Mamíferos Probables Caxh

FIELD GUIDE TO NORTH AMERICAN MAMMALS for Latitude: 20 North Longitude: 97 30' West Puebla, Mexico
Whitetailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus)

ORDER: Artiodactyla FAMILY: Cervidae Conservation Status: The Key deer, Odocoileus virginianus clavium, is an Endangered subspecies and the Columbian whitetailed deer, Odocoileus virginianus leucurus, is Near Threatened.
Odocoileus virginianus male, winter coat, left; female,
The Whitetailed Deer is distinguished from the Mule Deer by the smaller size of its ears, the color of its tail, and most strikingly, by antler shape. In Whitetails, the main beam of the antlers grows forward rather than upwards, and each tine develops as its own separate branch rather than being split into a forked pair. The two species also run differently when they are alarmed. Mule Deer stot, a boingboingboing motion in which all four feet leave and hit the ground with each bound, whereas Whitetailed Deer spring forward, pushing off with their hind legs and landing on their front feet. Today Whitetails are very widespread in North America: there may be as many as 15 million in the United States. These Deer are adaptable browsers, feeding on leaves, twigs, shoots, acorns, berries, and seeds, and they also graze on grasses and herbs. In areas where they live alongside Mule Deer, the species naturally separate ecologically, the Whitetails staying closer to moist streams and bottomlands, the Mule Deer preferring drier, upland places. Also known as: Deer, Whitetail Sexual Dimorphism: Males are about 20% larger than females. Length: Range: 0.852.4 m males Weight: Range: 22137 kg males
summer coat, right, with fawn Credit: painting by Elizabeth McClelland from Kays and Wilson's Mammals of North America, Princeton University Press (2002)
http://CF08_NMNHMain/mna
Collared Peccary (Pecari tajacu)

ORDER: Artiodactyla FAMILY: Tayassuidae There are only three species of Peccaries in the world, all in South America. Only Collared Peccaries also live in North America. Their range includes a great variety of habitats, and they eat all kind of vegetation, including cactus. They live in highly social and communicative groups. Grooming is an important social behavior, and they have at least 15 different types of calls signaling alarm, submission, and aggression. Territorial groups of 1550 animals stay together, and cooperate to defend the herd, but they form subgroups that disperse to feed. An alpha male is the dominant animal in the herd. Peccaries often have twins. Also known as: Javalina Sexual Dimorphism: None Length: Range: 0.851.02 m Weight: Range: 1525 kg
Pecari tajacu inset shows group at waterhole Credit: painting by Elizabeth McClelland from Kays and Wilson's Mammals of North America, Princeton University Press (2002)
Coyote (Canis latrans)

ORDER: Carnivora FAMILY: Canidae Coyotes are among the most adaptable mammals in North America. They have an enormous geographical distribution and can live in very diverse ecological settings, even successfully making their homes in suburbs, towns, and cities. They are omnivorous, eating plants, animals, and carrion. Socially, coyotes live in a variety of arrangements. Some live alone, others in mated pairs, and others in packs, which may consist of one mated pair, their new young, and offspring from the previous season that have not yet left their parents. Packs are an advantage when preying on larger mammals such as deer, or defending food resources, territory, and themselves. Sexual Dimorphism: Males are larger than females. Length: Range: 7501,000 mm Weight: Range: 820 kg males; 718 kg females
Canis latrans eastern animals are larger (top); typical western animal and pups are shown below Credit: painting by Consie Powell from Kays and Wilson's Mammals of North America, Princeton University Press (2002)
Common Gray Fox (Urocyon cinereoargenteus)

ORDER: Carnivora FAMILY: Canidae Gray foxes are adept at climbing trees. They are active at night and during twilight, sleeping during the day in dense vegetation or secluded rocky places. Nursing mothers and pups use a den a hollow log, abandoned building, tangle of brush, or cracked boulderfor shelter. When she is nursing small pups, the female stays within a few hundred meters of the den, but otherwise adults may range over a 25 square km area. Pups begin to forage on their own at about four months of age, and maintain close ties with the mother until they are about seven months old. By about ten months, both males and females are old enough to reproduce, and most females will have a litter annually from then on. Also known as: Zorra, Zorra Gris, Gato de Monte Sexual Dimorphism: None Length: Range: 8001,130 mm Weight: Range: 37 kg
Credit: painting by Consie Powell from Kays and Wilson's Mammals of North America, Princeton University Press (2002)
Ocelot (Leopardus pardalis)

ORDER: Carnivora FAMILY: Felidae Conservation Status: The Texas Ocelot, Leopardus pardalis albescens, is Endangered. Ocelots occur in a wide range of habitats, from rain forest to savanna to dry, scrubby terrain, at mid to low elevations from Texas and Arizona to northern Argentina. They are feed on small mammals, and also frequently include birds, reptiles, amphibians, and insects in their diet. Some also take domestic poultry. Males occupy territories of 418 square km that may encompass the territories of one or more females, who use home ranges of 211 square km. Ocelots have litters of 1, 2, or occasionally 3 kittens, and raise them in a den. The den can be a bare area in a dense thicket, a hollow tree, or a cave. The young are born fully furred, but with their eyes closed. When they are about a year old, males disperse to lead solitary lives. Young females, who are sexually mature at about 1522 months of age, often settle on or near their mother's territory. Ocelots are threatened by habitat loss and hunting for the fur trade. Also known as: Ocelote, Tigrillo Length: Average: 1,078 mm males; 1,022 mm females Range: 9501,367 mm males; 9201,209 mm females Weight: Average: 10 kg males; 8.8 kg females Range: 714.5 kg males; 710.8 kg females
Margay (Leopardus weidii)

ORDER: Carnivora FAMILY: Felidae Margays are small spotted cats that closely resemble ocelots, but are about half the size and lack the ocelot's two prominent black cheek stripes. Margays are forestdwellers and good climbers and jumpers, so agile that captives have been seen running along a clothesline, jumping 4 m horizontally and as high as 2.5 m vertically, and hanging by their hind feet to manipulate objects with their front paws. They probably often hunt in trees in the wild, for monkeys, sloths, opossums, squirrels, and other small mammals. They probably also prey on birdsthey are known to go after poultryand some reptiles and amphibians, and may occasionally eat fruits and vegetables. It is unclear if there ever was a viable Margay population in the United States, where they are reported to have occurred in Texas. Work carried out in Central America suggests that the species is declining in response to human activities in the tropics and subtropics and they are protected in many areas.. Also known as: Caucel, Cunaguaro, Margay Cat, Tiger Cat, Tigrillo Length: Average: 931 mm males; 907 mm females Range: 8621,300 mm males; 8051,029 mm females Weight: Range: 37 kg males; 35 kg females
Cougar (Puma concolor)

ORDER: Carnivora FAMILY: Felidae Conservation Status: Two subspecies P. concolor coryi, the Florida Panther, and P. concolor cougar, the Eastern Cougar, are Critically Endangered; the parent species is Near Threatened. Cougars avoid open habitats such as flat, shrubless deserts and farm fields, but can make a living in swamps, forests, and desert scrub habitat. They live solitary lives at low population densities, and usually avoid humans, but about four attacks are reported annually in the United States and Canada. Cougars hunt at night, either stalking their prey or waiting in ambush to pounce. They take hoofed mammals, sometimes including domestic livestock, and other prey, including rabbits, hares, porcupines, bobcats, coyotes, beavers, opossums, skunks, and even other Cougars. They rarely bed down in the same place two days in a row unless they are watching young or consuming a large kill. Some states and provinces allow Cougars to be hunted for sport Also known as: Mountain Lion, Puma, Florida Panther, Catamount Sexual Dimorphism: Males are significantly heavier than females. Length: Average: 1,270 mm males; 1,140 mm females Range: 1,0201,540 mm males; 8601,310 mm females Weight: Average: 62 kg males; 42 kg females Range: 36120 kg males; 2964 kg females
Jaguarundi (Puma yaguarondi (Herpailurus yaguarondi))

ORDER: Carnivora FAMILY: Felidae Conservation Status: The Texas Jaguarundi, Puma yaguarondi cacomitli, is Endangered. Jaguarundi are uniformly coloredrather than spottedand are either reddish brown or dark gray. Both colors can appear in the same litter of kittens. This cat is less nocturnal than any other in the United States, yet it is extremely secretive, preferring areas of dense, low cover in tropical and subtropical habitats. Jaguarundi stalk their preywhich includes reptiles, birds, and small mammalsalone or in pairs. When they hunt near farms, they often find poultry easy prey. This bad news for the farmer usually quickly turns into worse news for the Jaguarundi. They are not hunted for their fur, but feel the effects of habitat loss and conflicts with humans who have taken over their habitat. Also known as: Onza, Gato Moro, Leoncillo, Yaguarundi Sexual Dimorphism: None Length: Range: 8881,372 mm Weight: Range: 4.59 kg
North American Hognosed Skunk (Conepatus leuconotus)

ORDER: Carnivora FAMILY: Mephitidae Conservation Status: A subspecies, the Big Thicket Hognosed Skunk, Conepatus mesoleucus telmalestes, is Extinct. Skunks are seldom thought of as useful animals, but Hognosed Skunks can be helpful to farmers because they eat cropdestroying insects. They have powerful forelimbs and long claws, suited to digging up insect larvae and grubs. They also eat plant matter and sometimes small rodents if the opportunity arises. Like Striped and Spotted skunks, they are best known for the scent produced by, and sprayed from, their anal glands. Spraying is a last resort. The skunk's dramatic black and white coat serves as a warning signal to other mammals, and its first response is to run. A frightened Hognosed Skunk may then turn around to face its adversary, stand on its hind feet, and take a few steps forward, then come down on all fours and hiss. If that doesn't work, the next step is to bare its teeth, raise its tail, and bite, spray, or both. Also known as: Gulf Coast Hognosed Skunk, White Backed Skunk, Rooter Skunk, Texan Skunk, Badger Skunk, Conepat Length: Average: 636.5 mm males; 589.7 mm females Range: 444934 mm males; 445840 mm females Weight: Range: 1,1354,500 g
Conepatus leuconotus eastern variant (base of tail is black) Credit: painting by Consie Powell from Kays and Wilson's Mammals of North America, Princeton University Press (2002)
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Hooded Skunk (Mephitis macroura)

ORDER: Carnivora FAMILY: Mephitidae The Hooded Skunk is a desert animal, preferring rocky canyons and valleys, and the vegetation along stream edges. It lives at elevations of less than 2,000 m above sea level. It forages at night for meals that may include small mammals, birds, and some plants, and it digs for beetles and other insects, which seem to be its preferred food. Striped, Spotted, and Hognosed skunks are all found within the Hooded Skunk's range. The four species coexist by adopting different behavioral and ecological strategies. Also known as: White Sided Skunk, Southern Skunk, Zorrillo Sexual Dimorphism: Males are larger than females. Length: Range: 560790 mm Weight: Range: 8201,200 g
Mephitis macroura double, thinstriped variant, upper right; single widestriped variant, lower left Credit: painting by Consie Powell from Kays and Wilson's Mammals of North America, Princeton University Press (2002)
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Longtailed Weasel (Mustela frenata)

ORDER: Carnivora FAMILY: Mustelidae Longtailed Weasels are voracious predators, foraging day and night for small vertebrates, and scavenging for carrion when necessary. In captivity, adults can consume an amount equal to onethird their own body weight in 24 hours. In the wild they may store food in a burrow or near a kill site. They are solitary except for the JulyAugust breeding season. Both males and females maintain territories, marking them with chemical secretions from anal glands. Litters usually comprise 45 pups, born in a den. In 12 weeks they reach full adult body weight and begin hunting for food, pursuing mates, and establishing territories. Foxes, raptors, Coyotes, domestic dogs and cats, and rattlesnakes all prey on Longtailed Weasels, and although they can live in a variety of habitats, population densities are low. In some locations they are endangered, and in others, considered threatened or species of concern. Also known as: Bridled Weasel Sexual Dimorphism: Males are larger than females. Length: Range: 330420 mm males; 280350 mm females Weight: Range: 160450 g males; 80250 g females
Mustela frenata winter coat, left; summer coat, center; "Bridled Weasel", right Credit: painting by Consie Powell from Kays and Wilson's Mammals of North America, Princeton University Press (2002)
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Ringtail (Bassariscus astutus)

ORDER: Carnivora FAMILY: Procyonidae Ringtails are nocturnal, catsized carnivores. They are good climbers and are found in habitats that range from dry canyons to wet woodlands, in highland and lowland terrain. They prey on small mammals, but their varied diet also includes other vertebrates, insects, nuts, and fruit. These animals are solitary and territorial, marking their home ranges by depositing urine and feces. Also known as: Babisuri, Bandtailed Cat, Basaride, Bassarisk, Cacomistle, Cacomixtle, Civet Cat, Comandreja, Guayanoche, Mico de Noche, Mico Rayado, Onza, Pintorabo, Ringtailed Cat, Rintel, Sal Coyote Sexual Dimorphism: None Length: Average: 793 mm males; 756 mm females Range: 616811 mm Weight: Range: 0.91.3 kg
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Whitenosed Coati (Nasua narica)

ORDER: Carnivora FAMILY: Procyonidae Whitenosed Coatis are the most diurnal members of the family Procyonidae. They often sleep curled up in trees, and come down at dawn to forage, rooting with their long, mobile snouts and digging with long, curved claws for insects, larvae, eggs, and small vertebrates. Adult males often live alone, but females and young coatis travel together in bands, vocalizing and grooming each other. They do not hunt cooperatively or share food, but they join forces to defend against male coatis and other intruders. Females raise their young alone, in a nest. Mortality can be high when the young first leave the nest, from predatorsincluding male coatis, big cats, monkeys, and boa constrictorsand accidents and disease. Also known as: Coatimundi, Gato Solo, Pizote Sexual Dimorphism: Males are larger than females. Length: Range: 7501,350 mm Weight: Range: 2.55.5 kg
Nasua narica male, upper left; females and young, lower right Credit: painting by Consie Powell from Kays and Wilson's Mammals of North America, Princeton University Press (2002)
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Northern Raccoon (Procyon lotor)

ORDER: Carnivora FAMILY: Procyonidae Raccoons are among the most adaptable of the Carnivora, able to live comfortably in cities and suburbs as well as rural and wilderness areas. They use small home ranges, as small as 13 square km, and show flexibility in selecting denning sites, from tree hollows to chimneys to sewers. A varied diet is at the root of their adaptability. Raccoons eat just about anything, finding food on the ground, in trees, streams, ponds, and other wet environments, and from unsecured trash cans, which they open adroitly by hand. They can live anywhere water is available, from the deep tropics well into southern Canada. Even in the suburbs, Raccoons can occur at densities of almost 70 per square km. Females can breed when they are not yet a year old, and typically have litters of four young, which they raise themselves. The female nurses her cubs for about 70 days. The cubs' eyes open at 1824 days and they begin exploring the world outside the den when they are 910 weeks old. By 20 weeks of age they can forage on their own. Also known as: Coon Sexual Dimorphism: Males are 10%30% larger than females. Length: Range: 603950 mm Weight: Range: 1.810.4 kg
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Wagner's Mastiff Bat (Eumops glaucinus)

ORDER: Chiroptera FAMILY: Molossidae Wagner's mastiff bat is considered endangered by the state of Florida, where habitat destruction and the use of pesticides may be contributing to its decline. It is a mediumsized bat with long, narrow wings. These bats leave their day roosts after dark and fly high, covering long distances quickly as they feed on insects. Eumops glaucinus is a freetailed bat. Like other bats in the family Molossidae, its tail extends beyond the tail membrane, or uropatagium (the skin that stretches between the back legs). Also known as: Florida Mastiff Bat Length: Average: 139.7 mm males; 138 mm females Range: 123165 mm males; 117156 mm females Weight: Average: 34.1 g males; 36.1 g females Range: 2547 g males; 28.255.4 g females
Credit: painting by Wendy Smith from Kays and Wilson's Mammals of North America, Princeton University Press (2002)
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Pallas's Mastiff Bat (Molossus molossus)

ORDER: Chiroptera FAMILY: Molossidae This freetailed bat prefers warm climates and is most commonly found in northern South America, Central America, and the Caribbean Islands. It is believed that several colonies that have been found roosting in buildings in the Florida Keys are members of this family. This bat is about the same size as the Brazilian/Mexican freetailed bat (Tadarida brasiliensis). Molossus molossus has several guard hairs on the rump, but can be distinguished from other freetailed bats with guard hairs by its smaller size and wrinkled lips. Length: Range: 89104 mm Weight: Range: 1014 gm
Molossus molossus Pallas's mastiff bat Credit: painting by Wendy Smith from Kays and Wilson's Mammals of North America, Princeton University Press (2002)
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Big Freetailed Bat (Nyctinomops macrotis)

ORDER: Chiroptera FAMILY: Molossidae The big freetailed bat has long, narrow, tapering wings. The length and shape of the wings give it speed and enable it to fly long distances, but its flight is not as maneuverable as that of bats with shorter, broader wings. These bats live in rugged habitats in the Southwest in the summer and migrate to Mexico in the winter. When they are foraging, they emit echolocation calls that sound like clicks to human ears. Most bats use calls that are beyond the range of human hearing. The bats forage, mostly for large moths, in total darkness, not leaving their day roosts until well after sunset. Their tails extend well beyond the tail membrane (uropatagium), the membrane that stretches between the hind legs. Sexual Dimorphism: Males are slightly larger than females. Length: Range: 145160 mm males; 120139 mm females Weight: Range: 2230 g
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Brazilian Freetailed Bat (Tadarida brasiliensis)

ORDER: Chiroptera FAMILY: Molossidae Conservation Status: Near Threatened. Millions of Brazilian freetailed bats spend their summers in the southwestern United States. Gigantic colonies summer in Bracken Cave, Texas; Carlsbad Caverns, New Mexico; and even within the city of Austin, Texas, under the Congress Avenue Bridge. They are a spectacular sight spiraling out of their day roosts like great, dark, swirling clouds when they emerge in the evening to forage. The bats eat untold numbers of insects each night, sometimes catching their prey at altitudes of a mile or more. They typically migrate to central and southern Mexico in the winter, where they live in smaller colonies. They mate there, and fly north again as far as 1,300 km between February and April. Females give birth to a single pup, in June, and nurse it for about six weeks. Although they number in the millions, conservation is a concern, because they raise their young in a limited number of caves, and because pesticides can accumulate in their body tissues. Also known as: Guano Bat, Mexican Freetailed Bat Sexual Dimorphism: Males may be about 5% longer than females but females weigh about 5% more than males. Length: Average: 95 mm Range: 85109 mm Weight: Range: 1015 g
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Ghostfaced Bat (Mormoops megalophylla)

ORDER: Chiroptera FAMILY: Mormoopidae Ghostfaced bats forage exclusively on largebodied moths, and are strong, fast fliers. They spend their days in caves or abandoned mine shafts, and emerge soon after dark to fly to the arroyos and canyons where they forage. They return to the roost about seven hours later. A colony of ghostfaced bats may number half a million individuals. Where several kinds of bats share a cave, they stay separate from other species. Ghostfaced bats have small eyes, and their lips are wrinkled into a strange, funnellike shape. There is also a leaflike bump on the chin, giving rise to two other common names: leafchinned bat and old man bat. Also known as: Leafchinned Bat, Old Man Bat, Peter's Ghostfaced Bat Sexual Dimorphism: None Length: Average: 7898 mm Weight: Range: 1516 g
Mormoops megalophylla, the ghostfaced bat Credit: painting by Wendy Smith from Kays and Wilson's Mammals of North America, Princeton University Press (2002)
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Mexican Longtongued Bat (Choeronycteris mexicana)

ORDER: Chiroptera FAMILY: Phyllostomidae Conservation Status: Near Threatened. Mexican longtongued bats feed on fruits, pollen, nectar, and probably insects. The populations that summer in the United States migrate to Mexico and northern Central America in winter, following the blooming cycle of plants such as agaves (century plants) and some cacti. They are members of a very diverse, mostly tropical family of leafnosed bats, the Phyllostomidae. The nose leaf, which looks like a small triangular bump near the tip of the nose, may help direct the ultrasonic echolocation signals the bat sends through its nostrils.
Mexican longtongued bat (Choeronycteris mexicana) on
Also known as: Hognosed Bat Sexual Dimorphism: None Length: Range: 81103 mm Weight: Range: 1025 g
left and Mexican longnosed bat (Leptonycteris nivalis) on right Credit: painting by Wendy Smith from Kays and Wilson's Mammals of North America, Princeton University Press (2002)
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Hairylegged Vampire Bat (Diphylla ecaudata)

ORDER: Chiroptera FAMILY: Phyllostomidae Conservation Status: Near Threatened. Vampire bats are amazingly wellequipped to live on a diet of blood and only blood something no other mammal in the world does. Its teeth are so razorsharp that the bird or mammal it feeds on usually does not even feel the tiny bite it inflicts. The bat's saliva contains a chemical that keeps the blood flowing, and its tongue is grooved the bat uses it almost like a straw. As soon as the bat feeds, it urinates. Its body retains the nourishing part of the blood but gets rid of the water, so that it does not have to fly away carrying an extra load of weight. Diphylla ecaudata is one of three species of vampire bats, all of which are found only in the New World tropics. Only one specimen of a vampire bat has ever been found in the United States, in Texas in 1967, and it probably had wandered some 700 km north from its breeding population.. Sexual Dimorphism: None Length: Average: 83 mm Range: 6793 mm Weight: Average: 31 g Range: 2443 g
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Mexican Longnosed Bat (Leptonycteris nivalis)

ORDER: Chiroptera FAMILY: Phyllostomidae Conservation Status: Endangered. The Mexican longnosed bat feeds mainly on the nectar and pollen of agaves, and is found in Texas in June and July, when the plants are in bloom there. Then it migrates southward into Mexico, where it lives in pineoak forests and deserts. It may be the main pollinator of a plant that has economic value in Mexico, the pulque plant. Little is known about the bat's pattern of reproduction. Nursing females and juvenile bats have been seen in Texas in June and July. Also known as: Big Longnosed Bat Sexual Dimorphism: None Length: Average: 83 mm Range: 7688 mm Weight: Range: 1830 g
Mexican longtongued bat (Choeronycteris mexicana) on left, and Mexican longnosed bat (Leptonycteris nivalis) on right Credit: painting by Wendy Smith from Kays and Wilson's Mammals of North America, Princeton University Press (2002)
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Southern Longnosed Bat (Leptonycteris yerbabuenae (Leptonycteris curasoae))

ORDER: Chiroptera FAMILY: Phyllostomidae Conservation Status: Vulnerable. The southern longnosed bat is associated with arid grassland, scrub land, and tropical dry forest. Its daytime roosts include caves and abandoned mines, where upwards of 10,000 bats sometimes congregate. They are good longdistance fliers: some commute 30 km a night from their roosts to the places where they feed on nectar and pollen. North American populations of this bat migrate each year from the southwestern United States to northern and central Mexico, following the flowering season of nectaring plants such as agaves. The bats also feed on the flowers of silk trees, saguaro, and organpipe cactus, and even show up at hummingbird feeders. One individual may visit as many as 100 cacti each night. Southern longnosed bats are the only pollinators of some plant species. Also known as: Sanborn's Longnosed Bat, Little Longnosed Bat, Lesser Longnosed Bat Sexual Dimorphism: None Length: Average: 81 mm Range: 7585 mm Weight: Range: 1525 g
Leptonycteris yerbabuenae also known as L. curasoae Credit: painting by Wendy Smith from Kays and Wilson's Mammals of North America, Princeton University Press (2002)
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Big Brown Bat (Eptesicus fuscus)

ORDER: Chiroptera FAMILY: Vespertilionidae Big brown bats make their homes in rural areas, towns, and cities, sometimes choosing barns, houses, or other buildings as roosts. Males usually live alone; females gather in maternity colonies in the spring and summer to give birth and raise their young. A maternity colony may include 20 75 adults and their offspring. Females in the eastern United States usually give birth to twins; those in the West usually have a single pup each year. Females may return to the same colony year after year. On warm, dry evenings, the bats leave the roost shortly after sunset to forage for insectsespecially flying beetleswhich they catch and eat in the air. When the weather is cold or wet, they may stay in the roost, dropping their body temperature and living on stored fat. In the winter, they hibernate. Many migrate a short distance (less than 80 km) to find mines or caves for hibernation, but some spend the winter in attics or walls where the temperature is cool but stays above freezing. Also known as: Brown Bat Sexual Dimorphism: Females are larger than males. Length: Average: 112 mm Range: 87138 mm Weight: Average: 16 g Range: 1123 g
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Hoary Bat (Lasiurus cinereus)

ORDER: Chiroptera FAMILY: Vespertilionidae Hoary bats are found from northern Canada all the way to Guatemala, and also in South America and Hawaii. They are solitary and roost in trees. Their frosted, or hoary, look comes from a tinge of white over their grayishbrown fur. Their flight is distinctively fast and direct and can be used as an identifying trait. Hoary bats eat moths, beetles, grasshoppers, wasps, and dragonflies. Sexual Dimorphism: Females are larger than males. Length: Average: 80.5 mm males; 83.6 mm females Range: 7787 mm Weight: Range: 2035 g
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Southern Yellow Bat (Lasiurus ega)

ORDER: Chiroptera FAMILY: Vespertilionidae A strong flier with yellowish fur, the southern yellow bat is a lowland species, adapted to both dry and wet habitats. It roosts in trees, particularly palms. These bats are often seen hunting over water, including over swimming pools. Very few species of bats have more than one or two young at a time, and most have just two nipples, but some bats in the genus Lasiurus have four nipples and can have triplets or quadruplets. Southern yellow bats most often have triplets. The young bats nurse for about two months before they are able to fly and forage for themselves.
Lasiurus ega inset shows white hairs on underside of wing
Also known as: Western Yellow Bat, Tropical Yellow Bat Sexual Dimorphism: Females are larger than males. Length: Average: 115.1 mm Range: 102118 mm Weight: Average: 11.9 g Range: 1014 g
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Northern Yellow Bat (Lasiurus intermedius)

ORDER: Chiroptera FAMILY: Vespertilionidae Clumps of Spanish moss make good daytime roosting places for northern yellow bats. Small groups of males or slightly larger groups of females are often found roosting together in forested areas near a permanent source of water. They are seldom found roosting in houses or other manmade structures. They feed over open spaces: they are seen over golf courses, beaches, and along the edges of ponds, hunting for mosquitoes, flies, and other insect prey. Barn owls are known to prey on them. Unlike most other Lasiurus bats, they have only two nipples, and if a female gives birth to more than two offspring, usually only two survive. Young are born in May or June and are flying by June or July. Also known as: Eastern Yellow Bat, Florida Yellow Bat, Greater Yellow Bat, Big Yellow Bat Sexual Dimorphism: Females are larger than males. Length: Range: 121131.5 mm Weight: Average: 17 g Range: 1420 g
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California Myotis (Myotis californicus)

ORDER: Chiroptera FAMILY: Vespertilionidae California myotis are found in deserts and arid basins. They drink at small waterholes, and when they forage, they fly low and slow over water and other open areas, and at forest edges. Many California myotis are active in winter, but some that live at higher elevations or farther north hibernate. Mating usually occurs in the fall, and sperm is stored in the female's uterus until spring, when ovulation and fertilization occur. A single pup is born in June or July, when food is plentiful. The young develop rapidly and can fly in about a month. Also known as: California Bat Sexual Dimorphism: Females are larger than males. Length: Range: 7094 mm Weight: Range: 3.35.4 g
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Cave Myotis (Myotis velifer)

ORDER: Chiroptera FAMILY: Vespertilionidae The cave myotis, one of the larger myotis species, has a stubbynosed appearance. The ears reach only to the end of the short nose when bent forward. Typical of North American bats, cave myotis feed on insects, especially moths and beetles. They breed seasonally, giving birth to a single offspring of about 3 g, or 25 percent or more the weight of the mother. The young are flying and foraging for insects when they are about a month old, but nurse for about six weeks. A nursing bat hangs upside down next to its mother, nestled in her wing, sometimes hanging onto the roost with one foot and its mother with the other; the female has a nipple under each arm, near her armpits. Sexual Dimorphism: Females have longer forearms than males. Length: Average: 56.7 mm Range: 44.255 mm Weight: Average: 12 g Range: 914 g
Myotis velifer inset shows darker variation Credit: painting by Wendy Smith from Kays and Wilson's Mammals of North America, Princeton University Press (2002)
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Longlegged Myotis (Myotis volans)

ORDER: Chiroptera FAMILY: Vespertilionidae Longlegged myotis typically occupy mountainous or relatively rugged areas. They often live in coniferous forest, although they are sometimes found in oak or streamside woodlands, and even deserts. They feed mostly on moths, but are opportunistic, eating whatever softbodied insects are most abundant. When several longlegged myotis are feeding in the same area, and two bats seem to be on a collision course, they alter their echolocation calls, adding a lowerfrequency "honk." Also known as: Hairywinged Myotis Length: Range: 76106 mm Weight: Average: 7.5 g Range: 510 g
Myotis volans ssp. interior Credit: painting by Wendy Smith from Kays and Wilson's Mammals of North America, Princeton University Press (2002)
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Eastern Pipistrelle (Pipistrellus subflavus)

ORDER: Chiroptera FAMILY: Vespertilionidae Not as small as its western cousin, the eastern pipistrelle weighs in at 6 to10 g and is comparable in size to many bats in the family Vespertilionidae. Eastern pipistrelles are stronger fliers than western pipistrelles, and some migrate several hundred miles in late summer and early fall, to the caves where they hibernate. Like their cousins, female eastern pipistrelles give birth to twins. The neonates are hairless, but develop rapidly and are able to fly when they are two to three weeks old. Males have been known to live to 15 years of age; the maximum recorded longevity for females is 10 years.
Pipistrellus subflavus inset shows tricolored hair
Also known as: Pipistrelle Sexual Dimorphism: Females are larger than males. Length: Range: 7590 mm Weight: Range: 601 g
32
Virginia Opossum (Didelphis virginiana)

ORDER: Didelphimorphia FAMILY: Didelphidae The Virginia opossum, the only marsupial found north of Mexico, is an adaptable omnivore at home on the ground and in the trees. Opossums prefer forested habitats, but they are quite successful even in urban areas. They are active at night, yearround: in freezing weather, an unlucky opossum can lose its eartips and the end of its tail to frostbite. Like all marsupials, opossums give birth to tiny, undeveloped young. The embryos develop in the mother's womb for less than two weeks, then the newborn opossums crawl from the birth canal to the mother's pouch, where they fasten tight to a nipple. They stay there, attached to the nipple, for 55 or 60 days. A female opossum usually has 13 nipples, and litters are usually smaller than that, but a baby that cannot attach to a nipple dies. After about 60 days the young opossums leave the pouch, but they stay close to their mothersometimes riding on her back when they are out at nightand nurse for another month or more. Also known as: Opossums, Possum Sexual Dimorphism: Males are slightly larger and much heavier than females, with larger canine teeth. Length: Average: 740 mm Range: 350940 mm Weight: Range: 0.86.4 kg males, 0.33.7 kg females
Credit: painting by Todd Zalewski from Kays and Wilson's Mammals of North America, Princeton University Press (2002)
33
Least Shrew (Cryptotis parva)

ORDER: Insectivora FAMILY: Soricidae Least Shrews have a repertoire of tiny calls, audible to human ears up to a distance of only 20 inches or so. Nests are of leaves or grasses in some hidden place, such as on the ground under a cabbage palm leaf or in brush. Weighing in at only a few grams, this shrew is remarkably adaptable, as its extensive north to south distribution attests. From southern New England to northern Panama, the Least Shrew inhabits grassy fields, marshes, and woodland habitats. Also known as: Small Shorttailed Shrew, Little Shorttailed Shrew, Bee Shrew Sexual Dimorphism: None Length: Average: 75 mm Range: 6189 mm Weight: Range: 310 g
Cryptotis parva summer Credit: painting by Nancy Halliday from Kays and Wilson's Mammals of North America, Princeton University Press (2002)
34
Vagrant Shrew (Sorex vagrans)

ORDER: Insectivora FAMILY: Soricidae Vagrant Shrews live in moist habitats throughout their range. They are common in lakeside or streamside communities of sedges, grasses, and willows, and in coastal salt marshes. Like some other shrews, Vagrant Shrews emit highfrequency vocalizationsa kind of echolocationthat they use to orient themselves. Unlike some shrews, Vagrant Shrews do not posses toxic saliva. Vagrant Shrews have regular fluctuations in body weight, reaching a weight of about 5 6 g at one month of age, then dropping to 4 5 g until late winter, when they gain about 3 g and are ready to breed. The young are born in the spring, in round nests made of plant materials. At birth, they weigh only about half a gram. Also known as: Wandering Shrew Sexual Dimorphism: None Length: Average: 107 mm Range: 100115 mm Weight: Range: 38 g
Credit: painting by Nancy Halliday from Kays and Wilson's Mammals of North America, Princeton University Press (2002)
35
Eastern Cottontail (Sylvilagus floridanus)

ORDER: Lagomorpha FAMILY: Leporidae Eastern Cottontails share habitats with seven other cottontails and six species of hares. They have been transplanted to areas outside their historically widespread range, which included swamps, prairies, woodlands, and forests. They have two ways of escaping danger: a zigzag dash or a slink, in which they creep along, low to the ground, with their ears back. Eastern Cottontails are among the most prolific lagomorphs. Females can have seven litters a year, producing as many as 35 young. Litters, usually of 3, are born in a furlined nest of dried grasses and leaves. Also known as: Florida Cottontail Sexual Dimorphism: Females are larger than males. Length: Average: 430 mm Range: 395477 mm Weight: Range: 8011,533 g
Credit: painting by Ron Klinger from Kays and Wilson's Mammals of North America, Princeton University Press (2002)
36
Mexican Spiny Pocket Mouse (Liomys irroratus)

ORDER: Rodentia FAMILY: Heteromyidae The Mexican Spiny Pocket Mouse occurs in central and northeastern Mexico and the extreme south of Texas. It inhabits a variety of semiarid brushy or rocky habitats, and is common where it lives. The "pockets" of the pocket Mouse are furlined cheek pouches, where seeds are carried from the foraging area to the burrow. Mexican Spiny Pocket Mice are grayishbrown, with white underparts. On the back, a mixture of stiff spiny hairs and soft ones gives the animal a somewhat coarse appearance. These Mice are nocturnal and are active yearround. Sexual Dimorphism: Males are larger than females. Length: Average: 238 mm males; 226 mm females Range: 216262 mm males; 207251 mm females Weight: Range: 4060 g males; 3550 g females
Credit: painting by Elizabeth McClelland from Kays and Wilson's Mammals of North America, Princeton University Press (2002)
37
Silky Pocket Mouse (Perognathus flavus)

ORDER: Rodentia FAMILY: Heteromyidae Conservation Status: The subspecies P. flavus goodpasteri (Goodpaster's silky pocket mouse) is Near Threatened. The smallest Perognathus species of all, the Silky Pocket Mouse is among the smallest rodents in North America. These Mice are most active on cool, humid nights, typically foraging for fallen seeds by sifting sand with their tiny forepaws. Sometimes they climb the stems of grasses to harvest seeds that have not yet fallen. They carry nesting materials and seeds back to the burrow in their furlined cheek pouches, and store seeds within the burrow. The Mice do not hibernate in winter, but remain active within their burrows, fueled by a cache of seeds. Silky Pocket Mice have not often reproduced in captivity, so knowledge about their reproductive habits is somewhat sketchy. They are known to have one or two litters a year, depending on climate and food availability. Two to six young are born in a litter, after a gestation of about four weeks. Also known as: Baird's Pocket Mouse Sexual Dimorphism: None Length: Average: 113 mm Range: 100130 mm Weight: Range: 510 g
Perognathus flavus indistinguishable visually from P. merriami; differentiated by territory Credit: painting by Elizabeth McClelland from Kays and Wilson's Mammals of North America, Princeton University Press (2002)
38
Mexican Woodrat (Neotoma mexicana)

ORDER: Rodentia FAMILY: Muridae Mexican Woodrats inhabits rocky outcrops, cliffs, and slopes, primarily in montane regions from northern Colorado to Honduras. They eat a wide variety of leaves, seeds, and berries, and sometimes store large amounts of food. They are mediumsized, grayishbrown woodrats with white underparts, bushy tails, and gray throat hairs. Owls, foxes, coyotes, bobcats, weasels, and rattlesnakes all prey on them. Many Mexican Woodrat populations are separate from each other (disjunct), because patches of suitable habitat are separated from each other by terrain the Woodrat cannot cross. For example, Woodrats living on one mountaintop may remain isolated from Woodrats on another. Fossils of this species that are more than 10,000 years old have been found in Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, and Mexico. Also known as: Trade Rat, Packrat Length: Range: 290417 mm Weight: Range: 151253 g
Neotoma mexicana gray (upper) or rufous brown (lower) coat Credit: painting by Ron Klinger from Kays and Wilson's Mammals of North America, Princeton University Press (2002)
39
Coues's Rice Rat (Oryzomys couesi)

ORDER: Rodentia FAMILY: Muridae Couess rice rats prefer cattailbulrush marshes for habitat. Like the closely related Marsh rice rat, Couess is thought to be highly aquatic, active at night, and carnivorous. They are excellent climbers, and nest above the ground. Their nests are built either in cattails or in small trees. When they nest in cattails Couess rats only use the cattail leaf to build their nests. In trees, the rats use a mix of plant materials for the nest. They tend to breed during the nonwinter months, and may breed throughout the year when winter is mild. They usually have litters of five, after a gestation of about 25 days. The distribution of Couess rice rat in the United States limited to southern Texas along with their restricted habitat preference makes this species one of the rarest rodents in the United States. Also known as: Reasca Rice Rat Sexual Dimorphism: Males are larger than females. Length: Range: 390410 mm Weight: Range: 6771 g
Credit: painting by Ron Klinger from Kays and Wilson's Mammals of North America, Princeton University Press (2002)
40
Whitefooted Mouse (Peromyscus leucopus)

ORDER: Rodentia FAMILY: Muridae The Whitefooted Mouse has a very wide distribution. It is the most abundant rodent in mixed deciduous and coniferous forests in the eastern United States, and is probably equally abundant near farms. Its habitat preferences are very different in southern Mexico, however, as it prospers in semidesert vegetation. Whitefooted Mice are excellent swimmers, and so are able to colonize islands in lakes with relative ease. They are not agricultural pests, and they are important ecologically because owls, weasels, snakes, and many other predators eat them. Individuals may live several years in captivity, but an almost complete turnover occurs annually in wild populations. In some places they carry the tick that transmits Lyme disease. Also known as: Wood Mouse, Deermouse Length: Range: 150205 mm Weight: Range: 1525 g
41
Deermouse (Peromyscus maniculatus)

ORDER: Rodentia FAMILY: Muridae Conservation Status: Two subspecies (P. maniculatus anacapae, the Anacapa Deermouse, and P. maniculatus clementis, the San Clemente Deermouse) are Near Threatened. Deermice rarely leave their homes during the day, but feed opportunistically at night on whatever is available: seeds, nuts, fruit, berries, insects and other animal matter, and whatever they find tasty in houses. Deermice have the most extensive range of any North American rodent, and are found in almost every kind of habitat. They climb easily, tunnel through snow or scurry about on its surface, and find shelter everywhere from mattresses to tree cavities to burrows in the ground. Populations fluctuate in cycles of three to five years, sometimes correlated with the amount of food available. The Deermouse is important as a laboratory animal, and can be a factor in the spread of some human diseases, including hantavirus, plague, and Lyme disease. Also known as: Wood Mouse, Woodland Deermouse, Prairie Deermouse Length: Range: 120225 mm Weight: Range: 1030 g
42
Pinyon Mouse (Peromyscus truei)

ORDER: Rodentia FAMILY: Muridae Conservation Status: The subspecies P. truei comanche, the Palo Duro mouse, is Near Threatened. Pinyon Mice reproduce from midFebruary through midNovember, giving birth to litters of 36 blind, hairless young that weigh about 2.3 g each. The young have fur by the time they are two weeks old. At about 1621 days, their eyes open and their ears unfold. They nurse for 34 weeks; sometimes a female becomes pregnant while she is still nursing a litter. These Mice are common in arid and semiarid regions in the West, at elevations from sea level to more than 2,300 m. They are found most often among rocks where pinyon pine and juniper grow, but are not limited to this habitat. Also known as: Bigeared Cliff Mouse, Palo Duro Mouse Sexual Dimorphism: None Length: Average: 195 mm Range: 171231 mm Weight: Range: 1550 g
Peromyscus truei color variations: yellowishbrown (left) and grayishbrown (right) Credit: painting by Wendy Smith from Kays and Wilson's Mammals of North America, Princeton University Press (2002)
43
Fulvous Harvest Mouse (Reithrodontomys fulvescens)

ORDER: Rodentia FAMILY: Muridae The fulvous Harvest Mouse is a nocturnal species that lives in grassy fields where there are shrubs. These Mice are good climbers, and build baseballsized nests up off the ground, in vegetation. Winter nests are sturdier than summer nests. When a nest is occupiedoften by two Micethe one or two entrances are plugged. Fulvous Harvest Mice eat invertebrates when they are available, during the spring and summer, and switch to seeds in fall and winter. Along the Texas coast, where invertebrates are available yearround, they are the dominant item in the diet. Males and females seem to travel together, which suggests they may pairbond in monogamous relationships, a rarity for mammals. These Mice live for about a year, and seldom longer than 14 months. Sexual Dimorphism: Males are larger than females. Length: Range: 134189 mm Weight: Range: 6.525 g
44
Western Harvest Mouse (Reithrodontomys megalotis)

ORDER: Rodentia FAMILY: Muridae Western Harvest Mouse are adaptable, widespread, and abundant, especially in meadows, prairies, old pastures, stream valleys, and marshes. They eat seeds, insects, and plants. They rarely live for more than a year, but under optimal conditions, a female can produce more than 50 young in her lifetime. Their nests are built of plant material, usually on the ground, but sometimes in burrows or in vegetation slightly above the ground. Each mouse may have several nests, which it uses at different times. The Mice are nonterritorial and show a great deal of tolerance for one another, even huddling together when it is cold. Such intimate contact carries risks: they are afflicted with many parasites, including protozoans, worms, fleas, chiggers, mites, and lice. They are a vector for a hantavirus that can cause acute respiratory illness and hemorrhagic fever in humans. Also known as: Longtailed Harvest Mouse, Desert Harvest Mouse, Dusky Harvest Mouse Sexual Dimorphism: None Length: Average: 140 mm Range: 118170 mm Weight: Range: 815 g
45
Hispid Cotton Rat (Sigmodon hispidus)

ORDER: Rodentia FAMILY: Muridae Conservation Status: Two subspecies, S. hispidus eremicus and S. hispidus insulicola, are Near Threatened. The Hispid Cotton Rat's fur is sprinkled or streaked with blackish or dark brownish and grayish hairs. The Rats molt, losing and getting a new coat, three times in three months as they move through juvenile and subadult stages and into adulthood. Hispid Cotton Rats inhabit tall, dense grasses that protect them from birds of prey. Their range has recently expanded northward into central Virginia, Kentucky, northern Missouri, southern Nebraska, and northern New Mexico, and westward into western Colorado and the Imperial Valley of California. Where their range and the ranges of Prairie Voles and Pygmy Mice now overlap, the Hispid Cotton Rat appears to be competitively excluding these species. Sexual Dimorphism: Males are larger than females. Length: Range: 224365 mm Weight: Range: 110225 g males; 100200 g females
Sigmodon hispidus upper right (with S. ochrognathus) Credit: painting by Todd Zalewski from Kays and Wilson's Mammals of North America, Princeton University Press (2002)
46
Southern Flying Squirrel (Glaucomys volans)

ORDER: Rodentia FAMILY: Sciuridae Most of the Southern Flying Squirrel's range is east of the Mississippi River, but it occurs west of the river in central Texas, and as far south as Honduras, in Central America. Like the Northern Flying Squirrel, it has a gliding membrane (patagium) and a flattened tail. Flying squirrels are nocturnal and are much smaller than most tree squirrels, which are diurnal. Although primarily associated with hardwoods, especially oaks and hickories, Southern Flying Squirrels inhabit forests of diverse types, and even live in cities and suburbs. A natural cavity or old woodpecker hole in a live or dead tree is the typical nest site. Where the ranges of the two species of flying squirrels overlap, it appears the Southern Flying Squirrel may outcompete its larger relative. Also known as: Eastern Flying Squirrel Length: Average: 231 mm Range: 198255 mm Weight: Average: 70 g Range: 4685 g
Glaucomys volans left (with G. sabrinus); G. volans' belly hairs are white at base and tip Credit: painting by Todd Zalewski from Kays and Wilson's Mammals of North America, Princeton University Press (2002)
47
Ninebanded Armadillo (Dasypus novemcinctus)

ORDER: Xenarthra FAMILY: Dasypodidae The tanklike Ninebanded Armadillo's range has greatly expanded northward in the last 100 years. In the mid1800s it was found only as far north as southern Texas; by the 1970s it lived in Oklahoma, Kansas, Missouri and Tennessee; now its also on the East Coast. Armadillos are typically active at night or twilight. They shuffle along slowly, using their sense of smell to find foodmostly insects, and occasionally worms, snails, eggs, amphibians, and berries. They root and dig with their nose and powerful forefeet to unearth insects or build a burrow. They always give birth to identical, samesex quadruplets that develop from a single fertilized egg. Only two mammals are known to get a disease called leprosy: humans and armadillos. This has made armadillos important in medical research. Also known as: Longnosed Armadillo Sexual Dimorphism: Males are heavier than females. Length: Range: 615800 mm Weight: Range: 5.57.7 kg males, 3.66 kg females
Credit: painting by Todd Zalewski from Kays and Wilson's Mammals of North America, Princeton University Press (2002)
48

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FIELD GUIDE TO NORTH AMERICAN MAMMALS for Latitude: 20 North Longitude: 97 30' West Puebla, Mexico

Whitetailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus)

Collared Peccary (Pecari tajacu)

Coyote (Canis latrans)

Common Gray Fox (Urocyon cinereoargenteus)

Ocelot (Leopardus pardalis)

Margay (Leopardus weidii)

Cougar (Puma concolor)

Jaguarundi (Puma yaguarondi (Herpailurus yaguarondi))

North American Hognosed Skunk (Conepatus leuconotus)

Hooded Skunk (Mephitis macroura)

Longtailed Weasel (Mustela frenata)

Ringtail (Bassariscus astutus)

Whitenosed Coati (Nasua narica)

Northern Raccoon (Procyon lotor)

Wagner's Mastiff Bat (Eumops glaucinus)

Pallas's Mastiff Bat (Molossus molossus)

Big Freetailed Bat (Nyctinomops macrotis)

Brazilian Freetailed Bat (Tadarida brasiliensis)

Ghostfaced Bat (Mormoops megalophylla)

Mexican Longtongued Bat (Choeronycteris mexicana)

Hairylegged Vampire Bat (Diphylla ecaudata)

Mexican Longnosed Bat (Leptonycteris nivalis)

Southern Longnosed Bat (Leptonycteris yerbabuenae (Leptonycteris curasoae))

Big Brown Bat (Eptesicus fuscus)

Hoary Bat (Lasiurus cinereus)

Southern Yellow Bat (Lasiurus ega)

Northern Yellow Bat (Lasiurus intermedius)

California Myotis (Myotis californicus)

Cave Myotis (Myotis velifer)

Longlegged Myotis (Myotis volans)

Eastern Pipistrelle (Pipistrellus subflavus)

Virginia Opossum (Didelphis virginiana)

Least Shrew (Cryptotis parva)

Vagrant Shrew (Sorex vagrans)

Eastern Cottontail (Sylvilagus floridanus)

Mexican Spiny Pocket Mouse (Liomys irroratus)

Silky Pocket Mouse (Perognathus flavus)

Mexican Woodrat (Neotoma mexicana)

Coues's Rice Rat (Oryzomys couesi)

Whitefooted Mouse (Peromyscus leucopus)

Deermouse (Peromyscus maniculatus)

Pinyon Mouse (Peromyscus truei)

Fulvous Harvest Mouse (Reithrodontomys fulvescens)

Western Harvest Mouse (Reithrodontomys megalotis)

Hispid Cotton Rat (Sigmodon hispidus)

Southern Flying Squirrel (Glaucomys volans)

Ninebanded Armadillo (Dasypus novemcinctus)

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