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The Carrizo Plain (Obispeño: tšɨłkukunɨtš, "Place of the rabbits") [ 5 ] is a large enclosed grassland plain, approximately 50 miles (80 km) long and up to 15 miles (24 km) across, in southeastern San Luis Obispo County, California, United States, about 100 miles (160 km) northwest of Los Angeles. [ 6 ]
The Carrizo Plain is home to one of the largest concentrations of rare plants and animals in all of California and is vital to their survival. It is one of the last refuges for the San Joaquin kit fox, San Joaquin antelope squirrel, burrowing owl, giant kangaroo rat, and blunt-nosed leopard lizard.
The Carrizo Plains Ecological Reserve is approximately 38,900 acres and includes the American Ranch, North Chimineas, and South Chimineas Units. The Carrizo Plain is a diverse complex of scrub and woodland.
Carrizo Plain National Monument. Three hundred years ago, California’s Central Valley was vast grassland where antelope and elk grazed and wildflowers swept the spring landscape. Today, amid urban and agriculture development, a remnant remains in the Carrizo Plain National Monument.
The forests in northern parts of California have an abundant fauna, which includes for instance the black-tailed deer, black bear, gray fox, North American cougar, bobcat, and Roosevelt elk. Garter snakes and rattlesnakes are common, as are such amphibians as the mudpuppy and redwood salamander.
In this article, we explore the biodiversity of the Great Plains, focusing on two iconic animals: prairie dogs and bison. These species play significant ecological roles and have important cultural and historical significance in the region.
The area, which was made a national monument in 2001 and was recognized as a National Historic Landmark in 2012, is home to a vast array of wildlife, flora and natural phenomena, including North America’s fastest land animal, the pronghorn antelope, as well as condors, kit foxes and the blunt-nosed leopard lizard.
