Voles, also referred to as meadow mice, are small mouse- to rat-sized rodents. They are pudgy, with blunt faces, small eyes, short ears, short legs, and a short tail. Voles reach a length of 5 to 7 inches at maturity.
Their dense fur is...
Turkeys can be exciting to watch. However intentionally or unintentionally, feeding turkeys often leads to conflict between turkeys and people.
Inviting wild turkeys to your property can cause problems for you and your neighbors, as well as disrupting the birds' natural foraging and migration...
Skunks are easily identified by their black and white markings. Utah has two species of skunks, the western spotted skunk, Spilogale gracilis, and the striped skunk, Mephitis mephitis. Spotted skunk adults weigh 2–4 pounds, and striped skunks weigh 6–10 pounds.
Each species has scent...
Raccoons, or Procyon lotor, are found throughout the United States, but are not native to Utah. They live in forests, marshes, near lakes and rivers and even in urban areas.
Raccoons are gray in color, with bushy, black, ringed tails and black masks across...
The North American porcupine, Erethizon dorsatum, is a large rodent that is common in Utah. It prefers coniferous forest and mixed forest areas, although it may also be found in wetlands, deserts, and shrub-land habitats. Porcupine winter dens may be found in hollow trees and...
Utah's wild spaces are wonderful areas for you and your pets to exercise and enjoy nature. But these spaces are also home to wildlife and are essential to their survival. When recreating with your dog, be aware that your dog may be an attractant to...
There are three species of pocket gophers native to Utah: the northern pocket gopher, the Idaho pocket gopher and Botta’s pocket gopher. Like other gophers, the northern pocket gopher is fossorial, meaning that it lives under the ground.
Pocket gophers are herbivores, eating primarily...
The American crow is common throughout Utah. Crows can be found in open habitats, such as agricultural areas and towns. They eat a variety of food items, including small animals, insects, plant matter and carrion.
Nesting usually occurs from February to May. The nest...
The common gray fox, Urocyon cinereoargenteus, is native to woodland and shrubland habitats of central and southern Utah. The range of the species also includes much of the rest of the United States and Mexico. Although the gray fox is similar to other fox species,...
Raptors (e.g., eagles, hawks, falcons, etc.) are important predators who help control rodent and insect populations.
Understanding the threats to raptors and learning ways to minimize those threats are the first steps in helping protect birds of prey. One of the greatest threats to...
Badgers (Taxidea taxus) are members of the weasel family and are common in the grasslands and deserts of Utah. They are distinguishable by their long, gray guard hairs, black cheek spots and a white stripe extending from the nose to the forehead.
Adult badgers...
Beavers can be found along creeks and streams, as well as in lakes and reservoirs. They cut trees to build dams and water diversions, sometimes creating large ponds. Lodges of sticks and mud are often constructed in these ponds and are used by beaver for...
Spiders are arachnids, a group that includes other eight-legged arthropods like ticks, mites, sun spiders, scorpions and harvestmen (aka daddy longlegs). There are approximately 621 species of spiders known to occur in Utah. There are approximately nine species of scorpions in Utah, most of which...
