Prior to the arrival of the Spanish in the late eighteenth century, the San Francisco peninsula was home to a wide variety of mammalian species, including grizzly bears and tule elk.  Since then, physical changes to the environment--along with hunting and urbanization--led to the decline of the larger mammals. Today, the mammalian fauna of the Presidio is primarily composed of typical urban dwellers including squirrels, skunks and raccoons. A recent addition to the Presidio's wildlife is the coyote, several of which have been seen in the area recently. The mammals listed below are the most commonly sighted.

Common Name	Scientific Name	Group
Virginia Opossum	Didelphis virginiana	Marsupial
Gray Fox	Urocyon cinereoagentus	Canine
Red Fox	Vulpes vulpes	Canine
Coyote	Canis latrans	Canine
Striped Skunk	Mephitis mephitis	Weasel
Raccoon	Procylon lotor	Raccoon
House Mouse	Mus musculus	Rodent
Western Harvest Mouse	Reithrodontomys megalotis	Rodent
Roof Rat	Rattus rattus	Rodent
Valley Pocket Gopher	Thomomys bottae	Rodent
California Vole	Microtus californicus	Rodent
Fox Squirrel	Sciurus niger	Rodent
Vagrant Shrew	Sorex vagrans vagrans	Insectivore
Broad-Footed Mole	Scapanus latimanus	Insectivore
Hoary Bat	Lasiurus cinereus	Bat
Townsends Big-eared Bat	Plecotus townsendii townsendii	Bat

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