Small mammals of Yellowstone National Park
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There are at least 50 small mammal species known to occur in Yellowstone National Park.
Species are listed by common name, scientific name, typical habitat and relative abundance.[1]
Raccoons
Order: Carnivora Family: Procyonidae
- Raccoon, Procyon lotor, rivers, cottonwoods, rare
Badgers and weasels
Order: Carnivora Family: Mustelidae
- Wolverine, Gulo gulo, alpine, coniferous forests, rare
- North American river otter, Lontra canadensis, rivers, lakes, ponds, common
- Pacific marten, Martes caurina, coniferous forests, common
- American ermine, Mustela richardsonii, willows to spruce/fir forests, common
- Long-tailed weasel, Neogale frenata, willows to spruce/fir forests, common
- American mink, Neogale vison, riparian forests, occasional
- Fisher, Pekania pennanti, forests, rare
- American badger, Taxidea taxus, sagebrush, common
Skunks
Order: Carnivora Family: Mephitidae
- Striped skunk, Mephitis mephitis, riparian to forest, rare
Hares and rabbits
Order: Lagomorpha Family: Leporidae
- Snowshoe hare, Lepus americanus, forests, willows, common
- White-tailed jackrabbit, Lepus townsendii, sagebrush, grasslands, common
- Desert cottontail, Sylvilagus audubonii, shrub lands, common
- Mountain cottontail, Sylvilagus nuttallii, shrub lands, common
Pikas
Order: Lagomorpha Family: Ochotonidae
- American pika, Ochotona princeps, rocky slopes, common
Shrews
Order: Soricomorpha Family: Soricidae
- Dusky shrew, Sorex monticolus, moist meadows, forests, common
- Masked shrew, Sorex cinereus, moist meadows, forests, common
- American water shrew, Sorex palustris, moist meadows, forests, common
- Preble's shrew, Sorex preblei, moist meadows, forests, rare, if present
- Dwarf shrew, Sorex nanus, moist meadows, forests, rare
Beaver
Order: Rodentia Family: Castoridae
- Beaver, Castor canadensis, ponds, streams, approximately 500
Squirrels
Order: Rodentia Family: Sciuridae
- Least chipmunk, Tamias minimus, forests, common
- Uinta chipmunk, Tamias umbrinus, forests, common
- Yellow-pine chipmunk, Tamias amoenus, forests, common
- Yellow-bellied marmot, Marmota flaviventris, rocky slopes, common
- Golden-mantled ground squirrel, Callospermophilus lateralis, forests, rocky slopes, common
- Northern flying squirrel, Glaucomys sabrinus, forests, occasional
- American red squirrel, Tamiasciurus hudsonicus, forests, common
- Uinta ground squirrel, Urocitellus armatus, sagebrush, meadows, common
Pocket gophers
Order: Rodentia Family: Geomyidae
- Northern pocket gopher, Thomomys talpoides, sagebrush, meadows, forests, 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
Muskrats, voles and woodrats
Order: Rodentia Family: Cricetidae
- Muskrat, Ondatra zibethicus, streams, lakes, ponds, common
- Western heather vole, Phenacomys intermedius, sagebrush to forests, occasional
- Long-tailed vole, Microtus longicaudus, moist meadows, common
- Meadow vole, Microtus pennsylvanicus, moist meadows, common
- Montane vole, Microtus montanus, moist meadows, common
- Southern red-backed vole, Myodes gapperi, dense forests, common
- Water vole, Microtus richardsoni, riparian, occasional
- Bushy-tailed woodrat, Neotoma cinerea, rocky slopes, common
Porcupines
Order: Rodentia Family: Erethizontidae
- North American porcupine, Erethizon dorsatum, forests, sagebrush, willows, common
Bats
Order: Chiroptera Family: Vespertilionidae
- Big brown bat, Eptesicus fuscus, roost in sheltered areas, common
- Fringe-tailed bat, Myotis thysanodes, roost in cliffs, large snags, uncommon
- Hoary bat, Lasiurus cinereus, roost in trees. uncommon
- Little brown bat, Myotis lucifugus, roost in caves, buildings, trees, common
- Long-eared bat, Myotis evotis, roost in cliffs, buildings, uncommon
- Long-legged bat, Myotis volans, roost in tree cavities, cliffs, buildings, common
- Silver-haired bat, Lasionycteris noctivagans, roost in trees, including snags, common
- Western small-footed bat, Myotis ciliolabrum, roost in rocky areas, caves, rare, if present
- Townsend's big-eared bat, Corynorhinus townsendii, roost in caves, uncommon
- Yuma bat, Myotis yumanensis, roost in caves, buildings, trees. rare, if present
See also
Further reading
- Broderick, Harold J. (1954). Wild Animals of Yellowstone National Park. Yellowstone Library and Museum Association, Yellowstone National Park, National Park Service.
- Streubel, Donald P. (1995). Small Mammals of the Yellowstone Ecosystem. Boulder, CO: Robert Rineharts. ISBN 0-911797-59-9.
Notes
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