times of day for viewing.
- National Park Service β Mammals β Pronghorn, coyotes, kit foxes, bobcats, mule deer, badgers, prairie dogs, rabbits, bats, rodents, and other park mammals.
- National Park Service β Birds β The park’s roughly 258 documented bird species, including resident, winter, summer, and migratory birds.
- National Park Service β Reptiles β Collared lizards, whiptails, short-horned lizards, rattlesnakes, kingsnakes, gopher snakes, and other reptiles.
- National Park Service β Amphibians β Tiger salamanders, Great Plains toads, red-spotted toads, Woodhouse’s toads, and several spadefoot species.
- National Park Service β Insects, Spiders, Centipedes & Millipedes β Tarantulas, butterflies, moths, beetles, bees, wasps, flies, spiders, and other invertebrates.
- National Park Service β Ecology β Shortgrass prairie, riparian zones, badlands, sand dunes, springs, and the ecological relationships supporting park wildlife.
- National Park Service β Current Environment β Grassland, pinyon-juniper woodland, riparian habitat, and animals associated with each environment.
- National Park Service β Fast Facts β Overview of the park’s grassland environment and its extensive list of wildlife.
- National Park Service β Frequently Asked Questions β Wildlife commonly encountered in Petrified Forest and clarification that pronghorn are not true antelope.
- National Park Service β Science and Research β Current ecological research and the park’s world-class Late Triassic fossil record.
- National Park Service β Triassic Park β Ancient reptiles, early dinosaurs, and evolutionary relationships represented in the park’s fossil record.
- National Park Service β More Triassic Animals β Ancient fish, freshwater sharks, amphibians, and other organisms from Petrified Forest’s Triassic ecosystem.
- National Park Service β Pets β Current rules for pets on paved trails, roads, and designated wilderness areas.
