WILDLIFE 

Mammals

Probably the most commonly encountered mammal in the park is the red squirrel, which inhabits just about every forested site. You will see them scurrying about, hear their chatter, and see the cones they cast down from the tree tops onto the trails. More rarely encountered are other small mammals including snowshoe hares, chipmunks, Columbian ground squirrels, muskrats, porcupines, bats, and, on the rockslides in Horse Barn Valley, pikas.

The park's list of larger mammals includes mule and whitetail deer, moose and elk. Moose and deer can be found in every part of the park, while elk tend to be seen in the southern and western portions. The presence of these large herbivores naturally attracts the attention of predators, and coyotes and cougars are not uncommon in the area. Occasionally, wolves are also seen. Smaller mammals are preyed upon by lynx, fox, and pine marten.

Black bears are relatively common in the park, with numerous sightings each summer. Grizzly bears are rarely seen in the area, though they may pass through from time to time.

Birds

We have so far catalogued 97 species of birds in the park. Of those, about 25 reside here year-round while the rest are migrants that head south or to lower elevations in the fall, returning each spring.  Winter birds include woodpeckers, jays, chickadees, nuthatches, grouse, grosbeaks, and crossbills.

In a typical year, the spring migration starts in late March with the arrival of the varied thrush and winter wren. By mid-April, ruby-crowned kinglets are serenading in every corner of the park, and sapsuckers have added their distinctive drumming to the rhythm of the resident woodpeckers. By this time mallards or goldeneye are often found on some of the larger ponds, and warblers have begun arriving. By late May the Swainson's thrush, our last migrant from South America, fills the forest with ethereal, flute-like songs.

Reptiles & Amphibians

The park is home to nine species of reptiles and amphibians. The common garter snake and wandering terrestrial garter snake are frequently seen on trails by hikers. The rubber boa, Canada's only native boa constrictor, is more nocturnal and not as frequently encountered. Nevertheless, it has been spotted in just about every corner of the park.

The western painted turtle has been occasionally sighted at Eimer's Lake and in the forest along Eimer's Road, but populations are low and some years it is difficult to find one.

Also elusive is the northern alligator lizard, which inhabits rockslides but is so well camouflaged it is difficult to distinguish from the surrounding boulders. Keep an eye open for these lizards as you walk along Rockslide Trail to Dipper Lake.

The sloughs and ponds of the park are breeding areas for four amphibian species, and Dipper Lake has them all. The Columbia spotted frog and Pacific tree frog can be found there, as well as at Eimer's Lake and the wetlands along the Army Road. Long-toed salamanders can be found under rotting logs and leaf litter around the edges of numerous seasonal wetlands, while the western toad ranges far and wide throughout the park.

Insects

There has been no systematic effort to catalogue the invertebrate population of the park so we know relatively little about it.

KNPS volunteers have kept track of more than 40 butterfly species that flutter about from early spring to late fall (including the mourning cloak butterfly, which can even be found on warm winter days), and as time goes on we hope to increase our knowledge of other invertebrates.