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)[edit]
Family: Didelphidae (true opossums)
- Virginia opossum, Didelpis virginiana introduced[4]
Lagomorphs (Order: Lagomorpha)[edit]
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)[edit]
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)[edit]
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)[edit]
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)[edit]
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)[edit]
Family: Castoridae (beavers)
- North American beaver, Castor canadensis[7]
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
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
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)
Family: Erethizontidae
- North American porcupine, Erethizon dorsatum[12]
See also[edit]
Further reading[edit]
- 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[edit]
- ^ "Montana Field Guide". Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks. Retrieved 21 November 2010.
- ^ 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.
- ^ Hoffman, R.S.; Pattie, D.L. (1968). A Guide to Montana Mammals. University of Montana Press.
- ^ "Montana Field Guide-Virginia Opossum". Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks. Retrieved 22 November 2010.
- ^ "Two rarely seen woodland caribou spotted in Montana | the Spokesman-Review".
- ^ "Montana Field Guide-Bats". Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks. Retrieved 22 November 2010.
- ^ "Montana Field Guide-Beaver". Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks. Retrieved 22 November 2010.
- ^ "Montana Field Guide-Squirrels". Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Park. Retrieved 22 November 2010.
- ^ "Montana Field Guide". Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks. Retrieved 22 November 2010.
- ^ "Montana Field Guide-Mice". Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks. Retrieved 23 November 2010.
- ^ "Montana Field Guide-Nutria". Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks. Retrieved 22 November 2010.
- ^ "Montana Field Guide-Porcupine". Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks. Retrieved 22 November 2010.
