Annotated List of Mammals

Introduction
Mammals that occur, potentially occur, and have been reported in the southern Snake Range and adjacent portions of Snake and Spring Valleys are listed below. The first list includes 61 mammalian species that have been positively identified within the area. The second list includes species that possibly occur here, based on their distribution in similar habitats in the region, but which have not been documented in the area. The third list includes species that have been reported in the area in recent times, but for which there is no strong evidence of occurence and which probably do not occur here. The lists are arranged in taxonomic order. Most subspecies determinations are by Hall (1946) and Hall and Kelson (1959).

Mammalian Species that occur in or near the South Snake Range

Class Insectivora, Family Soricidae

Pallid Bat
Antrozous pallidus pallidus
Uncommon. Roosts in small groups in crevices, rockshelters, and buildings. Forages on the ground.

Long-eared Myotis
Myotis evotis evotis
Roosts in caves, mines, buildings, and trees. NPS Sensitive species.

Long-legged Myotis (Hairy-winged Myotis)
Myotis volans interior
Common. Roosts in caves, mines, buildings, and trees. NPS Sensitive species.

Western Small-footed Myotis
Myotis ciliolabrum
Common. Roosts in caves, mines, buildings, and trees.

California Myotis
Myotis californicus
Typically roosts singly or in small groups and forages at lower elevations.

Western Pipistrelle
Pipistrellus hesperus
Typically roosts singly or in small groups and forages at lower elevations.

Silver-naired Bat
Lasionycteris noctivagans
Typically roosts singly in trees.

Hoary Bat
Lasiurus cinereus
Typically roosts in trees, singly and in small groups.

Big Brown Bat
Eptesicus fuscus
Colonial and solitary. Roosts most often in caves and mines.

Western (Townsend's) Big-eared Bat
Plecotus townsendii pallescens
Most local specimens have not been identified to subspecies. P. t. townsendii, which is more common in northern and western Nevada, might also occur here. Both are NPS Sensitive taxa. Some mammalogists place North American species in the genus Corynorhinus, separate from Eurasian Plecotus.

Class Chiroptera, Family Mollisidae

Mexican (Brazillian) Free-tailed Bat
Tadarida brasiliensis mexicana
A large colony roosts in Rose Guano Cave on the west side of the Snake Range.

Class Carnivora, Family Mustelidae

Long-tailed Weasel
Mustela frenata nevadensis
Typically occurs in montane and woodland habitats, also in irrigated fields.

Short-tailed Weasel (Ermine)
Mustela erminea muricus
Typically occurs in montane and woodland habitats. Some mammalogists place the North American ermine in M. cicognanii, separate from Eurasian M. erminea.

Spotted Skunk
Spilogale putorius
Widespread in montane and woodland habitats.

Striped Skunk
Mephitis mephitis
Widespread in montane and woodland habitats, also in basins in irrigated fields and riparian habitats.

Badger
Taxidea taxus taxus
Typically found in basin and bajada shrub habitats favored by ground squirrels.

Class Carnivora, Family Bassariscidae

Ringtail Cat
Bassariscus astutus
Seldom seen. Most often observed in woodland habitats.

Class Carnivora, Family Canidae

Gray Fox
Urocyon cinereoargenteus scottii
Common in woodland and montane habitats.

Kit Fox
Vulpes macrotis nevadensis
Occurs in basin and bajada shrub habitats. Considered by some mammalogists to be a subspecies of swift fox (Vulpes velox).

Coyote
Canis latrans lestes
Common in woodland, bajada, and basin habitats; less frequent in montane habitats.

Class Carnivora, Family Felidae

Mountain Lion
Felis concolor kaibabensis
Common in montane and woodland habitats; less frequent at lower elevations.

Bobcat
Felis (= Lynx) rufus pallescens
Common but seldom seen. Occurs throughout.

Class Lagomorpha, Family Leporidae

Black-tailed Jack Rabbit
Lepus californicus deserticola
Abundant in woodland, bajada, and basin habitats. Also found at higher elevations.

Desert Cottontail (Audobon Cottontail)
Sylvilagus audobonii arizonae
Occurs in basin and bajada shrub habitat. Reaches the northern limit of its range locally.

Nutall Cottontail
Sylvilagus nuttalli grangeri
Common to abundant in montane and woodland habitats with suitable cover.

Pygmy Cottontail
Brachylagus (= Sylvilagus) idahoensis
Uncommon to rare. Typically limited to big sagebrush habitat. Mandible and innominate from (Recent?) Lehman Caves Entrance fauna attributed to this species. NPS Sensitive taxon.

Class Rodentia, Family Sciuridae

Yellow-bellied Marmot (Rock Chuck)
Marmota flaviventris avara
Common near Baker Creek Trailhead and several other locations in the park, in rocky habitats near grass meadows. Bones of this species common in Lehman Caves Entrance fauna. Estivates/hibernates late summer to late winter.

White-tailed Antelope Ground Squirrel
Ammospermophilus (= Citellus) leucurus leucurus
Common in basin and bajada shrub habitats. Occurs in the park at the lowest elevations. Active all year.

Townsend's Ground Squirrel
Spermophilus (= Citellus) townsendii mollis
Common in basin and bajada shrub habitats. Estivates/hibernates mid-summer to mid-winter.

Rock Squirrel
Spermophilus (= Citellus) variegatus robustus
Common during spring and summer in pinyon-juniper habitats. Climbs trees readily.

Golden-manteled Ground Squirrel
Spermophilus (= Citellus) lateralis trepidus
Common in montane conifer forests.

Cliff Chipmunk
Eutamias dorsalis
Abundant in pinyon-juniper woodland. Eastern Nevada populations appear to be intermediate between E. d. utahensis and E. d. grinnelli.

Uinta Chipmunk (Say Chipmunk)
Eutamias umbrinus inyoensis
Abundant in montane forest habitats. Considered by some to be a subspecies of the Colorado chipmunk (E. quadrivittatus) based on external similarities; but the baculum is distinctive (Hall & Kelson 1959).

Least Chipmunk
Eutamias minimus scrutator
Common in sagebrush habitats, from montane to basin.

Class Rodentia, Family Castoridae

Beaver
Castor canadensis
Old beaver dams are located on Strawberry Creek. Beaver are only very occassionally seen in the park

. Class Rodentia, Family Geomyidae

Southern (Botta) Pocket Gopher
Thomomys umbrinus centrali
Common in suitable soils at all elevations. Some mammalogists divide the subspecies groups of T. umbrinus into several species, placing local specimens in T. bottae.

Class Rodentia, Family Heteromyidae

Little Pocket Mouse
Perognathus longimembris gulosus
Found in basin and bajada shrub habitats, typically on coarse gravel sites.

Great Basin Pocket Mouse
Perognathus parvus olivaceous
Widespread but most common in mixed woodland-sagebrush and bajada shrub habitats.

Long-tailed Pocket Mouse
Perognathus formosus incolatus
Mixed woodland-sagebrush and bajada shrub habitats on stoney sites.

Dark Kangaroo Mouse
Microdipodops megacephalus
Found in basin shrub habitats on fine sandy soil. M. m. megacephalus occurs in Spring Valley and farther west; M. m. palulus occurs in Snake Valley and farther east.

Ord Kangaroo Rat
Dipodomys ordii
Basin and bajada shrub habitat, most often on sandy soil. D. o. columbianus occurs in Spring Valley and farther west; D. o. celeripes occurs in Snake Valley and farther east.

Great Basin Kangaroo Rat
Dipodomys microps
Basin and bajada shrub habitat on sandy or gravelly soil. D. m. centralis occurs in Spring Valley and farther west; D. m. bonnevillei occurs in Snake Valley and farther east.

Class Rodentia, Family Cricitidae

Western Harvest Mouse
Reithrodontomys megalotis megalotis Bajada and basin shrub habitats, typically in grassy areas near water.

Bushy-tailed Woodrat (Packrat)
Neotoma cinerea acraia
Common in woodland and montane forest habitats in rocky terrain.

Desert Woodrat (Packrat)
Neotoma lepida lepida
Common in basin and bajada shrub, and drier woodland habitats.

Deer Mouse
Peromyscus maniculatus sonoriensis
The most abundant small mammal in most habitat types.

Canyon Mouse
Peromyscus crinitus pergracilis
Typically occurs in woodland and big sagebrush habitats, in rocky areas.

Pinyon Mouse
Peromyscus truei nevadensis
Typically restricted to rocky areas in pinyon-juniper woodland.

Northern Grasshopper Mouse
Onychomys leucogaster brevicaudus
Widespread in basin and bajada shrub habitats.

Class Rodentia, Family Arvicolidae

Muskrat
Ondatra zibethica
Restricted to riparian habitats.
Found along Lake Creek (Big Spring Creek) in Snake Valley.

Sagebrush Vole
Lagurus curtatus intermedius
Typically occurs in big sagebrush habitat.

Montane Vole
Microtus montanus micropus
Typically occurs in grassy meadows and similar habitats, including irrigated pastures and fields.

Long-tailed Vole
Microtus longicaudus latus
Occurs in most montane habitats.

Class Rodentia, Family Erethizontidae

Porcupine
Erethizon dorsatum epixanthum
Most often occurs in woodland and montane shrub and forest habitats.

Class Rodentia, Family Muridae

House Mouse
Mus musculus
Collected near Baker. Typically restricted to areas of human habitation. Native of Eurasia.

Class Artiodactyla, Family Antilocapridae

Pronghorn Antelope
Antilocapra americana americana
Common in basin and bajada shrub habitats; ocassional in lower margin of woodland.

Class Artiodactyla, Family Cervidae

Mule Deer
Odocoileus hemionus hemionus
Abundant in mountains and foothills, also in agricultural areas. Possibly more abundant due to ecosystem changes related to grazing and fire suppression.

Elk (Wapiti)
Cervus elaphus
Native to Snake and Schell Creek ranges but extirpated. Re-introduced (from Yellowstone NP) in the Schell Creek Range in the 1930's, and now abundant there. Small groups occasionally reported in the Snake Range, in Board, Shingle, and Strawberry creeks. Some mammalogists place North American elk in C. canadensis, separate from Eurasian C. elaphus.

Class Artiodactyla, Family Bovidae

Bighorn Sheep
Ovis canadensis
Observed in Snake Range by Simpson in 1859. Probably extirpated early in 20th century. Re-introduced in northern and southern Snake Range in 1979-1980 (from central Colorado). Currently rare in southern Snake Range. Uncertain whether original Snake Range population was more like desert (O. c. nelsoni) or Rocky Mountain (O. c. canadensis) subspecies.

Mammalian species that potentially occur in or near the South Snake Range

Merriam's Shrew
Sorex merriamii
An uncommon but widely distributed shrew of the intermountain region, typically found in sagebrush, pinyon-juniper, and similar habitats. No reports nor collections locally.

Little Brown Myotis
Myotis lucifugus
Common across much of North America, including the Great Basin; but has not been reported nor collected locally.

Yuma Myotis
Myotis yumanensis
A common species in western North America, but not reported nor collected locally.

Fringed Myotis
Myotis thysanodes thysanodes
Distributed across the West and Southwest but not positively identified locally. Tentatively identified during a recent bat survey (Bradley 1991) but later re-considered (Bradley, pers. comm. 1995).

Red Bat
Lasiurus borealis
Widely distributed in a variety of habitat types, including forests in the Sierra Nevada and the Wasatch Range, and desert shrublands near Las Vegas and Fallon, but not collected or reported locally. Roosts singly in trees and shrubs, often near ground.

Spotted Bat
Euderma maculatum
Tueller and others (1967) noted one hearsay report of a sighting of this distinctive rare bat in Model Cave. No other local reports are known. Widely distributed across the intermountain region and Southwest. NPS Sensitive taxon.

Big Free-tailed Bat
Tadarida molossa
Specimens have been collected at the Desert Range Experimental Station, 25 miles southeast of the Snake Range. Widely distributed in the Southwest and Mexico.

White-tailed jack Rabbit
Lepus townsendii
Occurs in Ruby Valley and the White Pine Range, but has not been collected nor reported locally (Hall & Kelson 1959). Lepus specimens from Owl Cave 2 (Turnmire 1987) and Snake Creek Burial Cave (Heaton 1987) have been attributed to L. townsendii, on the basis of size. However, Hall & Kelson (1959) noted that there are no reliable distinguishing cranial features separating recent L. townsendii and L. californicus populations in the Great Basin, including size.

Northern Pocket Gopher
Thomomys talpoides
Found in Cleve Creek Canyon (Schell Creek Range) and the White Pine Range (Hall 1946), and reportedly common in ranges west and north of the park (Hall & Kelson 1959). Ziegler (1964) attributed a cranium and inominate bones from the (Recent?) Lehman Caves Entrance site to this species. Specimens also identified in the Late Pleistocene Owl Cave 2 fauna (Turnmire 1987). Diagnosis between T. talpoides and T. umbrinus depends on dental and cranial features (Hall & Kelson 1959; Russell 1968).

Western Jumping Mouse
Zapus princeps
Occurs in Ruby Mountains and Toiyabe Range, and in northern- and western-most Nevada, in montane habitats similar to those found in the Snake Range. But there are no specimens or records from this area (Hall & Kelson 1959).

Mammalian species that have been reported but probably do not occur locally

Wolverine
Gulo luscus (= G. gulo)
In 1878, John Muir reported wolverine tracks in the snow near Wheeler Peak (Unrau 1990), but no animals have been sighted in the central Great Basin (Hall 1946). A wolverine cranium was collected in Snake Creek Burial Cave (Barker & Best 1976), prompting Hall (1981) to extend its recent geographic range to this area. However, the skull was associated with extinct Late Pleistocene species and has not been dated (Mead & Mead 1989).

Marten
Martes americana
Ziegler (1964) attributed a humerus, ulna, and femur from the (Recent?) Lehman Caves Entrance site to this species. The material might belong to the extinct species M. nobilis, which survived in the Great Basin until at least 3,000 years ago (Grayson 1993); but positive identification depends on cranial and dental features (Anderson 1970). The recent geographic range of M. americana extends only to the edge of the Great Basin in boreal habitats of the Sierra Nevada and the Wasatch Range (Hall & Kelson 1959). Specimen: WACC.

Red Fox
Vulpes vulpes (= V. fulva)
A U.S. Biological Survey hunter claimed to have poisoned a red fox in the Schell Creek Range in 1930, but did not keep the specimen (Hall 1946). Ziegler (1964) attributed a skull (and several long bones from the (Recent?) Lehman Caves Entrance archeological site to this species. No other positive reports of the species locally. The Sierra red fox (V. v. necator) is an NPS Sensitive subspecies found in western Nevada. Specimen: WACC (cat. no. GRBA 1189).

Pika
Ochotona princeps
Specimens from cave deposits in the Snake Range and Snake Valley indicate that the species occurred locally, well into the Holocene (Mead 1987). Its current distribution includes the Sierra Nevada, the Wasatch Range, and several high ranges in central Nevada, but it no longer occurs in the Snake Range (Hall & Kelson 1959).

Horse
Equus caballus
A large herd of feral horses lives in the Mountain Home Range, south of the park. Another herd occurs in the Conger Range, east of Eskdale, UT. A park employee (S. Barnes) reported a feral horse in Decathon Canyon in 1990. Another park employee (K. Pfaff) found the recent remains of a horse there in 1995; but these could be from a sheepherder's horse, rather than a feral animal.