2,317
Total Species
13
Categories
7
Threatened
1,238
Native Species
Joshua Tree National Park documents 2,317 species, including 7 federally threatened or endangered taxa — making it a priority park for conservation monitoring.
Species Inventory by Category
Taxonomic Order Distribution
Top 12 orders by species count in this park.
| Order | Category | Species | Families |
|---|---|---|---|
| Asterales | Vascular Plant | 204 | 2 |
| Caryophyllales | Vascular Plant | 180 | 12 |
| Passeriformes | Bird | 162 | 27 |
| Poales | Vascular Plant | 123 | 4 |
| Hymenoptera | Insect | 111 | 3 |
| Fabales | Vascular Plant | 105 | 2 |
| Coleoptera | Insect | 102 | 9 |
| Lamiales | Vascular Plant | 86 | 9 |
| Boraginales | Vascular Plant | 79 | 4 |
| Ericales | Vascular Plant | 67 | 3 |
| Lepidoptera | Insect | 66 | 7 |
| Araneae | Spider/Scorpion | 66 | 26 |
Native vs Non-Native Composition
Native: 1,238 species (53%)
Non-native: 64 species (3%)
Common Native Wildlife
Abundant or commonly-observed native species recorded in Joshua Tree National Park:
| Species | Scientific Name | Category | Abundance |
|---|---|---|---|
| black-tailed jackrabbit | Lepus californicus | Mammal | Abundant |
| desert pocket mouse | Chaetodipus penicillatus | Mammal | Abundant |
| desert woodrat | Neotoma lepida | Mammal | Abundant |
| little pocket mouse | Perognathus longimembris | Mammal | Abundant |
| San Diego pocket mouse | Chaetodipus fallax | Mammal | Abundant |
| western pipistrelle | Pipistrellus hesperus | Mammal | Abundant |
| white-tailed antelope squirrel | Ammospermophilus leucurus | Mammal | Abundant |
| common side-blotched lizard | Uta stansburiana | Reptile | Abundant |
| Great Basin fence lizard | Sceloporus occidentalis longipes | Reptile | Abundant |
| 4-wing Saltbush, Four-wing Saltbush, Shadscale | Atriplex canescens var. canescens | Vascular Plant | Abundant |
Federally Listed Threatened & Endangered Species
7 species in Joshua Tree National Park carry federal threatened or endangered status.
| Species | Category | Status | Nativeness |
|---|---|---|---|
| Coachella milkvetch, Coachella Valley milk-vetch, Palm Springs freckled milkvetch | Vascular Plant | EN | Native |
| greater yellowthroat gilia, Monterey gilia | Vascular Plant | EN | Native |
| Hoffmann's gilia, Hoffmann's slender-flowered gilia | Vascular Plant | EN | Native |
| Triple-ribbed Milkvetch | Vascular Plant | EN | Native |
| desert tortoise | Reptile | NA | Native |
| Parish's Daisy | Vascular Plant | NA | Native |
| Yellow-billed Cuckoo | Bird | NA | Native |
Tracked Non-Native Species
Non-native species documented in the park inventory:
| Species | Scientific Name | Category | Abundance |
|---|---|---|---|
| California Towhee | Melozone crissalis | Bird | Common |
| chukar | Alectoris chukar | Bird | Occasional |
| European Starling | Sturnus vulgaris | Bird | Uncommon |
| House Sparrow | Passer domesticus | Bird | Uncommon |
| Rock Pigeon | Columba livia | Bird | Uncommon |
| goldfish | Carassius auratus | Fish | NA |
| ass, burro (feral) | Equus asinus | Mammal | NA |
| black rat | Rattus rattus | Mammal | Unknown |
Abundance Profile
| Abundance Level | Species Count | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| NA | 1,455 | 62.8% |
| Common | 543 | 23.4% |
| Rare | 91 | 3.9% |
| Occasional | 84 | 3.6% |
| Uncommon | 84 | 3.6% |
| Abundant | 37 | 1.6% |