Wildlife Habitat

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Most of Wyoming's wildlife depend on healthy native plant communities for food and shelter. Other important considerations that are often overlooked, however, include the health of native pollinator populations, critical habitat for threatened and endangered species and other special status species and nesting habitat for migratory bird populations.

Cover - Cover is an important factor in managing for both game and non-game species. Thermal cover is used as a refuge from the heat and generally involves a dense overstory such as mature pine forests, whereas hiding cover involves a dense understory such as areas where downed tress or clear cuts allow for intense regrowth of shrubs and younger pines. Hiding cover may also include tall grass and willows for wetland associated species or dense sagebrush for species such as sage grouse and pronghorn.

Water - Most wildlife species need free water, although in many cases a substantial portion of an animal's water requirement can be obtained from plant tissue. Succulent plants such as yucca and cactus can be utilized when free water is not available.

Grazers vs. Browsers - Foraging habits differ between wildlife species. Grazers such as bighorn sheep, mountain goat and elk, feed primarily on grasses and forbs, whereas browsers such as deer, moose and pronghorn forage primarily on woody materials such as shrubs and trees.  Graze and Browse Plants

Poisonous Plants - Poisonous plants are relatively common on some range sites and they can have an impact on wild and domestic animals as well as humans. A few more commonly recognized genera are Larkspur (Delphinium), Deathcamas (Zigadenus), and Locoweed (Oxytropis). Some plant species are selectively toxic to different wildlife and livestock species. Sheep and mule deer are resistant to ragwort (Senecio), while cattle and horses are susceptible. Sheep are relatively resistant to larkspur (Delphinium) while cattle are highly susceptible. Sheep and cattle are more resistant to locoweed (Oxytropis) than horses. In addition, cattle are seldom lost to halogeton (Halogeton) or sneeze-weed (Helenium) while these plants are problems for sheep. By selecting species of livestock to graze specific areas, poisonous plant problems can be minimized.

• Poisonous plants of Wyoming
• USDA Poisonous Plant Information

Big Game
Mule deer	- upland montane, mountain
White-tail deer	- riparian, river bottom, ponderosa/savanna forests
Elk	- most habitats, particularly montane forests
Moose	- riparian, river bottom, montane forests
Bighorn sheep	- badlands, rock outcrops, mountain canyon cliffs
Mountain goat	- alpine and sub-alpine tundra, spruce-fir
Pronghorn	- sagebrush steppe, grasslands

Trophy Game
Black bear	-berry producing plants (Ribes, Sambucus, Vaccinum, Viburnum,   Arctostaphylos, Fragraria)
Grizzly bear	- White bark pine, berry producing plants (Ribes, Sambucus,   Vaccinum, Viburnum, Arctostaphylos, Fragraria)
Mountain lion	- canyons, juniper/sagebrush slopes

Threatened and Endangered (T&E) Species - Several of our listed animal species depend on particular vegetation types or even certain plant species. Protecting these communities is vital to preserving the species. Below is a list of T&E species in Wyoming and the plants or plant communities with which they are associated.

Pollinators - In addition to essential to many of our crop plants, pollinators are also a necessary component of natural systems. Pollinators ensure fruit and seed production in many fruit and crop plants, though grain plants do not depend on them as they are mostly wind-pollinated. The honeybees that produce local Wyoming honey also pollinate many of the agricultural and native plants in the surrounding areas. Just as rare pollinators depend on certain native plants, many of our rare plants depend on specific pollinators.

Common pollinators in Wyoming include bees, flies and some beetles. Although butterflies frequent many of Wyoming's native wildflowers, there are very few butterfly-pollinated plants in the state.