Mammals at Big Hole

Chipmunks can be found jumping among tree branches and making noise in the forested areas of the park.

NPS photo

Bear Paw and Big Hole National Battlefield, both Montana park sites within Nez Perce National Historical Park, were once the home of large herds of bison (Bos bison), which the Nez Perce traveled to hunt. In fact, one Nez Perce name for the Big Hole valley were “place of the buffalo calf.” Pronghorn antelope (Antilocapra americana) are now the most common large mammal, but mule and whitetail deer (Odocoileus hemionus; Odocoileus virginianus) may be found along stream channels where brush cover is available. Whitetail jackrabbits (Lepus townsendii), desert cottontail (Sylvilagus audubonii), ground squirrels (Spermophilus lateralis), coyotes (Canis latrans), and badgers (Taxidea taxus) are common.

The other name for the Big Hole valley was “place of the ground squirrels.” Even today if you take a short walk down the park trail to the Nez Perce encampment area, you will see numerous ground squirrel holes and piles of discarded burrow soil.

Other mammals found in this conifer/alpine meadow ecoregion are gray wolf (Canis lupus), elk (Cervus elaphus), moose (Alces alces), black bear (Ursus americanus), mountain lion (Puma concolor), beaver (Castor canadensis), and porcupine (Erethizon dorsatum). Additional small mammals include flying squirrel (Flaucomys sabrinus), marten (Martes Americana), and woodrats (Neotoma cinerea).

 

Moose can frequently be seen in wetland areas of the park.

NPS photo

Mammals
English Name	Nez Perce Name
wolf	himeen
bison	qoqa’lx
pronghorn antelope	coqala’ynin
mule deer	te’wisin
whitetail deer	i’mes
rabbit	wila’lix
cottontail bunny	he’yuxc
ground squirrel	ta’tlo
coyote	iceye’ye
badger	si’ki
elk	wise’w
black bear	ya’ka
mountain lion	koyama’
beaver	ta’xcpol
porcupine	sa’cas
flying squirrel	ci’q
marten	ilu’t