Grand Teton National Park Wildlife

Grand Teton National Park wildlife resembles that of Yellowstone National Park. Both parks are part of a larger ecosystem called the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. It is just about the largest temperate zone ecosystem that remains intact on earth. Much of the Grand Teton National Park wildlife have very likely been to Yellowstone National Park or will go there in their lifetime.

Some of the most sought after wildlife in Grand Teton National Park have larger home ranges. The largest range being the gray wolf with the home range varying between 32,000 acres and over 3 million acres. The gray wolves of Grand Teton National Park surely have traveled to Yellowstone National Park as well. The grizzly bear would also be a good guess as far as Grand Teton National Park wildlife that most likely has visited both parks. A North American grizzly bear has a home range of over 200,000 acres. Even elk have a home range of up to 65,000 acres for a large male.

As with any life cycle, the herbivores need to be near the water that feeds the plants they feed upon. The predators need to be in proximity to the prey. The scavengers eat the leftover carcasses of the carnivorous predators. The locality of this cycle changes with the seasons. Many of the Grand Teton National Park wildlife migrate to greener meadows when it gets cold. Many Grand Teton National Park wildlife hibernate, such as bear, wolverine, marmot, and several others.

Home range, migration, hibernation, and climate are the factors that determine which animals go where in the Grand Teton National Park and Yellowstone National Park. In the winter months, Grand Teton National Park wildlife will be in lower elevations. Perhaps they will migrate out of the park altogether or they will be hibernating. In summer, there is a concentration of wildlife near the water and meadows where vegetation i.e. food for herbivores and insectivores lives. Grand Teton National Park wildlife parallels the wildlife of Yellowstone National Park as they are part of a much larger ecosystem pattern.