Mammals

A coyote rests in the winter sun.

Dale Dombrowski, NPS

Mammals are some of the most commonly seen wildlife during a visit at El Malpais. The arid scrubland hides a great diversity of rodents, birds, mule deer, elk, and most famously, bats.

The varying habitats offer opportunities to encounter different life as well. Ponderosa pine forests house black bear. Open grasslands are a perfect environment for the Gunnison's prairie dog. Lava tube caves shelter bats. Coyotes roam between them all, adapting as needed.

What mammals do you hope to see at El Malpais?