Mammals

This cow elk was resting along the Colorado River Trail in the Kawuneeche Valley.

Photo by L. Benton

Many species of wildlife inhabit the park, yet visitors are often most attracted to their fellow mammals. Altogether, 67 mammal species are known to be native to the area, but three of these - grizzly bear, gray wolf, bison- have been extirpated (e.g., are locally extinct), and two others - lynx and wolverine - are either extirpated or extremely rare.

Little is known about population trends in the park for most of the mammals, with the exception of elk, mule deer, and bighorn sheep, which have been monitored to some extent by park staff and researchers.

Mammals Reported* within Rocky Mountain National Park

* Information from:
Armstrong, David M. 1987. Rocky Mountain Mammals: A Handbook of Mammals of Rocky Mountain National Park and Vicinity. Revised Edition. Colorado Associated University Press in cooperation with Rocky Mountain Nature Association, 223pp.

Updated 10/28/03

 

Common Name	Scientific Name	Picture
Pronghorn Antelope (accidental)	Antilocapra americana	Courtesy Agricultural Research Service
Bison (extirpated)	Bison bison	Courtesy NPS
Bighorn Sheep	Ovis canadensis	Courtesy NPS
Coyote	Canis latrans	Courtesy NPS
Gray Wolf (extirpated)	Canis lupus	Courtesy FWS
Gray Fox	Urocyon cinereoargentues	Courtesy FWS
Red Fox	Vulpes vulpes	Courtesy NPS
Beaver	Castor canadensis	Courtesy NPS
Moose	Alces alces	Courtesy NPS
Wapiti, or American Elk	Cervus elaphus canadensis	Courtesy NPS
Mule Deer	Odocoileus hemionus	Courtesy NPS
White-tailed Deer	Odocoileus virginianus	Courtesy FWS
Southern Red-backed Vole	Clethrionomys gapperi
Sagebrush Vole	Lagurus curtatus
Long-tailed Vole	Microtus longicaudus
Montane Vole	Microtus montanus
Bushy-tailed Woodrat	Neotoma cinerea	Courtesy USGS
Mexican Woodrat	Neotoma mexicana
Muskrat	Ondatra zibethicus	Courtesy NPS
Rock Mouse	Peromyscus difficilis
Deer Mouse	Peromyscus maniculatus	Courtesy NPS
Heather Vole	Phenacomys intermedius
Porcupine	Erethizon dorsatum	Courtesy NPS
Mountain Lion	Felis concolor	Courtesy FWS
Lynx (extipated)	Felis lynx	Courtesy FWS
Bobcat	Felis rufus	Courtesy NPS
Northern Pocket Gopher	Thomomys talpoides	Courtesy NPS
Snowshoe Hare	Lepus americanus
White-tailed Jackrabbit	Lepus townsendii	Courtesy FWS
Nuttall's Cottontail	Sylvilagus nuttallii	Courtesy NPS
Wolverine	Gulo gulo
River Otter	Lutra canadensis	Courtesy NPS
Marten	Martes americanus
Striped Skunk	Memphitis mephitis
Ermine	Mustela erminea
Long-tailed Weasel	Mustela frenata	Courtesy NPS
Mink	Mustela vison
Western Spotted Skunk	Spilogale gracilis	Courtesy of and copyright by Roger Baldwin
Badger	Taxidea taxus	Courtesy NPS
Pika	Ochotona princeps	Courtesy NPS
Raccoon	Procyon lotor	Courtesy FWS
Yellow-bellied Marmot	Marmota flaviventris	Courtesy NPS
Abert's Squirrel	Sciurus aberti	Courtesy NPS
Wyoming Ground Squirrel	Spermophilus elegans	Courtesy NPS
Golden-mantled Ground Squirrel	Spermophilus lateralis	Courtesy NPS
Rock Squirrel	Spermophilus variegatus
Least Chipmunk	Tamias minimus	Courtesy NPS
Colorado Chipmunk	Tamias quadrivittatus
Uinta Chipmunk	Tamias umbrinus
Chickaree	Tamiasciurus hudsonicus	Courtesy NPS
Masked Shrew	Sorex cinereus
Pygmy Shrew	Sorex hoyi
Merriam's Shrew	Sorex merriami
Montane Shrew	Sorex monticolus
Dwarf Shrew	Sorex nanus
Water Shrew	Sorex palustris
Black Bear	Ursus americanus	Courtesy of and copyright by Roger Baldwin
Grizzly Bear (extirpated)	Ursus arctos	Courtesy FWS
Western Jumping Mouse	Zapus princeps
Big Brown Bat	Eptesicus fuscus
Silver-haired Bat	Lasionycteris noctivagans
Hoary Bat	Lasiurus cinereus
Long-eared Myotis	Myotis evotis
Small-footed Myotis	Myotis leibii
Little Brown Bat	Myotis lucifugus	Courtesy FWS
Long-legged Myotis	Myotis volans
Townsend's Big-eared Bat	Plecotus townsendii