Missouri Missouri is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking 21st in land area, it is bordered by eight states (tied for the most with Tennessee): Iowa to the north, Illinois, Kentucky and Tennessee to the east, Arkansas t ...

is home to a diversity of both

flora Flora is all the plant life present in a particular region or time, generally the naturally occurring (indigenous (ecology), indigenous) native plant, native plants. Sometimes bacteria and fungi are also referred to as flora, as in the terms '' ...

and

fauna Fauna is all of the animal life present in a particular region or time. The corresponding term for plants is ''flora'', and for fungi, it is ''funga''. Flora, fauna, funga and other forms of life are collectively referred to as ''Biota (ecology ...

. There is a large amount of fresh water present due to the

Mississippi River The Mississippi River is the second-longest river and chief river of the second-largest drainage system in North America, second only to the Hudson Bay drainage system. From its traditional source of Lake Itasca in northern Minnesota, it fl ...

, Missouri River, and

Lake of the Ozarks Lake of the Ozarks is a reservoir created by impounding the Osage River in the northern part of the Ozarks in central Missouri. Parts of three smaller tributaries to the Osage are included in the impoundment: the Niangua River, Grandglaize Cr ...

, with numerous smaller tributary rivers, streams, and lakes. North of the Missouri River, the state is primarily rolling hills of the Great Plains, whereas south of the Missouri River, the state is dominated by the Oak-Hickory Central U.S. hardwood forest. Some of the native species found in Missouri are included below.

Mammals

* Opossum *

Nine-banded armadillo The nine-banded armadillo (''Dasypus novemcinctus''), also known as the nine-banded long-nosed armadillo or common long-nosed armadillo, is a mammal found in North, Central, and South America, making it the most widespread of the armadillos. ...

* Muskrat * Beaver *

Eastern mole The Eastern Mole or Common Mole (''Scalopus aquaticus'') is a medium-sized North American mole. It is the only member of genus ''Scalopus''. It is found in forested and open areas with moist sandy soils in northern Mexico, the eastern Unite ...

Little brown bat The little brown bat or little brown myotis (''Myotis lucifugus'') is an endangered species of mouse-eared microbat found in North America. It has a small body size and glossy brown fur. It is similar in appearance to several other mouse-ea ...

Big brown bat The big brown bat (''Eptesicus fuscus'') is a species of vesper bat distributed widely throughout North America, the Caribbean, and the northern portion of South America. It was first described as a species in 1796. Compared to other microbat ...

Mexican free-tailed bat The Mexican free-tailed bat or Brazilian free-tailed bat (''Tadarida brasiliensis'') is a medium-sized bat native to the Americas, so named because its tail can be almost half its total length and is not attached to its uropatagium. It has been ...

Silver-haired bat The silver-haired bat (''Lasionycteris noctivagans'') is a solitary migratory species of vesper bat in the family Vespertilionidae and the only member of the genus ''Lasionycteris''. Etymology The species name translates as night-wandering, ref ...

Least shrew The North American least shrew (''Cryptotis parvus'') is one of the smallest mammals, growing to be only up to 3 inches long. It has a long pointed snout and a tail never more than twice the length of its hind foot. The dense fur coat is e ...

American short-tailed shrew The genus ''Blarina'' is a group of relatively large shrews with relatively short tails found in North America. They have 32 teeth and are in the red-toothed shrew subfamily. They generally have dark fur and thick feet. The saliva of these anim ...

* Southern bog lemming * Meadow vole * Woodland vole * Hispid pocket mouse * Meadow jumping mouse * Plains harvest mouse * Deer mouse * Hispid cotton rat * Eastern woodrat * Marsh rice rat * Plains pocket gopher * American red squirrel * Southern flying squirrel * Eastern gray squirrel, Gray squirrel * Eastern chipmunk * Thirteen-lined ground squirrel * Woodchuck * Eastern cottontail * Badger * Raccoon * Spotted skunk * Striped skunk * Long-tailed weasel * American mink * North American river otter, River otter * Red fox * Gray fox * Coyote * American black bear * Cougar * Bobcat * White-tailed deer Within historic times, pronghorn, gray wolf, and brown bear were all found in Missouri, but have since been eliminated. American bison and Elk were formerly common, but are currently confined to private farms and parks. Elk can be found in a small restoration zone in three counties in the Southeast Ozarks.

Birds

Year-round: * Pied-billed grebe * Great blue heron * Canada goose * Mallard * Wood duck * Killdeer * Common snipe * American woodcock * Turkey vulture * Red-tailed hawk * Cooper's hawk * Red-shouldered hawk * American kestrel * Northern harrier * Northern bobwhite * Wild turkey * Ring-necked pheasant * Rock dove * Mourning dove * Belted kingfisher * Barn owl * Barred owl * Great horned owl * Short-eared owl * Long-eared owl * Eastern screech owl * Northern saw-whet owl * Horned lark * Crow, Common crow * Blue jay * Red-bellied woodpecker * Red-headed woodpecker * Pileated woodpecker * Downy woodpecker * Hairy woodpecker * Northern flicker * Black-capped chickadee * Carolina chickadee * White-breasted nuthatch * Tufted titmouse * Northern mockingbird * Loggerhead shrike * American robin * Eastern bluebird * Pine warbler * Eastern meadowlark * Red-winged blackbird * European starling * Common grackle * Northern cardinal * American goldfinch * Eastern towhee * Song sparrow * Field sparrow * House sparrow * Carolina wren * Bewick's wren * Wood thrush * Brown thrasher Summer/breeders: * Green-backed heron * Black-crowned night heron * Yellow-crowned night heron * Little blue heron * American bittern * Least bittern * Great egret * Cattle egret * White ibis * White-faced ibis * Virginia rail * King rail * Spotted sandpiper * Upland sandpiper * Sora (bird), Sora * Common moorhen * American coot * Northern pintail * Northern shoveler * Blue-winged teal * Hooded merganser * Least tern * Black tern * Black vulture * Mississippi kite * Broad-winged hawk * Sharp-shinned hawk * Yellow-billed cuckoo * Black-billed cuckoo * Common nighthawk * Chimney swift * Ruby-throated hummingbird * American white pelican * Double-crested cormorant * Chuck-will's-widow * Whip-poor-will * Eastern kingbird * Scissor-tailed flycatcher * Eastern phoebe * Great crested flycatcher * Eastern wood pewee * Willow flycatcher * Least flycatcher * Acadian flycatcher * Yellow-bellied flycatcher * Scarlet tanager * Summer tanager * Barn swallow * Tree swallow * Bank swallow * Northern rough-winged swallow * Cliff swallow * Purple martin * House wren * Carolina wren * Grey catbird, Gray catbird * Brown thrasher * Wood thrush * Warbling vireo * Red-eyed vireo * Yellow-throated vireo * Bell's vireo * Black and white warbler * Prothonotary warbler * Blue-winged warbler * Northern parula * Cerulean warbler * Prairie warbler * Pine warbler * Yellow warbler * Yellow-throated warbler * Kentucky warbler * Hooded warbler * Hooded warbler * Worm-eating warbler * Louisiana waterthrush * Ovenbird * American redstart * Baltimore oriole * Orchard oriole * Northern oriole * Common yellowthroat * Yellow-breasted chat * Bobolink * Yellow-headed blackbird * Brown-headed cowbird * Blue grosbeak * Indigo bunting * Painted bunting * Rose-breasted grosbeak * Black-headed grosbeak * Grasshopper sparrow * Savannah sparrow * Lark sparrow * Chipping sparrow * Henslow's sparrow * Vesper sparrow * Fish crow * House wren * Marsh wren * Sedge wren * Blue-grey gnatcatcher, Blue-gray gnatcatcher * Dickcissel Winter residents: * Green-winged teal * American black duck, Black duck * Gadwall * Ruddy duck * Canvasback * Redhead (bird), Redhead * Ring-necked duck * Lesser scaup * Bufflehead * Common goldeneye * American herring gull * Ring-billed gull * Bald eagle * Golden eagle * Rough-legged hawk * Merlin (bird), Merlin * Ruffed grouse * Greater prairie chicken * Brown creeper * Red-breasted nuthatch * Winter wren * Hermit thrush * Yellow-bellied sapsucker * Cedar waxwing * Golden-crowned kinglet * American tree sparrow * American pipit * Dark-eyed junco * Purple finch * Evening grosbeak * Red crossbill * White-throated sparrow * White-crowned sparrow * Fox sparrow * Swamp sparrow * Cedar waxwing * Lapland longspur * Snow bunting * Rusty blackbird * Brewer's blackbird * Pine siskin Within historic times, the passenger pigeon, the carolina parakeet, and the ivory-billed woodpecker were all found in Missouri, but they have since been eliminated.

Reptiles

Reptiles of Missouri include: * Alligator snapping turtle * Snapping turtle * Sternotherus odoratus, Stinkpot * Eastern mud turtle * Northern map turtle * False map turtle * Eastern box turtle * Terrapene ornata, Western box turtle * Painted turtle * Blanding's turtle * Red-eared slider * Chicken turtle * Smooth softshell turtle * Spiny softshell turtle * Common collared lizard, Collared lizard * Texas horned lizard * Eastern fence lizard * Coal skink * Broadhead skink * Ground skink * Eumeces fasciatus, Five-lined skink * Six-lined racerunner * Slender glass lizard * Carphophis vermis, Western worm snake * Coluber constrictor priapus, Black racer * Ringneck snake * Scarlet snake * Mud snake * Corn snake * Rat snake * Pantherophis ramspotti, Fox snake * Milk snake * Eastern hognose snake * Common kingsnake * Masticophis flagellum, Coachwhip * Smooth green snake * Northern water snake * Diamondback water snake * Nerodia erythrogaster, Plain-bellied water snake * Bullsnake * Regina grahamii, Graham's crayfish snake * Common garter snake * Agkistrodon piscivorus, Cottonmouth * Agkistrodon contortrix, Copperhead * Western pygmy rattlesnake * Timber rattlesnake * Massasauga

Amphibians

Amphibians of Missouri include:Briggler, Jeffrey T. and Tom R. Johnson, Missouri's Toads and Frogs, MO Department of Conservation, copyright 1982, 2008, Missouri Conservation Commission * Common Mudpuppy * Western Lesser siren * Hellbender * Spotted salamander * Marbled salamander * Tiger salamander, Eastern Tiger salamander * Dusky salamander * Long-tailed salamander * Red-backed salamander * Four-toed salamander * Ringed salamander * Mole salamander * Small-mouthed salamander * Central newt * Three-toed amphiuma * Cave salamander * Grotto salamander * Gray-bellied salamander * Western Slimy salamander * Ozark Zigzag salamander * Southern Red-backed salamander * Scaphiopus holbrookii, Eastern spadefoot toad * Plains spadefoot toad * Fowler's toad * Great Plains toad * Common toad * Woodhouse's toad * Eastern American toad * Gastrophryne carolinensis, Eastern narrow-mouthed toad * Gastrophryne olivacea, Great Plains narrow-mouthed toad * Western chorus frog, Striped chorus frog * Illinois Chorus frog * Upland chorus frog * Northern Crawfish frog * Blanchard's cricket frog * Northern cricket frog * Northern spring peeper * Gray tree frog * American green tree frog, Green tree frog * Rana clamitans, Green frog * American bullfrog, Bullfrog * Pickerel frog * Wood frog * Northern leopard frog * Southern leopard frog * Plains leopard frog

Fish

* Lamprey * Sturgeon * Paddlefish * Longnose gar * Mooneye * Bowfin * Herring * American eel * Northern pike * Rainbow trout * Carp * Fathead minnow * Channel catfish * Trout-perch * Livebearer * Striped bass * Largemouth bass * Bluegill * Walleye * Yellow perch

Molluscs

* Stagnant pond snail * Eastern mystery snail * Common tadpole snail * Three-whorled ram's horn * Pearl mussel * Asiatic clam * Filter mussel * Striped forest snail * White-lipped forest snail

Crustaceans

*Faxonius peruncus, Big Creek crayfish *Faxonius lancifer, Shrimp crayfish *Faxonius quadruncus, St. Francis River crayfish *Faxonius hylas, Woodland crayfish

Insect migrations

There has also been a migration of insects from the south to Missouri. One example of this is the wasp ''Polistes exclamans''. Lists of fauna of Missouri, 01 Natural history of Missouri, F01 Fauna of the Plains-Midwest (United States), W01 Fauna of the Southeastern United States, W01 Wildlife by region, Missouri

References

{{Missouri