WELCOME TO
Biology 250
Altitude
5,112 ft
Known best from the movie "Close Inconters of the Third Kind" this eroded volcano is the home of many plants now and large preditory birds find homes on the tower and in the tall trees.
Devil's Tower is an interesting area for wildlife, while many would assume only small animals, like squirrels, voles, and various mice lived on the ground being preyed on by the carnivoris birds above. Devil's Tower is a arid, semi-tropical area surrounded by floodplains that together attract an unusal collection of animals, large small.
Although Devil's Tower itself seems to not attract bears of any species the multiple aray of trees create great places for bears and other animals to thrive.
Custer promotional video
~not created by page designer
Third on the list is Custer, though it is a Park it seems more like a back country road drive with the occational herd of bison or mule deer. While exploring Custer with hiked a 3 mile trail and got to see the plants and animals up close. The first hike and probably the easiest was nothing to be disapointed about, and afterward a cool lake awaited our sweaty, tired bodies.
NEXT 124 MI
Our trip began in Peoria Illinois and took us across the North West. We traveled through Iowa, South Dakota, Montana, Wyoming, and Nebraska. Our stops included State Parks, National Parks, National Monuments, and outcropings.
Follow the road lines to experiance the biological portion of our trip. Feel free to click on colored text and images for more information on specific areas and items.... and have fun!
Before you begin
Altitude
5,318 ft
13,776 ft
Huge expansive plateaus are found at altitudes in excess of 10,000 feet with over 25 peaks exceeding 12,000 feet. The mountains have over 300 pristine lakes and some waterfalls in excess of 300 feet. Winters are severe with heavy snow and incessant winds.
The Crow tribe of Native Americans used the valleys of the mountains for hunting game animals and for winter shelter from the harsh winds of the plains. Though trappers entered the region in the 1830s, formal exploration by the U.S. Government did not occur until 1878. Since then, almost 400 species of plants have been discovered and the Beartooths are considered to be the most biologically unique mountain range in North America. The region is also home to one of the populations of Grizzly Bears outside of Alaska and Canada. Black Bears, mountain goats, Bighorn Sheep, elk, moose, wolverine, mountain lion, and lynx are found surviving in these harsh mountains
Since 2000 the wolf has also reappeared from the migration of wolves that were transplated into neighboring Yellowstone National Park from Canada. Primarily plants and grasses exist above the 9,000 foot timberline and Engelmann Spruce, Subalpine Fir, Whitebark Pine, and Lodgepole Pine.