List of mammals of Texas facts for kids

This is a list of Texas mammals, those mammals native to or immediately off the coast of the state of Texas in the United States.

Having a mild climate and a range of biomes, from plains and grassland in the north, forests and swamps in the east, mountains in the far west, desert in the west and south, and an extensive coastline, makes Texas home to a wide variety of mammal species. Its central location in the United States makes it a convergence point for the ranges of many species found in the east and west, as well, with its proximity to Mexico, Texas serves as a northern range for several Central American species. While there are also many species endemic to Texas itself.

Texas recognizes three species as their official mammal, including the nine-banded armadillo, the Texas longhorn, and the Mexican free-tailed bat. State law protects numerous species. Those considered threatened species are denoted by (T) and those considered endangered species denoted by (E). Some species are believed to be extirpated from the state, denoted with (X). Several species have been introduced to Texas, and established permanent populations, denoted with (I).

Armadillos (Xenarthra, Dasypodidae)

• Nine-banded armadillo (Dasypus novemcinctus)

Bats (Chiroptera)

Leaf-nosed bats (Phyllostomidae)

• Hairy-legged vampire bat (Diphylla ecaudata)
• Mexican long-nosed bat (Leptonycteris nivalis) (E)
• Mexican long-tongued bat (Choeronycteris mexicana)

Mormoopid bats (Mormoopidae)

• Ghost-faced bat (Mormoops megalophylla)

Vespertilionid bats (Vespertilionidae)

• Big brown bat (Eptesicus fuscus)
• California myotis (Myotis californicus)
• Cave myotis (Myotis velifer)
• Eastern pipistrelle (Pipistrellus subflavus)
• Eastern red bat (Lasiurus borealis)
• Evening bat (Nycticeius humeralis)
• Fringed myotis (Myotis thysanodes)
• Hoary bat (Lasiurus cinereus)
• Little brown bat (Myotis lucifugus)
• Long-legged myotis (Myotis volans)
• Northern long-eared myotis (Myotis septentrionalis)
• Northern yellow bat (Lasiurus intermedius)
• Pallid bat (Antrozous pallidus)
• Rafinesque's big-eared bat (Corynorhinus rafinesquii)
• Seminole bat (Lasiurus seminolus)
• Silver-haired bat (Lasionycteris noctivagans)
• Southern yellow bat (Lasiurus ega) (T)
• Southeastern myotis (Myotis austroriparius)
• Spotted bat (Euderma maculatum) (T)
• Townsend's big-eared bat (Plecotus townsendii)
• Western pipistrelle (Pipistrellus hesperus)
• Desert red bat (Lasiurus blossevillii)
• Western small-footed myotis (Myotis ciliolabrum)
• Yuma myotis (Myotis yumanensis)

Free-tailed bats (Molossidae)

• Big free-tailed bat (Nyctinomops macrotis)
• Mexican free-tailed bat (Tadarida brasiliensis)
• Pocketed free-tailed bat (Nyctinomops femorosacca)
• Western mastiff bat (Eumops perotis)

Carnivorans (Carnivora)

Canines (Canidae)

• Coyote (Canis latrans)
• Gray fox (Urocyon cineroeargenteus)
• Gray wolf (Canis lupus) (E, X)
• Red fox (Vulpes vulpes)
• Red wolf (Canis rufus) (E, X)
• Swift fox (Vulpes velox)

Bears (Ursidae)

• American black bear (Ursus americanus) (T)
• Grizzly bear (Ursus arctos) (X)

Raccoons, coatimundi and ringtails (Procyonidae)

• Raccoon (Procyon lotor)
• Ring-tailed cat (Bassariscus astutus)
• White-nosed coati (Nasua narica) (T)

Cats (Felidae)

• Bobcat (Lynx rufus)
• Jaguarundi (Puma yagouaroundi) (E)
• Jaguar (Panthera onca veraecrucis) (E, X)
• Margay (Leopardus wiedii) (E)
• Mountain lion (Puma concolor)
• Ocelot (Leopardus pardalis) (E)

Seals (Pinnipedia, Phocidae)

• Caribbean monk seal (Monachus tropicalis) [X]

Skunks (Mephitidae)

• Striped skunk (Mephitis mephitis)

Weasel family (Mustelidae)

• American badger (Taxidea taxus)
• American mink (Neovison vison)
• Black-footed ferret (Mustela nigripes) (E, X)
• Long-tailed weasel (Mustela frenata)
• North American river otter (Lontra canadensis)

Even-toed ungulates (Artiodactyla)

Peccaries (Tayassuidae)

• Collared peccary (Pecari tajacu)

Deer (Cervidae)

• Merriam's elk (Cervus canadensis merriami) (X)
• Mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus)
• White-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus texanus)

Pronghorn (Antilocapridae)

• Pronghorn (Antilocapra americana)

Sheep and bison (Bovidae)

• Desert bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis nelsoni)
• Plains bison (Bison bison bison)

Shrews and moles (Insectivora, Soricidae)

• Crawford's gray shrew (Notiosorex crawfordi)
• Eastern mole (Scalopus aquaticus)
• Elliot's short-tailed shrew (Blarina hylophaga)
• North American least shrew (Cryptotis parva)
• Southern short-tailed shrew (Blarina carolinensis)

Manatees (Sirenia, Trichechidae)

• West Indian manatee (Trichechus manatus) (E)

Opossums (Didelphimorphia, Didelphidae)

• Virginia opossum (Didelphis virginiana)

Rabbits (Lagomorpha, Leporidae)

• Black-tailed jackrabbit (Lepus californicus)
• Desert cottontail (Sylvilagus audubonni)
• Eastern cottontail (Sylvilagus floridanus)
• Swamp rabbit (Sylvilagus aquaticus)

Rodents (Rodentia)

Beavers (Castoridae)

• North American beaver (Castor canidensis)

Pocket gophers (Geomyidae)

• Attwater's pocket gopher (Geomys attwateri)
• Baird's pocket gopher (Geomys breviceps)
• Botta's pocket gopher (Thomomys bottae)
• Desert pocket gopher (Geomys arenarius)
• Knox Jones's pocket gopher (Geomys knoxjonesi)
• Llano pocket gopher (Geomys texensis)
• Plains pocket gopher (Geomys bursarius)
• Texas pocket gopher (Geomys personatus)
• Yellow-faced pocket gopher (Cratogeomys castanops)

Pocket mice and kangaroo rats (Heteromyidae)

• Banner-tailed kangaroo rat (Dipodomys spectabilis)
• Desert pocket mouse (Chaetodipus penicillatus)
• Gulf Coast kangaroo rat (Dipodomys compactus)
• Hispid pocket mouse (Chaetodipus hispidus)
• Merriam's kangaroo rat (Dipodomys merriami)
• Merriam's pocket mouse (Perognathus merriami)
• Mexican spiny pocket mouse (Liomys irroratus)
• Nelson's pocket mouse (Chaetodipus nelsoni)
• Ord's kangaroo rat (Dipodomys ordii)
• Plains pocket mouse (Perognathus flavescens)
• Rock pocket mouse (Chaetodipus intermedius)
• Silky pocket mouse (Perognathus flavus)
• Texas kangaroo rat (Dipodomys elator) (T)

Mice and rats (Muridae)

• Brush mouse (Peromyscus boylii)
• Cactus mouse (Peromyscus eremicus)
• Chihuahuan grasshopper mouse (Onychomys arenicola)
• Cotton mouse (Peromyscus gossypinus)
• Coues' rice rat (Oryzomys couesi) (T)
• Deer mouse (Peromyscus maniculatus)
• Eastern harvest mouse (Reithrodontomys humulis)
• Florida woodrat (Neotoma floridana)
• Fulvous harvest mouse (Reithrodontomys fulvescens)
• Golden mouse (Ochrotomys nuttalli)
• Hispid cotton rat (Sigmodon hispidus)
• Marsh rice rat (Oryzomys palustris)
• Mexican vole (Microtus mexicanus)
• Mexican woodrat (Neotoma mexicana)
• Muskrat (Ondatra zibethicus)
• Northern grasshopper mouse (Onychomys leucogaster)
• Northern pygmy mouse (Baiomys taylori)
• Northern rock mouse (Peromyscus nasutus)
• Pinyon mouse (Peromyscus truei) (T)
• Plains harvest mouse (Reithrodontomys montanus)
• Prairie vole (Microtus ochrogaster)
• Southern plains woodrat (Neotoma micropus)
• Tawny-bellied cotton rat (Sigmodon fulviventer)
• Texas mouse (Peromyscus attwateri)
• Western harvest mouse (Reithrodontomys megalotis)
• White-ankled mouse (Peromyscus pectoralis)
• White-footed mouse (Peromyscus leucopus)
• White-throated woodrat (Neotoma albigula)
• Woodland vole (Microtus pinetorum)
• Yellow-nosed cotton rat (Sigmodon ochrognathus)

Squirrels (Sciuridae)

• Black-tailed prairie dog (Cynomys ludovicianus)
• Eastern gray squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis)
• Fox squirrel (Sciurus niger)
• Gray-footed chipmunk (Tamias canipes)
• Mexican ground squirrel (Spermophilus mexicanus)
• Rock squirrel (Spermophilus variegatus)
• Southern flying squirrel (Glaucomys volans)
• Spotted ground squirrel (Spermophilus spilosoma)
• Texas antelope squirrel (Ammospermophilus interpres)
• Thirteen-lined ground squirrel (Spermophilus tridecemlineatus)

Porcupines (Erethizontidae)

• Porcupine (Erethizon dorsatum)

Whales and dolphins (Cetacea)

Right whales (Balaenidae)

• North Atlantic right whale (Eubalaena glacialis) (E) (vagrant)

Rorquals (Balaenopteridae)

• Blue whale (Balaenoptera musculus) (E) (vagrant)
• Bryde's whale (Balaenoptera edeni)
• Fin whale (Balaenoptera physalus) (E) (vagrant)
• Humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) (vagrant)
• Minke whale (Balaenoptera acutorostrata) (vagrant)

Small sperm whales (Kogiidae)

• Dwarf sperm whale (Kogia simus) (T)
• Pygmy sperm whale (Kogia breviceps) (T)

Sperm whales (Physeteridae)

• Sperm whale (Physeter macrocephalus) (E)

Beaked whales (Ziphiidae)

• Blainville's beaked whale (Mesoplodon densirostris)
• Cuvier's beaked whale (Ziphius cavirostris) (T)
• Gervais' beaked whale (Mesoplodon europaeus) (T)

Dolphins (Delphinidae)

• Common bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus)
• Short-beaked common dolphin (Delphinus delphis)
• Killer whale (Orcinus orc) (T)
• Melon-headed whale (Peponocephala electra)
• Atlantic spotted dolphin (Stenella frontalis) (T)
• Pantropical spotted dolphin (Stenella attenuata)
• Striped dolphin (Stenella coeruleoalba)
• Clymene dolphin (Stenella clymene)
• Spinner dolphin (Stenella longirostris)
• Risso's dolphin (Grampus griseus)
• Rough-toothed dolphin (Steno bredanensis) (T)
• Short-finned pilot whale (Globicephala macrorhynchus) (T)

Introduced animals

Pigs (Suidae)

• Domestic pig (Sus scrofa) (I)

Deer (Cervidae)

• Axis deer (Axis axis) (I)
• Fallow deer (Dama dama) (I)
• Red deer (Cervus elaphus) (I)
• Sambar deer (Rusa unicolor) (I)
• Sika deer (Cervus nippon) (I)

Sheep and bison (Bovidae)

• Barbary sheep (Ammotragus lervia) (I)
• Blackbuck (Antilope cervicapra) (I)
• Nilgai (Boselaphus tragocamelus) (I)
• Gemsbok (Oryx gazella) (I)

Mice and rats (Muridae)

• House mouse (Mus musculus) (I)
• Norway rat (Rattus norvegicus) (I)
• Roof rat (Rattus rattus) (I)

Nutria (Myocastoridae)

• Nutria (Myocastor coypus) (I)

Images for kids

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  Topographic map of Texas