The Central Valley was once home to large populations of pronghorn antelope (Antilocapra americana), elk including the endemic tule elk subspecies (Cervus elaphus nannodes), mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus), California ground squirrels, gophers, mice, hare, rabbits and kangaroo rats, along with their predators including ...

Using fewer than 1% of U.S. farmland, the Central Valley supplies 8% of U.S. agricultural output (by value) and produces 1/4 of the Nation's food, including 40% of the Nation's fruits, nuts, and other table foods.

Other wildlife found throughout the region includes grey fox, mule deer, bobcat, raccoon, Pacific tree frog and swallowtail and painted lady butterflies. Harbor seal, sea lion, leopard shark and bat ray are just a few of the species that make the region's marine wildlife among the most diverse in the world.

The Central Valley includes grasslands, chaparral and forested lands, but much of the valley has been converted to agriculture and cities. The arid San Joaquin uplands in the southern part of the valley is home to the critically endangered San Joaquin kit fox, kangaroo rats and blunt-nosed leopard lizards.