Wildlife

A sampling of some of Arizona’s diverse wildlife: Great horned owl by Ricardo Small, Monarch butterfly by Louise Docker, Mexican gray wolf courtesy of USFWS, and AZ Treefrog.

 A sampling of some of Arizona’s diverse wildlife: Great horned owl by Ricardo Small, Monarch butterfly by Louise Docker, Mexican gray wolf courtesy of USFWS, and AZ Treefrog. 

 

Get Wild! Join Sierra Club "Wildlife Activist Group"

Interested in making a difference for wildlife? Participating in activities to help protect habitat or gather important research data on wildlife? Want to watchdog the Arizona Game and Fish Commission? Please consider joining our Wildlife Activist Group (WAG). WAG focuses on service projects, wildlife policies, and informational programs on wildlife. Learn about and share your passion and knowledge about Arizona's wildlife! We meet via Zoom on the second Monday of every other month at 6:30 P.M.

For more information contact Sandy Bahr at (602) 253-8633 or sandy.bahr@sierraclub.org.

Protect and Conserve Arizona’s Native Wildlife and Habitats

See our Blog for "Get to Know AZ Wildlife" . .

Arizona is an amazing and ecologically rich state, making it the ideal home for a wide diversity of species. Our state’s rich flora – almost 4000 species of native plants – is unequalled by few other regions of the United States and provides unique habitat for a wealth of animal species:

  • 36 native fish species
  • 25 native amphibians
  • 107 species of native reptiles
  • 534 species of birds (including 7 non-native species)
  • 138 species of mammals
  • Over 220 species of native snails and one native freshwater mussel
  • Tens of thousands of insect and arachnid species

black-tailed prairie dog, photo by Scott Sprague

Unfortunately, many of the species that inhabit our state are on the path to extinction. With 62 federally-listed endangered and threatened species – 45 animals and 17 plants – Arizona ranks within the top 10 states for listed species.

A hotter, drier climate is likely to drive more of these species closer to the brink, which is why it is essential to limit impacts from development, roads, water diversions, overgrazing of livestock, agriculture, nonnative species, and much more.

Our Goals

  • Maintain viable and sustainable populations of all native wildlife species
  • Preserve and restore natural habitats
  • Safeguard important habitat connectivity and corridors
  • Ensure greater resiliency in light of climate disruption by reducing and eliminating stresses

Wildlife News!

Press Release: March 28, 2022
MEXICAN GRAY WOLVES SEE A SMALL BOOST IN NUMBERS BUT STILL TEETER ON THE BRINK OF EXTINCTION
Mexican gray wolf population count increases, but lobos are still among rarest species in the southwestern U.S.

Phoenix, Arizona – In good news, the wild population of Mexican gray wolves has seen a small increase this past year... The number of wolves increased slightly to a minimum of 196 wolves. However, this slight increase [...reveals] high mortality (including illegal killing), low pup survival, and a deepening genetic crisis [threatening] the wild population. [Also] the Service has held back well-bonded packs in captivity, instead of releasing them into the wild, despite suitable ... family groups being available... (click through for our 2-page PDF)

 

Wolf Image

Wolf-Killing Rancher Loses Bid to Keep Public Land Grazing Permit.  Read Press Release here.

 

burrowing owlowls

A Happy New Year to some Burrowing Owls, thanks to volunteers. Read about it here.

Read about previous owl projects here.

 

Get involved with our various wildlife outings and events! Check out our Online Calendar for upcoming opportunities.

For more information about how you can get involved, upcoming meetings and events, and more, please contact Sandy Bahr at (602) 253-8633 or sandy.bahr@sierraclub.org.

Sign up for our wildlife email list to keep up-to-date on happenings in Arizona!

 

Arizona’s Wonderful Wildlife

These are just some of the cool critters that call our state home and that we have worked with. If you would like information about a different species, please contact Sandy Bahr at (602) 253-8633 or sandy.bahr@sierraclub.org.

Wildlife Resources

Wildlife Factsheet (102 KB pdf) – learn more about Arizona’s wildlife and how you can get involved

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service – visit the webpage for the Southwest Region of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Arizona Game and Fish Department – visit the webpage for our state wildlife agency

Mexican Wolf

Here are easy links for vital background info -- about efforts to restore healthy wild populations...