Kern County Mammal Checklist 

Compiled by Alison Sheehey

8 orders, 21 families, 98 species, 147 total subspecies [1 extinct, 3 extirpated, 1 reintroduced, 14 introduced species]

(X) = extinct (E) = endangered species (T) = threatened species (FP) = fully protected (SC) = species of concern (eX) = extirpated (I) = introduced * = substantiated with museum specimen or personal observation

 

MARSUPIALS: ORDER MARSUPIALIA

Opossums: Family Didelphidae

 

Virginia opossum* (I)

Didelphis virginiana virginiana

 

INSECTIVORES: ORDER INSECTIVORA

Shrews: Family Soricidae

 

Dusky shrew*

Sorex monticolus obscurus

 

Ornate shrew*

Sorex ornatus ornatus

 

Buena Vista Lake shrew* (E)

Sorex ornatus relictus

 

Water Shrew

Sorex palustris navigator

 

Trowbridge's shrew*

Sorex trowbridgii mariposae

 

Crawford's desert or gray shrew

Notiosorex crawfordi crawfordi

 

       

Moles: Family Talpidae

 

Broad-handed mole*

Scapanus latimanus occultus

 

BATS: ORDER CHIROPTERA

Vespertilionid Bats: Family Vespertilionidae

 

Long-eared myotis*

Myotis evotis evotis

 

Fringed myotis*

Myotis thysanodes thysanodes

 

Western small-footed  myotis*

Myotis ciliolabrum melanorhinus

 

California myotis*

Myotis californicus californicus

 

 

Myotis californicus stephensi

 

Little brown myotis*

Myotis lucifugus carissima

 

Yuma myotis*

Myotis yumanensis sociabilis

 

 

Myotis yumanensis californicus

 

Long-legged myotis*

Myotis volans interior

 

Silver-haired bat

Lasionycteris noctivagans

 

Western pipistrelle*

Pipistrellus hesperus hesperus

 

Big brown bat*

Eptesicus fuscus bernardinus

 

 

Eptesicus fuscus pallidus

 

Hoary bat*

Lasiurus cinereus cinereus

 

Western red bat*

Lasiurus blossevillii teliotis

 

Pale Big-eared Bat*

Corynorhinus townsendii pallescens

 

Townsend's Western Big-eared Bat (SC)

Corynorhinus townsendii townsendii

 

Spotted bat* (SC)

Euderma maculatum

 

Pallid bat* (SC)

Antrozous pallidus pacificus

 

 

Antrozous pallidus pallidus

 

 

Free-tailed Bats: Family Molossidae

 

Mexican free-tailed bat*

Tadarida brasiliensis mexicana

 

Western mastiff bat*

Eumops perotis californicus

 

CARNIVORES: ORDER CARNIVORA 

Dogs: Family Canidae

 

Red fox* (I)

Vulpes vulpes

 

Sierra Nevada red fox (T)

Vulpes vulpes necator

 

Desert kit fox*

Vulpes macrotis arsipus

 

San Joaquin kit fox* (E)

Vulpes macrotis mutica

 

Gray fox*

Urocyon cinereoargenteus californicus

 

Coyote*

Canis latrans ochropus

 

Feral dog* (I)

Canis familiaris

 

 

Bears: Family Ursidae

 

Black bear*

Ursus americanus californiensis

 

California grizzly bear* (X)

Ursus arctos californicus

 

 

Raccoons and Relatives: Family Procyonidae

 

Ringtail* (FP)

Bassariscus astutus raptor

 

Raccoon*

Procyon lotor psora

 

 

Weasels and Relatives: Family Mustelidae

 

Long-tailed weasel*

Mustela frenata latirostra

 

 

Mustela frenata pulchra

 

Fisher* (SC)

Martes pennanti pacifica

 

Wolverine*  (T) (eX)

Gulo gulo luteus

 

Badger*

Taxidea taxus berlandieri

 

 

Taxidea taxus jeffersoni

 

Western spotted skunk*

Spilogale gracilis phenax

 

Striped skunk*

Mephitis mephitis occidentalis

 

 

Mephitis mephitis holzneri

 

 

Cats: Family Felidae

 

Feral cat* (I)

Felis catus

 

Bobcat*

Lynx rufus baileyi

 

 

Lynx rufus californica

 

Mountain lion*

Puma concolor californica

 

Jaguar* (eX)

Panthera onca arizonensis

 

ODD-TOED UNGULATES: ORDER PERISSODACTYLA

Horses and Burros: Family Equidae

 

Wild burro (I)

Equus asinus

 

 

Pigs: Family Suidae

 

Wild pig* (I)

Sus scrofa

 

EVEN-TOED UNGULATES: ORDER ARTIODACTYLA

Deer and Relatives: Family Cervidae

 

Tule Elk*

Cervus elaphus nannoides

 

Rocky Mountain Elk (I)

Cervus elaphus nelsoni

 

Mule deer*

Odocoileus hemionus californicus

 

 

Pronghorn: Family Antilocapridae

 

Pronghorn* (RI)

Antilocapra americana americana

 

 

Cattle, Sheep, and Relatives: Family Bovidae

 

Cattle* (I)

Bos taurus

 

Domestic goat* (I)

Ovis aries

 

California bighorn sheep*  (E) (eX)

Ovis canadensis californiana

 

Desert bighorn sheep* (I)

Ovis canadensis nelsoni

 

RODENTS: ORDER RODENTIA

Squirrels: Family Sciuridae

 

Merriam's chipmunk*

Tamias merriami kernensis

 

 

Tamias merriami merriami

 

Mt. Pinos chipmunk*

Tamias speciosus callipeplus

 

Lodgepole chipmunk*

Tamias speciosus frater

 

 

Tamias speciosus sequoiensis

 

 

Tamias speciosus speciosus

 

Least chipmunk*

Tamias minimus scrutator

 

White-tailed antelope squirrel*

Ammospermophilus leucurus leucurus

 

San Joaquin antelope squirrel*  (T)

Ammospermophilus nelsoni

 

California ground squirrel*

Otospermophilus beecheyi fisheri

 

 

Otospermophilus beecheyi parvulus

 

Golden-mantled Ground Squirrel*

Callospermophilus lateralis

 

Mohave ground squirrel* (T)

Xerospermophilus mohavensis

 

Fox squirrel* (I)

Sciurus niger

 

Western gray squirrel*

Sciurus griseus anthonyi

 

 

Sciurus griseus griseus

 

Douglas' squirrel*

Tamiasciurus douglasii albolimbatus

 

Northern flying squirrel*

Glaucomys sabrinus lascivus

 

 

Beaver: Family Castoridae

 

Beaver* (I)

Castor canadensis

 

Golden Beaver*

Castor canadensis subauratus

 

 

Pocket Gophers: Family Geomyidae

 

Southwestern pocket gopher*

Thomomys bottae angularis

 

Buena Vista Lake pocket gopher*

Thomomys bottae bottae

 

 

Thomomys bottae ingens

 

 

Thomomys bottae mewa

 

 

Thomomys bottae mohavensis

 

 

Thomomys bottae neglectus

 

 

Thomomys bottae pascalis

 

 

Thomomys bottae perpallidus

 

 

Thomomys bottae perpes

 

 

Thomomys bottae piutensis

 

 

Pocket Mice and Kangaroo Rats: Family Heteromyidae

 

Yellow-eared Pocket mouse*

Perognathus parvus xanthonotus

 

Tehachapi pocket mouse* (SC)

Perognathus alticola inexpectatus

 

Little pocket mouse*

Perognathus longimembris  longimembris

 

San Joaquin pocket mouse*

Perognathus inornatus inornatus

 

McKittrick pocket mouse

Perognathus inornatus neglectus

 

California pocket mouse*

Chaetodipus californicus ochrus

 

Desert pocket mouse

Chaetodipus penicillatus stephensi

 

Long-tailed pocket mouse*

Chaetodipus formosus mohavensis

 

Chisel-toothed kangaroo rat*

Dipodomys microps microps

 

Panamint kangaroo rat*

Dipodomys panamintinus mohavensis

 

Pacific kangaroo rat*

Dipodomys agilis agilis

 

 

Dipodomys agilis perplexus

 

Heermann's kangaroo rat*

Dipodomys heermanni swarthi

 

 

Dipodomys heermanni tularensis

 

Giant kangaroo rat* (E)

Dipodomys ingens

 

Merriam's kangaroo rat*

Dipodomys merriami merriami

 

Short-nosed kangaroo rat* (SC)

Dipodomys nitratoides brevinasus

 

Tipton kangaroo rat* (E)

Dipodomys nitratoides nitratoides

 

Desert kangaroo rat*

Dipodomys deserti deserti

 

 

Rats and Mice: Family Muridae

 

Desert woodrat*

Neotoma lepida gilva

 

San Diego Desert Woodrat (SC)

Neotoma lepida intermedia

 

 

Neotoma lepida lepida

 

Big-eared woodrat*

Neotoma macrotis bullatior

 

 

Neotoma macrotis simplex

 

Southern grasshopper mouse*

Onychomys torridus clarus

 

 

Onychomys torridus longicaudus

 

 

Onychomys torridus pulcher

 

Tulare grasshopper mouse* (SC)

Onychomys torridus tularensis

 

Parasitic mouse*

Peromyscus californicus mariposae

 

Cactus mouse*

Peromyscus eremicus eremicus

 

Canyon mouse*

Peromyscus crinitus stephensi

 

Deer mouse*

Peromyscus maniculatus gambelii

 

 

Peromyscus maniculatus sonoriensis

 

Brush mouse*

Peromyscus boylii rowleyi

 

Pinyon mouse*

Peromyscus truei montipinoris

 

 

Peromyscus truei truei

 

Western harvest mouse*

Reithrodontomys megalotis longicaudus

 

 

Reithrodontomys megalotis megalotis

 

California vole*

Microtus californicus aestuarinus

 

 

Microtus californicus kernensis

 

Muskrat*

Ondatra zibethicus

 

Black rat* (I)

Rattus rattus*

 

House mouse* (I)

Mus musculus brevirostris

 

 

Mus musculus domesticus

 

RABBITS AND PIKAS: ORDER LAGOMORPHA

Rabbits and Hares: Family Leporidae

 

Brush rabbit*

Sylvilagus bachmani cinerascens

 

 

Sylvilagus bachmani mariposae

 

Desert cottontail*

Sylvilagus audubonii arizonae

 

 

Sylvilagus audubonii vallicola

 

European rabbit* (I)

Oryctolagus cuniculus

 

Black-tailed jackrabbit*

Lepus californicus bennettii

 

 

Lepus californicus deserticola

 

 

Lepus californicus richardsonii


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A series of simple checklists for use in the field



Frontispiece:

Desert cottontail

Photo by Alison Sheehey © NatureAli

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