Small mammals of Yellowstone National Park explained

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: CarnivoraFamily: Procyonidae

• Raccoon, Procyon lotor, rivers, cottonwoods, rare

Badgers and weasels

Order: CarnivoraFamily: 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: CarnivoraFamily: Mephitidae

• Striped skunk, Mephitis mephitis, riparian to forest, rare

Hares and rabbits

Order: LagomorphaFamily: 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: LagomorphaFamily: Ochotonidae

• American pika, Ochotona princeps, rocky slopes, common

Shrews

Order: SoricomorphaFamily: 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: RodentiaFamily: Castoridae

• Beaver, Castor canadensis, ponds, streams, approximately 500

Squirrels

Order: RodentiaFamily: 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: RodentiaFamily: Geomyidae

• Northern pocket gopher, Thomomys talpoides, sagebrush, meadows, forests, common

Mice

Order: RodentiaFamily: Cricetidae

• Deer mouse, Peromyscus maniculatus, grasslands, common

Jumping mice

Order: RodentiaFamily: Dipodidae

• Western jumping mouse, Zapus princeps, riparian, occasional

Muskrats, voles and woodrats

Order: RodentiaFamily: 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: RodentiaFamily: Erethizontidae

• North American porcupine, Erethizon dorsatum, forests, sagebrush, willows, common

Bats

Order: ChiropteraFamily: 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

• Animals of Yellowstone
• Mammals of Yellowstone National Park

Further reading

• Book: Broderick, Harold J. . Wild Animals of Yellowstone National Park . Yellowstone Library and Museum Association, Yellowstone National Park, National Park Service . 1954.
• Book: Streubel, Donald P. . Small Mammals of the Yellowstone Ecosystem . Robert Rineharts . Boulder, CO . 1995 . 0-911797-59-9.

Notes and References

1. Mammals in Yellowstone National Park . Yellowstone National Park, National Park Service . 2010-02-01 .