Mammals are a class of vertebrate animals (including humans) in which females possess mammary glands, while both males and females possess sweat glands, hair, three middle ear bones used in hearing, and a neocortex region in the brain.
Some of the mammals now common in our area were introduced from elsewhere, such as the black rat, brown rat, Eastern gray squirrel, feral cat, house mouse, Virginia opossum, and wild boar. However, the mammal species listed below are native to the Yuba-Sutter area, having lived here long before the arrival of Europeans.
Bats
Vesper Bat Family
- pallid bat
- Townsend's big-eared bat
- big brown bat
- spotted bat
- silver-haired bat
- Western red bat
- hoary bat
- California myotis
- Western small-footed myotis
- long-eared myotis
- little brown bat
- fringed myotis
- long-legged myotis
- Yuma myotis
- Western pipistrelle
Other Bat Families
- Western mastiff bat (also called greater bonneted bat)
- Mexican free-tailed bat
Rodents
Mouse and Small Rodent Family
- brush deermouse
- North American deermouse
- piñon deermouse
- Western harvest mouse
- Western jumping mouse
- California vole
- long-tailed vole
- dusky-footed woodrat
- common muskrat
Squirrel Family
Golden-mantled ground squirrels (Spermophilus lateralis) are found in Yuba County above approximately 2,000 feet in elevation—in other words, from approximately Brownsville upward. Photo by queerbychoice.
- Northern flying squirrel
- long-eared chipmunk
- shadow chipmunk
- Western gray squirrel
- California ground squirrel
- Belding's ground squirrel
- golden-mantled ground squirrel
- Douglas' squirrel
Other Rodent Families
Botta's pocket gophers (Thomomys bottae) are found in all parts of the Yuba and Sutter Counties. Photo by queerbychoice.
- mountain beaver (also called sewellel)
- American beaver
- San Joaquin pocket-mouse
- North American porcupine
- California kangaroo rat
- Botta's pocket gopher
- mountain pocket gopher
Other Mammals
Rabbit Family
Desert cottontails (Sylvilagus audubonii) are common at Gray Lodge State Wildlife Area, where this photograph of them was taken. They are found in all parts of Sutter County and below approximately 2,500 feet in Yuba County—in other words, almost everywhere below Challenge. Photo by queerbychoice.
Weasel Family
- North American river otter
- American pine marten
- fisher marten
- ermine (also called stoat or short-tailed weasel)
- long-tailed weasel
- American mink
- American badger
Other Families
Mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) are found in most parts of Yuba and Sutter Counties. These mule deer are accompanied by a flock of wild turkeys in the American River Parkway. Photo by queerbychoice.
- ring-tailed cat
- coyote
- bobcat
- striped skunk
- mule deer
- raccoon
- mountain lion
- broad-footed mole
- ornate shrew
- American water shrew
- Trowbridge's shrew
- Western spotted skunk
- gray fox
- American black bear
- red fox
Links
Mammal California Department of Fish and Game: California Wildlife Habitat Relationships System: Life History Accounts and Range Maps
