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.
There are 227 mammal species listed, including 186 terrestrial and 42 marine.
Order: Didelphimorphia, Family: Didelphidae
One species of opossum occurs in California.
Common name | Scientific name | Status | Distribution |
---|---|---|---|
Virginia opossum | Didelphis virginiana | Common, Introduced, Harvest |
Statewide |
Order: Eulipotyphla, Family: Soricidae
Thirteen species of shrews occur in California.
Common name | Scientific name | Status | Distribution |
---|---|---|---|
Desert (or Crawford's gray) shrew | Notiosorex crawfordi | Southern deserts | |
Marsh shrew | Sorex bendirii | Northwest | |
Mount Lyell shrew | Sorex lyelli | Endemic, special concern | Central Sierra Nevada, high elevation |
Merriam's shrew | Sorex merriami | Great Basin | |
Montane shrew | Sorex monticolus | Sierra Nevada and San Bernardino ranges | |
Pacific shrew | Sorex pacificus | Northwest | |
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) | |
Ornate shrew | Sorex ornatus | 5 ssp. of special concern | Central and southwest |
Fog shrew | Sorex sonomae | Northwest | |
Inyo shrew | Sorex tenellus | East central | |
Trowbridge's shrew | Sorex trowbridgii | North outside Central Valley | |
Vagrant shrew | Sorex vagrans | 1 ssp. of special concern | North outside Central Valley |
Order: Eulipotyphla, Family: Talpidae
Five species of moles occur in California.
Order: Chiroptera, Family: Phyllostomidae
Four species of leaf-nosed bats occur in California.
Order: Chiroptera, Family: Vespertilionidae
Nineteen species of vesper bats occur in California.
Order: Chiroptera, Family: Molossidae
Four species of free-tailed bats occur in California.
Order: Lagomorpha Family: Ochotonidae
One species of pika occurs in California.
Order: Lagomorpha Family: Leporidae
Eight species of rabbits and hares occur in California.
Order: Rodentia Family: Aplodontiidae
One species of mountain beaver occurs in California.
Order: Rodentia Family: Sciuridae
Thirty 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
Five species of pocket gophers occur in California.
Order: Rodentia Family: Heteromyidae
Twenty-six species of pocket mice and kangaroo rats occur in California.
Subfamily Dipodomyinae (kangaroo rats and mice)
Subfamily Perognathinae (pocket mice)
Order: Rodentia Family: Cricetidae
Twenty-nine 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
Three species of Old World rats and mice occur in California.
Order: Rodentia Family: Dipodidae
Two species of jumping mice occur in California.
Order: Rodentia Family: Erethizontidae
One species of porcupine occurs in California.
Order: Cetacea Family: Eschrichtiidae
One species of gray whale occurs in California's waters.
Order: Cetacea Family: Balaenopteridae
Six 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
Twelve species of dolphins occur in California's waters.
Order: Cetacea Family: Phocoenidae
Two species of porpoises occur in California's waters.
Order: Cetacea Family: Kogiidae
Two species of small sperm whales occur in California's waters.
Order: Cetacea Family: Physeteridae
One species of sperm whale occur in California's waters.
Order: Cetacea Family: Ziphiidae
Seven species of beaked whales occur in California's waters.
Order: Carnivora Family: Canidae
Six species of canids occur in California.
Order: Carnivora Family: Ursidae
Two species of bears occurred in California. One was recently extirpated.
Order: Carnivora Family: Procyonidae
Two species of this nocturnal, omnivorous family occur in California.
Order: Carnivora Family: Mephitidae
Two species of skunks occur in California.
Order: Carnivora Family: Felidae
Four species of cats occurred in California. One was recently extirpated.
Order: Carnivora Family: Mustelidae
Order: Carnivora Family: Otariidae
Four species of eared seals occur in California.
Order: Carnivora Family: Phocidae
Four species of earless seals occur in California.
Order: Artiodactyla Family: Antilocapridae
One species of pronghorn occurs in California.
Order: Artiodactyla Family: Bovidae
Three species of bovid occur in California; one is introduced.
Order: Artiodactyla Family: Cervidae
Four species of deer and elk occur in California.
Order: Artiodactyla Family: Suidae
One species of pig occurs in 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.
There are 227 mammal species listed, including 186 terrestrial and 42 marine.
Order: Didelphimorphia, Family: Didelphidae
One species of opossum occurs in California.
Common name | Scientific name | Status | Distribution |
---|---|---|---|
Virginia opossum | Didelphis virginiana | Common, Introduced, Harvest |
Statewide |
Order: Eulipotyphla, Family: Soricidae
Thirteen species of shrews occur in California.
Common name | Scientific name | Status | Distribution |
---|---|---|---|
Desert (or Crawford's gray) shrew | Notiosorex crawfordi | Southern deserts | |
Marsh shrew | Sorex bendirii | Northwest | |
Mount Lyell shrew | Sorex lyelli | Endemic, special concern | Central Sierra Nevada, high elevation |
Merriam's shrew | Sorex merriami | Great Basin | |
Montane shrew | Sorex monticolus | Sierra Nevada and San Bernardino ranges | |
Pacific shrew | Sorex pacificus | Northwest | |
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) | |
Ornate shrew | Sorex ornatus | 5 ssp. of special concern | Central and southwest |
Fog shrew | Sorex sonomae | Northwest | |
Inyo shrew | Sorex tenellus | East central | |
Trowbridge's shrew | Sorex trowbridgii | North outside Central Valley | |
Vagrant shrew | Sorex vagrans | 1 ssp. of special concern | North outside Central Valley |
Order: Eulipotyphla, Family: Talpidae
Five species of moles occur in California.
Order: Chiroptera, Family: Phyllostomidae
Four species of leaf-nosed bats occur in California.
Order: Chiroptera, Family: Vespertilionidae
Nineteen species of vesper bats occur in California.
Order: Chiroptera, Family: Molossidae
Four species of free-tailed bats occur in California.
Order: Lagomorpha Family: Ochotonidae
One species of pika occurs in California.
Order: Lagomorpha Family: Leporidae
Eight species of rabbits and hares occur in California.
Order: Rodentia Family: Aplodontiidae
One species of mountain beaver occurs in California.
Order: Rodentia Family: Sciuridae
Thirty 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
Five species of pocket gophers occur in California.
Order: Rodentia Family: Heteromyidae
Twenty-six species of pocket mice and kangaroo rats occur in California.
Subfamily Dipodomyinae (kangaroo rats and mice)
Subfamily Perognathinae (pocket mice)
Order: Rodentia Family: Cricetidae
Twenty-nine 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
Three species of Old World rats and mice occur in California.
Order: Rodentia Family: Dipodidae
Two species of jumping mice occur in California.
Order: Rodentia Family: Erethizontidae
One species of porcupine occurs in California.
Order: Cetacea Family: Eschrichtiidae
One species of gray whale occurs in California's waters.
Order: Cetacea Family: Balaenopteridae
Six 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
Twelve species of dolphins occur in California's waters.
Order: Cetacea Family: Phocoenidae
Two species of porpoises occur in California's waters.
Order: Cetacea Family: Kogiidae
Two species of small sperm whales occur in California's waters.
Order: Cetacea Family: Physeteridae
One species of sperm whale occur in California's waters.
Order: Cetacea Family: Ziphiidae
Seven species of beaked whales occur in California's waters.
Order: Carnivora Family: Canidae
Six species of canids occur in California.
Order: Carnivora Family: Ursidae
Two species of bears occurred in California. One was recently extirpated.
Order: Carnivora Family: Procyonidae
Two species of this nocturnal, omnivorous family occur in California.
Order: Carnivora Family: Mephitidae
Two species of skunks occur in California.
Order: Carnivora Family: Felidae
Four species of cats occurred in California. One was recently extirpated.
Order: Carnivora Family: Mustelidae
Order: Carnivora Family: Otariidae
Four species of eared seals occur in California.
Order: Carnivora Family: Phocidae
Four species of earless seals occur in California.
Order: Artiodactyla Family: Antilocapridae
One species of pronghorn occurs in California.
Order: Artiodactyla Family: Bovidae
Three species of bovid occur in California; one is introduced.
Order: Artiodactyla Family: Cervidae
Four species of deer and elk occur in California.
Order: Artiodactyla Family: Suidae
One species of pig occurs in California.