page_title: Ecology of the Rocky Mountains
section_title: Mountain whitefish
hierarchical_section_title: Ecology of the Rocky Mountains / Fauna / Fish / Mountain whitefish
caption_attribution_description: Mountain Whitefish from Yellowstone National Park
context_page_description: The ecology of the Rocky Mountains is diverse due to the effects of a variety of environmental factors. The Rocky Mountains are the major mountain range in western North America, running from the far north of British Columbia in Canada to New Mexico in the southwestern United States, climbing from the Great Plains at or below 1,800 feet to peaks of over 14,000 feet. Temperature and rainfall varies greatly also and thus the Rockies are home to a mixture of habitats including the alpine, subalpine and boreal habitats of the Northern Rocky Mountains in British Columbia and Alberta, the coniferous forests of Montana and Idaho, the wetlands and prairie where the Rockies meet the plains, a different mix of conifers on the Yellowstone Plateau in Wyoming and in the high Rockies of Colorado and New Mexico, and finally the alpine tundra of the highest elevations.
context_section_description: Mountain whitefish, unlike cutthroat trout, have not declined significantly in their native range. They are indigenous to much of Wyoming, Montana, and Idaho, as well as Colorado's Yampa River drainage. They have also been introduced to some areas outside of their native range, like the Poudre and Fryingpan rivers in western Colorado.
caption: Mountain whitefish fry in Yellowstone National Park
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