List of mammals of Yellowstone National Park

There are at least 67 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]

A bull elk grazes in Gibbon Meadows in the west-central portion of the park.

Canids edit

A gray wolf runs through deep snow.

A coyote pack hunting in the snow.

Order: Carnivora Family: Canidae

Coyote (Canis latrans) valleys, grasslands, forests – common
Northwestern wolf (Canis lupus occidentalis) valleys, grasslands, forests – common
Wasatch mountain fox (Vulpes vulpes macroura) meadows, forests – common

Bears edit

A grizzly bear

Order: Carnivora Family: Ursidae

Grizzly bear (Ursus arctos horribilis) grasslands, forests, alpine tundra – common
American black bear (Ursus americanus) forests – common

Raccoons edit

Order: Carnivora Family: Procyonidae

Common raccoon (Procyon lotor) rivers, cottonwoods – rare

Felids edit

Order: Carnivora Family: Felidae

Cougar (Puma concolor) forests, rock outcrops – uncommon
Canada lynx (Lynx canadensis) coniferous forests – rare
Bobcat (Lynx rufus) coniferous forests, rock outcroppings – common

Weasels edit

Order: Carnivora Family: Mustelidae

Wolverine (Gulo gulo) alpine tundra, coniferous forests – rare
North American river otter (Lontra canadensis) rivers – common
Pacific marten (Martes caurina) coniferous forests – common
American ermine or short-tailed weasel (Mustela richardsonii) willows, spruce forests – common
Long-tailed weasel (Neogale frenata) forests, meadows, wetlands – common
American mink (Neogale vison) streams, rivers – uncommon
Fisher (Pekania pennanti) forests – rare
American badger (Taxidea taxus) grasslands, sagebrush – common

Skunks edit

Order: Carnivora Family: Mephitidae

Striped skunk (Mephitis mephitis) riparian forests – rare

Rabbits and hares edit

A snowshoe hare

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 edit

Order: Lagomorpha Family: Ochotonidae

American Pika (Ochotona princeps) alpine tundra, rocky areas – common

Bovids edit

Yellowstone is home to approximately 5,000 bison.

Order: Artiodactyla Family: Bovidae

Plains bison (Bison bison bison) grasslands, sagebrush, shrubland – abundant
Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis canadensis) cliffs, rock outcroppings, alpine tundra – uncommon
Mountain Goat (Oreamnos americanus) cliffs, rock outcroppings, alpine tundra – uncommon (non-native)

Pronghorn edit

Pronghorn buck in snow.

Order: Artiodactyla Family: Antilocapridae

Pronghorn (Antilocapra americana) sagebrush, grassland – common

Elk, moose, and deer edit

Elk are Yellowstone's most abundant large mammal.

Order: Artiodactyla Family: Cervidae

Northwestern white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus ochrourus) grasslands, forests – uncommon
Rocky Mountain mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus hemionus) grasslands, shrubland, forests – common
Rocky Mountain elk (Cervus canadensis nelsoni) grasslands, shrubland, forest, alpine tundra – abundant
Shiras moose (Alces alces shirasi) grasslands, forests, river, lakes – uncommon

Shrews edit

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 edit

Order: Rodentia Family: Castoridae

American beaver (Castor canadensis) riparian areas – fairly common, increasing

Squirrels edit

A chipmunk

Order: Rodentia Family: Sciuridae

Least chipmunk (Neotamias minimus) meadows, forests – common
Uinta chipmunk (Neotamias umbrinus) meadows, forests – common
Yellow-pine chipmunk (Neotamias 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 (Urocitellus armatus) meadows, sagebrush – common
Golden-mantled ground squirrel (Callospermophilus lateralis) meadows, forests, rocky areas, alpine tundra – common

Voles and Woodrats edit

A muskrat

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 edit

A deer mouse

Order: Rodentia Family: Cricetidae

Deer mouse (Peromyscus maniculatus) grasslands – common

Jumping mice edit

Order: Rodentia Family: Dipodidae

Western jumping mouse (Zapus princeps) riparian – occasional

Porcupines edit

A porcupine

Order: Rodentia Family: Erethizontidae

North American porcupine (Erethizon dorsatum) forests, sagebrush, riparian – common

Bats edit

A silver-haired bat clings to a tree trunk.

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

References edit

^ "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.

[acres-1] "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-2] "Mammals". Yellowstone National Park. National Park Service.

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