List of mammals of Yellowstone National Park
There are at least 67 different species of mammals known to live within Yellowstone National Park, a 2,219,791 acres (898,318 ha)[1] protected area in the Rocky Mountains of Wyoming, Montana, and Idaho. Species are listed by common name, scientific name, typical habitat, and relative abundance.[2]
Canids
Order: Carnivora Family: Canidae
- Coyote, Canis latrans, valleys, grasslands, forests, common
- Gray wolf, Canis lupus, valleys, grasslands, forests, common
- Red fox, Vulpes vulpes, meadows, forests, common
Bears
Order: Carnivora Family: Ursidae
- Grizzly bear, Ursus arctos, grasslands, forests, alpine tundra, common
- Black bear, Ursus americanus, forests, common
Raccoons
Order: Carnivora Family: Procyonidae
- Common raccoon, Procyon lotor, rivers, cottonwoods, rare
Felids
Order: Carnivora Family: Felidae
- Cougar, Puma concolor, forests, rock outcrops, uncommon
- Canadian lynx, Lynx canadensis, coniferous forests, rare
- Bobcat, Lynx rufus, coniferous forests, rock outcroppings, common
Weasels
Order: Carnivora Family: Mustelidae
- Short-tailed weasel, or ermine, Mustela erminea, willows, spruce forests, common
- Long-tailed weasel, Mustela frenata, forests, meadows, wetlands, common
- American marten, Martes americana, coniferous forests, common
- Fisher, Martes pennanti, forests, rare, if present
- American mink, Neovison vison, streams, rivers, uncommon
- North American river otter, Lutra canadensis, rivers, common
- American badger, Taxidea taxus, grasslands, sagebrush, common
- Wolverine, Gulo gulo, alpine tundra, coniferous forests, rare
Skunks
Order: Carnivora Family: Mephitidae
- Striped skunk, Mephitis mephitis, riparian forests, rare
Rabbits and hares
Order: Lagomorpha Family: Leporidae
- Mountain cottontail, Sylvilagus nuttallii, shrublands, common
- Desert cottontail, Sylvilagus audubonii, shrublands, common
- Snowshoe hare, Lepus americanus, coniferous forests, willows, common
- White-tailed jackrabbit, Lepus townsendii, sagebrush, grasslands, common
Pikas
Order: Lagomorpha Family: Ochotonidae
- American Pika, Ochotona princeps, alpine tundra, rocky areas, common
Bovids
Order: Artiodactyla Family: Bovidae
- American bison, Bison bison, grasslands, sagebrush, shrubland, abundant
- Bighorn sheep, Ovis canadensis, cliffs, rock outcroppings, alpine tundra, uncommon
- Mountain Goat, Oreamnos americanus, cliffs, rock outcroppings, alpine tundra, uncommon (non-native)
Pronghorn
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Order: Artiodactyla Family: Antilocapridae
- Pronghorn, Antilocapra americana, sagebrush, grassland, common
Elk, moose, and deer
Order: Artiodactyla Family: Cervidae
- White-tailed deer, Odocoileus virginianus, grasslands, forests, uncommon
- Mule deer, Odocoileus hemionus, grasslands, shrubland, forests, common
- Elk, Cervus canadensis, grasslands, shrubland, forest, alpine tundra, abundant
- Moose, Alces alces, grasslands, forests, river, lakes, uncommon
Shrews
Order: Soricomorpha Family: Soricidae
- Dusky shrew. Sorex monticolus, meadows, forests, common
- Masked shrew, Sorex cinereous, meadows, forests, common
- American water shrew, Sorex palustris, meadows, riparian areas, common
- Preble's shrew, Sorex preblei, meadows, forests, rare, if present
- Dwarf shrew, Sorex nanus, meadows, forests, common.
Beavers
Order: Rodentia Family: Castoridae
- American beaver, Castor canadensis, riparian areas, fairly common, increasing
Squirrels
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Order: Rodentia Family: Sciuridae
- Least chipmunk, Tamias minimus, meadows, forests, common
- Uinta chipmunk, Neotamias umbrinus, meadows, forests, common
- Yellow-pine chipmunk, Tamias amoenus, meadows, forests, common
- American red squirrel, Tamiasciurus hudsonicus, coniferous forests, common
- Northern flying squirrel, Glaucomys sabrinus, forests, occasional
- Yellow-bellied marmot, Marmota flaventris, forests, meadows, rocky areas, common
- Uinta ground squirrel, Spermophilus armatus, meadows, sagebrush, common
- Golden-mantled ground squirrel, Spermophilus lateralis, meadows, forests, rocky areas, alpine tundra, common
Voles and Woodrats
Order: Rodentia Family: Cricetidae
- Common muskrat, Ondatra zibethicus, riparian, occasional
- Western heather vole, Phenacomys intermedius, sagebrush, grasslands, forest, occasional
- Water vole, Microtus richardsoni, riparian, occasional
- Long-tailed vole, Microtus longicaudus, meadows, common
- Southern red-backed vole, Myodes gapperi, coniferous forests, common
- Meadow vole, Microtus pennsylvanicus, meadows, common
- Montane vole, Microtus montanus, meadows, sagebrush, riparian, common
- Bushy-tailed woodrat, Neotoma cinerea, rocky areas, common
Mice
Order: Rodentia Family: Cricetidae
- Deer mouse, Peromyscus maniculatus, grasslands, common
Jumping mice
Order: Rodentia Family: Dipodidae
- Western jumping mouse, Zapus princeps, riparian, occasional
Porcupines
Order: Rodentia Family: Erethizontidae
- North American porcupine, Erethizon dorsatum, forests, sagebrush, riparian, common
Bats
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Order: Chiroptera Family: Vespertilionidae
- Little brown bat, Myotis lucifugus, roosts in caves, trees, buildings, common
- Big brown bat, Eptesicus fuscus, roosts in sheltered areas, common
- Long-eared myotis, Myotis evotis, roosts on cliffs, buildings, uncommon
- Long-legged myotis, Myotis volans, roosts in cliffs, tree cavities, buildings, common
- Townsend's big-eared bat, Coryhinus townsendii, roosts in caves, uncommon
- Fringe-tailed bat, Myotis thysanodes, roosts in cliffs, snags, uncommon
- Hoary bat, Lasiurus cinereus, roosts in trees, uncommon
- Silver-haired bat, Lasionycteris noctivagans, roosts in trees, snags, common
- Spotted bat, Euderma maculatum, roosts on cliffs, trees, uncommon
- Pallid bat, Antrozous pallidus, roosts on cliffs, caves, buildings, uncommon
- California myotis, Myotis californicus, roosts in trees, rock crevices, and buildings
- Western small-footed myotis, Myotis ciliolabrum, roosts in caves, rocky areas, rare
- Yuma myotis, Myotis yumanensis, roosts in caves, buildings, trees, rare
See also
Further reading
- Streubel, Donald P. (1995). Small Mammals of the Yellowstone Ecosystem. Boulder, CO: Robert Rineharts. ISBN 0-911797-59-9.
- Broderick, Harold J. (1954). Wild Animals of Yellowstone National Park. Yellowstone Library and Museum Association, Yellowstone National Park, National Park Service.
References
- ^ "Listing of acreage – December 31, 2011" (XLSX). Land Resource Division, National Park Service. Retrieved March 8, 2012. (National Park Service Acreage Reports)
- ^ "Mammals". Yellowstone National Park. National Park Service.