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Profiles of Utah's Big Mammals

Get to know some more about the large mammals you are most likely to encounter on Utah's roads.

Mule Deer

  • Named for large mule-like ears
  • Eat grasses, flowering plants and shrubs
  • Nomadic, like to be in expansive areas
  • Present in Utah since approximately 1 AD

depicted in Anasazi cave drawings

Rocky Mountain Elk

  • Utah's state animal
  • Eat grasses, flowering plants and shrubs
  • Live in the mountains during the summer,

and in foothills and valley grasslands during the winter.

  • Always like to be near water

Moose

  • Species in Utah is the Shiras or Wyoming Moose, 

smallest of the four North American moose subspecies.

  • Can reach up to 800 pounds
  • Not present in Utah until the early 1900's
  • Live in forest habitats

especially areas with a mix of wooded terrain and lakes or wetlands.