It is designated as the Central and Southern Mixed Grasslands ecoregion by the World Wide Fund for Nature.The Cheyenne Bottoms near Great Bend, Kansas, and the Platte River in Nebraska are particularly important for migrating sandhill cranes and other waders.Some of the prevalent wildlife in the southern area are coyotes, striped bark scorpions, prairie rattlesnake (Crotalus viridis), and Great Plains skink (Plestiodon obsoletus).The grasslands have since recovered, but are cropland and managed grazing ranges rather than unspoiled native grasses and perennials pasture.The small remaining blocks of intact habitat include: These protected areas consist of patches of intact native grassland amid cultivated rangeland, and most of the remaining natural habitats of the Great Plains are unprotected.