Predator: Coyotes
Coyotes live in grassland because of the ample
amount of small prey that make up most of their diets.
Predator: Badgers
Badgers are being negatively affected by human
development. Badgers need some component of grassland to
survive.
Former predators in the temperate grasslands included wolves and grizzly bears.
Herbivores in the Temperate Grassland
Mule Deer
Mule deers are characterized by a gray winter coat or brown summer coat; a white
colored throat, chin, and rump; and bucks have antlers which fork and then fork
again. Mule deer are commonly mistaken for white-tailed deer.
Pronghorn Antelopes
Pronghorns have the longest land migration in the continental United States,
they also are the fastest land animal in North America. Pronghorns like open space so temperate grassland are one of the perfect places for them.
Rabbit
Grassland is one of the areas where rabbits are commonly found.
Black-Tailed Praire Dog
Prairie dogs are very important to the grasslands. Their function is unique to the grassland ecosystem because it can not be provided by any other species.
Prairie dogs clip and eat grasses within their colony.
Cattle
Cattle was not an animal originally apart of temperate grassland. It
was introduced to temperate grasslands.
Bison
Historically bison were included in temperate grassland herbivores until the slaughters in 1800s.
Birds in Temperate Grassland
Red-tailed Hawks
The Red-tailed Hawk occupies a wide range of habitats and altitudes including the grasslands.
They eat small mammals including rabbits, small and medium-sized birds, and reptiles such as snakes.
Prairie Chicken
Praire Chicken build nests hidden in the tall prairie grasses and survive on a diet of
grasshoppers and other insects.These birds weigh about two pounds . They were once plentiful
in numbers in the temperate grasslands of North America, but are becoming increasingly rare due to loss of habitat.
en looking for food.
Bobwhites
Bobwhite's diet consists of plants and small bugs, like grasshoppers.
Bobwhites can be found year-round in places like grasslands
Burrowing Owl
A very tiny owl out before nightDifferent from other owls, the burrowing owl is distinguishable by its
round-the-clock behavior. Being active both day and night, these owls feed on insects, rodents, reptiles
and even smaller birds.
Mountain Plovers
The Mountain Plover is one of the species that uses prairie dog towns to provide
suitable breeding habitat in areas of longer grasses.Mountain Plovers searching for food.
Reptiles
Gater Snakes
Snakes are well-adapted to live in grasslands since their long skinny bodies have no protruding limbs to snag as they slither through the thick plant growth. Garter Snakes are mostly associated with the grassland habitat in North America.
Insects
Ants
Ants inhabit all grasslands.
Grasshoppers
Grasshoppers, with their hind legs are able to quickly escape a predator like a snake; they are willing to sacrifice one of their legs to get away.