Various species of asters and goldenrods complete this glorious show of color in early fall. From July through October, the grasses begin to reach their full height, flower and turn rich shades of gold, brown, red and purple. Some can survive only in high quality prairie and live no where else on Earth. Throughout the tallgrass prairie region, as many as 100 species of ants live out their busy lives. More than 150 species of bees occur on Missouri prairies alone.
Insects are important pollinators of prairie forbs.
They also provide food for birds and other prairie animals, and thus are essential for a sustainable pra irie food chain. Prairie amphibians are secretive, and people rarely see them. Smallmouth and tiger salamanders breed in early spring and spend most of their lives underground. Prairie toads and frogs include the Great Plains narrowmouth toad, western chorus frog, northern crawfish frog and plains leopard frog. These amphibians breed in fishless pools and conceal themselves underground in grass thatch, or, in the case of the crawfish frog, in abandoned crawfish burrows.