Photo by Marge Post/NPS

This cottontail rabbit found a shady spot inside a hollowed petrified wood piece.

Mammals are a diverse group of animals, ranging from the delicate white-footed mouse to the elegant mule deer. Mammals have fur or hair, produce milk for their offspring, and are warm-blooded.

In the often extreme climate of the plateau country, animals use such survival strategies as hiding in their burrows or migration as well as physiological adaptations like hollow hairs for insulation. Many animals in arid regions are nocturnal, using the cooler night to survive the heat of summer or the darkness of the late hours to escape notice of predators.

Photo by Marge Post/NPS

Pronghorn herds are often seen at the park.

Early morning is the best time to view mammals while in the park. Do not approach, feed, or harass any wildlife in Petrified Forest or any other national park area. 

The list below features only a few of the many species of mammals in the park.

Coyote, Canis latrans
Gray fox, Urocyon cinereoargenteus
Swift fox, Vulpes velox
Bobcat, Lynx rufus (Felis rufus)
Mule deer, Odocoileus hemionus
Pronghorn, Antilocapra americana
Ringtail, Bassariscus astutus
Raccoon, Procyon lotor
Badger, Taxidea taxus
Striped skunk, Mephitis mephitis
Western spotted skunk, Spilogale gracilis
Black-tailed jackrabbit, Lepus californicus
Desert cottontail, Sylvilagus audubonii
Desert shrew, Notiosorex crawfordi
Pallid bat, Antrozous pallidus
Townsend's big-eared bat, Corynorhinus townsendii (Plecotus townsendii)
California myotis, Myotis californicus
Fringed myotis, Myotis thysanodes
Yuma myotis, Myotis yumanensis
Western pipistrelle, Pipistrellus hesperus
Porcupine, Erethizon dorsatum
Gunnison's prairie dog, Cynomys gunnisoni
White-tailed antelope squirrel, Ammospermophilus leucurus
Spotted ground squirrel, Spermophilus spilosoma
Rock squirrel, Spermophilus variegatus
Botta's pocket gopher, Thomomys bottae
White-throated woodrat, Neotoma albigula
Bushy-tailed woodrat, Neotoma cinerea
Mexican woodrat, Neotoma mexicana
Stephens' woodrat, Neotoma stephensi
Ord’s kangaroo rat, Dipodomys ordii
Silky pocket mouse, Perognathus flavus
Northern grasshopper mouse, Onychomys leucogaster
Brush mouse, Peromyscus boylii
Canyon mouse, Peromyscus crinitis
White-footed mouse, Peromyscus leucopus
Deer mouse, Peromyscus maniculatus
Pinon mouse, Peromyscus truei
Western harvest mouse, Reithrodontomys megalotis
House mouse, Mus musculus