List of mammals of California

Though long extirpated from the state, the grizzly bear remains the official state mammal of California.

This is a list of mammals in California, including both current and recently historical inhabitants.

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) monitors certain species and subspecies of special concern. These are mammals whose populations may be locally threatened, but which are excluded from federal and international conservation lists. Taxa of special concern in California are noted below, as are endemic, introduced, harvest, and vagrant species.

Total Number of species listed: 221, including 181 terrestrial and 40 marine mammals.

Opossums

Opossum(Didelphis virginiana)

Order: Didelphimorphia Family: Didelphidae

One species of opossum occurs in California.

Common Name Species Name Status Distribution
Virginia opossum Didelphis virginiana Common,

Introduced,
Harvest

 Statewide up to

1,000 m (3,000 ft)

Shrews and Moles

Desert shrew(Notiosorex crawfordi)

Order: Soricomorpha Family: Soricidae

13 species of shrews occur in California.

Common Name Species Name Status Distribution
Mount Lyell shrew Sorex lyelli Endemic

Special Concern

 Central Sierra Nevada

High elevation

Vagrant shrew Sorex vagrans 1 ssp of

Special Concern

 North outside

Central Valley

Montane shrew Sorex monticolus Sierra Nevada and

San Bernardino ranges

Pacific shrew Sorex pacificus Northwest
Ornate shrew Sorex ornatus 5 ssp of

Special Concern

 Central and

southwest

Fog shrew Sorex sonomae Northwest
Inyo shrew Sorex tenellus East central
American water shrew Sorex palustris Sierra Nevada, Cascades

and Coast Ranges above
1,300 m (4,000 ft)

Preble's shrew Sorex preblei Cascades above 1,200 m (4,000 ft)
Marsh shrew Sorex bendirii Northwest
Trowbridge's shrew Sorex trowbridgii North outside

Central Valley

Merriam's shrew Sorex merriami' Great Basin
Desert (or Crawford's gray) shrew Notiosorex crawfordi Southern deserts

Order: Soricomorpha Family: Talpidae

4 species of moles occur in California.

Bats

Pallid bat (Antrozous pallidus)

Order: Chiroptera Family: Phyllostomidae

4 species of leaf-nosed bats occur in California.

Order: Chiroptera Family: Vespertilionidae

19 species of vesper bats occur in California.

Order: Chiroptera Family: Molossidae

4 species of free-tailed bats occur in California.

Rabbits, hares and pikas

Order: Lagomorpha Family: Ochotonidae

One species of pika occurs in California.

Brush rabbit (Sylvilagus bachmani)

Order: Lagomorpha Family: Leporidae

8 species of rabbits and hares occur in California.

Rodents

Order: Rodentia Family: Aplodontiidae

One species of mountain beaver occurs in California.

California ground squirrel(Spermophilus beecheyi)

Order: Rodentia Family: Sciuridae

29 species of squirrels, chipmunks, and marmots occur in California.

Subfamily Sciurinae (tree squirrels and flying squirrels)

Subfamily Xerinae (chipmunks and ground squirrels)

Order: Rodentia Family: Castoridae

One species of beaver occurs in California.

Order: Rodentia Family: Geomyidae

5 species of pocket gophers occur in California.

The giant kangaroo rat (Dipodomys ingens) is endemic to California

Order: Rodentia Family: Heteromyidae

26 species of pocket mice and kangaroo rats occur in California.

Subfamily Dipodomyinae (kangaroo rats and mice)

Subfamily Perognathinae (pocket mice)

The salt marsh harvest mouse (Reithrodontomys raviventris) is endemic to California

Order: Rodentia Family: Cricetidae

29 species of voles and New World rats and mice occur in California.

Subfamily Arvicolinae (lemmings, voles, and muskrat)

Subfamily Neotominae (North American rats and mice)

Subfamily Sigmodontinae (cotton rats)

Order: Rodentia Family: Muridae

3 species of Old World rats and mice occur in California.

Order: Rodentia Family: Dipodidae

2 species of jumping mice occur in California.

Order: Rodentia Family: Erethizontidae

One species of porcupine occurs in California.

Whales, dolphins and porpoises

The gray whale (Eschrichtius robustus) migrates off the coast of California

Order: Cetacea Family: Eschrichtiidae

One species of gray whale occurs in California's waters.

Order: Cetacea Family: Balaenopteridae

6 species of rorquals occur in California's waters.

Order: Cetacea Family: Balaenidae

One species of right whale occurs in California's waters.

Order: Cetacea Family: Delphinidae

11 species of dolphins occur in California's waters.

Order: Cetacea Family: Phocoenidae

2 species of porpoises occur in California's waters.

Order: Cetacea Family: Kogiidae

2 species of small sperm whales occur in California's waters.

Order: Cetacea Family: Physeteridae

1 species of sperm whale occur in California's waters.

Order: Cetacea Family: Ziphiidae

8 species of beaked whales occur in California's waters.

Carnivores

The island fox(Urocyon littoralis) is endemic to California

Order: Carnivora Family: Canidae

6 species of canids occurred in California. One was recently extirpated.

Order: Carnivora Family: Ursidae

2 species of bears occurred in California. One was recently extirpated.

Order: Carnivora Family: Procyonidae

2 species of this nocturnal, omnivorous family occur in California.

Order: Carnivora Family: Mephitidae

2 species of skunks occur in California.

Order: Carnivora Family: Felidae

4 species of cats occurred in California. One was recently extirpated.

Order: Carnivora Family: Mustelidae

Seals and sea lions

California sea lion(Zalophus californianus)

Order: Carnivora Family: Otariidae

4 species of eared seals occur in California.

Order: Carnivora Family: Phocidae

2 species of earless seals occur in California.

Hoofed mammals

Order: Artiodactyla Family: Antilocapridae

One species of pronghorn occurs in California.

Order: Artiodactyla Family: Bovidae

2 species of bison, cattle, goats, and sheep occur in California.

Mule deer(Odocoileus hemionus)

Order: Artiodactyla Family: Cervidae

5 species of deer and elk occur in California.

Order: Artiodactyla Family: Suidae

One species of pig occurs in California.

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Mammals of California.
  1. ↑ | NOAA Fisheries, Office of Protected Resources, Short-beaked Common Dolphin
  2. ↑ | NOAA Fisheries, Office of Protected Resources, Long-beaked Common Dolphin
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