Brook Trout
• Bottom fins (pectoral, anal, pelvic ) have
white margins
• Spots on side merge along top and appear
worm like
• Slight notch in the tail fin
Brown Trout
• Brown in color
• Red or gray – yellow spots surrounded by
a white halo
• Spotted adipose fin
Rainbow Trout
• Rainbow color characteristic on the sides
• Black spots on the body and fins
Rio Grande cutthroat trout
• Red slash marks below the jaw. Large
black irregular spots on tail and upper
2/3rds of the body
Gila Trout
• Gold / Copper Color
• Black spots on upper half of the body and
on the dorsal and caudal fins
• Dark splotches along center line
Channel catfish
• Deep forked tail, upper jaw projects
beyond bottom jaw
• Dark spots on body, white belly
Flathead catfish
• Flat head, lower jaw projects beyond
upper jaw. Pale yellow belly, mottled
color.
• Rounded caudal fin
Yellow bullhead catfish
• Lower body has yellow color. The anal fin
is rounded, fins are dusky brown and the
head is depressed.
Smallmouth bass
• Yellow-green with vertical bands
• Jaw hinge slightly forward of the eye
Largemouth Bass
• Usually dark green, dark splotches form a
horizontal line.
• Dorsal fin almost divided.
• Upper jaw reaches behind rear margin of
the eye
Striped bass
• Olive green back, white belly with dark
horizontal stripes.
• Doral fin is separated
Bluegill
• The gill fringe is blue in color, with a black
patch on the back of the gill. It has five
dark vertical bars on the sides. Body
tends to be orange in color.
Crappie
• Eyes locate near the top of the head.
Dark flecking on the body.
Crayfish
• Hard segmented exoskeleton. May be
brown, yellow or green I pair of antennae
and one pair of pinchers.
Kokanee Salmon
• Bright silver on the sides. As they mature
the female has a blue /green color and the
male turns red with a hooked jaw.
Walleye
• The light reflects light, giving it the shiny
glossy appearance. White belly with a
yellow/olive colored body. Usually has five
dark saddles on the back
Carp
• Small eyes, has thick lips with a barbel at
the corner of its mouth. The carp has very
large scales.
Sucker
• Elongated head with the small mouth
adapted for bottom feeding. Heavily scaled
and a tinge of red or pink on its sides
Northern Pike
• Olive green body with elongated white
spots. Single dorsal fin and has a white
underline, teeth are very evident.
Longnose Gar
• Extremely long nose with numerous teeth.
Long cylindrical body with a white
underline. The dorsal fin is located almost
in front of the tail fin.
Canada goose
• Large brown goose
• Long black neck
• White Chin strap
Snow Goose
• White goose, black on the tips of the
primary wing feathers.
Mallard - Male
• Green head, yellow bill, white ring on
neck, gray back, blue wing speculum.
Mallard - Female
• Orange bill with a black central patch.
Dark cap and eye line. Mottle brown with
a blue wing speculum.
Pintail - Male
• Long pointed tail, blue – gray bill with a
black stripe down the middle. White stripe
on the back of then neck. Green wing
speculum.
Pintail - Female
• Bluish bill, yellow brown in color, pale
green wing speculum
Shoveler - Male
• Pronounced bill. Dark green head, white
breast. Light blue shoulder patch, black –
green speculums
Shoveler - female
• Gray – brown buff in color, light blue
shoulder patch, black-green speculum
• Pronounced bill
Gadwall - Male
• Grayish color, white patch on back of wing
edge, black rump. Folded wings appear to
have red/brown stripes
Gadwall - Female
• Mottled brown color, white patch on wing
edge.
Wigeon - Male
• Brown body with a white abdomen, green
on the back of the head. Pale yellow to
white fore head. Pin/gray breast, green
speculum. Blue Bill
Wigeon - female
• Brown mottled body with a green wing
speculum. Blue bill
Wood Duck - Male
• Very colorful, body may be green, purple,
burgundy. Green crested head and a white
throat. Long square tail.
Wood Duck - Female
• Brown to gray in color, white patches
around the eyes. Crested head.
Green-winged teal Male
• Cinnamon colored head with a green wing
patch. White stripe down the side between
the wing and breast. It has a black bill and
feet and legs.
Green-winged , Female
• The female has a light brown head and
neck with a whitish throat, green patches
on the wing.
Cinnamon teal - Male
• Cinnamon colored head and body. Long
dark bill, red eyes. Spatulate bill.
Cinnamon teal - Female
• Brown eye, pale head
Blue –winged teal, male
• The male has a blue gray head, a white
curved stripe between the bill and the eye.
Speckled pink and gray body.
Blue-winged teal, female
• Speckled black, white and brown body.
The bill is black and blue
Canvasback, male
• Red head, long black bill, sloping
forehead. Black chest with grey-white
body.
Canvasback - female
• Lighter colored head than the male. Long
bill and sloping fore head are evident.
Lesser scaup - male
• Dark green metallic head, speckled back,
white side. Blue bill with a black nail tip.
Lesser scaup - female
• Blue bill, black nail at tip, white band at the
base of the bill, dark body.
Ring-necked duck - male
• Dark head, very dark purple ring seen on
the neck. Upper body and rear are black.
Bill is blue/grey, white bordered with a
black tip.
Ring-necked duck - female
• Bill is blue grey , white bordered with a
black tip. Tan sides, brown back and
white belly.
Common merganser - male
• Green-black head, white flanks, breast
and belly. Long red, pointed, serrated bill.
Dark back, white flanks, breast and belly.
Common merganser - female
• Long orange serrated bill. Brown head,
grey back and grey/white body
Hooded Merganser - male
• Yellow eye, black head and back, large
white patch in the center of the crest.
Hooded merganser - female
• Brown eye, gray brown head and body,
faint red tinge to the crest, white belly.
Common goldeneye - male
• Dark metallic head, yellow eye, gently
sloped forehead, small black bill. White
patch in front of the eye.
Common goldeneye - female
• Reddish brown head, gray body and
goldeneye.
Bufflehead - male
• Front of the head and the top half of the
body are black. The lower half of the body
is white. White bar from the eye to the
back of the head.
Bufflehead - female
• Sooty Grey body , white spot behind the
eye.
Redhead
• Male Red head, short blue bill, grey back
and middle.
• Female has a brown head and light brown
body
Coot
• Duck like aquatic bird. Gray body, black
head, white pointed bill. Partially webbed
feet.
Ruddy Duck
Whooping Crane
• White in color with
black wing tips.
Red Fore head
and cheeks
Sandhill Crane
• Gray bird up to 60” tall. Has a red crown,
long pointed bill, whitish cheeks.
Great Blue Heron
• Long legged gray bird which may be four
feet tall. White head with a dark crest.
Long feathers on the lower neck.
Least Tern
• The top of the head and neck are black,
the forehead is white. It has an orange bill
with a black tip.
Pied-billed-grebe
• Small stocky body. Short thick banded bill.
Brown in color, darker on the back and
head. White under tail coverts, feet set far
back on the body.
Red – Tailed Hawk
• Broad tailed hawk. Top side of tail feathers
are red. Black spots across the middle of
the breast.
Cooper’s hawk
• The Beak is short with a rounded tip. The
wings are short, broad and rounded. Long
tail that is rounded on the tip and has
black stripes.
Sharp shinned hawk
• Short broad wings. The tail has black
bands and is squared off. Adults have a
dark crown.
Swainson’s hawk
• There are two color phases. Light=immature Dark =
mature. Brown feathers on head and neck resemble a
hood. It has a speckled breast.
Barn owl
• The barn owl has a heart shaped white
face with a brown outline. White breast
and multi colored back
Western screech owl
• The western screech own has a small squat body. The iris of the
eye is very bright yellow. The ear tufts can be raised when the owl
fluffs its plumage. The body varies from gray to red in color.
Golden Eagle
• Dark brown body with golden colored
feathers on the head of mature birds. The
cere and feet are yellow. Feathers on the
shanks, but not on the feet.
Bald Eagle
• Black body with white feathers on the
head and tail. There are no feathers on
the shanks or the feet
Peregrine Falcon
• Black mustache mark below the eye,
spotted breast and legs. Narrow tail.
Great horned owl
Large gray bodied owl with tufts of feathers
on its heads that appear to be horns.
Feathers on the shanks and feet
Burrowing Owl
• Small owl, somewhat round and puffy
looking. No feathers on the shanks or
feet.
Turkey Vulture
• Black body. Red head bare of feathers.
Yellow feet.
Merriam’s turkey
• Small blue head, red neck. Body has
metallic appearing reflective feathers. Buff
colored bands of color on the tail feathers.
Rio Grande turkey
• Small blue head with a red neck. Longer legs than other
breeds of wild turkeys. The body appears to be
somewhat copper colored
Prairie Chicken
• Small Chicken like bird, short square tail.
The male has orange/ yellow air sacs and
eyebrows.
Scaled Quail
• Scale like feathers on the breast and
abdomen. Gray brown head, blue about
the head and neck
Gambel’s quail
• Plume like feather on the top of the head
of both male and female. Males have a
red crest, while the female crest is brown.
Bobwhite Quail
Males have a white throat and eye line with
a black eye bar. The lower breast is black
and white mottled color. The female eye
bare and throat are buff colored.
Mearn’s Quail
• Harlequin marked face, large eyes, heavily
spotted sides
Ring-necked pheasant
The male head is iridescent blue, green or
purple. He has a white collar, red skin on
the cheek. Long brown tail. The female is
brown mottled color.
Blue grouse
• Dark in color with faint white mottling on
back and under wings. Yellow to purple air
sac on males. Yellow to orange comb over
the eye
Band-tailed pigeon
• Blue grey body with white and grey to
black bands of color on the tail.
Mourning dove
• Brown head and body, blue grey wings
with black spots, long pointed tail.
White-winged dove
• Light blue-grey body, short blunt tail, white
evident on the wings.
White-tailed ptarmigan
• White outer tail feathers, red comb,
mottled brown in summer, white on wings
and belly, entirely white in winter.
Black Bear
• Smallest North American bear. Short
stocky bear, thick legs, small ears. Color
may be black, blonde, cinnamon.
Bison
• Some what beef like in appearance. Large
heavy fronted mammal. Large crest, very
dark, hairy face, curved upright horns.
Grizzly Bear
• Very large bear that may be blonde, brown
or black in color. Large hump on
shoulders, large round head.
Moose
• Largest of the deer family. Long legged with dark fur.
Large droopy nose with dewlap hanging from the chin.
Large palmate antlers.
Mountain Goat
• Thick fluffy white hair. Black horns 6-10” in
length.
Pronghorn Antelope
• Tan on the upper half of the body and
white on the bottom, white rump, black
horns, neck is dark with a white stripe.
Mule Deer
• Brown coat, large ears, dark patch on the
forehead. White rump the tail is white with
a black tip. Antlers grow up and the main
beam forks.
White-tailed deer
• Brown body with a white underside. The
underside of the tail is white, there is white
ring on the nose and white on the throat.
Antlers curve forward over the face.
Elk
• Tan colored body, dark legs
and neck. Cream colored
rump with a short tail.
Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep
Brown body, white on the eye patch, rump ,
muzzle, belly and back of legs. Massive
horns spiral back from the top of the head.
Both sexes have horns.
Desert bighorn sheep
• Same color as the Rocky Mountain
bighorn sheep but not as stocky. The
horns are flatter and spread wider from the
head
Javelina
• Small pig like animal ( 12-16” tall). Very
coarse black and white speckled hair,
white band around the shoulders.
Oryx
• Both sexes have black spear like horns. Black
markings on a white face, fawn colored body.
Ibex
• Goat like animal. Males have a beard,
both sexes have horns. Males horns are
long and semi circular, female horns are
much shorter than the male
Barbary Sheep
• Brown body, long mane hangs from the
throat, chest and upper fore legs. Both
sexes have wrinkled horns that bend out
and then back.
Gray fox
• Salt and pepper coat, the underline and
neck are buff/orange in color. There is a
black stripe from the rump to
Swift fox
• The smallest of all foxes it has very large
ears. The coat is salt and pepper color,
the underline is buff/orange and white.
There is a black tip on the tail.
Red Fox
• Reddish brown fur. White underline and a
white tip on the tail.
Gray wolf
• Very large, 2-2.5 feet tall and 4-5 feet in
length. Color will vary from gray, white red
to black. More massive and sturdy in
structure than a coyote.
Coyote
• The coyote is dog like with a round bushy
tail. Very coarse hair that varies in color,
mostly gray but can be brown, black, rust
colored.
Bobcat
• The bobcat has a short tail, tawny gray
body with black spots. Broad cheek ruff,
small tufts of black hair on the ends of the
ears.
Mountain Lion
• Tawny color above, buff underline, small
round ears, long black tipped tail.
Jaguar
• May be black or have yellow/brown fur
with dark rosette markings. The lower tail
will have black rings.
Raccoon
• Brown body, black mask around the eyes,
4-6 orange and black rings on the tail.
Ringtail
Coatimundi
• Brown body, long tail with alternating dark
brown and light brown stripes
Ringtail
• Slender cat like body, long tail with
alternating black and white rings. Large
ears with white rings around its eyes
Badger
• Broad squat body, white stripe from the
nose over the head to the shoulders.
White stripe between the eye and ear.
Stripped Skunk
• Black head and body. White stripe
between the eyes. White stripe on each
side from the top of the head to the tail
Spotted Skunk
• Smaller than a striped skunk, has spots
rather than stripes the length of the body.
Hognose Skunk
• Top of head back and tail are white while
the lower portion of the body is black. It
has a large blunt pig like nose.
Beaver
• Large soft furred rodent. It has a large flat
scaly tail, two large front teeth, short ears
and webbed hind feet.
Muskrat
• Brown in color, it has a long scaly tail that
is flat from side to side, pale color below
the throat.
Norway rat
• Will have brown to black fur. Ears and tail
are bald. The length of tail is shorter than
the length of body.
Black rat
• The black rat is brown to gray in color. It
has coarse fur. Sparse hair on the tail. The
tail is also scaly. The length of the tail is
longer than the length of head and body.
Deer mouse
• Approximately 8” in length including the
tail. Tan or brown in color with a white
belly and throat. Large round hairless
ears.
Nutria
• A rodent nearly as large as a beaver, it
has a long scaly rat like tail. It has webbed
feet, orange incisors and a white chin.
Mexican vole
• A small brown short tailed mouse.
Yellowbelly marmot
• A heavy bodied rodent with gray brown
fur. Yellow patches on the neck, front legs
and rear legs. White bar on the nose and
lips.
Porcupine
• Quill bearing rodent.
Jackrabbit
• Dark buff color speckled with black. It has
large ears and long legs.
Cottontail rabbit
• Small brown rabbit with black and white
speckles, white tail like ball of cotton short
ears.
Black-footed ferret
• Long weasel like body. It has black mask
around the eyes, black legs.
Long-tailed weasel
• Long slender brown body, bushy tail,
yellow/white belly and neck, pure white in
the winter.
Prairie Dog
• Robust small rodent with a fat round body.
Brown with a light colored belly. Short
legs.
Pocket gopher
• Dark brown upper body with a light brown
underline. Total length of 5 ½” to 9”.
Hairless tail and ears. Large stout front
legs
Kangaroo Rat
• A rat that resembles a miniature kangaroo.
Very large hind legs and feet, long tail and
large dark eye.
Mole
• Moles have a cylindrical fur covered body
with small or covered eyes, ears are not
visible. They have large fleshy feet and
snout
Armadillo
• Easily recognized by it outer shell which is
made of bone. Long ant eater like nose
and short powerful legs.
Opossum
• Grey to black in color. The opossum has a pink
nose, tail and feet. The nose is long an pointed
and the ears are often black in color.
Chipmunk
• Yellow grey in color with black and white
stripes from the nose to tail.
Rock Squirrel
• Mottle coat grey/brown in the front, brown
behind, buff/white underline. Long bushy
variegated tail.
Fox squirrel
• The fox squirrel has a brown/gray body
with a red underline, cheeks and a red
black speckled tail.
Gray Squirrel
• The upper body is gray in color, underline
and bottom of the tail are white. Black
tufts of hair on the tips of the ears.
Red Squirrel
• Reddish gray in color, white underline,
large bushy tail.
Tassel-eared squirrel
• Cylindrical body with grey fur on the upper body
and a white underline. The ears are long and
broad with tufts of hair on the ends
Bat
Desert Box Turtle
• Black to red/brown shell, yellow lines
radiate from the center.
Common snapping turtle
• The color varies from tan to brown and olive color. The skin on top is
brown and the skin on the bottom is yellow/cream. It has a large
head with two barbels on the chin. Five clawed toes on each foot.
Alligator snapping turtle
• Alligator snapping turtles have a beak like
jaw, ridged shell and spikes on the tail and
neck. Mean disposition, like an Ag.
teacher on the last day of the fair.
Horned lizard
• Flat toad like bodies, they have a row of
sharp points on the head.
Collared Lizard
• Very prominent black bands behind the
head. Green body with white, yellow or red
speckling.
Whiptail lizard
• The whiptail has a long slender body with a
pointed snout and a long tail. The color may be
brown, tan or olive with stripes or spots of yellow
or white.
Salamander
• Salamanders are found in a variety of
colors. They resemble a lizard with a wet
waxy appearance.
Gila Monster
• A thick bodied lizard with black, yellow,
pink splotches of color. The body has a
bead like texture.
Skink
• The color will vary from blue, to gray to
beige. They appear to have diagonal lines
of scales and a thick tail.
Bullsnake
• Heavy bodied snake, grows 3-5’ in length.
Light brown in color with dark brown or
black splotches, may have a yellow
underline.
Diamondback Rattlesnake
• Triangular head with a pit between the
eyes, diamond pattern along the top and
rattles are present.
Coral Snake
• Recognized by the alternate bands of
color. Red and black band s are wide
while the white or yellow bands are
narrow.
Garter Snake
• The garter snake has three stripes down
its back. The stripes may be white or
yellow.
Ringneck snake
• The body color will vary from blue grey to
tan or black. It has a flat, black head with a
light white ring behind the head.
Coachwhip
• Very long slender snake. The head will be
darker than the rest of the body.
Generally tan or cream colored.
Western prairie rattlesnake
• Body color may vary form cream, yellow, brown or
green. One row of dark blotches on the back. Two rows
of small blotches on each side
Blacktailed rattlesnake
• The body may be green, yellow or gray. Thick bodied
and have dark irregular blotches on the back, blotches
have light center. The nose and tail are black.
Mojave rattlesnake
• The color will vary with terrain, mainly green or yellow.
Diamond shape pattern diminishes toward the tail.
Offset stripe pattern is different from the diamond back.
Bullfrog
• Dorsal color is usually green but may vary to
brown. The sides and belly are usually yellow
or white.
Treefrog
• Usually bright green in color. The white
underline is separated by black spots.
Jay
• Quite often blue in color but that may vary to
brown and almost black. Can recognized by the
large crest.
Robin
• Brown to black top line with a red breast
and yellow beak. The female will have a
reddish brown breast.
Red-winged blackbird
• Black bird with a red or yellow wing bar.
Roadrunner
• Black grey speckled body with a white
underline. Feathers stand vertically on top
of the head. Tail feathers a black metallic
in color.
Hummingbird
• Small bird with a very long beak. Brightly
colored metallic feathers.
Brown Thrasher
• Brown back with a white breast. Brown streaks
on the breast. It has a yellow eye and a long
slender bill. It’s face is gray
Crow
• Totally black in color, heavy thick beak.
House sparrow
• The back is brown with black streaking,
the breast and belly are gray. The neck
and cheek are white. A short stout bird.
House finch
• The male has a bright red head neck and upper breast.
In the female those areas are brown. The top of the
rump is also red. It has a short convex bill.
Magpie
• Resembles a crow in body shape. The
wing speculum and lower breast are white.
Cardinal
• Red body and crest. The wings are gray
brown. Black face with an orange bill.
House Wren
• Grayish brown upper body, with a pale
breast and lower body. A white eye brow
is visible as are jagged bars of color on the
wings.
Chickadee
• Black cap (crest) and throat, with white
cheeks. Gray back and brown breast.
Gray and white striped wings.
Eastern bluebird
• Bright blue back and head. The upper
breast is orange and the lower breast is
white Primary wing tips are black.
Mountain bluebird
• Bright blue back and head. Upper breast is
blue and fades into white on the lower
breast
Purple martin
• Glossy dark purple feathers. Some brown
streaking on the breast and tail.
Ruby-throated hummingbird
European starling
• Black with yellow bill. The feathers have green/purple
iridescence. White spots are scattered on the body.
The wings and tail are black in color.
Nighthawk
• Mottled gray brown body with gray tail
feathers. Orange on the cheek and around
the eye. White stripes on the wings
Nuthatch
• Black stripe down the top of the head. Cheeks and upper
breast are white. Back wings and tail are blue gray in
color.