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Mesa Verde National ParkYellow-headed collared lizard
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Mesa Verde National Park
Reptiles, Amphibians, and Fish


Reptiles

Yellow-headed collared lizard
Speckled earless lizard
Great Basin sagebrush lizard
Northern plateau lizard
Northern tree lizard
Northern side-blotched lizard
Mountain short-horned lizard
Plateau whiptail lizard
Two-lined skink
Wandering garter snake
Desert striped whipsnake
Western smooth green snake
Great Basin gopher snake
New Mexico milk snake
Mesa Verde night snake
Prairie (Western) rattlesnake (possibly other subspecies as well)


 

 

Amphibians

Utah tiger salamander (nearly extirpated)
Rocky Mountain (Woodhouse’s) toad
Red-spotted toad
Hammond’s spadefoot toad (possibly in Mancos Canyon)
Northern leopard frog (extirpated from park)
Boreal chorus frog


 

 

Fish

Colorado pikeminnow (Endangered, extirpated, not reintroduced)
Razorback sucker (Endangered, extirpated, not reintroduced)
Flannelmouth sucker (nearly extirpated, supplemental reintroduction)
Bluehead sucker (nearly extirpated, supplemental reintroduction)
Roundtail chub (extirpated and reintroduced)
Speckled dace Mottled sculpin (not confirmed, single brief visual record in river bed)
Green sunfish (exotic, invasive)
Fathead minnow (exotic, invasive)
Rainbow trout (exotic, not persistent)


 

View of the House of Many Windows cliff dwelling  

Did You Know?
Ninety percent of Mesa Verde’s cliff dwellings contain 10 rooms or less. One-third have only one or two rooms. This should help to put the more famous cliff dwellings of Cliff Palace (150 rooms), Long House (150 rooms), Spruce Tree House (130 rooms), and Balcony House (40 rooms) into perspective.

Last Updated: November 12, 2008 at 11:38 EST