Which park animals and plants can hurt a kid?

179 animals, plants, and fungi of the national parks, grouped by the danger: 7 venomous, 24 to keep away from, 16 not to touch or eat, 46 that bite only if handled, and 86 harmless.

Venomous (7)

These deliver venom with a bite or a sting. Look from a distance and never reach where you cannot see.

  • Desert tarantula: A desert tarantula has venom, but its bite is mild.
  • Giant desert hairy scorpion: Its sting hurts, but it is not dangerous to a healthy person.
  • Gila monster: A Gila monster is venomous, but it is slow and would rather be left alone, so it is easy to stay safe: never touch it and never try to pick it up.
  • Northern Pacific rattlesnake: This is the only rattlesnake in these parks, and it is venomous, so give it real respect, not panic.
  • Prairie rattlesnake: It is the only dangerously venomous snake at Yellowstone, Badlands, Theodore Roosevelt, and Wind Cave.
  • Tarantula hawk: It has one of the most painful stings of any insect, but it is not aggressive and will not chase or attack you.
  • Western diamondback rattlesnake: This snake is venomous, so treat it with respect, not fear.

Keep away (24)

Large animals. Distance is the rule: the Park Service asks for at least 25 yards from most wildlife and 100 yards from bears and wolves. Some parks ask for more.

  • American alligator: This one is genuinely dangerous, so the rules are simple and firm.
  • American badger: Badgers would rather dig away than fight and avoid people entirely.
  • American bison: Bison look slow and calm, but they are not tame and they hurt more people in Yellowstone than any other animal.
  • American black bear: Black bears are usually shy and would rather leave than meet you.
  • Bighorn sheep: Bighorn sheep are shy and would rather climb away than come near you.
  • Bobcat: Very low.
  • Canada lynx: None realistically — it is rare, shy, and avoids people almost entirely.
  • Columbian black-tailed deer: Usually calm around people, but they are wild animals, not park mascots.
  • Coyote: Coyotes almost always run from people.
  • Dall sheep: Dall sheep are shy and would rather climb than fight, but they are wild and a ram's horns are heavy.
  • Elk: Elk look calm but they are large and wild.
  • Feral horse: Yes, keep your distance.
  • Gray wolf: Wild wolves almost never bother people.
  • Grizzly bear: A grizzly is one of the few animals you must give real room.
  • Harbor seal: Harbor seals are wild animals with strong jaws, and they bite to defend themselves.
  • Humpback whale: Humpbacks are not a danger to people on shore, and the rules here protect them, not you.
  • Moose: A moose looks slow and gentle, but it is one of the most dangerous animals to crowd.
  • Mountain goat: A mountain goat looks calm but is a large wild animal with sharp horns, so keep your distance, at least 50 yards, and never get between a goat and its kid.
  • Mountain lion: Confrontations are very rare — even in Yellowstone, with a healthy population, few have ever been documented.
  • Mule deer: Mule deer look calm and tame, but they are wild animals with sharp hooves, and bucks have antlers in fall.
  • Pronghorn: Not a real worry: pronghorn keep their distance from people on their own.
  • Sea otter: Sea otters stay in the water and keep away from people, so a kid on shore is very unlikely to get near one.
  • White-tailed deer: White-tailed deer normally run from people.
  • Wolverine: Not a real worry.

Don't touch or eat (16)

Poisonous, spiny, or stinging to touch or swallow.

  • American pasqueflower: Every part of this plant is poisonous to eat, and the fresh sap can blister skin.
  • California mussel: Harmless to touch, but the shells are sharp and the rocks they cover are slick, so tide-pool footing is the real hazard.
  • Claret cup cactus: This cactus is covered in stiff spines, so the rule is look, do not touch.
  • Creosote bush: Safe to be near and to smell, but do not eat it.
  • Engelmann prickly pear: This cactus has two kinds of spines.
  • Ensatina: It cannot bite or sting, but its tail oozes a sticky, milky poison when it is scared.
  • Fly agaric: Poisonous if eaten.
  • Great Plains toad: Not dangerous if you leave it alone.
  • Joshua tree: The leaves end in hard, sharp points like little daggers, so the rule is look, do not grab.
  • North American porcupine: A porcupine cannot throw or shoot its quills, but they detach the instant something touches them, and the barbed tips work deeper into skin over time.
  • Pandora moth: The moth is harmless, but the caterpillar's spines can sting bare skin.
  • Plains spadefoot: Not dangerous.
  • Rough-skinned newt: Never put one near your mouth or an open cut.
  • Saguaro: A saguaro is covered in stiff, sharp spines up to a couple of inches long, so the rule is look, do not touch.
  • Subalpine lupine: Do not eat any part of it.
  • Western toad: Harmless to touch, but the two glands behind its eyes ooze a thick white poison meant to deter predators, so wash hands after handling and don't touch your eyes or mouth first.

Bites if handled (46)

No danger unless someone grabs it. Leave it on the ground and it leaves you alone.

Harmless (86)

No bite, sting, or poison to worry about. Look, then let it be.

Wild mushrooms. Some mushrooms on this page are safe to eat and some are poisonous, and they can look alike. Never eat a wild mushroom unless a mushroom expert has identified it.

If something bites or stings

  • Call 911. For a sting or a poisoning, call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222.
  • Keep the person calm and still, with the bite at the level of the heart.
  • Take off rings, watches, and anything tight before the swelling starts.
  • Get to the nearest emergency room.

Do not:

  • No tourniquet.
  • No ice.
  • No cutting the wound.
  • No sucking out the venom.

From the Park Service's rattlesnake bite advice and Poison Control. This is not medical advice.

Find it by park

Each park's list shows only the species there that can hurt you.

Questions

Are the lizards in national parks poisonous or venomous?

Of the 9 lizards in this guide, only the Gila monster is venomous. The others have no venom. A few may nip if someone grabs one, so look and let them run.

What is the difference between venomous and poisonous?

A venomous animal pushes venom in with a bite or a sting, like a rattlesnake. A poisonous one hurts you only if you touch it or eat it, like the rough-skinned newt.

Which national parks have rattlesnakes?

This guide lists a rattlesnake at Badlands National Park, Big Bend National Park, Carlsbad Caverns National Park, Lassen Volcanic National Park, Lava Beds National Monument, Mesa Verde National Park, Redwood National and State Parks, Saguaro National Park, Sequoia National Park, Theodore Roosevelt National Park, Wind Cave National Park, Yellowstone National Park and Yosemite National Park. Stay on the trail, watch where you put hands and feet, and give any snake room to leave.

What is the most dangerous animal in a national park?

The one people walk up to. Bison have injured more people in Yellowstone than any other animal, according to the Park Service. Keep at least 25 yards away.

How close can you get to wildlife in a national park?

The Park Service asks for at least 25 yards from most wildlife and 100 yards from bears and wolves. Some parks ask for more. Olympic asks for 50 yards.

What should I do if my child is bitten by a rattlesnake?

Call 911. Keep your child calm and still, with the bite at the level of the heart, and take off anything tight. Do not use a tourniquet or ice, and do not cut the wound or suck out the venom.

Sources