This is a list of mammals in California , including both current and recently historical inhabitants.
Though long extirpated from the state, the grizzly bear remains the official state mammal of California.
The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) monitors certain species and subspecies of special concern. These are mammals whose populations may be locally threatened, but which are excluded from federal and international conservation lists. Taxa of special concern in California are noted below, as are endemic , introduced , harvest , and vagrant species.
There are 227 mammal species listed, including 186 terrestrial and 42 marine.
Opossums
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Eulipotyphlans
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Bats
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Pallid bat (Antrozous pallidus )
Order : Chiroptera , Family : Phyllostomidae
Four species of leaf-nosed bats occur in California.
Order : Chiroptera , Family : Vespertilionidae
Nineteen species of vesper bats occur in California.
Hoary bat , Aeorestes cinereus
Pallid bat , Antrozous pallidus (CDFW special concern)
Townsend's big-eared bat , Corynorhinus townsendii
Pale big-eared bat, C. t. pallescens (CDFW special concern)
Big brown bat , Eptesicus fuscus
Spotted bat , Euderma maculatum (CDFW special concern)
Allen's big-eared bat , Idionycteris phyllotis
Silver-haired bat , Lasionycteris noctivagans
Western red bat , Lasiurus blossevillii
Western yellow bat , Lasiurus xanthinus
California myotis , Myotis californicus
Western small-footed myotis , Myotis ciliolabrum
Long-eared myotis , Myotis evotis
Little brown myotis , Myotis lucifugus
Arizona myotis , Myotis occultus (CDFW special concern)
Fringed myotis , Myotis thysanodes
Cave myotis , Myotis velifer (CDFW special concern)
Long-legged myotis , Myotis volans
Yuma myotis , Myotis yumanensis
Western pipistrelle , Parastrellus hesperus
Order : Chiroptera , Family : Molossidae
Four species of free-tailed bats occur in California.
Lagomorphs
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Order : Lagomorpha
Family : Ochotonidae
One species of pika occurs in California.
Brush rabbit (Sylvilagus bachmani )
Order : Lagomorpha
Family : Leporidae
Eight species of rabbits and hares occur in California.
Pygmy rabbit , Brachylagus idahoensis (CDFW special concern, harvest)
Snowshoe hare , Lepus americanus (harvest)
Oregon snowshoe hare, L. a. klamathensis (CDFW special concern)
Sierra Nevada snowshoe hare, L. a. tahoensis (CDFW special concern; endemic)
Black-tailed jackrabbit , Lepus californicus (harvest)
San Diego black-tailed jackrabbit, L. c. bennettii (CDFW special concern; endemic)
White-tailed jackrabbit , Lepus townsendii (CDFW special concern, harvest)
European rabbit , Oryctolagus cuniculus (introduced)
Desert cottontail , Sylvilagus audubonii (harvest)
Brush rabbit , Sylvilagus bachmani (harvest, except for endangered Riparian subspecies)
Riparian brush rabbit, S. b. riparius (CDFW special concern; endemic)
Mountain cottontail , Sylvilagus nuttallii (harvest)
Rodents
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Order : Rodentia
Family : Aplodontiidae
One species of mountain beaver occurs in California.
Mountain beaver , Aplodontia rufa
Sierra Nevada mountain beaver, A. r. californica (CDFW special concern; endemic)
Point Arena mountain beaver, A. r. nigra (CDFW special concern; endemic)
Point Reyes mountain beaver, A. r. phaea (CDFW special concern; endemic)
California ground squirrel (Spermophilus beecheyi )
Order : Rodentia
Family : Sciuridae
Thirty species of squirrels , chipmunks , and marmots occur in California.
Subfamily Sciurinae (tree squirrels and flying squirrels)
Subfamily Xerinae (chipmunks and ground squirrels)
White-tailed antelope ground squirrel , Ammospermophilus leucurus
Nelson's antelope ground squirrel , Ammospermophilus nelsoni (endemic)
Yellow-bellied marmot , Marmota flaviventris
California ground squirrel , Spermophilus beecheyi
Belding's ground squirrel , Spermophilus beldingi
Golden-mantled ground squirrel , Spermophilus lateralis
Mohave ground squirrel , Spermophilus mohavensis (endemic)
Round-tailed ground squirrel , Spermophilus tereticaudus
Palm Springs round-tailed ground squirrel, S. t. chlorus (CDFW special concern; endemic)
Townsend's ground squirrel , Spermophilus townsendii
Rock squirrel , Spermophilus variegatus
Alpine chipmunk , Tamias alpinus (endemic)
Yellow-pine chipmunk , Tamias amoenus
Merriam's chipmunk , Tamias merriami
Least chipmunk , Tamias minimus
California chipmunk , Tamias obscurus
Yellow-cheeked chipmunk , Tamias ochrogenys (endemic)
Panamint chipmunk , Tamias panamintinus
Long-eared chipmunk , Tamias quadrimaculatus
Allen's chipmunk , Tamias senex
Siskiyou chipmunk , Tamias siskiyou
Sonoma chipmunk , Tamias sonomae (endemic)
Lodgepole chipmunk , Tamias speciosus
Uinta chipmunk , Tamias umbrinus
Order : Rodentia
Family : Castoridae
One species of beaver occurs in California.
Order : Rodentia
Family : Geomyidae
Five species of pocket gophers occur in California.
The giant kangaroo rat (Dipodomys ingens ) is endemic to California
Order : Rodentia
Family : Heteromyidae
Twenty-six species of pocket mice and kangaroo rats occur in California.
Subfamily Dipodomyinae (kangaroo rats and mice)
Pacific (or agile) kangaroo rat , Dipodomys agilis (endemic)
California kangaroo rat , Dipodomys californicus
Marysville California kangaroo rat, D. californicus eximus (CDFW special concern; endemic)
Desert kangaroo rat , Dipodomys deserti
Big-eared kangaroo rat , Dipodomys elephantinus (CDFW special concern; endemic)
Heermann's kangaroo rat , Dipodomys heermanni (endemic)
Giant kangaroo rat , Dipodomys ingens (endemic)
Merriam's kangaroo rat , Dipodomys merriami
San Bernardino Merriam's kangaroo rat, D. merriami parvus (CDFW special concern; endemic)
Chisel-toothed kangaroo rat , Dipodomys microps
Fresno kangaroo rat , Dipodomys nitratoides (endemic)
Short-nosed kangaroo rat, D. n. brevinasus (CDFW special concern; endemic)
Tipton kangaroo rat , D. n. nitratoides (CDFW special concern; endemic)
Ord's kangaroo rat , Dipodomys ordii
Panamint kangaroo rat , Dipodomys panamintinus
San Diego kangaroo rat , Dipodomys simulans
Stephens' kangaroo rat , Dipodomys stephensi (endemic)
Narrow-faced kangaroo rat , Dipodomys venustus (endemic)
Dark kangaroo mouse , Microdipodops megacephalus
Pale kangaroo mouse , Microdipodops pallidus
Subfamily Perognathinae (pocket mice)
Bailey's pocket mouse , Chaetodipus baileyi
California pocket mouse , Chaetodipus californicus
Dulzura pocket mouse, C. c. femoralis (CDFW special concern; endemic)
San Diego pocket mouse , Chaetodipus fallax
Northwestern San Diego pocket mouse, C. f. fallax (CDFW special concern; endemic)
Pallid San Diego pocket mouse, C. f. pallidus (CDFW special concern; endemic)
Long-tailed pocket mouse , Chaetodipus formosus
Desert pocket mouse , Chaetodipus penicillatus
Spiny pocket mouse , Chaetodipus spinatus
White-eared pocket mouse , Perognathus alticola (endemic)
White-eared pocket mouse, P. a. alticola (CDFW special concern; endemic)
Tehachapi pocket mouse, P. a. inexpectatus (CDFW special concern; endemic)
San Joaquin pocket mouse , Perognathus inornatus (endemic)
Salinas pocket mouse, P. i. psammophilus (CDFW special concern; endemic)
Little pocket mouse , Perognathus longimembris
Palm Springs pocket mouse, P. l. bangsi (CDFW special concern; endemic)
Los Angeles pocket mouse, P. l. brevinasus (CDFW special concern; endemic)
Jacumba pocket mouse, P. l. internationalis (CDFW special concern; endemic)
Pacific pocket mouse, P. l. pacificus (CDFW special concern; endemic)
Great Basin pocket mouse , Perognathus parvus
The salt marsh harvest mouse (Reithrodontomys raviventris ) is endemic to California
Order : Rodentia
Family : Cricetidae
Twenty-nine species of voles and New World rats and mice occur in California.
Subfamily Arvicolinae (lemmings, voles, and muskrat)
White-footed vole , Arborimus albipes (CDFW special concern)
Red tree vole , Arborimus longicaudus presence uncertain
Sonoma tree vole , Arborimus pomo (CDFW special concern; endemic)
Western red-backed vole , Clethrionomys californicus
Sagebrush vole , Lemmiscus curtatus
California vole , Microtus californicus
Monterey vole, M. c. halophilus (endemic)
Mojave River vole, M. c. mohavensis (CDFW special concern; endemic)
San Pablo vole, M. c. sanpabloensis (CDFW special concern; endemic)
Amargosa vole, M. c. scirpensis (federal and state endangered; endemic)
South coast marsh vole, M. c. stephensi (CDFW special concern; endemic)
Owens Valley vole, M. c. vallicola (CDFW special concern; endemic)
Long-tailed vole , Microtus longicaudus
Montane vole , Microtus montanus
Creeping vole , Microtus oregoni
Townsend's vole , Microtus townsendii
Muskrat , Ondatra zibethicus (introduced, harvest)
Heather vole , Phenacomys intermedius
Subfamily Neotominae (North American rats and mice)
White-throated woodrat , Neotoma albigula
Bushy-tailed woodrat , Neotoma cinerea
Dusky-footed woodrat , Neotoma fuscipes
Desert woodrat , Neotoma lepida
Large-eared woodrat , Neotoma macrotis
Northern grasshopper mouse , Onychomys leucogaster
Southern grasshopper mouse , Onychomys torridus
Brush mouse , Peromyscus boylii
California mouse , Peromyscus californicus
Canyon mouse , Peromyscus crinitus
Cactus mouse , Peromyscus eremicus
Northern Baja deer mouse , Peromyscus fraterculus
Gambel's deer mouse , Peromyscus gambelii
Western deer mouse , Peromyscus sonoriensis
Pinyon mouse , Peromyscus truei
Salt marsh harvest mouse , Reithrodontomys raviventris (endemic)
Western harvest mouse , Reithrodontomys megalotis
Subfamily Sigmodontinae (cotton rats)
Order : Rodentia
Family : Muridae
Three species of Old World rats and mice occur in California.
Order : Rodentia
Family : Dipodidae
Two species of jumping mice occur in California.
Order : Rodentia
Family : Erethizontidae
One species of porcupine occurs in California.
Whales, dolphins and porpoises
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The gray whale (Eschrichtius robustus ) migrates off the coast of California
Order : Cetacea
Family : Eschrichtiidae
One species of gray whale occurs in California's waters.
Order : Cetacea
Family : Balaenopteridae
Six species of rorquals occur in California's waters.
Order : Cetacea
Family : Balaenidae
One species of right whale occurs in California's waters.
Order : Cetacea
Family : Delphinidae
Twelve species of dolphins occur in California's waters.
Short-beaked common dolphin , Delphinus delphis [1]
Long-beaked common dolphin , Delphinus capensis [2]
Short-finned pilot whale , Globicephala macrorhynchus
Risso's dolphin , Grampus griseus
Northern right whale dolphin , Lissodelphis borealis
Killer whale , Orcinus orca
False killer whale , Pseudorca crassidens (vagrant)
Pacific white-sided dolphin , Sagmatias obliquidens
Pantropical spotted dolphin , Stenella attenuata (vagrant)
Striped dolphin , Stenella coeruleoalba
Rough-toothed dolphin , Steno bredanensis (vagrant)
Common bottlenose dolphin , Tursiops truncatus
Order : Cetacea
Family : Phocoenidae
Two species of porpoises occur in California's waters.
Order : Cetacea
Family : Kogiidae
Two species of small sperm whales occur in California's waters.
Order : Cetacea
Family : Physeteridae
One species of sperm whale occur in California's waters.
Order : Cetacea
Family : Ziphiidae
Seven species of beaked whales occur in California's waters.
Carnivorans
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Even-toed ungulates
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References
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Mammals of California .
^ [1] | NOAA Fisheries, Office of Protected Resources, Short-beaked Common Dolphin
^ [2] | NOAA Fisheries, Office of Protected Resources, Long-beaked Common Dolphin
^ "Canada Lynx". iNaturalist . Retrieved 7 February 2024 .
^ Sahagun, Louis (September 4, 2019). "California becomes first state to ban fur trapping after Gov. Newsom signs law". Los Angeles Times . Retrieved September 5, 2019 .
Bibliography
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California Department of Fish and Game (September 2008). "Complete List of Amphibian, Reptile, Bird and Mammal Species in California" (PDF) . Archived from the original (PDF) on 2010-11-06. Retrieved 2012-08-08 . This is the primary source for most species on this list.
California Department of Fish and Game. "Mammal Species of Special Concern". Retrieved 2012-08-08 . This is the primary source for special statuses, and for including certain subspecies in addition to species.
"Mammals of California". American Society of Mammalogists website . Retrieved 2012-07-30 . The ASM list provides the distribution and other information.
Wilson, Don; Deeann Reeder (2005). Mammal Species of the World (3rd ed.). Baltimore : Johns Hopkins University Press . ISBN 0-8018-8221-4 . Whenever possible, the taxonomy of mammals here has been updated to agree with the latest edition of MSW.
Jameson, E. W. Jr.; H. J. Peeters (2004). Mammals of California . Berkeley : University of California Press. ISBN 0-520-23582-7 .