Checklist of Mammals       

This checklist includes 42 species which currently occur within the Carrizo Plain National Monument. Also included are six species (indicated with a "?") which may occur in the Carrizo Plain National Monument, but have not yet been verified.

This checklist can best be used with a field guide to mammals that provides identification and natural history information. Species common and scientific names generally follow Revised Checklist of North American Mammals North of Mexico, 1986 (Jones et al. 1986).

The Carrizo Plain National Monument encompasses a variety of habitat types. The major habitat types include Juniper, Mixed Scrubland, Alkali Desert Scrub and Annual Grassland. The habitat classification used in this checklist is generally based on A Guide to Wildlife Habitats of California (Mayer and Laudenslayer 1988) and Preliminary Descriptions of the Terrestrial Natural Communities of California (Holland 1986).

 Non-native species  State or Federally listed species.
 

  

	Habitat	Occurrence
Rodents - ORDER Rodentia
Squirrels and Chipmunks - Family Sciuridae
Merriam's Chipmunk Tamias merriami	JUN/MSC	?
San Joaquin Antelope Squirrel  Ammospermophilus nelsoni	MSC/ASC/AGS	Common
California Ground Squirrel Spermophilus beecheyi	JUN/MSC/ASC/AGS	Common
Pocket Gophers - Family Geomyidae
Botta's Pocket Gopher Thomomys bottae	JUN/MSC/ASC/AGS	Common
Pocket Mice and Kangaroo Rats - Family Heteromyidae
San Joaquin Pocket Mouse Perognathus inornatus	MSC/ASC/AGS	Uncommon
Little Pocket Mouse Perognathus longimembris	MSC/ASC	Uncommon
California Pocket Mouse Chaetodipus californicus	MSC	Common
Heerman's Kangaroo Rat Dipodomys heermanni	MSC/ASC/AGS	Common
Giant Kangaroo Rat Dipodomys ingens	ASC/AGS	Common
Short-nosed Kangaroo Rat Dipodomys nitratoides brevinasus	ASC/AGS	Uncommon
New World Rats and Mice - Family Cricetidae
Western Harvest Mouse Reithrodontomys megalotis	JUN/MSC/AGS	Uncommon
Brush Mouse Peromyscus boylii	JUN/MSC	Uncommon
California Mouse Peromyscus californicus	MSC	Common
Canyon Mouse Peromyscus crinitus	JUN/MSC	Common
Deer Mouse Peromyscus maniculatus	MSC/ASC/AGS	Common
Pinon Mouse Peromyscus truei	JUN/MSC	Common
Southern Grasshopper Mouse Onychomys torridus	MSC/ASC/AGS	Common
Dusky-footed Woodrat Neotoma fuscipes	JUN/MSC	Common
Desert Woodrat Neotoma lepida	JUN/MSC	Common
California Vole Microtus californicus	MSC/AGS	Uncommon
Old World Rats and Mice - Family Muridae
House Mouse   Mus musculus	MSC/AGS	Uncommon

 Common Habitat Types of the Carrizo Plain National Monument

Juniper (JUN) - Includes Juniper Oak Cismontane Woodland (71430) and Cismontane Juniper Woodland and Scrub (72400)

A dense to open woodland characterized by scattered junipers, oaks, low shrubs, and non-native annual grasses. Higher elevations of the Temblor and Caliente Ranges.

Mixed Scrubland (MSC) - includes Upper Sonoran Subshrub Scrub (39000).

A low drought tolerant shrubland dominated by ephedra, golden bush and non-native annual grasses. Elkhorn Plain and lower elevations of the Caliente Range.

Alkali Desert Scrub (ASC) - includes Valley Sink Scrub (36210), Valley Saltbush Scrub (36220) and Interior Coast Range Saltbush Scrub (36320).

A low shrubland dominated by iodine bush or saltbush and non-native annual grasses. From the margins of Soda Lake to the foothills of the Temblor and Caliente Ranges.

Annual Grassland (AGS) - includes Non-native Grassland (42200).

Non-native annual grassland dominated by bromes, filaree and schismus. Found mainly in the central portion of the Carrizo Plain Natural Area.

Numbers in parentheses ( ) correspond to the element codes in  Holland 1986.

References

Holland, R.F. 1986. Preliminary descriptions of terrestrial natural communities of California. State of California, The Resources Agency, Department of Fish and Game. 156 pages.

Jones, J.K., Jr., D.C. Carter, H.H. Genoways, R.S. Hoffman, D.W. Rice and C. Jones. 1986. Revised checklist of North American mammanl north of Mexico, 1986. Occas. Pap. Mus. Texas Tech Univ. 107:1-22.

Mayer, K.E., and W.F. Laudenslayer, Jr., editors. 1988. A guide to wildlife habitats in California. State of California, The Resources Agency, California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. 166 pages.

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