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Wildlife in Great Sand Dunes National Park

Here’s what naturalists are spotting in Great Sand Dunes right now - pulled live from recent research-grade observations. Browse by group, explore the map, and identify what you find with Huck.

2,502
recent observations
30
species listed
20
plants
5
insects & arthropods
1
mammals

Naturalists have logged 2,502 research-grade observations across the 30 most-recorded species in Great Sand Dunes. The most frequently seen is the Rocky Mountain Beeplant, with 284 recorded sightings.

Plants account for the largest share of what gets recorded there (20 of the species listed here), followed by insects & arthropods (5).

🖨️ Printable wildlife checklist

Most-observed species in Great Sand Dunes

Rocky Mountain Beeplant
Cleomella serrulata
284 observations · iNaturalist
Plains Pricklypear
Opuntia polyacantha
275 observations
Mule Deer
Odocoileus hemionus
171 observations
Ten-lined June Beetle
Polyphylla decemlineata
164 observations
Colorado Pinyon
Pinus edulis
119 observations
Scarlet Gilia
Ipomopsis aggregata
117 observations
scarlet hedgehog cactus
Echinocereus coccineus
104 observations
Rubber Rabbitbrush
Ericameria nauseosa
96 observations · iNaturalist
Winterfat
Krascheninnikovia lanata
83 observations · iNaturalist
small-flowered sand-verbena
Tripterocalyx micranthus
81 observations · iNaturalist
Lance-leaved scurf-pea
Ladeania lanceolata
77 observations · iNaturalist
Giant Sand Treader Camel Cricket
Daihinibaenetes giganteus
68 observations · iNaturalist
Plateau Fence Lizard
Sceloporus tristichus
67 observations
Rocky Mountain Juniper
Juniperus scopulorum
59 observations
Colorado Dune Tiger Beetle
Cicindela theatina
59 observations · iNaturalist
upright blue beardtongue
Penstemon virgatus
57 observations · iNaturalist
quaking aspen
Populus tremuloides
54 observations
Green-tailed Towhee
Pipilo chlorurus
48 observations
Trumpet gooseberry
Ribes leptanthum
48 observations · iNaturalist
Broadbeard Beardtongue
Penstemon angustifolius
48 observations · iNaturalist
Alderleaf Mountain Mahogany
Cercocarpus montanus
47 observations · iNaturalist
Great Plains yucca
Yucca glauca
46 observations
Mountain Bluebird
Sialia currucoides
45 observations
wax currant
Ribes cereum
45 observations · iNaturalist
Broom-like Ragwort
Senecio spartioides
42 observations · iNaturalist
James' Buckwheat
Eriogonum jamesii
41 observations · iNaturalist
Big Sand Tiger Beetle
Cicindela formosa
40 observations · iNaturalist
Woodhouse's Scrub-Jay
Aphelocoma woodhouseii
40 observations
Trimerotropis barnumi
Trimerotropis barnumi
39 observations · iNaturalist
Blowout grass
Muhlenbergia multiflora
38 observations · iNaturalist

Built from recent research-grade iNaturalist observations. Identifications are community-sourced and may occasionally be wrong, and the ranking reflects where people record and photograph wildlife, so a species seen often here is not necessarily rare elsewhere. Some plants and animals are only out in certain seasons. Treat this as a lively snapshot of what people are finding, not a formal checklist.

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