Mammals of Kings County, California
A guide to mammals found in Kings County, California.
Brush Rabbit
The brush rabbit (Sylvilagus bachmani), or western brush rabbit, is a species of cottontail rabbit found in western coastal regions of North America, from the Columbia River in Oregon to the southern tip of the Baja California peninsula. Its range extends as far east as the eastern sides of the Sierra Nevada and Cascade mountain ranges.
Desert Cottontail
The desert cottontail (Sylvilagus audubonii), also known as Audubon's cottontail, is a New World cottontail rabbit; a member of the family Leporidae.
Black-tailed Jack Rabbit
The black-tailed jackrabbit (Lepus californicus), also known as the American desert hare, is a common hare of the western United States and Mexico, where it is found at elevations from sea level to up to 10,000 feet (3,000 m). Reaching a length of about 2 feet (61 cm), and a weight from 3 to 6 pounds (1.4 to 2.7 kg), the black-tailed jackrabbit is the third largest North ...more ↓
Snowshoe Hare
The snowshoe hare (Lepus americanus), also called the varying hare, or snowshoe rabbit, is a species of hare found in North America. It has the name "snowshoe" because of the large size of its hind feet and the marks its tail leaves. The animal's feet prevent it from sinking into the snow when it hops and walks. Its feet also have fur on the soles to protect it ...more ↓
American Beaver
The North American beaver (Castor canadensis) is one of two extant beaver species. It is native to North America and introduced to Patagonia in South America and some European countries (e.g. Norway). In the United States and Canada, the species is often referred to simply as "beaver", though this causes some confusion because another distantly related rodent, Aplodontia ...more ↓
Western Jumping Mouse
The western jumping mouse (Zapus princeps), is a species of rodent in the family Dipodidae. It is found in Canada and the United States.
Botta's Pocket Gopher
Botta's pocket gopher (Thomomys bottae) is a pocket gopher native to western North America. It is also known in some sources as valley pocket gopher, particularly in California. Both the specific and common names of this species honor Paul-Émile Botta, a naturalist and archaeologist who collected mammals in California in the 1820s and 1830s.
California Pocket Mouse
The California pocket mouse, Chaetodipus californicus, is a species of rodent in the family Heteromyidae.
Fresno Kangaroo Rat
The Fresno kangaroo rat or San Joaquin kangaroo rat, Dipodomys nitratoides, is a species of rodent in the family Heteromyidae. It is endemic to areas within and near the San Joaquin Valley of California in the United States.Habitat loss due to agricultural development and urbanization has put this species at risk.
Heermann's Kangaroo Rat
Heermann's kangaroo rat, Dipodomys heermanni, is a species of rodent in the family Heteromyidae.
Giant Kangaroo Rat
The giant kangaroo rat, Dipodomys ingens, is an endangered species of heteromyid rodent endemic to California.
San Joaquin Pocket Mouse
The San Joaquin pocket mouse or Salinas pocket mouse (Perognathus inornatus) is a species of rodent in the family Heteromyidae. It is endemic to California in the United States.
Little Pocket Mouse
The little pocket mouse (Perognathus longimembris) is a species of rodent in the family Heteromyidae. It is found in Baja California and Sonora in Mexico and in Arizona, California, Idaho, Nevada, Oregon and Utah in the United States. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical dry lowland grassland.
Long-tailed Vole
The long-tailed vole (Microtus longicaudus) is a small vole found in western North America. The Coronation Island vole, once considered to be a separate species, is now believed to be a subspecies.
California Vole
The California vole (Microtus californicus) is a type of vole which lives throughout much of California and part of southwestern Oregon. It is also known as the California meadow mouse. It averages 172 mm (6.8 in) in length although this length varies greatly between subspecies.
California Mouse
The California mouse (Peromyscus californicus) is a species of rodent in the family Cricetidae. It is the only species in the Peromyscus californicus species group. It is found in northwestern Mexico and central to southern California. It is largest Peromyscus species in the United States.
Brush Mouse
The brush mouse (Peromyscus boylii) is a species of rodents in the family Cricetidae. It is found in mountainous areas of Mexico and the western United States at altitudes over 2,000 m (6,600 ft).
Deer Mouse
Peromyscus maniculatus is a rodent native to North America. It is most commonly called the deer mouse, although that name is common to most species of Peromyscus and is fairly widespread across the continent, with the major exception being the southeast United States and the far north.
Pinyon Mouse
Peromyscus truei (Shufedlt, 1885) or the pinyon mouse, is native to the southwestern United States and Baja California in Mexico. These medium sized mice are often distinguished by their relatively large ears. The range of this species extends from southern Oregon and Wyoming in the north, and extends south to roughly the U.S.-Mexico border, with a disjunct population ...more ↓
Western Harvest Mouse
The western harvest mouse (Reithrodontomys megalotis) is a small neotomine mouse native to southwest British Columbia, most of the western United States extending continuously to west Texas, northeast Arkansas, northwest Indiana, southwest Wisconsin, the interior of Mexico to Oaxaca. Many authorities consider the endangered Salt Marsh Harvest Mouse to be a subspecies, but the ...more ↓
House Mouse
The house mouse (Mus musculus) is a small mammal of the order Rodentia, characteristically having a pointed snout, small rounded ears, and a long naked or almost hairless tail. It is one of the most numerous species of the genus Mus. Although a wild animal, the house mouse mainly lives in association with humans.
Desert Woodrat
The desert woodrat (Neotoma lepida) is a small species of pack rat native to desert regions of western North America, ranging from southeastern Oregon and southwestern Idaho, south to California in the US and Baja California and extreme northwestern Sonora in Mexico.
Dusky-footed Woodrat
The dusky-footed woodrat (Neotoma fuscipes) is a species of nocturnal rodent in the family Cricetidae. They are commonly called "packrats" or "trade rats" and build large, domed dens that can reach several feet in height. Coyotes and other predators will attempt to prey on these rodents by laying waste to the dens, but the sheer volume of material is usually dissuasive. ...more ↓
Bushy-tailed Wood Rat
The bushy-tailed woodrat, packrat, or woodrat (Neotoma cinerea) is a species of rodent in the family Cricetidae found in Canada and the United States. Its natural habitats are boreal forests, temperate forests, dry savanna, temperate shrubland, and temperate grassland.
Southern Grasshopper Mouse
The southern grasshopper mouse (Onychomys torridus) is a species of rodent in the family Cricetidae. It is found in Mexico and in Arizona, California, Nevada, New Mexico, and Utah in the United States. It is notable for its resistance to venom, and routinely kills and eats Arizona bark scorpions, a species with a highly poisonous sting.
Muskrat
The muskrat (Ondatra zibethicus), the only species in genus Ondatra and tribe Ondatrini, is a medium-sized semiaquatic rodent native to North America, and introduced in parts of Europe, Asia, and South America. The muskrat is found in wetlands over a wide range of climates and habitats. It has important effects on the ecology of wetlands and is a ...more ↓
Western Grey Squirrel
The western gray squirrel (Sciurus griseus) is an arboreal rodent found along the western coast of the United States and Canada.
Merriam's Chipmunk
Merriam's chipmunk (Neotamias merriami) is a species of rodent in the Sciuridae family. It is found in central and southern California. in the United States and a small area in northern Baja California, Mexico.
Nelson's Antelope Squirrel
The San Joaquin antelope squirrel or Nelson's antelope squirrel.Ammospermophilus nelsoni, is a species of antelope squirrel, in the San Joaquin Valley of the U.S. state of California.
California Ground Squirrel
The California ground squirrel (Otospermophilus beecheyi), is a common and easily observed ground squirrel of the western United States and the Baja California peninsula; it is common in Oregon and California and its range has relatively recently extended into Washington and northwestern Nevada. Formerly placed in Spermophilus, as Spermophilus beecheyi, it was ...more ↓
