Missouri is home to thousands of kinds of animals without backbones that live in the water. Learn about our crayfish, clams, snails, leeches and aquatic insects.

Browse this section to learn about diseases that affect wildlife in Missouri and which ones can be harmful to humans and domestic animals.

Nearly 70 species of wild mammals live in Missouri, and in numbers of species, mammals (in the phylum Chordata) are the second smallest group of vertebrate animals in our state. One mammal, however, takes up more space in Missouri than any other: humans. Most of us recognize mammals easily.

Learn about the habitat, diet, and life cycle of Missouri's animals, plants, and mushrooms.

Protect Missouri’s natural places, native wildlife, outdoor recreation, agriculture, and economy. Please do what you can to control invasive species when you landscape, farm, hunt, fish, camp, or explore nature.

We protect and manage the fish, forest, and wildlife of the state. We facilitate and provide opportunity for all citizens to use, enjoy, and learn about these resources.

On this page you'll learn how to recognize animals common to Missouri based on their tracks and other signs.

"Nuisance" animals are native to the local landscape but can still cause problems. Canada geese, for example, have historically used Missouri for summer breeding grounds, but they have become nuisances where they have year-round access to short, palatable grass and open water.

2017年1月1日 · When the sun goes down, many animals (like us humans) go to sleep for the night. But others are just starting their day. They find food, mate, raise their young, defend their territories, and escape predators between dusk and dawn.

The largest mammal to occur in Missouri during historic times, the American bison lives in wild and semi-wild herds on private ranges and on public lands, where people can see them and imagine the immense herds that used to be.