Places CitiesLas Vegas

Wildlife near Las Vegas, Nevada

Illustrated wildlife of Las Vegas

Las Vegas is a Mojave Desert valley ringed by dry mountains, and the wildlife hangs on where there is water. Desert cottontails and antelope ground squirrels work the washes, greater roadrunners and Gambel’s quail cross the desert edges, and the Clark County Wetlands Park on the east side is a genuine oasis, with herons, coots, and migrating shorebirds. Up in the ring of mountains, desert bighorn sheep look down on the whole valley.

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

55,562
recent observations
30
species listed
13
plants
14
birds
2
reptiles & amphibians

Naturalists have logged 55,562 research-grade observations across the 30 most-recorded species near Las Vegas. The most frequently seen is the Creosote Bush, with 9,487 recorded sightings.

Plants account for the largest share of what gets recorded there (13 of the species listed here), followed by birds (14).

🖨️ Printable wildlife checklist

Most-observed species near Las Vegas

Creosote Bush
Larrea tridentata
9,487 observations
Mojave Yucca
Yucca schidigera
3,705 observations · iNaturalist
California Barrel Cactus
Ferocactus cylindraceus
3,169 observations
Engelmann's Hedgehog Cactus
Echinocereus engelmannii
2,925 observations
Beavertail Pricklypear
Opuntia basilaris
2,566 observations
Great-tailed Grackle
Quiscalus mexicanus
2,535 observations
Eastern Joshua tree
Yucca jaegeriana
2,345 observations · iNaturalist
Common Side-blotched Lizard
Uta stansburiana
1,961 observations
Cottontop Cactus
Homalocephala polycephala
1,619 observations · iNaturalist
Buckhorn Cholla
Cylindropuntia acanthocarpa
1,618 observations · iNaturalist
Mallard
Anas platyrhynchos
1,555 observations
Silver Cholla
Cylindropuntia echinocarpa
1,548 observations · iNaturalist
American Coot
Fulica americana
1,516 observations
Northern Mockingbird
Mimus polyglottos
1,436 observations
Desert Cottontail
Sylvilagus audubonii
1,333 observations
White-crowned Sparrow
Zonotrichia leucophrys
1,220 observations
Rock Pigeon
Columba livia
1,214 observations
Gambel's Quail
Callipepla gambelii
1,205 observations
Canada Goose
Branta canadensis
1,198 observations
Desert Spiny Lizard
Sceloporus magister
1,154 observations
Greater Roadrunner
Geococcyx californianus
1,153 observations
Johnson's Beehive Cactus
Echinomastus johnsonii
1,119 observations · iNaturalist
Phainopepla
Phainopepla nitens
1,111 observations
Cooper's Hawk
Astur cooperii
1,038 observations · iNaturalist
Verdin
Auriparus flaviceps
1,027 observations
House Finch
Haemorhous mexicanus
1,006 observations
Desert Spinystar
Escobaria chlorantha
970 observations · iNaturalist
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Setophaga coronata
951 observations
Desert Trumpet
Eriogonum inflatum
945 observations · iNaturalist
Banana Yucca
Yucca baccata
933 observations

Get rare-sighting alerts for Las Vegas

We’ll email you when an uncommon or rare species is spotted here. One check a day, only when there’s something new.

Free. Unsubscribe from any email. See our Privacy Policy.

More wildlife near Las Vegas

Exploring Las Vegas?

Take Huck with you. Identify any wildlife you find in seconds, and watch the live map of what is being spotted near Las Vegas right now.

Get Huck

Exploring Las Vegas? Get Huck field notes

Spotting tips, new species, and the best of what naturalists are finding - straight to your inbox.

By subscribing you agree to receive Huck emails. No spam, unsubscribe anytime. See our Privacy Policy.