List of mammals of Yellowstone National Park

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

An elk grazes with a bison in the park.

There are at least 67 different 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]

Canids

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
• Gray wolf, Canis lupus, valleys, grasslands, forests, common
• Red fox, Vulpes vulpes, meadows, forests, common

Bears

A grizzly bear

Order: Carnivora Family: Ursidae

• Grizzly bear, Ursus arctos, grasslands, forests, alpine tundra, common
• Black bear, Ursus americanus, forests, common

Raccoons

Order: Carnivora Family: Procyonidae

• Common raccoon, Procyon lotor, rivers, cottonwoods, rare

Felids

Order: Carnivora Family: Felidae

• Cougar, Puma concolor, forests, rock outcrops, uncommon
• Canadian lynx, Lynx canadensis, coniferous forests, rare
• Bobcat, Lynx rufus, coniferous forests, rock outcroppings, common

Weasels

Order: Carnivora Family: Mustelidae

• Short-tailed weasel, or ermine, Mustela erminea, willows, spruce forests, common
• Long-tailed weasel, Mustela frenata, forests, meadows, wetlands, common
• American marten, Martes americana, coniferous forests, common
• Fisher, Martes pennanti, forests, rare, if present
• American mink, Neovison vison, streams, rivers, uncommon
• North American river otter, Lutra canadensis, rivers, common
• American badger, Taxidea taxus, grasslands, sagebrush, common
• Wolverine, Gulo gulo, alpine tundra, coniferous forests, rare

Skunks

Order: Carnivora Family: Mephitidae

• Striped skunk, Mephitis mephitis, riparian forests, rare

Rabbits and hares

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

Order: Lagomorpha Family: Ochotonidae

• American Pika, Ochotona princeps, alpine tundra, rocky areas, common

Bovids

Yellowstone is home to approximately 5,000 bison.

Order: Artiodactyla Family: Bovidae

• American bison, Bison bison, grasslands, sagebrush, shrubland, abundant
• Bighorn sheep, Ovis canadensis, cliffs, rock outcroppings, alpine tundra, uncommon
• Mountain Goat, Oreamnos americanus, cliffs, rock outcroppings, alpine tundra, uncommon (non-native)

Pronghorn

Pronghorn buck in snow.

Order: Artiodactyla Family: Antilocapridae

• Pronghorn, Antilocapra americana, sagebrush, grassland, common

Elk, moose, and deer

Elk are Yellowstone's most abundant large mammal.

Order: Artiodactyla Family: Cervidae

• White-tailed deer, Odocoileus virginianus, grasslands, forests, uncommon
• Mule deer, Odocoileus hemionus, grasslands, shrubland, forests, common
• Elk, Cervus canadensis, grasslands, shrubland, forest, alpine tundra, abundant
• Moose, Alces alces, grasslands, forests, river, lakes, uncommon

Shrews

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

Order: Rodentia Family: Castoridae

• American beaver, Castor canadensis, riparian areas, fairly common, increasing

Squirrels

A chipmunk

Order: Rodentia Family: Sciuridae

• Least chipmunk, Tamias minimus, meadows, forests, common
• Uinta chipmunk, Neotamias umbrinus, meadows, forests, common
• Yellow-pine chipmunk, Tamias 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, Spermophilus armatus, meadows, sagebrush, common
• Golden-mantled ground squirrel, Spermophilus lateralis, meadows, forests, rocky areas, alpine tundra, common

Voles and Woodrats

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

A deer mouse

Order: Rodentia Family: Cricetidae

• Deer mouse, Peromyscus maniculatus, grasslands, common

Jumping mice

Order: Rodentia Family: Dipodidae

• Western jumping mouse, Zapus princeps, riparian, occasional

Porcupines

A porcupine

Order: Rodentia Family: Erethizontidae

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

Bats

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

See also

• Small mammals of Yellowstone National Park
• Animals of Yellowstone

Further reading

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

References