Colorado has many different landforms that make it special. On the eastern part of the state is the Great Plains. Down the center of the state is the spectacular Rocky Mountains. In the western part of the state is the Colorado Plateau region. The state has many mountains, plateaus, mesas, canyons, and many more landforms. It also has many lakes, ponds, streams, and rivers. Because of the diverse landforms and waterways, Colorado has many different types of habitats or life zones (unique places where animals and plants live). C. Hart Merriam came up with the idea of life zones in 1889 when he was studying the plants and animals of the western United States. He found that common plants and animals lived at similar elevations and lattitudes in different mountain ranges across the western United States and that the elevations had similar temperatures.
To learn more, click on these topics: elevation and climate; seasons, water, and animals; and adaptations of plants and animals OR to find out more about a specific life zone click on the names of the life zones on the side.
Colorado Life Zones: Website Index of Animals and Internet Links
Colorado Life Zones Scavenger Hunt Worksheets (PDF): Click Here
Where Do Rivers Come From (PDF): Click Here
Animal Research Worksheet (PDF): Click Here
For one of the best guides to the plants that live in Colorado visit Southwest Colorado Wildflowers, Ferns, and Trees. It is an amazing website!
This website was made solely for educational purposes (no money was made from its creation and it does not support any advertising). Some of the pictures were taken from google images and all rights belong to the original artists, websites, or photographers. Many children never have experienced being in Colorado's different habitats or seen its wildlife. The website's main goal is to give visual and factual information to help elementary kids to better understand and appreciate Colorado's life zones and the plants and animals that live there. Colorado's wild places, plants, and animals need to be protected and hopefully this will inspire current and future generations to protect Colorado's and the Rocky Mountain's beautiful wild areas. I would like to thank the CO Division of Wildlife and other agencies that manage and protect wildlife and wild areas. Many wild animals that we think as common now, like elk, were not too long ago on the brink of extinction in Colorado due to overhunting and no regulations protecting the wildlife. The website was researched, written, and created by Sean Gregersen. If you find any errors or have comments, the email address is Sean.Gregersen@d51schools.org .
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