Editing Columbia, Missouri (section)

===Animal life===
Large mammals found in the city include urbanized coyotes,<ref>{{cite web | url=http://mdc.mo.gov/nathis/mammals/coyote/ | title=Coyote | work=Missouri Department of Conservation | access-date=January 11, 2008 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20060928232433/http://mdc.mo.gov/nathis/mammals/coyote/ |archive-date = September 28, 2006}}</ref> [[red fox]]es, and numerous [[whitetail deer]].<ref>{{cite web | url=http://mdc.mo.gov/nathis/mammals/deer2/ | title=Whitetale deer | work=Missouri Department of Conservation | access-date=January 11, 2008 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20060928232140/http://mdc.mo.gov/nathis/mammals/deer2/ |archive-date = September 28, 2006}}</ref> [[Eastern gray squirrel]], and other rodents are abundant, as well as cottontail rabbits and the nocturnal opossum and raccoon.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://mdc.mo.gov/nathis/mammals/squirrel/ | title=Eastern Gray Squirrel | work=Missouri Department of Conservation | access-date=January 11, 2008 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20060928232328/http://mdc.mo.gov/nathis/mammals/squirrel/ |archive-date = September 28, 2006}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=http://mdc4.mdc.mo.gov/applications/MDCLibrary/MDCLibrary2.aspx?NodeID=394 | title=Mammals (In Missouri) | work=Missouri Department of Conservation | access-date=January 11, 2008 | url-status=dead | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080203234523/http://mdc4.mdc.mo.gov/applications/MDCLibrary/MDCLibrary2.aspx?NodeID=394 | archive-date=February 3, 2008 | df=mdy-all }}</ref> Large bird species are abundant in parks and include the Canada goose, mallard duck, as well as shorebirds, including the great egret and great blue heron. Turkeys are also common in wooded areas and can occasionally be seen on the MKT recreation trail. Populations of bald eagles are found by the Missouri River. The city is on the [[Mississippi Flyway]], used by migrating birds, and has a large variety of small bird species, common to the eastern U.S. The Eurasian tree sparrow, an introduced species, is limited in North America to the counties surrounding St. Louis. Columbia has large areas of forested and open land and many of these areas are home to wildlife. 

The [[Devil's Icebox (cave)|Devil's Icebox Cave]] in Columbia's Rock Bridge State Park is the only natural home of the planarian ''[[Kenkia glandulosa]],'' an eyeless and de-pigmented flatworm.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-02-19 |title=Turbellarians (Planarians; Free-Living Flatworms) |url=https://mdc.mo.gov/discover-nature/field-guide/turbellarians-planarians-free-living-flatworms |access-date=2025-04-28 |website=Missouri Department of Conservation |language=en}}</ref> The cave is also home to species of [[Salamander|salamanders]], frogs, ''[[List of troglobites|troglobites]]'', [[millipede]], spiders, bats, and [[springtail]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Pycior |first=Danielle |date=2019-12-23 |title=Explore the science behind local landmarks from Devil's Icebox to the Pinnacles |url=https://www.voxmagazine.com/magazine/explore-the-four-natural-wonders-of-columbia/article_57f4362c-1d11-11ea-95b4-b7632dccf81d.html |access-date=2025-04-28 |website=Vox Magazine |language=en}}</ref>