Places CitiesEl Paso

Wildlife near El Paso, TX

Illustrated wildlife of El Paso

El Paso is high Chihuahuan Desert against the Franklin Mountains, dry and bright and full of specialists. Greater roadrunners and cactus wrens work the creosote flats, desert cottontails and rock squirrels handle the rest, and the Franklin Mountains State Park rising through the middle of the city holds mule deer, desert spiny lizards, and the occasional mountain lion. The Rio Grande on the border draws migrating shorebirds and waterfowl to what water is left.

Everything below is pulled live from recent research-grade observations near El Paso. Browse by group, explore the map, and identify what you find with Huck.

29,770
recent observations
30
species listed
14
plants
12
birds
3
insects & arthropods

Naturalists have logged 29,770 research-grade observations across the 30 most-recorded species near El Paso. The most frequently seen is the Creosote Bush, with 4,641 recorded sightings.

Plants account for the largest share of what gets recorded there (14 of the species listed here), followed by birds (12).

🖨️ Printable wildlife checklist

Most-observed species near El Paso

Creosote Bush
Larrea tridentata
4,641 observations
Great-tailed Grackle
Quiscalus mexicanus
1,653 observations
ocotillo
Fouquieria splendens
1,628 observations
Devilshead
Echinocactus horizonthalonius
1,603 observations · iNaturalist
lechuguilla
Agave lechuguilla
1,501 observations
White-winged Dove
Zenaida asiatica
1,377 observations
Texas rainbow cactus
Echinocereus dasyacanthus
1,210 observations
Rock Pigeon
Columba livia
1,152 observations
soaptree yucca
Yucca elata
1,108 observations
Western Honey Bee
Apis mellifera
1,061 observations
fishhook barrel cactus
Ferocactus wislizeni
935 observations
honey mesquite
Neltuma glandulosa
895 observations · iNaturalist
Texas Hedgehog Cactus
Echinocereus chloranthus
872 observations · iNaturalist
House Finch
Haemorhous mexicanus
805 observations
Whitecolumn Foxtail Cactus
Escobaria tuberculosa
783 observations · iNaturalist
silverleaf nightshade
Solanum elaeagnifolium
774 observations · iNaturalist
Queen
Danaus gilippus
688 observations · iNaturalist
American Coot
Fulica americana
669 observations
Mallard
Anas platyrhynchos
666 observations
House Sparrow
Passer domesticus
664 observations
Northern Shoveler
Spatula clypeata
633 observations
Graham's nipple cactus
Cochemiea grahamii
540 observations · iNaturalist
Mediterranean House Gecko
Hemidactylus turcicus
531 observations
Mourning Dove
Zenaida macroura
499 observations
Mexican palo verde
Parkinsonia aculeata
494 observations
Black-chinned Hummingbird
Archilochus alexandri
484 observations
scarlet hedgehog cactus
Echinocereus coccineus
484 observations
Black-necked Stilt
Himantopus mexicanus
476 observations
Burrowing Owl
Athene cunicularia
476 observations
White-lined Sphinx
Hyles lineata
468 observations · iNaturalist

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