MAMMALS

A Hikers Guide to Mammals Found near the Sunrise Park Resort Area

Elk

The Rocky Mountain Elk’s (Cervus canadensis) adult body and horns are typically more robust, or larger, than that of the deer. Its light body contrasts with a dark-colored head and neck, and males have branched antlers with seasonal soft, velvet coating. Elks feed on grasses, twigs and lichen.

Photo by Joshua Parker, White Mountain Apache Tribe Arizona Game and Fish

Mule Deer Mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) have large ears relative to their head, and are typically smaller, or less robust, then elk. Like elk, however, they have hooves, a short tail and branched, seasonally velvet, antlers in males. Mule deer feed on grasses, twigs and lichen.© 2008 Aaron Willett ASDM Sonoran Desert Digital Library

Pronghorn AntelopePronghorn antelope (Antilocapra americana) have hooves and a short tail, like the deer and elk, but the males’ "horns" curve up with a single prong, or branch, and may be small or not present in females. Pronghorn feed on shrubs, grasses and other plant material.

© 2006 Paul Berquist ASDM Sonoran Desert Digital Library

Black BearBlack bears (Ursus americanus) are large in size and their color may range from brown to black. They have a stubby tail, large paws, and their food ranges widely in plant and animal material. © 2007 Rhonda Spencer/ ASDM Sonoran Desert Digital Library

Gray WolfMexican gray wolves (Canis lupus) exhibit a bushy tail, long limbs, slender body, pointed ears and elongated nose. These wolves can be distinguished from coyotes by their larger size and a higher tail. The Mexican gray wolf feeds on large and small animals and plant material.

Photo courtesy of National Park Service

CoyoteCoyotes (Canis latrans) also have a bushy tail, long limbs, slender body, pointed ears, and elongated nose but are smaller than the wolf and carry their tail lower. Coyotes eat large and small animals and plant material.

© 2009 Laura Stafford / ASDM Sonoran Desert Digital Library

Gray FoxGray foxes (Urocyon cinereoargenteus) have a bushy tail, long limbs, a slender body, pointed ears and an elongated nose. Their black-tipped tail can be a distinguishing characteristic. It is also smaller than the coyote and wolf, with red-brown fur down its sides. The gray fox feeds on small animals and plant material.

© 2007 Rhonda Spencer ASDM Sonoran Desert Digital Library

Douglas SquirrelDouglas squirrels (Tamiasciurus douglasii), with their bushy tails and reddish brown to orange belly, show more gray fur in the winter. Their ears are smaller than Abert's squirrel, and they primarily eat plant matter, especially cones from trees.

© 2003 Franco Folini courtesy of Wikimedia 

Abert’s SquirrelThe Abert's squirrel (Sciurus aberti) has a gray body with white belly, bushy tail and ear tufts in winter. These squirrels primarily eat plant matter, especially cones from trees.

Photo Courtesy of National Park Service

ChipmunkLeast chipmunks (Tamias minimus) have orange-colored bodies with five darks stripes on the back with white in between. They have a small, bushy tail, but not as bushy as a squirrel’s tail, and stripes on their face around the eyes. They primarily eat plant matter and insects but also feed on other small animals.

Photo courtesy of Phil Armitage from Wikimedia

Porcupine

Porcupines (Erethizon dorsatum) have brown to black colored bodies with "spines" on the fur—called quills. Porcupines have a small head and feed on plant matter.

© 2007 Paul Berquist / ASDM Sonoran Desert Digital Library

RaccoonThe raccoon’s (Procyon lotor) long tail with alternating black and light bands is a unique feature for species of its family. Raccoons have a mixed gray to brown/black body and black mask around the eyes to cheeks. They eat small animals and plant material.© 2006 Paul BerquistASDM Sonoran Desert Digital Library

BobcatThe bobcat (Lynx rufus) has a round face with short, flat muzzle (nose) and tufts on its ears and cheeks. Bobcats also have dark spots on their coats, short tails relative to their bodies and eat mainly small animals.

© 2007 Paul Berquist / ASDM Sonoran Desert Digital Library

Mountain Lion Mountain lions (Puma concolor) have round faces with short, flat muzzles (noses) and are larger than bobcats, with long tails and a solid color coat. They mainly eat large hoofed mammals, but also prey on small animals.

© 2009 Laura Stafford ASDM Sonoran Desert Digital Library

Credits

This is a partial guide of common mammals around Sunrise park Resort and White Mountain area, list provided by Arizona Game and Fish White Mountain Apache Tribe.

The University of Michigan Museum of Zoology, Animal Diversity Web site, and the Handbook to the orders and families of living mammals by T.E. Lawler (1979) aided in species description information.