List of mammals of Utah facts for kids

Utah is a state in the western United States. It is home to many different kinds of animals. This article is a list of the mammals that live in Utah. Mammals are warm-blooded animals. They have fur or hair. Female mammals produce milk to feed their babies.

Discover Utah's Amazing Mammals

Utah's diverse landscapes, from deserts to mountains, create perfect homes for many mammals. You can find everything from tiny shrews to large moose here. Some mammals are very common. Others are quite rare.

What is a Mammal?

Mammals are a group of animals. They are known for a few special traits. They are warm-blooded, meaning their bodies keep a steady temperature. They have fur or hair on their bodies. Female mammals feed their young with milk. This makes them different from birds, reptiles, or fish.

Different Kinds of Mammals in Utah

Utah has many types of mammals. They live in different habitats. Some are found in the high mountains. Others live in the dry deserts. Let's explore some of the groups you might find.

Carnivores: Hunters of Utah

Carnivores are animals that mostly eat meat. Utah is home to several cool carnivores.

• American badger (Taxidea taxus): Badgers are strong diggers. They hunt small rodents underground.
• American black bear (Ursus americanus): Black bears are large and powerful. They can be found in Utah's forests.
• Bobcat (Lynx rufus): Bobcats are wild cats. They are smaller than cougars. They have short, "bobbed" tails.
• Cougar (Puma concolor): Also called mountain lions. These are large, powerful predators. They hunt deer.
• Coyote (Canis latrans): Coyotes are common. They are smart and can live in many places.
• Gray fox (Urocyon cinereoargenteus): These foxes can climb trees. This helps them find food and escape danger.
• Kit fox (Vulpes macrotis): Kit foxes are small desert foxes. They have very large ears.
• North American river otter (Lontra canadensis): Otters are playful. They live near water and eat fish.
• Raccoon (Procyon lotor): Raccoons are known for their "mask" around their eyes. They are very clever.
• Red fox (Vulpes vulpes): Red foxes are adaptable. They can live in many different areas.
• Ring-tailed cat (Bassariscus astutus): These animals look like a mix of a cat and a raccoon. They have long, striped tails.
• Striped skunk (Mephitis mephitis): Skunks are famous for their strong-smelling spray.
• Western spotted skunk (Spilogale gracilis): These skunks are smaller. They have broken white stripes.

Hoofed Animals: Grazers and Browsers

These mammals have hooves. They are often grazers (eat grass) or browsers (eat leaves and twigs).

• American bison (Bison bison): Bison are very large. They once roamed freely across the plains.
• Desert bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis nelsoni): These sheep live in rocky, desert areas. They are amazing climbers.
• Elk (Cervus canadensis): Elk are large deer. Males have huge antlers.
• Moose (Alces alces): Moose are the largest deer species. They have broad, flat antlers.
• Mountain goat (Oreamnos americanus): These goats are introduced to Utah. They live in very high, rocky places.
• Mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus): Mule deer are common. They are named for their large, mule-like ears.
• Pronghorn (Antilocapra americana): Pronghorns are the fastest land animals in North America.
• Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis canadensis): These sheep live in mountain areas.

Rodents and Lagomorphs: Busy Small Mammals

This group includes mice, rats, squirrels, and rabbits. They are very common.

• Abert's squirrel (Sciurus aberti): These squirrels have ear tufts. They live in pine forests.
• American pika (Ochotona princeps): Pikas are small, furry animals. They live in rocky mountain areas. They collect plants to store for winter.
• American red squirrel (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus): These squirrels are very active. They often chatter loudly.
• Belding's ground squirrel (Urocitellus beldingi): These ground squirrels live in colonies.
• Black-tailed jackrabbit (Lepus californicus): Jackrabbits are actually hares. They have very long ears and powerful legs.
• Cliff chipmunk (Neotamias dorsalis): These chipmunks live in rocky areas.
• Desert cottontail (Sylvilagus audubonii): A common rabbit found in desert areas.
• Golden-mantled ground squirrel (Callospermophilus lateralis): These look like chipmunks but do not have stripes on their faces.
• Least chipmunk (Neotamias minimus): The smallest chipmunk species.
• Long-tailed vole (Microtus longicaudus): Voles are small rodents. They look like mice with short tails.
• Muskrat (Ondatra zibethicus): Muskrats are semi-aquatic rodents. They build lodges in wetlands.
• North American beaver (Castor canadensis): Beavers are famous for building dams. They are North America's largest rodent.
• North American porcupine (Erethizon dorsatum): Porcupines have sharp quills for defense.
• Northern flying squirrel (Glaucomys sabrinus): These squirrels don't truly fly. They glide between trees using a special skin flap.
• Ord's kangaroo rat (Dipodomys ordii): Kangaroo rats have long tails and strong hind legs. They hop like kangaroos.
• Piute ground squirrel (Urocitellus mollis): Another type of ground squirrel found in Utah.
• Rock squirrel (Otospermophilus variegatus): These large ground squirrels live among rocks.
• Snowshoe hare (Lepus americanus): Snowshoe hares change fur color with the seasons. Their large feet help them walk on snow.
• Uinta chipmunk (Neotamias umbrinus): A chipmunk species found in the Uinta Mountains.
• Uinta ground squirrel (Urocitellus armatus): These ground squirrels are common in mountain meadows.
• Utah prairie dog (Cynomys parvidens): This prairie dog species is native to Utah. They live in large colonies.
• White-tailed jackrabbit (Lepus townsendii): Another type of hare, found in higher elevations.
• Yellow-bellied marmot (Marmota flaviventris): Marmots are large ground squirrels. They often live in rocky areas.

Bats: Flying Mammals

Bats are the only mammals that can truly fly. They use echolocation to find food in the dark.

• Allen's big-eared bat (Idionycteris phyllotis): This bat has very large ears.
• Big brown bat (Eptesicus fuscus): A common bat species found across North America.
• Big free-tailed bat (Nyctinomops macrotis): These bats have tails that extend beyond their flight membrane.
• California myotis (Myotis californicus): A small bat species.
• Fringed myotis (Myotis thysanodes): Named for the fringe of hairs on its tail membrane.
• Hoary bat (Lasiurus cinereus): A large bat with frosted fur.
• Little brown bat (Myotis lucifugus): Once very common, but now facing threats.
• Long-eared myotis (Myotis evotis): Known for its long ears.
• Long-legged myotis (Myotis volans): This bat has noticeably long legs.
• Mexican free-tailed bat (Tadarida brasiliensis): These bats form huge colonies.
• Silver-haired bat (Lasionycteris noctivagans): A medium-sized bat with dark, silver-tipped fur.
• Spotted bat (Euderma maculatum): This bat is easily recognized by its three white spots.
• Townsend's big-eared bat (Corynorhinus townsendii): Another bat with very large ears.
• Western small-footed bat (Myotis ciliolabrum): A small bat with small feet.

Other Mammals of Utah

This section includes various other interesting mammals.

• American ermine (Mustela richardsonii): A small weasel. It changes its fur to white in winter.
• American mink (Neogale vison): Minks are semi-aquatic. They are good swimmers.
• American water shrew (Sorex palustris): These shrews are adapted for life near water.
• Arizona woodrat (Neotoma devia): Woodrats build large nests called middens.
• Brush mouse (Peromyscus boylii): A type of deer mouse.
• Bushy-tailed woodrat (Neotoma cinerea): Another woodrat species, often found in rocky areas.
• Cactus mouse (Peromyscus eremicus): This mouse lives in desert areas.
• Canyon mouse (Peromyscus crinitus): Found in rocky canyons.
• Chisel-toothed kangaroo rat (Dipodomys microps): A kangaroo rat with chisel-like teeth.
• Cinereus shrew (Sorex cinereus): A very small, common shrew.
• Crawford's gray shrew (Notiosorex crawfordi): A small, pale shrew.
• Dark kangaroo mouse (Microdipodops megacephalus): A tiny mouse that hops.
• Desert kangaroo rat (Dipodomys deserti): A large desert kangaroo rat.
• Desert pocket mouse (Chaetodipus penicillatus): A small mouse with external cheek pouches.
• Desert woodrat (Neotoma lepida): A woodrat found in desert habitats.
• Dwarf shrew (Sorex nanus): One of the smallest mammals in North America.
• Great Basin pocket mouse (Perognathus parvus): Another pocket mouse species.
• Long-tailed weasel (Neogale frenata): A slender, quick predator.
• Meadow vole (Microtus pennsylvanicus): A common vole found in grassy areas.
• Montane shrew (Sorex monticolus): A shrew found in mountain habitats.
• Montane vole (Microtus montanus): A vole found in mountain meadows.
• Northern grasshopper mouse (Onychomys leucogaster): These mice mainly eat insects.
• Northern pocket gopher (Thomomys talpoides): Gophers are burrowing rodents.
• Pacific marten (Martes caurina): A forest-dwelling carnivore.
• Pinyon mouse (Peromyscus truei): A mouse found in pinyon-juniper woodlands.
• Southern red-backed vole (Clethrionomys gapperi): A vole with a reddish back.
• Vagrant shrew (Sorex vagrans): A common shrew species.
• Water vole (Microtus richardsoni): A vole that lives near water.
• Western deer mouse (Peromyscus sonoriensis): A very common and widespread mouse.
• Western harvest mouse (Reithrodontomys megalotis): These mice have grooved incisors.
• Western heather vole (Phenacomys intermedius): A vole found in heather habitats.
• Western jumping mouse (Zapus princeps): These mice have very long tails and can jump far.
• White-tailed antelope squirrel (Ammospermophilus leucurus): A squirrel found in hot desert areas.
• White-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus): A common deer species.

Introduced and Extirpated Mammals

Some mammals have been introduced to Utah by humans. This means they were brought here from other places. Others are extirpated. This means they once lived here but no longer do.

• Black rat (Rattus rattus): An introduced species.
• Brown rat (Rattus norvegicus): Another introduced species.
• Grizzly bear (Ursus arctos horribilis): Extirpated. Grizzly bears no longer live in Utah.
• Gray wolf (Canis lupus): Extirpated, but sometimes a lone wolf might wander into Utah (vagrant).
• House mouse (Mus musculus): An introduced species.
• Wolverine (Gulo gulo): Very rare in Utah, sometimes a vagrant (wanders in).

Images for kids

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  American bison

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  Belding's ground squirrel

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  Black-tailed jackrabbit

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  Desert bighorn sheep

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  Cliff chipmunk

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  Elk

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  North American porcupine

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  Spotted bat

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  Western spotted skunk

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  Yellow-bellied marmot