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Located in southwestern South Dakota, Badlands National Park consists of 244,000 acres of sharply eroded buttes, pinnacles and spires surrounded by a mixed-grass prairie ecosystem. The mixed grass prairie is a transitional zone between the tall-grass prairie to the east and the short-grass prairie to the west.

The buttes and spires of the park were formed through the geologic processes of deposition and erosion. The rocks of Badlands National Park were deposited as early as 75 million years ago and began eroding just 500,000 years ago. As erosion continues today, fossils buried in the rock slowly reveal themselves and park paleontologists study them to learn about ancient life in the area.

Amid the prairies and buttes, numerous animals call the park home. There are many forms of wildlife in the Badlands, ranging from bison to butterflies and everything in betweeen.

Read more about nature in Badlands National Park by using the portal below.

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Nature - Badlands National Park (U.S. National Park Service)

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Located in southwestern South Dakota, Badlands National Park consists of 244,000 acres of sharply eroded buttes, pinnacles and spires surrounded by a mixed-grass prairie ecosystem. The mixed grass prairie is a transitional zone between the tall-grass prairie to the east and the short-grass prairie to the west.

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Wildlife - Grand Canyon National Park (U.S. National Park Service)

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Select a Species Category (optional): Get Checklist Get Full List Search results will be displayed here. Visit NPSpecies for more comprehensive information and advanced search capability. Have a suggestion or comment on this list? Let us know.

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Nature - Carlsbad Caverns National Park (U.S. National Park Service)

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Tanque Verde Ridge from the Loma Verde Trail
NPS photo/L. Bolyard

Saguaro National Park is composed of two distinct districts: The Rincon Mountain District and the Tucson Mountain District. The Tucson Mountain District lies on the west side of Tucson, Arizona, while the Rincon Mountain District lies on the east side of Tucson. Both districts were formed to protect and exhibit forests of their namesake plant: the Saguaro Cactus.

Most people think of Saguaro National Park as being a desert park. True, the lower elevations of the park encompass Sonoran Desert Vegetation, but there is much more to Saguaro National Park than just cacti.

The Tucson Mountain District of Saguaro National Park ranges from an elevation of 2,180 ft to 4,687 ft and contains 2 biotic communities, desert scrub, and desert grassland. Average annual precipitation is approximately 10.27 in. Common wildlife include the coyote, Gambel's quail, and desert tortoise.

The Rincon Mountain District of Saguaro National Park ranges from an elevation of 2,670 ft to 8,666 ft and contains 6 biotic communities. The biotic communities (starting from the lowest elevation) include desert scrub, desert grassland, oak woodland, pine-oak woodland, pine forest and mixed conifer forest. Average annual precipitation is approximately 12.30 in. The Rincon Mountains peak at a considerably higher elevation than the Tucson Mountains, therefore there are more biotic communities and increased plant and wildlife diversity. Because of the higher elevation in the Rincons, animals like the black bear, Mexican spotted owl, Arizona mountain king snake, and white-tailed deer live in this district.

Check out the vast biodiversity found here at Saguaro National Park and the surrounding Tucson basin during the 2016 Centennial Celebration of the National Park Service.

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Nature - Saguaro National Park (U.S. National Park Service)

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Saguaro National Park is composed of two distinct districts: The Rincon Mountain District and the Tucson Mountain District. The Tucson Mountain District lies on the west side of Tucson, Arizona, while the Rincon Mountain District lies on the east side of Tucson. Both districts were formed to protect and exhibit forests of their namesake plant: the Saguaro Cactus.

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Yellowstone National Park is as wondrous as it is complex. Established primarily to protect hydrothermal areas that contain about half the world's active geysers, the park also forms the core of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. At 28,000 square miles, it is one of the largest, nearly intact temperate-zone ecosystems on Earth. It preserves a great variety of terrestrial, aquatic, and microbial life.

Natural processes operate in an ecological context that has been less subject to human alteration than most others throughout the nation-and throughout the world. This makes the park an invaluable natural reserve and reservoir of information.

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Nature - Yellowstone National Park (U.S. National Park Service)

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Yellowstone National Park is as wondrous as it is complex. Established primarily to protect geothermal areas that contain about half the world's active geysers, the park also forms the core of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem.

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Flora, Fauna, and Other Life Forms

Glacier Park's varied climate influences and its location at the headwaters of the Pacific, Atlantic and Hudson Bay drainages have given rise to an incredible variety of plants and animals. Both Glacier National Park and Waterton Lakes National Park, across the border in Canada, were designated International Biosphere Reserves and together were recognized in 1995 as a World Heritage Site.

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Nature - Glacier National Park (U.S. National Park Service)

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Flora, Fauna, and Other Life Forms Glacier Park's varied climate influences and its location at the headwaters of the Pacific, Atlantic and Hudson Bay drainages have given rise to an incredible variety of plants and animals.

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Nature - Everglades National Park (U.S. National Park Service)

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Nature - Redwood National and State Parks (U.S. National Park Service)

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Nature - Denali National Park & Preserve (U.S. National Park Service)

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Denali National Park and Preserve is a dynamic intact ecosystem that is both inspiring and complex. The landscape is not static--as landslides, glacially-fed braided rivers, and moving glaciers attest. There are also human impacts on the land, such as changes in air quality (air-borne contaminants) and climate.

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Well-known for its volcanic significance, Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park is also one of the most fascinating biologic landscapes in the world. Located more than 2,000 miles from the nearest continental land mass, the Hawaiian Archipelago is the most geographically isolated group of islands on Earth. The park sits on the southeastern edge of the youngest and largest island at a latitude of 19°N. Stretching from the summit of Mauna Loa at 13,677 feet to sea level, the park protects a wide diversity of ecosystems and habitat for numerous native Hawaiian species such as carnivorous caterpillars, happy face spiders and colorful Hawaiian honeycreepers.

Hawaiian plants and animals began to evolve over 70 million years ago in nearly complete isolation and over 90% of the native terrestrial flora and fauna in Hawaiʻi are found only in the Hawaiian islands. This level of endemism surpasses all other places on Earth- even the Galapagos Islands. Consequently, the park is a fantastic laboratory for the study of biogeography and evolution within the Pacific Islands.

Despite their protected status, the park's treasure trove of species faces decimating threats. Declining habitat outside park boundaries, invasive plants, bird malaria, wildfires, feral cats and pigs, and introduced goats, sheep, rats, mongoose, ants, and wasps are all taking a toll on this wondrous place.

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Nature - Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park (U.S. National Park Service)

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Well-known for its volcanic significance, Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park is also one of the most fascinating biologic landscapes in the world. Located more than 2,000 miles from the nearest continental land mass, the Hawaiian Archipelago is the most geographically isolated group of islands on Earth.

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Natural Features & Ecosystems - Death Valley National Park (U.S. National Park Service)

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Visitors come to Death Valley to experience the stark and lonely vastness of the valley; the panorama of rugged canyons and mountains; the pleasures of the dry, moderate winter climate; the challenge of the hot, arid summer; the relief of the cooler mountains; and the reminders of frontier and Native American ways of life.

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Drive-Thru Tree Chandelier Tree World Famous Redwood Forest California National Park Trees Part

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Redwood, California -- Home to the tallest trees on earth. Buy the complete 58 National Parks on DVD: http://amzn.to/11dLm7S

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Death Valley:  Wonders of Americas National Parks

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Yosemite - Wonders of America's National Parks

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The Best of Yellowstone | America's National Parks

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Best Of Grand Canyon National Park | America's National Parks

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Hawaii Volcanoes National Park -  See the Biggest Volcano in The World