Editing Great Plains (section)

===Fauna===

==== Mammals ====
Although the [[American bison]] (''Bison bison'') historically ranged throughout much of North America (from [[New York (state)|New York]] to [[Oregon]] and Canada to northern Mexico), they are strongly associated with the Great Plains where they once roamed in immense herds. [[Pronghorn]] (''Antilocapra americana'') range into western areas of the region. The [[black-tailed prairie dog]] (''Cynomys ludovicianus'') is another iconic species among several rodents that are linked to the region including the [[thirteen-lined ground squirrel]] (''Ictidomys tridecemlineatus''), [[spotted ground squirrel]] (''Xerospermophilus spilosoma''), [[Franklin's ground squirrel]] (''Poliocitellus franklinii''), [[plains pocket gopher]] (''Geomys bursarius''), [[hispid pocket mouse]] (''Chaetodipus hispidus''), [[olive-backed pocket mouse]] (''Perognathus fasciatus''), [[plains pocket mouse]] (''Perognathus flavescens''), and [[plains harvest mouse]] (''Reithrodontomys montanus''), Two carnivores associated with the Great Plains include the [[swift fox]] (''Vulpes velox'') and the endangered [[black-footed ferret]] (''Mustela nigripes'').<ref name="Reid (2006)">Reid, Fiona, A. 2006. ''A Field Guide to mammals of North America North of Mexico, Peterson Field Guide Series'', 4th ed. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. New York, N. Y. xx, 579 pp. {{ISBN|0-395-93596-2}}</ref>

==== Birds ====
The [[lesser prairie-chicken]] (''Tympanuchus pallidicinctus'') is [[Endemism|endemic]] to the Great Plains and the distribution of the [[greater prairie-chicken]] (''Tympanuchus cupido'') predominantly occurs in the region, although the latter historically ranged further eastward. The [[Harris's sparrow]] (''Zonotrichia querula'') spends winter months in southern areas of the region. Other species migrate from the south in the spring and spend their breeding season on the plains, including the [[white-faced ibis]] (''Plegadis chihi''), [[mountain plover]] (''Charadrius montanus''), [[marbled godwit]] (''Limosa fedoa''), [[Sprague's pipit]] (''Anthus spragueii''), [[Cassin's sparrow]] (''Peucaea cassinii''), [[Baird's sparrow]] (''Centronyx bairdii''), [[lark bunting]] (''Calamospiza melanocorys''), [[chestnut-collared longspur]] (''Calcarius ornatus''), [[thick-billed longspur]] or McCown's longspur (''Rhynchophanes mccownii''), and [[dickcissel]] (''Spiza americana'').<ref name="Mulroy (2002)">Mulroy, Kevin (Editor-in-Chief). 2002. ''Field Guide to the Birds of North America'', 4th edition. National Geographic, Washington, D. C. 480 pp. {{ISBN|0-7922-6877-6}}</ref>

==== Reptiles ====
The prairie rattlesnake (''[[Crotalus viridis]]'') ranges throughout much of the Great Plains and into the valleys and lower elevations of the eastern [[Rocky Mountains]] and portions of the [[Southwestern United States|American southwest]]. Other snakes include the plains hog-nosed snake (''[[Western hognose snake|Heterodon nasicus]]''), western milksnake (''[[Milk snake|Lampropeltis gentilis]]''), Great Plains ratsnake (''[[Pantherophis emoryi]]''), bullsnake (''[[Bullsnake|Pituophis catenifer sayi]]''), plains black-headed snake (''[[Plains black-headed snake|Tantilla nigriceps]]''), plains gartersnake (''[[Plains garter snake|Thamnophis radix]]''), and lined snake (''[[Tropidoclonion|Tropidoclonion lineatum]]''). Reptile diversity increases significantly in southern regions of the Great Plains. The ornate box turtle (''[[Terrapene ornata]]'') and Great Plains skink (''[[Great Plains skink|Plestiodon obsoletus]]'') occur in southern areas.<ref name="Powell et al. (2016)">Powell, Robert, Roger Conant, and Joseph Collins. 2016. ''Peterson Field Guide to Reptiles and Amphibians of Eastern and Central North America'', 4th ed. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. New York, N. Y. xiii, 494 pp. [pages 202-209] {{ISBN|978-0-544-12997-9}}</ref>

==== Amphibians ====
Although few salamanders are strongly associated with the region, the [[western tiger salamander]] (''Ambystoma mavortium'') ranges through much of the Great Plains and the Rocky Mountains, as does the [[Rocky Mountain toad]] (''Anaxyrus w. woodhousi''). Other [[anurans]] related to region include the [[Great Plains toad]] (''Anaxyrus cognatus''), [[plains leopard frog]] (''Lithobates blairi''), and [[plains spadefoot toad]] (''Spea bombifrons'').<ref name="Powell et al. (2016)" /><ref name="Dodd (2013)">Dodd Jr., C. Kenneth (2013) ''Frogs of the United States and Canada, Vol. I & II''. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore. 982 pp. {{OCLC|1262005087}}</ref>

==== Fish ====
Some species predominantly associated with various river basins in the Great Plains include [[sturgeon chub]] (''Macrhybopsis gelida''), [[peppered chub]] (''Macrhybopsis tetranema''), [[prairie chub]] (''Macrhybopsis australis''), [[western silvery minnow]] (''Hybognathus argyritis''), [[plains minnow]] (''Hybognathus placitus''), [[smalleye shiner]] (''Notropis buccula''), [[Arkansas River shiner]] (''Notropis girardi''), [[Red River shiner]] (''Notropis bairdi''), [[Topeka shiner]] (''Notropis topeka''), [[plains topminnow]] (''Fundulus sciadicus''), plains killifish (''[[Fundulus zebrinus]]''), Red River pupfish (''[[Cyprinodon rubrofluviatilis]]''), and [[Arkansas darter]] (''Etheostoma cragini'').<ref name="Lee et al. (1980)">Lee, D. S., C. R. Gilbert, C. H. Hocutt, R. E. Jenkins, D. E. McAllister, and J. R. Stauffer, Jr. 1980. ''Atlas of North American Freshwater Fishes'', North Carolina State Museum of Natural History. x, 867 pp. {{ISBN|0-917134-03-6}}</ref><ref name="Page & Burr (2011)">Page, L. M. and B. M. Burr. 2011. ''Peterson Field Guide to Freshwater Fishes: North America North of Mexico, Second Edition'', Peterson Field Guide Series. Houghton Mifflin Company. Boston, Massachusetts. xix, 663 pp. {{ISBN|978-0-547-24206-4}}</ref>

==== Invertebrates ====
The Great Plains also has many [[invertebrate]] species living here both alive and [[Extinction|extinct]] such as the [[Nicrophorus americanus|American burying beetle]] (''Nicrophorus americus''), [[Salt Creek tiger beetle]] (''Cinidela nevadica lincolniana''), [[Amblycheila cylindriformis|Great Plains giant tiger beetle]] (''Amblycheila chylindriformis''), ''[[Microstylum morosum]]'',<ref>{{Cite web |last=Troy |date=2010-08-05 |title=Giant Robber Fly of the Great Plains – ''Microstylum morosum'' |url=https://troymullens.wordpress.com/2010/08/05/giant-robber-fly-of-the-great-plains-microstylum-morosum/ |access-date=2023-11-15 |website=I C U Nature |language=en}}</ref> [[bean leaf beetle]] (''Cerotoma trifurcata''), [[Great Plains camel cricket]] (''Daihinia brevipes''),<ref>{{Cite web |last=Webmaster |first=David Ratz |title=Great Plains Camel Cricket - Montana Field Guide |url=https://fieldguide.mt.gov/speciesDetail.aspx?elcode=IIORTK4010 |access-date=2023-11-15 |website=fieldguide.mt.gov |language=en}}</ref> and the [[Lepyronia gibbosa|Great Plains spittlebug]] (''Lepyronia gibbosa'').<ref>{{Cite web |title=Encyclopedia of the Great Plains {{!}} Insects |url=http://plainshumanities.unl.edu/encyclopedia/doc/egp.pe.034 |access-date=2023-11-15 |website=plainshumanities.unl.edu}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=''Lepyronia gibbosa'' (Great Plains spittlebug) - Michigan Natural Features Inventory |url=https://mnfi.anr.msu.edu/species/description/11566/Lepyronia-gibbosa |access-date=2023-11-15 |website=mnfi.anr.msu.edu}}</ref> Some species in the Great Plains have gone extinct like the [[Rocky Mountain locust]] (''Melanoplus spretus'').<ref>{{Cite web |title=Encyclopedia of the Great Plains {{!}} Insect Lore |url=http://plainshumanities.unl.edu/encyclopedia/doc/egp.fol.026 |access-date=2023-11-15 |website=plainshumanities.unl.edu}}</ref>

<gallery mode="packed" heights="100px">
File:Bison bison Wichita Mountain Oklahoma.jpg|American bison (''Bison bison''), Wichita Mountain Wildlife Refuge, Oklahoma
File:Black-footed Ferrets in Preconditioning Pens (15519959116) (cropped).jpg|Black-footed ferret (''Mustela nigripes'') National Black-footed Ferret Conservation Center, Colorado
File:Swift Fox (cropped).jpg|Swift fox (''Vulpes velox''), Colorado
File:Tympanuchus pallidicinctus-1jpg (cropped).jpg|Lesser prairie-chicken (''Tympanuchus pallidicinctus'') on a [[Lek mating|lek]] in the Red Hills of Kansas
File:Great Plains Rat Snake (Pantherophis emoryi) (8726969667).jpg|Great Plains ratsnake (''Pantherophis emoryi''), Missouri
File:Great Plains toad (cropped).jpg|Great Plains toad (''Anaxyrus cognatus'')
File:Amerikanischer Totengräber (Nicrophorus americanus).jpg|[[Nicrophorus americanus]]
</gallery>