© Pete Saloutos/Panoramic Images (Washington Title Image Large)
Plants and Animals in Washington
© Rod Gilbert Plants and Animals Featured Image
Washington is home to a remarkable variety of species, a reflection of our ecosystems diversity, including marine, freshwater and terrestrial ecosystems. We have grizzly bears and pygmy rabbits, sea anemones and sagebrush, diminutive lichens and giant Palouse earthworms, deer-ferns and death camas. Within the state there are 3,100 vascular plant species, 140 mammals, 470 freshwater and marine fishes, 341 birds, 25 amphibians, 21 reptiles, an estimate of thousands of mosses, lichens, liverworts and fungi and an estimated 20,000 invertebrates (including more than 2,000 moths and butterflies).
More about Plants and Animals in Washington
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Species 101
Washington is home to a remarkable variety of species, a reflection of our ecosystems diversity, including marine, freshwater and terrestrial ecosystems. We have grizzly bears and pygmy rabbits, sea anemones and sagebrush, diminutive lichens and giant Palouse earthworms, deer-ferns and death camas.
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© Janice J Miller (Bitterroot in Washington)
Conserving Plants and Animals
A variety of conservation efforts in Washington are geared toward protecting plant and animal species. Some of these efforts are fairly broad and aimed at protection of our native flora and fauna. Others efforts are targeted toward rare or declining species.
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Hotspots and Diversity in Washington
Hotspots of biological diversity in Washington include the Olympic Mountains, Puget Sound, the Wenatchee Mountains, the Columbia River Gorge, and the Columbia Plateau.
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© Janice J Miller (Bitterroot in Washington)
Featured Plants in Washington
Washington has more than 3,100 vascular plant species, ranging from giant conifers to diminutive annuals. Of those, the Washington Natural Heritage Program has classified more than 350 as either Endangered, Threatened, or Sensitive.
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Featured Animals in Washington
Field guide-style entries and samples of both iconic and imperiled critters drawn from state fish and wildlife and other sources.
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Species Lists for Washington
Washington has a huge variety of both plant and animal species. This page includes links to several lists, for both rare and common species.
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