By Garry Rogers

Arizona Mammals

I always feel closer to mammals than other species groups. The Rock Squirrel (Spermophilus variegatus) in the photograph is a member of the local colony that lives in the retreating face of eroding lake sediments back of my house. Though they live in burrows and harvest seeds and fallen fruit, these squirrels are great climbers. I often see them in the tops of the pear trees picking fresh fruit and the tops of willow trees eating tender buds. They routinely gather fallen seeds beneath the bird feeders, and it is there that some become nervously tolerant of my presence.

The least skittish of my other neighbors include the raccoons who love to slip in the cat door and eat cat food, the skunks who stroll by brushing my leg in the dark, and the coyotes and deer who often stand and return my stare.

NOTE: A juvenile River Otter was reported from the Bill Williams River in April, 2020.

Wildlife specialists conclude that more than half (51%) of the 203 native Arizona mammals are vulnerable or recently extinct. Adding in the species the Arizona Game and Fish Department (AZGFD) considers possible future risks, the number extinct or in danger rises to 127 or 67%.

Arizona Mammals Numbers (From AZGFD)

World: ≈1200
United States: ≈ 400
Arizona Mammals: 214
Arizona Natives: 203
Arizona Natives at risk of extinction (S1-S4): 123
ESA Arizona Mammals Listed Endangered: 8
ESA Arizona Mammals Listed Threatened: 2
ESA Arizona Mammals Partially Endangered or Threatened: 3
ESA Arizona Mammals of Concern: 31

References for Arizona Mammals

American Society of Mammalogists: http://www.mammalsociety.org,
AZGFD, Arizona Game and Fish Department: http://www.azgfd.gov .
Defenders of Wildlife: http://www.defenders.org. News: www.defendersblog.org.
Halfpenny, J.C., and T. Telander. 2000. Scats and tracks of the desert southwest: A field guide to the signs of 70 wildlife species. The Globe Pequot Press, Guilford, CN. 144 p.
Hoffa, R.L., and W. Anderson. 1996. Coexisting with urban wildlife: A guide to the central Arizona uplands. Sharlot Hall Museum Press, Prescott, AZ. 123 p.
Kays, R.W., and D.E. Wilson. 2009. Mammals of North America (second edition). Princeton University Press, Princeton, NJ. 248 p.
National Wildlife Federation: www.nwf.org.
Organization for Bat Conservation: http://www.batconservation.org/
Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History: www.mnh.si.edu and for conservation status: http://www.mnh.si.edu/mna/search_status.cfm
U. S. Endangered Species Act. 1973. The act and related laws are discussed at: http://www.fws.gov/laws/lawsdigest/ESACT.html.
U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service: http://www.fws.gov.
U. S. Forest Service. 2007. Regional Forester’s list of sensitive animals: http://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/fsbdev3_021328.pdf.

Arizona Mammals Conservation Status Symbols

Symbols used by Arizona Game and Fish Department (AZGFD)

S1 Critically Imperiled: Extremely rare or some factor(s) is making the species especially vulnerable to extirpation. Typically 5 or fewer locations or very few remaining individuals (<1,000).
S2 Imperiled: Rare or some factor(s) is making the species very vulnerable to extirpation. Typically 6 to 20 occurrences or few remaining individuals (1,000 to 3,000).
S3 Vulnerable: Rare or found only in a restricted range (even if abundant at some locations), or because of other factors making it vulnerable to extirpation. Typically 21 to 100 occurrences or between 3,000 and 10,000 individuals.
S4 Apparently Secure: Uncommon but not rare, and usually widespread. Usually more than 100 occurrences* and more than 10,000 individuals. Possible long-term concern (my emphasis).
S5 Secure: Common, widespread, and abundant. Safe under present conditions. Typically with considerably more than 100 locations and more than 10,000 individuals.
SH Possibly Extirpated (Historical): Historically present, and there is some expectation that the species may be rediscovered.
SX Presumed Extinct: Not located despite intensive searches of historical sites and other appropriate habitat, and virtually no likelihood that it will be rediscovered.
S#S#: Indicates the range of uncertainty about exact status (e.g., S3S4).
SE: Exotic Origin: Species is not native to AZ.

Symbols Used for the Endangered Species Act (ESA)
US Department of Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service

LE Listed Endangered: Imminent jeopardy of extinction.
LT Listed Threatened: Imminent jeopardy of becoming Endangered.
PS Partial Status: Listed Endangered or Threatened, but not in entire range.
PD Proposed for delisting.
No (No Status) Certain populations of this taxon do not have designated status (check with state or regional USFWS office for details about which populations have designated status).
PE Proposed Endangered
SC Species of Concern: Describes the entire realm of taxa whose conservation status may be of concern to the US Fish and Wildlife Service, but does not have official federal status.

A R I Z O N A M A M M A L S
*SCIENTIFIC NAME*	COMMON NAME	AZ	ESA
Ammospermophilus harrisii	Harris’ Antelope Squirrel	S5
Ammospermophilus leucurus	White-tailed Antelope Squirrel	S5
Ammospermophilus leucurus tersus	Prospect Valley White-tailed Antelope Squirrel	SHQ
Ammotragus lervia	Barbary Sheep or Aoudad	SER
Antilocapra americana	Pronghorn	S5
Antilocapra americana americana	America Pronghorn	S5
Antilocapra americana mexicana	Chihuahuan Pronghorn	SXS2Q
Antilocapra americana sonoriensis	Sonoran Pronghorn	S1	LE
Antrozous pallidus	Pallid Bat	S4
Baiomys taylori	Northern Pygmy Mouse	S3
Bassariscus astutus	Ringtail	S5
Bos bison	American Bison	SRFSC	No
Brachylagus idahoensis	Pygmy Rabbit	SP	No
Canis latrans	Coyote	S5
Canis lupus	Gray Wolf	SXS1	PD
Canis lupus baileyi	Mexican Gray Wolf	SXS1	PE,XN
Castor canadensis	American Beaver	S4
Cervus elaphus merriami	Merriam’s Elk	SX
Chaetodipus baileyi	Bailey’s Pocket Mouse	S5
Chaetodipus formosus	Long-tailed Pocket Mouse	S5
Chaetodipus hispidus	Hispid Pocket Mouse	S5
Chaetodipus intermedius	Rock Pocket Mouse	S5
Chaetodipus intermedius intermedius	Rock Pocket Mouse	S5
Chaetodipus penicillatus	Sonoran Desert Pocket Mouse	S5
Chaetodipus spinatus	Spiny Pocket Mouse	SR
Choeronycteris mexicana	Mexican Long-tongued Bat	S3	SC
Conepatus leuconotus	White-backed Hog-nosed Skunk	S3
Conepatus leuconotus leuconotus	Hog-nosed Skunk	S3
Corynorhinus townsendii	Townsend’s Big-eared Bat	S3S4	No
Corynorhinus townsendii pallescens	Pale Townsend’s Big-eared Bat	S3S4	SC
Cynomys gunnisoni	Gunnison’s Prairie Dog	S4	PS
Cynomys ludovicianus	Black-tailed Prairie Dog	SXS1	SC
Didelphis virginiana	Virginia Opossum	S3
Didelphis virginiana californica	Mexican Opossum	S3
Didelphis virginiana virginiana	Virginia Opossum	SE
Dipodomys deserti	Desert Kangaroo Rat	S5
Dipodomys merriami	Merriam’s Kangaroo Rat	S5	No
Dipodomys microps	Chisel-toothed Kangaroo Rat	S3
Dipodomys microps celsus	A Chisel-toothed Kangaroo Rat	S2
Dipodomys microps leucotis	Houserock Valley Chisel-toothed Kangaroo Rat	S2	SC
Dipodomys ordii	Ord’s Kangaroo Rat	S5
Dipodomys spectabilis	Banner-tailed Kangaroo Rat	S5
Dipodomys spectabilis baileyi	New Mexico Banner-tailed Kangaroo Rat	S3
Enchisthenes hartii	Velvety Fruit-eating Bat	SA
Eptesicus fuscus	Big Brown Bat	S4S5
Equus asinus	Feral Ass	SE5
Equus caballus	Feral Horse	SE4
Erethizon dorsatum	North American Porcupine	S4S5
Euderma maculatum	Spotted Bat	S2S3	SC
Eumops perotis	Western Bonneted Bat	S3
Eumops perotis californicus	Greater Western Bonneted Bat	S3	SC
Eumops underwoodi	Underwood’s Bonneted Bat	S1	SC
Glaucomys sabrinus	Northern Flying Squirrel	SP	No
Gulo gulo	Wolverine	SRF
Herpailurus yaguarondi	Jaguarundi	SRF
Herpailurus yaguarondi tolteca	Jaguarundi	SRF	LE
Idionycteris phyllotis	Allen’s Lappet-browed Bat	S2S3	SC
Lasionycteris noctivagans	Silver-haired Bat	S3S4
Lasiurus blossevillii	Western Red Bat	S3
Lasiurus cinereus	Hoary Bat	S4	No
Lasiurus xanthinus	Western Yellow Bat	S2S3
Leopardus pardalis	Ocelot	S1	LE
Leptonycteris curasoae	Southern Long-nosed Bat	S2	PS
Leptonycteris curasoae yerbabuenae	Lesser Long-nosed Bat	S2S3	LE
Leptonycteris nivalis	Mexican Long-nosed Bat	SP
Lepus alleni	Antelope Jackrabbit	S3
Lepus californicus	Black-tailed Jackrabbit	S5
Lepus callotis	White-sided Jackrabbit	SP
Lepus townsendii	White-tailed Jackrabbit	SP
Lontra canadensis	Northern River Otter	S1
Lontra canadensis lataxina	Southeastern River Otter	SE1
Lontra canadensis sonora	Southwestern River Otter	SH	SC
Lynx canadensis	Canada Lynx	SRX	LT
Lynx rufus	Bobcat	S5	No
Macrotus californicus	California Leaf-nosed Bat	S3	SC
Mephitis macroura	Hooded Skunk	S4
Mephitis mephitis	Striped Skunk	S5
Microtus longicaudus	Long-tailed Vole	S4
Microtus longicaudus leucophaeus	White-bellied Long-tailed Vole	S2
Microtus mexicanus hualpaiensis	Hualapai Mexican Vole	S1	LE
Microtus mexicanus navaho	Navajo Mexican Vole	S1	SC
Microtus mogollonensis	Mogollon Vole	S5
Microtus montanus	Montane Vole	S4
Microtus montanus arizonensis	Arizona Montane Vole	S4
Microtus pennsylvanicus	Meadow Vole	SP	No
Mormoops megalophylla	Ghost-faced Bat	SA
Mus musculus	House Mouse	SE5
Mustela erminea	Ermine or Short-tailed Weasel	S1
Mustela frenata	Long-tailed Weasel	S4
Mustela nigripes	Black-footed Ferret	SXS1	LE,XN
Mustela putorius	European Ferret	SER
Myocastor coypus	Nutria or Coypu	SER
Myodes gapperi	Southern Red-backed Vole	S3
Myotis auriculus	Southwestern Myotis	S3
Myotis californicus	California Myotis	S4
Myotis ciliolabrum	Western Small-footed Myotis	S3S4	SC
Myotis evotis	Long-eared Myotis	S3	SC
Myotis occultus	Arizona Myotis	S3	SC
Myotis thysanodes	Fringed Myotis	S3S4	SC
Myotis velifer	Cave Myotis	S3S4	SC
Myotis volans	Long-legged Myotis	S3S4	SC
Myotis yumanensis	Yuma Myotis	S3S4	SC
Nasua narica	White-nosed Coati	S4
Neotamias cinereicollis	Gray-collared Chipmunk	S4
Neotamias dorsalis	Cliff Chipmunk	S5
Neotamias minimus	Least Chipmunk	S4
Neotamias quadrivittatus	Colorado Chipmunk	S4
Neotamias rufus	Hopi Chipmunk	S1
Neotamias umbrinus	Uinta Chipmunk	S4
Neotoma albigula	Western White-throated Woodrat	S5
Neotoma cinerea	Bushy-tailed Woodrat	S5
Neotoma lepida	Desert Woodrat	S5
Neotoma mexicana	Mexican Woodrat	S5
Neotoma mexicana mexicana	Mexican Woodrat	S5
Neotoma micropus	Southern Plains Woodrat	SP
Neotoma stephensi	Stephen’s Woodrat	S5
Notiosorex cockrumi	Cockrum’s Desert Shrew	S1
Notiosorex crawfordi	Crawford’s Desert Shrew	S4S5
Nyctinomops femorosaccus	Pocketed Free-tailed Bat	S3
Nyctinomops macrotis	Big Free-tailed Bat	S3	SC
Ochotona princeps	American Pika	SRF
Odocoileus hemionus	Mule or Black-tailed Deer	S5	No
Odocoileus virginianus	White-tailed Deer	S5
Ondatra zibethicus	Common Muskrat	S4
Onychomys arenicola	Mearns’ Grasshopper Mouse	SP
Onychomys leucogaster	Northern Grasshopper Mouse	S5
Onychomys torridus	Southern Grasshopper Mouse	S5
Ovis canadensis	Mountain or Bighorn Sheep	S3S4	No
Ovis canadensis canadensis	Rocky Mountain Bighorn Sheep	S3
Ovis canadensis nelsoni	Desert Bighorn Sheep	S3
Panthera onca	Jaguar	S1	LE
Parastrellus hesperus	Canyon Bat	S5
Pecari tajacu	Collared Peccary	S5
Perognathus amplus	Arizona Pocket Mouse	S5
Perognathus amplus amplus	Yavapai Arizona Pocket Mouse	S5	SC
Perognathus amplus cineris	Wupatki Arizona Pocket Mouse	S2S3	SC
Perognathus flavescens	Plains Pocket Mouse	S4
Perognathus flavescens caryi	Apache Pocket Mouse	S1
Perognathus flavescens melanotis	Apache Pocket Mouse	SH
Perognathus flavus	Silky Pocket Mouse	S5
Perognathus flavus goodpasteri	Springerville Pocket Mouse	S2	SC
Perognathus longimembris	Little Pocket Mouse	S5	No
Perognathus parvus	Great Basin Pocket Mouse	S4
Peromyscus boylii	Brush Mouse	S5
Peromyscus crinitus	Canyon Mouse	S4
Peromyscus eremicus	Cactus Mouse	S5
Peromyscus eremicus eremicus	See: Peromyscus eremicus	S5
Peromyscus gratus	Osgood’s Mouse	SP
Peromyscus leucopus	White-footed Mouse	S5
Peromyscus maniculatus	Deer Mouse	S5
Peromyscus melanotis	Black-eared Mouse	SRF
Peromyscus merriami	Merriam’s Deermouse	S2
Peromyscus nasutus	Northern Rock Mouse	S3
Peromyscus pectoralis	White-ankled Mouse	SRF
Peromyscus truei	Pinon Mouse	S5
Procyon lotor	Northern Raccoon	S4
Puma concolor	Mountain Lion or Puma	S4
Rattus norvegicus	Norway or Brown Rat	SE1
Rattus rattus	Black or House Rat	SE1
Reithrodontomys fulvescens	Fulvous Harvest Mouse	S4
Reithrodontomys megalotis	Western Harvest Mouse	S5
Reithrodontomys montanus	Plains Harvest Mouse	S3
Sciurus aberti	Abert’s Squirrel	S5
Sciurus aberti chuscensis	Abert’s Chuska Squirrel	S3
Sciurus aberti kaibabensis	Kaibab Squirrel	S2S3
Sciurus arizonensis	Arizona Gray Squirrel	S4
Sciurus nayaritensis	Mexican Fox Squirrel	S2
Sciurus nayaritensis chiricahuae	Chiricahua Fox Squirrel	S2	SC
Sigmodon arizonae	Arizona Cotton Rat	S4
Sigmodon arizonae arizonae	Camp Verde Cotton Rat	SH
Sigmodon arizonae jacksoni	Yavapai Cotton Rat	SH	SC
Sigmodon arizonae plenus	Colorado River Cotton Rat	S2S3
Sigmodon fulviventer	Tawny-bellied Cotton Rat	S4
Sigmodon hispidus	Hispid Cotton Rat	S5
Sigmodon hispidus eremicus	Yuma Hispid Cotton Rat	S2	SC
Sigmodon ochrognathus	Yellow-nosed Cotton Rat	S4	SC
Sorex arizonae	Arizona Shrew	S2	SC
Sorex merriami	Merriam’s Shrew	S3
Sorex monticolus	Dusky Shrew	S4
Sorex nanus	Dwarf Shrew	S1
Sorex palustris	American Water Shrew	S1
Spermophilus lateralis	Golden-mantled Ground Squirrel	S5
Spermophilus spilosoma	Spotted Ground Squirrel	S4
Spermophilus tereticaudus	Round-tailed Ground Squirrel	S5	No
Spermophilus tridecemlineatus	Thirteen-lined Ground Squirrel	S3
Spermophilus tridecemlineatus monticola	White Mountains Ground Squirrel	S1S2
Spermophilus variegatus	Rock Squirrel	S5
Spilogale gracilis	Western Spotted Skunk	S5
Sus scrofa	Feral Pig or Wild Boar	SE2
Sylvilagus audubonii	Desert Cottontail	S5
Sylvilagus floridanus	Eastern Cottontail	S5
Sylvilagus nuttallii	Mountain Cottontail	S3
Sylvilagus nuttallii grangeri	North Kaibab Mountain Cottontail	S1?
Sylvilagus nuttallii pinetis	A Southwestern Cottontail	S3
Tadarida brasiliensis	Brazilian Free-tailed Bat	S3S4
Tamiasciurus hudsonicus	Red Squirrel	S5	PS
Tamiasciurus hudsonicus grahamensis	Mt Graham Red Squirrel	S1	LE
Taxidea taxus	American Badger	S3S4
Thomomys bottae	Botta’s Pocket Gopher	S5
Thomomys bottae desertorum	Pocket Gohper	S5
Thomomys bottae mearnsi	Mearns’ Southern Pocket Gopher	S5	SC
Thomomys bottae subsimilis	Harquahala Southern Pocket Gopher	SH	SC
Thomomys talpoides	Northern Pocket Gopher	S4
Thomomys umbrinus	Southern Pocket Gopher	S4
Thomomys umbrinus intermedius	Southern Pocket Gopher	S3
Urocyon cinereoargenteus	Common Gray Fox	S5
Ursus americanus	American Black Bear	S5	No
Ursus arctos	Grizzly or Brown Bear	SX
Ursus arctos horribilis	Grizzly Bear	SX	LT
Vulpes macrotis	Kit Fox	S3S4	No
Vulpes vulpes	Red Fox	S3
Zapus hudsonius	Meadow Jumping Mouse	S2	No
Zapus hudsonius luteus	New Mexico meadow jumping mouse	S1	PE
Zapus princeps	Western Jumping Mouse	SRF