List of mammals of Montana

Grizzly bear, state mammal of Montana

There are 115 mammal species known to occur in Montana. ^[1] Among Montana's mammals, three are listed as endangered or threatened and the Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks lists a number of species as species of concern. ^[2]

Species are listed by common and scientific names, as per R. S. Hoffman and D. L. Pattie, A Guide to Montana Mammals, 1968. ^[3]

New World opossums (Order: Didelphimorphia)

Family: Didelphidae (true opossums)

• Virginia opossum, Didelpis virginiana introduced ^[4]

Lagomorphs (Order: Lagomorpha)

Family: Leporidae (rabbits and hares)

• Pygmy rabbit, Brachylagus idahoensis
• 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

Family: Ochotonidae (pikas)

• American pika, Ochotona princeps

Even-toed ungulates (Order: Artiodactyla)

Mule deer

Family: Antilocapridae (pronghorns)

• Pronghorn, Antilocapra americana

Family: Bovidae (bovids)

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

Family: Cervidae (deer)

• Moose, Alces alces
• Elk, Cervus canadensis
• Caribou, Rangifer tarandus extirpated, vagrant ^[5]
  • Boreal woodland caribou, R. t. caribou extirpated, vagrant
• Mule deer, Odocoileus hemionus
• White-tailed deer, Odocoileus virginianius

Carnivorans (Order: Carnivora)

Black bear

Family: Ursidae (bears)

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

Family: Procyonidae (procyonids)

• Raccoon, Procyon lotor

Family: Felidae (cats)

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

Family: Canidae (canids)

• Coyote, Canis latrans
• Gray wolf, Canis lupus
  • Northern Rocky Mountain wolf, C. l. irremotus
  • Great Plains wolf, C. l. nubilus extinct
  • Northwestern wolf, C. l. occidentalus introduced
• Gray fox, Urocyon cinereoargentus
• Swift fox, Vulpes velox
• Red fox, Vulpes vulpes

Family: Mustelidae (mustelids)

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

Family: Mephitidae (skunks)

• Striped skunk, Mephitis mephitis
• Western spotted skunk, Spilogale gracilis

Bats (Order: Chiroptera)

Townsend's big-eared bat

Family: Vespertilionidae (vesper bats ^[6] )

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

Shrews (Order: Eulipotyphla)

Merriam's shrew

Family: Soricidae

• Northern short-tailed shrew, Blarina brevicauda
• Arizona shrew, Sorex arcticus
• Cinereus shrew, Sorex cinereus
• Hayden's shrew, Sorex haydeni
• American pygmy shrew, Sorex hoyi
• Merriam's shrew, Sorex merriami
• Montane shrew, Sorex monticolus
• Dwarf shrew, Sorex nanus
• American water shrew, Sorex palustris
• Preble's shrew, Sorex preblei
• Vagrant shrew, Sorex vagrans

Rodents (Order: Rodentia)

Family: Castoridae (beavers)

• North American beaver, Castor canadensis ^[7]

Uinta chipmunk

Black-tailed prairie dogs

Family: Sciuridae (squirrels ^[8] )

• Golden-mantled ground squirrel, Callospermophilus lateralis
• White-tailed prairie dog, Cynomys leucurus
• Black-tailed prairie dog, Cynomys ludovicianus
• Northern flying squirrel, Glaucomys sabrinus
• Thirteen-lined ground squirrel, Ictidomys tridecemlineatus
• Hoary marmot, Marmota caligata
• Yellow-bellied marmot, Marmota flaviventris
• Yellow-pine chipmunk, Neotamias amoenus
• Least chipmunk, Neotamias minimus
• Red-tailed chipmunk, Neotamias ruficaudus
• Uinta chipmunk, Neotamias umbrinus
• Eastern gray squirrel, Sciurus carolinensis introduced
• Eastern fox squirrel, Sciurus niger
• American red squirrel, Tamiasciurus hudsonicus
• Uinta ground squirrel, Urocitellus armatus
• Columbian ground squirrel, Urocitellus columbianus
• Wyoming ground squirrel, Urocitellus elegans
• Richardson's ground squirrel, Urocitellus richardsonii

Ord's kangaroo rat

Family: Heteromyidae (pocket mice and kangaroo rats ^[9] )

• Hispid pocket mouse, Chaetodipus hispidus
• Ord's kangaroo rat, Dipodomys ordii
• Olive-backed pocket mouse, Perognathus fasciatus
• Great Basin pocket mouse, Perognathus parvus

Family: Geomyidae (pocket gophers)

• Idaho pocket gopher, Thomomys idahoensis
• Northern pocket gopher, Thomomys talpoides

Family: Dipodidae (jumping mice)

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

Muskrat

Deer mouse

Family: Cricetidae (New World mice and rats, voles, lemmings, muskrats ^[10] )

• Sagebrush vole, Lemmiscus curtatus
• Long-tailed vole, Microtus longicaudus
• Montane vole, Microtus montanus
• Prairie vole, Microtus ochrogaster
• Meadow vole, Microtus pennsylvanicus
• Water vole, Microtus richardsoni
• Southern red-backed vole, Myodes gapperi
• Bushy-tailed woodrat, Neotoma cinerea
• Muskrat, Ondatra zibethicus
• Northern grasshopper mouse, Onychomys leucogaster
• White-footed mouse, Peromyscus leucopus
• Western deer mouse, Peromyscus sonoriensis
• Heather vole, Phenacomys intermedius
• Western harvest mouse, Reithrodontomys megalotis
• Northern bog lemming, Synaptomys borealis

Family: Muridae (Old World rats and mice)

• House mouse, Mus musculus introduced
• Norway rat, Rattus norvegicus introduced

Family: Echimyidae (spiny rats)

• Nutria, Myocastor coypus introduced ^[11]

Family: Erethizontidae

• North American porcupine, Erethizon dorsatum ^[12]

See also

• Lists of mammals by region
• Amphibians and Reptiles of Montana
• Birds of Montana

Further reading

• Hoffman, R.S.; Pattie, D.L. (1968). A Guide to Montana Mammals. University of Montana Press.
• "Northern Rockies Natural History Guide-Mammals". University of Montana’s Division of Biological Sciences. Archived from the original on 20 June 2010. Retrieved 23 November 2010.
• Foresman, Kerry R. (2001). The Wild Mammals of Montana. American Society of Mammalogists. ISBN   1-891276-26-3.
• Picton, Harold D.; Lonner, Terry N. (2008). Montana's Wildlife Legacy-Decimation to Restoration. Bozeman, MT: Media Works Publishing. ISBN   978-0-615-18849-2.

Notes

1. "Montana Field Guide". Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks. Retrieved 21 November 2010.
2. Species of concern are native taxa that are at-risk due to declining population trends, threats to their habitats, restricted distribution, and/or other factors. Designation as a Montana Species of Concern or Potential Species of Concern is based on the Montana Status Rank, and is not a statutory or regulatory classification. Rather, these designations provide information that helps resource managers make proactive decisions regarding species conservation and data collection priorities. "Species Status Codes" . Retrieved 20 November 2010.
3. Hoffman, R.S.; Pattie, D.L. (1968). A Guide to Montana Mammals. University of Montana Press.
4. "Montana Field Guide-Virginia Opossum". Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks. Retrieved 22 November 2010.
5. "Two rarely seen woodland caribou spotted in Montana | the Spokesman-Review".
6. "Montana Field Guide-Bats". Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks. Retrieved 22 November 2010.
7. "Montana Field Guide-Beaver". Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks. Retrieved 22 November 2010.
8. "Montana Field Guide-Squirrels". Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Park. Retrieved 22 November 2010.
9. "Montana Field Guide". Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks. Retrieved 22 November 2010.
10. "Montana Field Guide-Mice". Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks. Retrieved 23 November 2010.
11. "Montana Field Guide-Nutria". Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks. Retrieved 22 November 2010.
12. "Montana Field Guide-Porcupine". Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks. Retrieved 22 November 2010.