Arizona Naturalists >>> Sonoran Desert Naturalist >>> Field Guide >>> Mammals

Mammals in the Sonoran Desert

Mammals in the desert are often hard to see. For one, many are nocturnal, avoiding the intense heat of the day. Mammals are also very wary with keen hearing and sense of smell that usually allows them to detect the presence of a hiker long before the hiker notices the mammal. Bats are the most diverse group of mammals in the Sonoran Desert - getting a decent picture or even to identify a bat often requires capture and in hand.

Harris Antelope Squirrel Ammos harrisi Small squirrel with large bushy tail. No stripes on sides of face. Very common esp. on slopes and small mts. More info	Rock Squirrel Spermophilus variegatus Medium to large squirrel inhabiting rocky slopes and rarely ascending trees. Uniform brown w/o stripes and large bushy tail. More info	Cliff Chipmonk Tamias dorsalis Small, active mammal found on rocky slopes at upper elev. of Sonoran Desert. Stripe on face. Medium bushy tail. More info	Round-tail Ground Squirrel Spermophilus tereticaudus Small squirrel of sandy or silty soils that tunnels beneath shrubs. Tail short and not bushy. More info	Whitethroat Woodrat Neotoma ambigua Tail with short but definate hairs. Large ears. Creates huge piles of cactus joint and plant parts on bajadas and rocky slopes. Mostly nocturnal. More info
Desert Pocket Mouse Chaetodipus penicillatus Small rodent with very long tail - longer than head and body. There's a set of longer hairs near end of tail. More info	Hispid Cotton Rat Sigmodon hispidus This large rat is mostly associated with irrigated lands in the Sonoran Desert. More info	Valley Pocket Gopher Thomomys bottae Rare to be seen above ground, however, mounds of pushed out soil are often conspicuous. More info	Audubon's Cottontail Sylvilagus audubonii Smallish gray-brown rabbit with button tail. Very common especially near human habitations and activities. More info	Antelope Jackrabbit Lepus alleni Largest hare with very large ears edged in white. Flanks gray. More info
Black-tailed Jackrabbit Lepus californicus Large jackrabbit with posture upright when alarmed. Large ears, tips edged in black and black tip to tail. Common near agriculture and flood plains. More info	Peccary; Javelina Pecari angulatus Medium-sized mammal with dense fur and pig-like appearance. Pale collar around neck. Moves in groups of several to many. More info	Coyote Canis latrans Small version of wolf and dog-like. Very common esp. near agric. fields and near urban areas. More info	Gray Fox Urocyon cinereoargenteus Considerably smaller than coyote; large bushy tail makes it look larger. More info	Desert Mule Deer Odocoileus hemionus Large ears. Tip of tail black and under-parts of tail white. Males with antlers. More info
Bighorn Sheep Ovis canadensis Browsing mammals that prefer steep, rugged country. Males with substantial horns. More info	Wild Burro Equus asinus Smaller than domestic horse and usu. with dark band around neck at shoulders. More info

Sonoran Desert Field Guide
Sonoran Desert Places
Sonoran Desert Naturalist Home Page

		Enter your search terms Submit search form
Copyright Michael J. Plagens, 1999-2016		Web Sonoran Desert Naturalist

The Sonoran Desert Naturalist uses third party advertisements to partly support this educational web site. Some of these advertisers may use technology such as cookies when they advertise here, which will send these advertisers (such as Google through the Google AdSense program) information including your IP address, your ISP , the browser you used to visit our site. This is generally used for targeting purposes (showing California real estate ads to someone in California, for example) or showing certain ads based on specific sites visited (such as showing travel ads to someone who frequents tourist web pages).