Grasslands are full of life, with many animals that rely upon the abundant resources of grasslands to provide them with food, shelter and a place to reproduce.

The diversity of plant species allows a wide variety of plant-eating insects to thrive there and the fact that most of the plants are grasses means that grass-eating herbivores in particular can be found in this kind of habitat.

Deer, for example, are frequently found grazing on grasses and they are one of the few mammals that has the ability to digest grass leaves. There are also many small mammals that specialize in eating grass seeds, especially mice and voles (voles resemble mice but do not have a long tail tail).

Eastern Cottontail (Rabbit). Photo by Alan Ernst.

Rabbits are also common in grasslands and this abundance of rabbits, mice and voles makes grasslands ideal hunting grounds for birds of prey, also known as 'raptors', that patrol these habitats for signs and sounds of small mammals.

Other grassland predators include foxes, coyotes, weasels and snakes.

Red-tailed Hawk. Photo by John MacRae.

(You can easily find large raptors such as the Red-tailed Hawk sitting in trees or on power lines and fence posts along grassy roadside verges.) Predators are animals whose primary food source are other animals, which they catch live and kill.

Mammals are not the only animals that eat plants. Many insects are also herbivores: some eat leaves, some eat seeds, others eat flowers and some eat roots.

Monarch larva pupating.

Monarch adult on Liatris.

The best-known example of a herbivorous grassland insect is the Monarch Butterfly (Danaus plexippus), which feeds on plant leaves as a larva and plant nectar as an adult, particularly that of milkweeds (Asclepsias sp.). Grasslands and meadows are very important Monarch habitats because these feeding grounds help them build up energy for their long journey south to Mexico, which is their primary winter home.

Swamp Milkweed Leaf Beetle.

Grasslands are also home to many other butterflies as well as grasshoppers, crickets, ants, lady beetles, dragonflies, damselflies, and many fly and beetle species.

Insects are not the only invertebrates found in grasslands...

Earthworms are very important grassland invertebrates that maintain soil structure. They are a decomposer organism that breaks down dead, decaying matter (either plant or animal) by eating it and returning its basic components to the soil as excreta (urine and/or feces). Many insects are also important decomposers, as are bacteria.

Grassland Mammals & Birds

Deer Mouse. Photo from Konza Prairie Biological Station, Kansas State University.

Grassland Reptiles & Invertebrates

Praying Mantis. Photo from Konza Prairie Biological Station, Kansas State University.

Garter Snake. Photo by Alan Ernst.