List of mammals of Colorado explained

This list of mammals of Colorado includes every wild mammal species seen in the U.S. state of Colorado, based on the list published by Colorado Parks and Wildlife.^{[1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8]} It does not include species found only in captivity. Species in this list are grouped by order and then by family within each order. The common name for each species is followed by its binomial name.

The following codes are used to designate some species:

• EN - Species is listed as endangered by the IUCN.
• NT - Species is listed as near threatened by the IUCN.

Didelphimorphia

Opossums

Order: DidelphimorphiaFamily: Didelphidae

• Virginia opossum, Didelphis virginiana

Cingulata

Armadillos

Order: CingulataFamily: Dasypodidae

• Nine-banded armadillo, Dasypus novemcinctus

Rodentia

Beavers

Order: RodentiaFamily: Castoridae

• North American beaver, Castor canadensis

Pocket gophers

Order: RodentiaFamily: Geomyidae

• Yellow-faced pocket gopher, Cratogeomys castanops
• Plains pocket gopher, Geomys bursarius
• Botta's pocket gopher, Thomomys bottae
• Northern pocket gopher, Thomomys talpoides

Kangaroo rats, pocket mice

Order: RodentiaFamily: Heteromyidae

• Hispid pocket mouse, Chaetodipus hispidus
• Ord's kangaroo rat, Dipodomys ordii
• Olive-backed pocket mouse, Perognathus fasciatus
• Plains pocket mouse, Perognathus flavescens
• Silky pocket mouse, Perognathus flavus
• Great Basin pocket mouse, Perognathus merriami

New World porcupines

Order: RodentiaFamily: Erethizontidae

• North American porcupine, Erethizon dorsatum

Jumping mice

Order: RodentiaFamily: Dipodidae

• Meadow jumping mouse, Zapus hudsonius
• Western jumping mouse, Zapus princeps

New World rats, New World mice, voles

Order: RodentiaFamily: Cricetidae

• Sagebrush vole, Lemmiscus curtatus
• Long-tailed vole, Microtus longicaudus
• Mexican vole, Microtus mexicanus
• Montane vole, Microtus montanus
• Prairie vole, Microtus ochrogaster
• Meadow vole, Microtus pennsylvanicus
• Southern red-backed vole, Myodes gapperii
• White-throated woodrat, Neotoma albigula
• Bushy-tailed woodrat, Neotoma cinerea
• Eastern woodrat, Neotoma floridana
• Desert woodrat, Neotoma lepida
• Mexican woodrat, Neotoma mexicana
• Southern plains woodrat, Neotoma micropus
• Muskrat, Ondatra zibethicus
• Northern grasshopper mouse, Onychomys leucogaster
• Brush mouse, Peromyscus boylii
• Canyon mouse, Peromyscus crinitus
• White-footed mouse, Peromyscus leucopus
• Northern rock mouse, Peromyscus nasutus
• Western deer mouse, Peromyscus sonoriensis
• Pinyon mouse, Peromyscus truei
• Western heather vole, Phenacomys intermedius
• Western harvest mouse, Reithrodontomys megalotis
• Plains harvest mouse, Reithrodontomys montanus
• Hispid cotton rat, Sigmodon hispidus

Chipmunks, marmots, squirrels

Order: RodentiaFamily: Sciuridae

• White-tailed antelope squirrel, Ammospermophilus leucurus
• Golden-mantled ground squirrel, Callospermophilus lateralis
• Gunnison's prairie dog, Cynomys gunnisoni
• White-tailed prairie dog, Cynomys leucurus
• Black-tailed prairie dog, Cynomys ludovicianus
• Northern flying squirrel, Glaucomys sabrinus
• Thirteen-lined ground squirrel, Ictodomys tridecemlineatus
• Yellow-bellied marmot, Marmota flaviventris
• Cliff chipmunk, Neotamias dorsalis
• Least chipmunk, Neotamias minimus
• Colorado chipmunk, Neotamias quadrivittatus
• Hopi chipmunk, Neotamias rufus
• Uinta chipmunk, Neotamias umbrinus
• Rock squirrel, Otospermophilus variegatus
• Abert's squirrel, Sciurus aberti
• Fox squirrel, Sciurus niger
• Southwestern red squirrel, Tamiasciurus fremonti
• American red squirrel, Tamiasciurus hudsonicus
• Wyoming ground squirrel, Urocitellus elegans
• Spotted ground squirrel, Xerospermophilus spilosoma

Lagomorpha

Pikas

Order: LagomorphaFamily: Ochotonidae

• American pika, Ochotona princeps

Hares, rabbits

Order: LagomorphaFamily: Leporidae

• Pygmy rabbit, Brachylagus idahodensis
• Snowshoe hare, Lepus americanus
• Black-tailed jackrabbit, Lepus californicus
• White-tailed jackrabbit, Lepus townsendii
• Desert cottontail, Sylvilagus audubonii
• Eastern cottontail, Sylvilagus floridanus
• Mountain cottontail, Sylvilagus nuttallii

Eulipotyphla

Shrews

Order: EulipotyphlaFamily: Soricidae

• Elliot's short-tailed shrew, Blarina hylophaga
• North American least shrew, Cryptotis parva
• Crawford's gray shrew, Notiosorex crawfordi
• Cinereus shrew, Sorex cinereus
• American pygmy shrew, Sorex hoyi
• Merriam's shrew, Sorex merriami
• Montane shrew, Sorex monticolus
• Dwarf shrew, Sorex nanus
• American water shrew, Sorex palustris

Moles

Order: EulipotyphlaFamily: Talpidae

• Eastern mole, Scalopus aquaticus

Chiroptera

Vesper bats

Order: ChiropteraFamily: Vespertilionidae

• Silver-haired bat, Lasionycteris noctivagans
• California myotis, Myotis californicus
• Western small-footed myotis, Myotis ciliolabrum
• Long-eared myotis, Myotis evotis
• Little brown bat, Myotis lucifugus
• Fringed myotis, Myotis thysanodes
• Long-legged myotis, Myotis volans
• Yuma myotis, Myotis yumanensis
• Pallid bat, Antrozous pallidus
• Big brown bat, Eptesicus fuscus
• Spotted bat, Euderma maculatum
• Eastern red bat, Lasiurus borealis
• Hoary bat, Lasiurus cinereus
• Western pipistrelle, Parastrellus hesperus
• Tricolored bat, Perimyotis subflavus
• Townsend's big-eared bat, Corynorhinus townsendii

Free-tailed bats

Order: ChiropteraFamily: Molossidae

• Big free-tailed bat, Nyctinomops macrotis
• Mexican free-tailed bat, Tadarida brasiliensis

Carnivora

Cats

Order: CarnivoraFamily: Felidae

• Canada lynx, Lynx canadensis reintroduced
• Bobcat, Lynx rufus
• Cougar, Puma concolor

Canids

Order: CarnivoraFamily: Canidae

• Coyote, Canis latrans
• Gray wolf, Canis lupus reintroduced^[9]
  • Northwestern wolf, C. l. occidentalis
  • Great Plains wolf, C. l. nubilus
  • Southern Rocky Mountain wolf, C. l. youngi
• Gray fox, Urocyon cinereoargenteus
• Kit fox, Vulpes macrotis
• Swift fox, Vulpes velox
• Red fox, Vulpes vulpes

Bears

Order: CarnivoraFamily: Ursidae

• American black bear, Ursus americanus
• Brown bear, Ursus arctos extirpated
  • Grizzly bear, U. a. horribilis extirpated

Skunks

Order: CarnivoraFamily: Mephitidae

• American hog-nosed skunk, Conepatus leuconotus
• Striped skunk, Mephitis mephitis
• Western spotted skunk, Spilogale gracilis
• Eastern spotted skunk, Spilogale putorius

Weasels

Order: CarnivoraFamily: Mustelidae

• Wolverine, Gulo gulo extirpated
• North American river otter, Lontra canadensis
• Pacific marten, Martes caurina
• Black-footed ferret, Mustela nigripes reintroduced
• American ermine, Mustela richardsonii
• Long-tailed weasel, Neogale frenata
• American mink, Neogale vison
• American badger, Taxidea taxus

Procyonids

Order: CarnivoraFamily: Procyonidae

• Ringtail, Bassariscus astutus
• Raccoon, Procyon lotor

Artiodactyla

Pronghorns

Order: ArtiodactylaFamily: Antilocapridae

• Pronghorn, Antilocapra americana

Deer

Order: ArtiodactylaFamily: Cervidae

• Moose, Alces alces
• Elk, Cervus canadensis
• Mule deer, Odocoileus hemionus
• White-tailed deer, Odocoileus virginianus

Bovids

Order: ArtiodactylaFamily: Bovidae

• American bison, Bison bison reintroduced
• Mountain goat, Oreamnos americanus introduced
• Bighorn sheep, Ovis canadensis

See also

• List of chordate orders
• List of regional mammals lists
• Mammal classification
• Bibliography of Colorado
• Geography of Colorado
• History of Colorado
• Index of Colorado-related articles
• List of Colorado-related lists
• Outline of Colorado

External links

• State of Colorado
  • Colorado Department of Natural Resources
    • Colorado Parks and Wildlife
      • CPW mammals
• American Society of Mammalogists
  • ASM Mammal Diversity Database

38.9972°N -105.5478°W

Notes and References

1. Web site: Checklist of Colorado Mammals . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20110101081908/http://wildlife.state.co.us/WildlifeSpecies/Profiles/Mammals/ChecklistofColoradoMammals.htm . January 1, 2011 . Colorado Division of Wildlife.
2. Book: Young, Mary Taylor. The Guide to Colorado Mammals. 9781555915834. Chicago Review Press, Inc.. April 1, 2012.
3. Book: Armstrong, David Michael. Mammals of Colorado. Denver Museum of Nature and Science. 2011.
4. Book: Fitzgerald, James P.. Mammals of Colorado. University Press of Colorado. 1994.
5. Book: Armstrong, David M.. Distribution of mammals in Colorado. Colorado Parks and Wildlife Research Library. 1972.
6. Book: Lechleitner, R.R.. Wild mammals of Colorado: their appearance, habits, distribution, and abundance. Pruett Publishing Company. 1969.
7. Web site: Guide to the mammals of Colorado. Hugo G.. Rodeck. University of Colorado Museum. 1952. May 26, 2023.
8. Book: Warren, Edward Royal. The mammals of Colorado : their habits and distribution. Colorado Parks and Wildlife Research Library. 1942.
9. Web site: Lowenstein . Jack . 2023-12-22 . All 10 gray wolves from Oregon now reside on Colorado's Western Slope, 2023 reintroduction phase complete - CBS Colorado . 2024-06-12 . www.cbsnews.com . en-US.