MAMMALS
during 
Focus On Nature Tours 

in Colorado
 
(and nearby Kansas, Wyoming, 
Nebraska, & Oklahoma) 

1993 thru 2011

(during the months of April & June/July)



A cumulative list of Colorado Mammals compiled by Armas Hill 


UPPER RIGHT PHOTO:  BIGHORN SHEEP, in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado 


Codes:

CO:  in Colorado
KS:  in Kansas
NE:  in Nebraska
OK:  in Oklahoma
WY:  in Wyoming


Links within this List:   Shrews    Rabbits & Allies     Porcupine     Beaver     Squirrels

Gophers, Woodrats, & Mice     Bats     Felines     Canines     Bear     

Raccoon & Ringtail     Mustelids     Pronghorn     Deer     Sheep     Bison


Other Links:

Upcoming North American Tour Itineraries, including those in Colorado & adjacent states  

A List & Photo Gallery of Birds in Colorado & Nearby States, in 2 parts:
Part #1:  Quails to Woodpeckers
Part #2:  Flycatchers to Buntings

Directory of Photos in this Website

Mammals:

1. Virginia Opossum  (ph)  ______  (in far-eastern Colorado)
   Didelphis virginiana 
   
   
   SHREWS
   
   
2. Cinereus Shrew  ______  
   Sorex cinereus
   
   
3. Water Shrew  ______  (in western Colorado)
   Sorex palistris
   
   
4. Dwarf Shrew  ______
   Sorex nanus
   
   
5. Merriam's Shrew  ______
   Sorex meriami
   
   
6. Preble's Shrew  ______
   Sorex preblei
   
   
7. Montane Shrew  ______
   Sorex monticolus
   
   
8. Least Shrew  ______
   Cryptotis parva
   
   
   RABBITS & ALLIES
   
   
9. American Pika  ______ JUN/JUL CO  (also called "Cony")
   Ochotona princeps
   
   
10. Snowshoe Hare ______ APR  CO,WY  (has also been called Varying Hare)
    Lepus americanus
    
    
11. Black-tailed Jackrabbit  (ph)  ______ APR  CO,KS,OK
    Lepus californicus
    
    
    
    
    Black-tailed Jackrabbits 
    
    
12. White-tailed Jackrabbit ______ APR JUN/JUL  CO,WY
    Lepus townsendii
    
    
13. Desert Cottontail  (ph)  ______ APR JUN/JUL  CO
    Sylvilagus auduboni
    
    
    
    
    A Desert Cottontail
    
    
14. Mountain Cottontail ______ APR JUN/JUL  CO,WY  (has also been called Nuttall's Cottontail)
    Sylvilagus nuttallii
    
    
15. Eastern Cottontail ______ APR JUN/JUL  CO,KS,OK
    Sylvilagus floridanus
    
    
    PORCUPINE
    
    
16. North American Porcupine  (ph)  ______ APR  CO
    Erethizon dorsatum  (the single member of its genus)
    
    
    
    
    North American Porcupine
    (photo by Doris Potter)
    
    
    BEAVER & MUSKRAT
    
    
17. American Beaver  (ph)  ______ APR JUN/JUL  CO,WY
    Castor canadensis 
    
    
    
    
    American Beaver
    (photo by Doris Potter)
    
    
18. Muskrat  (ph)  ______ APR JUN/JUL  CO,WY
    Ondatra zibethicus  (the single member of its genus)
    
    
    SQUIRRELS
    
    
19. Yellow-bellied Marmot  (ph)  ______ APR JUN/JUL  CO
    Marmota flaviventris
    
    
    
    
    Yellow-bellied Marmot
    
    
20. Black-tailed Prairie Dog ______ APR JUN/JUL   CO,KS,NE
    Cynomys ludovicianus 
    
    
21. White-tailed Prairie Dog ______ APR JUN/JUL  CO
    Cynomys leucurus
    
    
22. Gunnison's Prairie Dog  (ph)  ______  APR  CO
    Cynomys gunnisoni
    
    
    
    
    Gunnison's Prairie Dog
    (photo by Doris Potter)
    
    
23. Thirteen-lined Ground-Squirrel ______ APR JUN/JUL  CO,WY
    Spermophilus (formerly Ictidomys) tridecemlineatus
    
    
24. Wyoming Ground Squirrel  (was conspecific with Richardson's Ground Squirrel, Spermophilus richardsonii) ______ APR JUN/JUL  CO,WY
    Spermophilus elegans 
    
    
25. Variegated Ground Squirrel  (ph)  ______ APR JUN/JUL  CO  (has also been called Rock Squirrel)
    Spermophilus (formerly Otospermophilus) variegatus
    
    
    
    
    A Rock Squirrel on a rock.
    The species is also called the Variegated Ground Squirrel.
    (photo by Doris Potter)
    
    
26. Golden-mantled Ground Squirrel ______ APR JUN/JUL  CO
    Spermophilus (formerly Callospermophilus) lateralis
    
    
27. American Red Squirrel ______ APR JUN/JUL  CO  (also called Chickaree)
    Tamiasciurus hudsonicus
    
    
28. Least Chipmunk ______ APR JUN/JUL  CO
    Tamias (formerly Neotamias) minimus
    
    
29. Colorado Chipmunk ______ APR JUN/JUL  CO
    Tamias (formerly Neotamias) quadrivittatus
    
    
30. Unita Chipmunk  ______  
    Tamias umbrinus
    
    
31. Hopi Chipmunk  (ph)  ______
    Tamias rufus
    
    
    
    
    Hopi Chipmunk
    (photo by Doris Potter)
    
    
32. Abert's Squirrel (both black and gray morphs) ______ JUN/JUL  CO  (has also been called Tassel-eared Squirrel)
    Sciurus (formerly Otosciurus) aberti
    
    
33. Eastern Fox Squirrel (northern form) (ph)  ______ APR JUN/JUL  CO,NE
    Sciurus niger
    
    
    GOPHERS, WOODRATS, & MICE
    
    
34. Northern Pocket Gopher  ______
    Thomomys talpoides
    
    
35. Botta's Pocket Gopher  ______  (in far-southern Colorado)
    Thomomys bottae
    
    
36. Yellow-faced Pocket Gopher  ______  (in southeastern Colorado)
    Cratogeomys castanops
    
    
37. Plains Pocket Gopher  ______  (in eastern Colorado)
    Geomys bursarius
    
    
38. Olive-backed Pocket Mouse ______ APR  CO
    Perognathus fasciatus
    
    
39. Plains Pocket Mouse ______ APR  KS
    Perognathus flavescens
    
    
40. Silky Pocket Mouse  ______
    Perognathus flavus
    
    
41. Great Basin Pocket Mouse  ______  (in far-southwestern Colorado)
    Perognathus parvus
    
    
42. Hispid Pocket Mouse  ______
    Chaetodipus hispidus
    
    
43. Ord's Kangaroo Rat  ______
    Dipodomys ordii
    
    
44. Meadow Jumping Mouse  ______  (in northern Colorado in mountains)
    Zapus hudsonius
    
    
45. Western Jumping Mouse  ______
    Zapus princeps
    
    
46. Eastern Woodrat  ______  (in eastern Colorado)
    Neotoma floridana
    
    
47. Mexican Woodrat  ______
    Neotoma mexicana
    
    
48. Southern Plains Woodrat  ______  (in southeastern Colorado)
    Neotoma micropus
    
    
49. White-throated Woodrat  ______
    Neotoma albigula
    
    
50. Bushy-tailed Woodrat  ______
    Neotoma cinerea
    
    
51. Desert Woodrat  ______  (locally in far-western Colorado)
    Neotoma lepida
    
    
52. Brown Rat  (i)  ______
    Rattus norvegicus
    
    
53. Northern Grasshopper Mouse  ______
    Onychomys leucogaster
    
    
54. Southern Grasshopper Mouse  ______
    Onychomys torridus   
    
    
55. Plains Harvest Mouse ______ APR  CO
    Reithrodontomys montanus
    
    
56. Western Harvest Mouse  ______
    Reithrodontomys megalotis
    
    
57. White-fronted Deermouse  ______
    Peromyscus leucopus
    
    
58. North American Deermouse  ______
    Peromyscus maniculatus
    
    |
59. Canyon Deermouse  ______  (locally in far-western Colorado)
    Peromyscus crinitus
    
    
60. Pinon Deermouse  ______  
    Peromyscus truei
    
    
61. Northern Rock Deermouse  ______
    Peromyscus nasutus
    
    
62. Brush Deermouse  ______
    Peromyscus boylii
    
    
63. Southern Red-backed Vole  ______
    Clethrionomys gapperi
    
    
64. Montane Vole  ______
    Microtus montanus
    
    
65. Long-tailed Vole  ______
    Microtus longicaudus
    
    
66. Sagebrush Vole  ______  (in northwestern Colorado)
    Lemmiscus curtatus
    
    
67. Western Heather Vole  ______  (in far-western Colorado)
    Phenacomys intermedius
    
    
68. Prairie Vole  ______  (in eastern Colorado)
    Microtus ochrogaster
    
    
69. Meadow Vole  (ph)  ______
    Microtus pennsylvanicus
    
    
    
    
    Meadow Vole
    (photo by Doris Potter)
    
    
    BATS
    
    
70. Mexican Free-tailed Bat  (ph)  ______
    Tadarida brasiliensis
    
    
71. Eastern Red Bat  (ph)  ______  (in eastern Colorado)  
    Lasiurus borealis
    
    
    
    
    Eastern Red Bat
    (photo by Alan Brady)
    
    
72. Hoary Bat  ______
    Lasiurus cinereus
    
    
73. Silver-haired Bat  (ph)  ______
    Lasionycteris noctivagans
    
    
74. Spotted Bat  ______  (in western Colorado)
    Euderma maculatum
    
    
75. Townsend's Big-eared Bat  ______
    Corynorhinus townsendii
    
    
76. Pallid Bat  ______
    Antrozous pallidus
    
    
77. Fringed Myotis  ______
    Myotis thysanodes
    
    
78. Long-eared Myotis  ______
    Myotis evotis
    
    
79. California Myotis  ______  (in far-western Colorado)
    Myotis californicus
    
    
80. Western Small-footed Myotis  ______
    Myotis ciliolabrum
    
    
81. Long-legged Myotis  ______
    Myotis volans   
    
    
82. Brown Myotis ______ JUN/JUL  CO  (has also been called Little Brown Bat)
    Myotis lucifugus
    
    
83. Yuma Myotis  ______  (in far-southern Colorado)
    Myotis yumanensis
    
    
84. Western Pipistrelle  ______
    Pipistrellus hesperus
    
    
85. Big Brown Bat  ______
    Eptesicus fuscus
    
    
    FELINES
    
    
86. Bobcat  (ph)  ______
    Felis (formerly Lynx) rufus
    
    
87. Canadian Lynx  ______  (in far-western Colorado)
    Felis (formerly Lynx) canadensis
    
    
88. Puma  (ph)  ______
    Felis (formerly Puma) concolor
    
    
    CANINES
    
    
89. Red Fox  (ph)  ______ APR  CO
    Vulpes fulva  (the North American animal is considered by some as conspecific with the Old World Red Fox, Vulpes vulpes) 
    
    
     
    
    Red Fox
    (photo by Howard Eskin)
    
    
90. Swift Fox ______ APR JUN/JUL  CO
    Vulpes velox
    
    
91. Kit Fox  ______  (in western Colorado)
    Vulpes macrotis
    
    
92. Gray Fox ______ APR  CO
    Urocyon cinereoargenteus
    
    
93. Coyote  (ph)  ______ APR JUN/JUL  CO,KS
    Canis latrans
    
    
    
    
    A Coyote photographed during a FONT tour
    
    
    BEARS
    
    
94. Black Bear  ______
    Ursus americanus
    
    
    RACCOON & RINGTAIL
    
    
95. Northern Raccoon ______ APR  CO
    Procyon lotor
    
    
96. Ringtail  ______
    Bassariscus astutus 
    
    
    MUSTELIDS
    
    
97. American Mink  (ph)  ______
    Mustela vison
    
    
98. American Marten  ______
    Martes americana
    
    
99. Wolverine  ______
    Gula gula
    
    A lone Wolverine that arrived in Colorado in early June 2011 was the first confirmed Wolverine in Colorado since 1919.
    
    Late the previous year, in December of 2010, and further north, biologists outfitted with a tracking collar a young Wolverine, as part of a reintroduction program. 
    That animal made a 500-mile journey from where it had been caught in the Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming. It was tracked as it crossed rugged terrain and some busy highways in Wyoming, from the Togwotee Pass to the Wind River Range and across sagebrush areas. The lone animal traveled until it crossed into Colorado on June 1. 
    
    The Wolverine reintroduction program, referred to here, began in 2001.   
    
    Most Wolverines live in Alaska and Canada. But formerly the animal did range in Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Utah, Colorado, California, and Washington State.
    
    The Wolverine is one of the most elusive of mammals, a mysterious creature. It is known as being fearless and aggressive. It is strong, tenacious, sharp-toothed, and cunning. 
    Although adult Wolverines typically weigh about 30 pounds, they are stocky and "bear-like", and they prey on animals larger than they are. Even though the Wolverine is not a big animal, it is the largest land-dwelling member of the weasel family.
    
    Wolverines have evolved to require huge territories for roaming. A male's territory might be as much as 500 square miles, and he might share that landscape with 2 or 3 females that breed every other year, and usually produce a litter of two. Thus the species has a slow reproduction rate.
    
    Although a good survivor in nature, the Wolverine could not survive the trappers who prized its almost waterproof fur, and the ranchers who killed it with poison bait. So the animal pretty much vanished from the lower 48 states about a century ago. 
    The Wolverine in Colorado in 2011 was the first known to be in the state in 90 years. And, thus far, the only one.
    
    
100. American Badger ______ APR  CO
     Taxidea taxus  (the single member of its genus)
     
     
     
     
     An American Badger photographed during a FONT April tour in Colorado
     
     
101. Ermine  ______
     Mustela erminea
     
     
102. Long-tailed Weasel  ______
     Mustela frenata
     
     
103. Black-footed Ferret  ______
     Mustela nigripes
     
     
104. Western Spotted Skunk ______ JUN/JUL  CO
     Spilogale gracilis  (was conspecific with what's now the Eastern Spotted Skunk, Spilogale putorius)
     
     
105. Eastern Spotted Skunk  ______  (in far-eastern Colorado)
     Spilogale putorius
     
     
106. Western Hog-nosed Skunk  ______
     Conepatus mesoleucus 
     
     
107. Striped Skunk  (ph)  ______
     Mephitis mephitis
     
     
     PRONGHORN 
     
     
108. Pronghorn ______ APR JUN/JUL  CO,KS,OK,WY
     Antilocapra americana  (the single member of its genus & family)
     
     
     
     
     Pronghorn, the only antelope in the Americas
     
     
     DEER
     
     
109. Elk (or Wapiti) ______ APR JUN/JUL  CO,WY
     Cervus elaphus canadensis  (another, slightly smaller, subspecies in Europe is called there the Red Deer) 
     
     
     
     
     Two photos of Elks.  ABOVE: a male, BELOW: a herd of females 
     (photos by Doris Potter)
     
     
     
     
110. Moose ______ APR JUN/JUL  CO  (in Europe called the Elk)
     Alces alces  (the single member of its genus)
     
     
     
     
     Moose
     (photo by James Scheib)
     
     
111. Mule Deer ______ APR JUN/JUL  CO,KS,OK,WY
     Odocoileus hemionus
     
     
112. White-tailed Deer ______ APR JUN/JUL  CO,KS
     Odocoileus virginianus
     
     
     
     
     White-tailed Deer
     (photo by James Scheib)
     
     
     SHEEP
     
     
113. Bighorn Sheep ______ APR JUN/JUL  CO
     Ovis c. canadensis  (the subspecies of the central and northern Rockies)
     
     
     
     
     Bighorn Sheep photographed during a FONT tour in Colorado. 
     Notice the Black-billed Magpie on the back of one of the animals.
     Another Bighorn Sheep photograph is at the top of this list. 
     
     
     BISON
     
     
114. "Plains" Bison (or Buffalo) ______ APR JUN/JUL  CO  (today domesticated, the last wild Bison in Colorado was killed in 1889, in eastern CO)
     Bison b. bison
     

Some Notes:

Coyotes have expanded east across North America in the mid-1900's of wolves. Generally those in eastern North America tend to be larger than those in the American West. Those in the northern part of their range have longer and coarser fur. Coyotes travel in packs.   

The Bison (or Buffalo) is North America's largest present-day land mammal. It was, with the European settlement of America, nearly hunted to extinction. There were probably fewer than 1,000 animals remaining at the end of the 19th Century. The species "recovered" to about 150,000 animals by 1995, with 90% privately owned. They typically graze now in herds of 4 to 20.  

Reference for this mammal list is the new book: "Mammals of North America" by Roland W. Kays & Don E. Wilson, published by Princeton Univ Press, 2002.