Mammals of Nebraska

DIDELPHIMORPHIA

Didelphidae

Virginia opossum

Didelphis virginiana

common

statewide

3, 4(W), 630, 828(B), 829(B), 830(B)

40

nocturnal

INSECTIVORA

Soricidae

Northern short-tailed shrew

Blarina brevicauda

common

northeast1/2

20, 644(S)

261

venomous; larger than B. hylophaga

Elliot's short-tailed shrew

Blarina hylophaga

common

southern 1/4, north to panhandle

venomous; smaller than B. brevicauda

Least shrew

Cryptotis parva

common

eastern 1/2, southwest corner

957

43

active day and night

Hayden's shrew

Sorex haydeni

common

northern 4/5, south-central

some scientists classify as S. cinereus; may be found in drier habitats than most of its relatives

Pygmy shrew

Sorex hoyi

possible

northwest corner

33

smallest mammal in the world

Merriam's shrew

Sorex merriami

rare

northwest corner

2

only 1 specimen taken in Nebraska

Dwarf shrew

Sorex nanus

possible

northwest corner

131

restricted to alpine and subalpine habitats

Talpidae

Eastern mole

Scalopus aquaticus

common

statewide

647(C), 648(S)

105

fossorial

CHIROPTERA

Molossidae

Brazilian free-tailed bat

Tadarida brasiliensis

uncommon

eastern 4/5

331

tail not enclosed by membrane

Vespertilionidae

Big brown bat

Eptesicus fuscus

common

statewide

39(C), 223

356

active later than most hibernating species

Silver-haired bat

Lasionycteris noctivagans

common

statewide

658

172

roosts under bark and in hollow trees

Red bat

Lasiurus borealis

common

statewide

40, 655(C), 815(C)

183

broadest distribution of any new world bat; roosts in trees; interfemoral membrane heavily furred

Hoary bat

Lasiurus cinereus

common

statewide

41, 42, 656

185

roosts in trees; interfemoral membrane heavily furred

Western small-footed myotis

Myotis ciliolabrum

uncommon

western 3/5, northeast corner

547

occurs in rocky habitats

Little brown myotis

Myotis lucifugus

common

eastern 1/4

224, 225(G), 814(G)

142

frequents man-made structures

Northern myotis

Myotis septentrionalis

common

eastern 1/2, northwest corner

634

hibernates in caves and mines

Fringed myotis

Myotis thysanodes

rare

northwest corner

137

roosts in buildings, caves, and mines

Long-legged myotis

Myotis volans

uncommon

northwest corner

224

inhabits open forested lands

Evening bat

Nycticeius humeralis

uncommon

southeastern 1/4

232

23

frequents man-made structures

Eastern pipistrelle

Pipistrellus subflavus

common

southeast corner

38, 654(C)

228

males significantly outnumber females in hibernaculum

Townsend's big-eared bat

Plecotus townsendii

common

northwest corner

229(C)

175

hibernates in caves; cavernicolous

XENARTHRA

Dasypodidae

Nine-banded armadillo

Dasypus novemcinctus

rare

southern 1/10

53, 242

162

expanding its range northward

LAGOMORPHA

Leporidae

Black-tailed jackrabbit

Lepus californicus

common

statewide

60, 245(Y), 1347

530

presence is encouraged by heavy grazing

White-tailed jackrabbit

Lepus townsendii

uncommon

statewide (except southeast corner)

1189, 1349

288

does not do as well in cultivated areas as L. californicus

Desert cottontail

Sylvilagus audubonii

uncommon

western 2/5

59, 1188

106

moisture from food supplies needed water

Eastern cottontail

Sylvilagus floridanus

common

statewide

58, 953(Y)

136

restricted to riparian habitats

RODENTIA

Castoridae

Beaver

Castor canadensis

common

statewide

247(H), 248(H), 408, 409(H), 410(H), 1239, 1316(H), 1317(H)

120

largest rodent in North America

Dipodidae

Meadow jumping mouse

Zapus hudsonius

common-uncommon

eastern 1/4, northeastern 7/8

11

routinely leaps up to one meter

Erethizontidae

Porcupine

Erethizon dorsatum

uncommon

statewide

83, 870(Y)

29

barbed quills; prefer wooded and forested areas

Geomyidae

Plains pocket gopher

Geomys bursarius

common

statewide

690

highly fossorial; upper incisors are grooved

Northern pocket gopher

Thomomys talpoides

common

southwestern & northwestern panhandle

688, 689(A)

618

highly fossorial; upper incisors are smooth

Heteromyidae

Hispid pocket mouse

Chaetodipus  hispidus

uncommon

statewide

320

seldom venture above ground in winter (each seed cache)

Ord's kangaroo rat

Dipodomys ordii

common

western 4/5

560, 693(S), 1099, 1352

353

can live indefinitely without water

Olive-backed pocket mouse

Perognathus fasciatus

common

panhandle

303

prefers short-grass rangeland

Plains pocket mouse

Perognathus flavescens

common

statewide (except southeast & northwest corners)

694, 1337

525

prefers sandy soils with vegetative cover

Silky pocket mouse

Perognathus flavus

uncommon

western 1/3

562, 1182, 1338

471

least dependant on sand for dusting pelage (compared to other pocket mice)

Muridae

Prairie vole

Microtus ochrogaster

common

statewide

1160

355

inhabits tall-grass communities and upland habitats

Meadow vole

Microtus pennsylvanicus

common

northern 4/5 to south-central

70

159

inhabits moist meadows, marshes, and riparian habitat

Woodland vole

Microtus pinetorum

uncommon

southeast corner

147

semifossorial

House mouse

Mus musculus

common

statewide

92, 754

from Europe; frequently associated with man-made structures

Bushy-tailed woodrat

Neotoma cinerea

common

panhandle

1351

564

bushy tail looks similar to a squirrels tail

Eastern woodrat

Neotoma floridana

uncommon-common

southwest 1/4, north-central

1016

139

build large stick houses in rugged terrain

Muskrat

Ondatra zibethicus

common

statewide

1162, 1163(S)

141

requires body of water

Northern grasshopper mouse

Onychomys leucogaster

common-uncommon

statewide (except southeast corner)

253(C), 1017, 1169

87

behavior similar to canids

White-footed mouse

Peromyscus leucopus

uncommon

eastern 3/4, northern 1/8

73, 251(A), 1174

247

prefer habitats with three dimensional structure

Deer mouse

Peromyscus maniculatus

common

statewide

74, 1175

probably the most abundant vertebrate on the plains

Norway rat

Rattus norvegicus

introduced-common

statewide

755(W), 756(G), 757(B), 758

from Europe; possibly the most destructive of all mammals

Western harvest mouse

Reithrodontomys megalotis

common

western 11/12

1018

167

strictly nocturnal

Plains harvest mouse

Reithrodontomys montanus

uncommon-common

southeastern edge

257

does well in grazed rangeland

Hispid cotton rat

Sigmodon hispidus

uncommon

southeast corner

76, 1177

158

neotropical species extending its range northward

Southern bog lemming

Synaptomys cooperi

uncommon

eastern 1/2 (small pop. in southwest corner)

682

210

burrow just above the water table near body of water; good swimmer

Myocastoridae

Nutria

Myocastor coypus

accidental

1019

398

introduced animal has a round tail; may cause damage to agriculture and wildlife

Sciuridae

Black-tailed prairie dog

Cynomys ludovicianus

common

western 9/10

105

535

keep vegetation surrounding burrows shortly cropped

Southern flying squirrel

Glaucomys volans

uncommon

southeast corner

1021, 1022(B)

78

highly arboreal; nocturnal; great gliders

Woodchuck

Marmota monax

common

eastern 1/6

107

591

hibernate 4 to 6 months per year

Gray squirrel

Sciurus carolinensis

uncommon-common

southeast corner

94, 95(P)

480

prefers dense woodland

Fox squirrel

Sciurus niger

common

northern 1/5, eastern 1/2, southwest corner

96, 880

479

prefers open woodland

Wyoming ground squirrel

Spermophilus elegans

uncommon

southwest panhandle

99, 1341

214

enter hibernation when critical weight is reached (as early as July)

Franklin's ground squirrel

Spermophilus franklinii

uncommon-common

eastern 1/2, central

104

occurs in tall-grass prairie

Spotted ground squirrel

Spermophilus spilisoma

uncommon-common

western 1/2

101

prefer sandy soils

Thirteen-lined ground squirrel

Spermophilus tridecemlineatus

common

statewide

103, 573(C),

103

abundant along rights-of-way and roadsides

Least chipmunk

Tamias minimus

common

northwest corner

108

653

occurs in more varied habitats than most squirrels

Eastern chipmunk

Tamias striatus

uncommon

southeast corner

110, 259(AB)

168

does not occur in open country

CARNIVORA

Canidae

Coyote

Canis latrans

common

statewide

256(C), 1126, 1127, 1267

79

benefiting from agricultural development

Gray wolf

Canis lupus

extirpated

581, 1038(P), 1128

37

federally endangered; was once widespread in Nebraska

Gray fox

Urocyon cinereoargenteus

common

southern 1/2, eastern 1/2

584

189

frequently climbs trees

Swift fox

Vulpes velox

uncommon-common

western 4/5

269, 583(Y), 1208

122

most abundant on short-grass prairie

Red fox

Vulpes vulpes

uncommon-common

statewide

435(W), 436(Y), 582

537

may have been introduced

Felidae

Mountain lion

Felis concolor

extirpated

275, 276, 586(C)

200

possible

Lynx

Lynx lynx

unocmmon

northern 3/4

1046

269

prefers boreal and montane forests, but disperse onto plains during high population irruptions

Bobcat

Lynx rufus

uncommon

statewide

819, 1293

563

most abundant in areas with broken terrain which provides cover

Mustelidae

River otter

Lontra canadensis

uncommon

statewide

802(AC), 859(G)

586

play by sliding in mud, snow, wet grass, and ice

Striped skunk

Mephitis mephitis

common

statewide

280

173

commensal with man

Long-tailed weasel

Mustela frenata

common-uncommon

statewide

1348

570

males feed on mammals as large as snow shoe hares; females feed on mouse-sized rodents

Black-footed ferret

Mustela nigripes

extirpated

128

126

smallest weasel in Nebraska

Least weasel

Mustela nivalis

uncommon

eastern 2/3

440(Y), 1214, 1350

454

federally endangered

Mink

Mustela vison

uncommon

statewide

1129

608

inhabits areas near water

Eastern spotted skunk

Spilogale putorius

uncommon

statewide

511

prefers forest edge habitat

Badger

Taxidea taxus

common-uncommon

statewide

701(C), 702(A), 703(H)

26

feed on any small mammal easily obtained

Procyonidae

Raccoon

Procyon lotor

common

statewide

140, 709(S)

119

does not wash food

Ursidae

Black bear

Ursus americanus

extirpated

142(C), 1132

647

occur in forested areas

Grizzly bear

Ursus arctos

extirpated

455, 821(CB), 1008, 1271

439

feed primarily on carrion, fruits, fish, and burrowing mammals

ARTIODACTYLA

Antilocapridae

Pronghorn

Antilocapra americana

uncommon

northwestern 1/2, southwest corner

166(M), 717(M), 718(F), 823(B), 1310(A)

90

fastest land animal in North America

Bovidae

Bison

Bison bison

extirpated

167(M), 304(CM), 305(Y), 306(H), 719(W), 720, 1311(B), 1224, 1273, 1311(G)

266

important in shaping the plains

Mountain sheep

Ovis canadensis

extirpated

168(G), 169(G), 307(CM), 941(FM)

230

was once common in the foothills

Cervidae

American elk/Wapiti

Cervus elaphus

extirpated

189(W), 190(G), 318(Y), 809(FM), 863(M), 864(F), 1077(F), 1278

was once abundant along riparian habitat

Mule deer

Odocoileus hemionus

common

statewide (except southwest corner)

187(M), 475(Y), 476(F)

219

common in open country

White-tailed deer

Odocoileus virginianus

common

statewide

185(F), 186(A), 803(M), 1279, 1313

388

most common at forest edge