NPS Photo About 50 species of mammals are known to live in Montezuma Castle National Monument. Some animals, like desert cottontails, rock squirrels, and white-tailed deer are common and may be seen by a majority of visitors. However, many desert animals are inactive during the day, so sightings can be truly special events. Tracks and scat are the most common signs of an animal's presence. Montezuma Castle's hot climate and lack of water seem to favor small mammals. Because of their small size, these animals are less able to migrate, but have an easier time finding shelter and require less food and water to live. Rodents are numerous: there are ten species of mice and rats alone. Beavers, the largest North American rodent, are occasionally seen along Beaver Creek. Larger mammals, like elk, deer, and mountain lions, must cover more territory in order to find food and water, and sometime migrate to nearby mountains during the summer. In Arizona, around 80% of a mountain lion's diet consists of deer, so these animals are never far apart. However, unlike deer and elk, mountain lion sightings are very rare. |
Photo by Toffel via CC0 Rock Squirrel (Otospermophilus variegatus)One of the most common animals seen at Montezuma Castle is the rock squirrel. They are often seen scampering along cliff faces and in and out of nooks and crannies in the rocks. They are large squirrels that are mostly gray and brown with a grizzled stripe pattern along their bodies. They dig burrows and live in social groups and primarily feed on leaves, berries, seeds, and occasionally insects. To communicate, they can make a chirping call that sometimes sounds like an eagle. During the hottest times of the year, these squirrels may undergo estivation, a process similar to hibernation where an animal is inactive during hot, dry periods. 
NPS Photo Pocket Gopher (Megascapheus spp.)If you hear a rustle in the leaves at Montezuma Castle in the winter, it's most likely a pocket gopher. These potato-shaped rodents are about the size of a small guinea pig and similar in appearance but have much smaller eyes and ears. They are active both day and night and spend most of their time underground. Small piles of dirt are a sign that they are in the area. If you watch closely, you may even see grass and other plants disappear into the ground as they pull them into the safety of their burrows to eat. They are preyed on by badgers, coyotes, snakes, and birds of prey. 
NPS Photo Collared Peccary (Tayassu tajacu)Not to be confused with feral hogs, peccaries or javelinas (HAV-a-LEAN-a's) are a familiar sight in many parts of central and southern Arizona. Though they are somewhat related to pigs, they are not true pigs. Instead of having curved tusks like a pig, a javelina's canines point straight up and down and they cannot move their jaws from side to side. They are also called skunk pigs because of the strong odor they emit from scent glands on their backs and under their eyes. Adults can weigh up to 60 pounds. Javelinas mostly feed on plants like agave, cacti, roots, seeds, and berries, but will also eat small animals. 
NPS Photo Mountain Lion (Puma concolor)Known by many names across its range from Canada down to southern Argentina, the mountain lion, puma, or cougar was once found across the entire continental US. These cats are shy and avoid humans whenever possible. A healthy population exists in the Verde Valley and they appear regularly on trail cameras in the parks. Visitor sightings are very rare, but tracks or scat are sometimes seen at Montezuma Well and along the Tavasci Marsh Trail at Tuzigoot National Monument. If you encounter a mountain lion, make yourself look as big as possible and do not bend over to pick up anything from the ground. 
NPS Photo Bobcat (Lynx rufus)Bobcats are the smaller of the two species of cats found in the Verde Valley. They are bigger than most house cats and have tufts on the tips of their ears as well as short, black-tipped tails. Bobcats can vary in appearance, but are typically brown or tan and adults usually have some spotting on their bodies. While bobcats and lynx do overlap in some parts of their range, lynx are not found in Arizona. Bobcats are most active in the early morning and late evening, but are very shy and avoid humans whenever possible. They are opportunistic hunters and mostly prey on birds and rabbits, but may also hunt skunks, raccoons, and foxes. 
NPS Photo / Jordan Land Coues White-tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus couesi)The white-tailed deer is one of three species of deer found in the Verde Valley. Mule deer are also found in the area but are slightly bigger and have larger ears. White-tailed deer can be identified by their long, fluffy tails which they raise in alarm if threatened. Although there are currently 38 subspecies of white-tailed deer recognized, recent studies suggest there are proably fewer than that. Bucks shed and regrow their antlers each year. 
NPS Photo / Lee McDowell Mule Deer (Odocoileus hemionus)Mule deer are also found in the Verde Valley. They are slightly larger than white-tailed deer and have shorter tails with a black tip. Bucks have larger Y-shaped antlers while white-tailed deer have smaller antlers with one main beam. If alarmed, they may display a behavior called "stotting" where they bound away with all four legs leaving the ground at the same time. This is a behavior shared with African antelope which is a signal to predators that they have been spotted and to other deer that there is a threat nearby. 
NPS Photo / Emily Mesner North American Beaver (Castor canadensis)Beavers were once widespread across most of the US and Canada including in the Verde Valley. This is where both Wet and Dry Beaver Creek got their names. They were almost hunted to extinction by the early 1900s for their fur, but they have since made a comeback throughout their range. They are still uncommon in the Verde Valley, but may occasionally be seen along the creek. 
Photo by Jongleur100 via CC0 White-nosed Coati (Nasua narica)These unusual-looking mammals are related to raccoons and are about the size of a house cat. Adult males are solitary for most of the year, leading coatis to also be called coatimundis, meaning "lone coati" in Guarani. Though they are not common at Montezuma Castle, they are sometimes spotted at Montezuma Well near the irrigation canal outlet and Pasture Trail. The Verde Valley is near the northern edge of their range and in the US, they are mostly found in Arizona and Texas. 
USFWS Photo Gray Fox (Urocyon cinereoargenteus)Both gray foxes and coyotes are found in the Verde Valley, but foxes are more petite. These elusive canines are rarely seen, but fairly common across their range and are found across the southern and eastern US down into Central America. The top of their coats are a grizzled gray while the undersides are orange and white. In addition to their size, they can sometimes be told apart from coyotes by their longer, bushier tails that are tipped black. This coloring helps them to blend in with their habitat. They are omnivores and mainly hunt small mammals but will also eat fruits, insects, birds, and lizards. They will also scavenge from carcasses. Gray foxes have retractable claws like a cat and are capable of climbing trees, even making their dens in trees on occasion. Select a Park:Select a Species Category (optional):
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Last updated: December 14, 2025