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Montana Mammals: Species List With Pictures

Last checked November 3, 2026 against official sources.

On this page
  1. Which mammals can hurt you
  2. All 115 mammals
  3. Lookalikes
  4. When they are active
  5. If you are bitten or stung
  6. What official sources say
  7. About this list
  8. Sources

This page lists 115 mammals: all from Montana Natural Heritage Program (Montana State Library) with Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks: Montana Field Guide's Montana Field Guide: Mammals. 1 is venomous by official accounts. 8 are nonnative.

Which mammals can hurt you

Official sources single out these mammals in Montana, in their own words:

All 115 mammals on the list

  • Northern Short-tailed Shrew Blarina brevicauda
  • American Badger Taxidea taxus
  • American Bison Bos bison
  • American Black Bear Ursus americanus
  • American Ermine Mustela richardsonii
  • American Mink Neogale vison
  • American Pika Ochotona princeps
  • Arctic Shrew Sorex arcticus
  • Big Brown Bat Eptesicus fuscus
  • Bighorn Sheep Ovis canadensis
  • Black-footed Ferret Mustela nigripes
  • Black-tailed Jackrabbit Lepus californicus
  • Black-tailed Prairie Dog Cynomys ludovicianus
  • Bobcat Lynx rufus
  • Brown Rat Rattus norvegicusNonnative
  • Bushy-tailed Woodrat Neotoma cinerea
  • California Myotis Myotis californicus
  • Canada Lynx Lynx canadensis
  • Columbia Plateau Pocket Mouse Perognathus parvus
  • Columbian Ground Squirrel Urocitellus columbianus
  • Common Muskrat Ondatra zibethicus
  • Coyote Canis latrans
  • Desert Cottontail Sylvilagus audubonii
  • Dwarf Shrew Sorex nanus
  • Eastern Cottontail Sylvilagus floridanus
  • Eastern Fox Squirrel Sciurus niger
  • Eastern Gray Squirrel Sciurus carolinensisNonnative
  • Eastern Red Bat Lasiurus borealis
  • Elk Cervus canadensis
  • European Rabbit Oryctolagus cuniculusNonnative
  • Feral Domestic Cat Felis catusNonnative
  • Feral Horse Equus caballusNonnative
  • Fisher Pekania pennanti
  • Fringed Myotis Myotis thysanodes
  • Golden-mantled Ground Squirrel Callospermophilus lateralis
  • Gray Wolf Canis lupus
  • Grizzly Bear Ursus arctos
  • Hispid Pocket Mouse Chaetodipus hispidus
  • Hoary Marmot Marmota caligata
  • House Mouse Mus musculusNonnative
  • Idaho Pocket Gopher Thomomys idahoensis
  • Least Chipmunk Neotamias minimus
  • Least Weasel Mustela nivalis
  • Little Brown Myotis Myotis lucifugus
  • Long-eared Myotis Myotis evotis
  • Long-legged Myotis Myotis volans
  • Long-tailed Vole Microtus longicaudus
  • Long-tailed Weasel Neogale frenata
  • Marten Martes americana
  • Masked Shrew Sorex cinereus
  • Meadow Jumping Mouse Zapus hudsonius
  • Meadow Vole Microtus pennsylvanicus
  • Merriam's Shrew Sorex merriami
  • Montane Vole Microtus montanus
  • Moose Alces alces
  • Mountain Cottontail Sylvilagus nuttallii
  • Mountain Goat Oreamnos americanus
  • Mountain Lion Puma concolor
  • Mule Deer Odocoileus hemionus
  • North American Beaver Castor canadensis
  • North American Deermouse Peromyscus maniculatus
  • North American Porcupine Erethizon dorsatum
  • North American Water Vole Microtus richardsoni
  • Northern Bog Lemming Synaptomys borealis
  • Northern Flying Squirrel Glaucomys sabrinus
  • Northern Grasshopper Mouse Onychomys leucogaster
  • Northern Hoary Bat Lasiurus cinereus
  • Northern Montane Shrew Sorex obscurus
  • Northern Myotis Myotis septentrionalis
  • Northern Pocket Gopher Thomomys talpoides
  • Northern River Otter Lontra canadensis
  • Northwestern Jumping Mouse Zapus saltator
  • Olive-backed Pocket Mouse Perognathus fasciatus
  • Ord's Kangaroo Rat Dipodomys ordii
  • Pallid Bat Antrozous pallidus
  • Prairie Shrew Sorex haydeni
  • Prairie Vole Microtus ochrogaster
  • Preble's Shrew Sorex preblei
  • Pronghorn Antilocapra americana
  • Pygmy Rabbit Sylvilagus idahoensis
  • Raccoon Procyon lotor
  • Red Fox Vulpes vulpes
  • Red Squirrel Tamiasciurus hudsonicus
  • Red-tailed Chipmunk Neotamias ruficaudus
  • Richardson's Ground Squirrel Urocitellus richardsonii
  • Sagebrush Vole Lemmiscus curtatus
  • Silver-haired Bat Lasionycteris noctivagans
  • Snowshoe Hare Lepus americanus
  • Southern Red-backed Vole Clethrionomys gapperi
  • Spotted Bat Euderma maculatum
  • Striped Skunk Mephitis mephitis
  • Swift Fox Vulpes velox
  • Thirteen-lined Ground Squirrel Ictidomys tridecemlineatus
  • Townsend's Big-eared Bat Corynorhinus townsendii
  • Uinta Chipmunk Neotamias umbrinus
  • Uinta Ground Squirrel Urocitellus armatus
  • Vagrant Shrew Sorex vagrans
  • Virginia Opossum Didelphis virginianaNonnative
  • Western Harvest Mouse Reithrodontomys megalotis
  • Western Heather Vole Phenacomys intermedius
  • Western Pygmy Shrew Sorex eximius
  • Western Small-footed Myotis Myotis ciliolabrum
  • Western Spotted Skunk Spilogale gracilis
  • Western Water Shrew Sorex navigator
  • White-footed Deermouse Peromyscus leucopus
  • White-tailed Deer Odocoileus virginianus
  • White-tailed Jackrabbit Lepus townsendii
  • White-tailed Prairie Dog Cynomys leucurus
  • Wild Boar Sus scrofaNonnative
  • Wolverine Gulo gulo
  • Woodland Caribou Rangifer tarandus caribou
  • Wyoming Ground Squirrel Urocitellus elegans
  • Yellow-bellied Marmot Marmota flaviventris
  • Yellow-pine Chipmunk Neotamias amoenus
  • Yuma Myotis Myotis yumanensis

Mammals people confuse

Coyote or Gray wolf?

Coyote
Photo: Gaurav Vaidya from Chapel Hill, USA · CC BY 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Coyote Not stated

Gray wolf
Photo: Robbie Hannawacker · CC0 1.0 · iNaturalist

Gray wolf Not stated

NY DEC: gray wolves are much larger (females typically 50-100 lb, males 70-145 lb, 5-6 ft nose to tail, 27-33 in at the shoulder); eastern coyotes rarely exceed 50 lb and generally stand under 2 ft at the shoulder. Wolves have small rounded ears and a short blocky snout; coyotes have larger, more pointed ears (can look rounded in winter coat) and a long, narrow, pointed snout. Coyote tracks are typically 3 x 2 in, wolf tracks about 5 x 4 in. NY DEC says most wolf reports in New York were coyotes, dogs or wolf-dog hybrids.

Bobcat or Mountain lion (cougar)?

Bobcat
Photo: National Marine Sanctuaries · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons

Bobcat Not stated

Mountain lion (cougar)
Photo: Jeff Bartlett · CC BY 4.0 · iNaturalist

Mountain lion (cougar) Not stated

Cougars are one color (yellow-brown to light cinnamon) with a long tail. The bobcat's tail is short and its coat is spotted. TWRA says cougars are many times larger and longer, with a very long tail.

Bobcat or Canada lynx?

Bobcat
Photo: National Marine Sanctuaries · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons

Bobcat Not stated

Canada lynx
Photo: Norma Malinowski · CC BY 4.0 · iNaturalist

Canada lynx Not stated

A lynx has longer ear tufts and large, fur-covered feet (3.5 to 4.5 inches wide). A bobcat's feet are small and hairless (up to 2.5 inches). A lynx's tail has a black tip and no white underneath; a bobcat's tail is white underneath. Do not use the tail tip alone, because agencies describe the bobcat's tip differently (New Mexico white, Arizona black).

Bobcat or Domestic cat?

Bobcat
Photo: National Marine Sanctuaries · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons

Bobcat Not stated

Domestic cat
Photo: Sawyer Baran · CC BY 4.0 · iNaturalist

Domestic cat Not stated

TWRA says the domestic cat is smaller, usually has a longer tail and is not spotted with black. NCWRC says a bobcat is about twice as large, and South Carolina DNR says its legs are longer. Tracks of young bobcats are easily confused with house cat tracks (Missouri).

American Black Bear or Grizzly (Brown) Bear?

American Black Bear
Photo: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service - Midwest Region · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons

American Black Bear Not stated

Grizzly (Brown) Bear
Photo: Romain Boisseau · CC BY-SA 4.0 · iNaturalist · resized

Grizzly (Brown) Bear Not stated

Grizzlies have longer front claws, humped shoulders and a more concave face. Color does not settle it: brown bears can be black to blonde.

Photos show typical adults; individuals vary. Never get close to compare.

When mammals are active in Montana

Records of mammals in Montana peak in June to September. They show when people record mammals, not how many there are (about month bars).

3,053 records of mammals in Montana by month (GBIF, CC0 and CC BY records).

If you are bitten or stung

Call 911 or Poison Help at 1-800-222-1222 right away. Poison Help connects you to your local poison center, any time of day.

Official advice from Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks and Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services:

What official sources say

Are there grizzly bears in Montana?

Yes. Mostly in western Montana, increasingly elsewhere, per FWP. Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks

“…grizzly bears reside mostly in western Montana but are increasingly roaming into areas where they have not occupied for decades.”

Are there mountain lions in Montana?

Yes. FWP says lions have regained much of their historical range except the open prairies. Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks

“…lions have regained much of their historical distribution in Montana, except on the open prairies.”

About this list

The species list comes from Montana Field Guide: Mammals (class Mammalia, family species lists) (Montana Natural Heritage Program (Montana State Library) with Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks: Montana Field Guide, Internet Archive captures 2025-05-24 to 2026-07-15, one per family page (each listed below)).

Venom labels come only from official sources and link to them; "Not stated" never means harmless. How labels work.

"Nonnative" and "Invasive" follow the wording of the source list. See invasive species in Montana.

Sources

  1. Contact Us. Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks. archived copy, captured October 19, 2026; checked November 3, 2026.
  2. Montana Field Guide: Mammals (family species lists). Montana Natural Heritage Program (Montana State Library) with Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks: Montana Field Guide. archived copy, captured May 24, 2025; checked November 3, 2026.
  3. Living with Mountain Lions. Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks. archived copy, captured September 9, 2026; checked November 3, 2026.
    Quoted passages (2)
    “Lions feeding on a kill are potentially dangerous and should never be approached.”
    “…lions have regained much of their historical distribution in Montana, except on the open prairies.”
  4. All About Bears. Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks. archived copy, captured May 14, 2026; checked November 3, 2026.
    Quoted passages (1)
    “Female grizzlies with cubs, or sows, are very defensive of their young.”
  5. Northern Short-tailed Shrew - Blarina brevicauda. Montana Natural Heritage Program (Montana State Library) with Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks: Montana Field Guide. archived copy, captured June 15, 2026; checked November 3, 2026.
    Quoted passages (1)
    “The saliva is poisonous (even to humans) and aids in capture of prey”
  6. Living with Bats. Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks. archived copy, captured February 3, 2026; checked November 3, 2026.
    Quoted passages (2)
    “Every bat bite or contact must be considered a potential exposure to rabies.”
    “Bats should never be touched with bare hands.”
  7. Rabies. Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services. archived copy, captured May 16, 2026; checked November 3, 2026.
    Quoted passages (2)
    “The vast majority of rabies cases reported each year occur in wild animals like raccoons, skunks, bats, and foxes.”
    “Contact your local healthcare provider or local health department”
  8. Be Bear Aware. Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks. archived copy, captured October 20, 2026; checked November 3, 2026.
    Quoted passages (1)
    “Carry bear spray in an easily-accessible location and learn how to use it.”
  9. Bears in Montana. Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks. archived copy, captured June 18, 2026; checked November 3, 2026.
    Quoted passages (1)
    “…grizzly bears reside mostly in western Montana but are increasingly roaming into areas where they have not occupied for decades.”
  10. GBIF.org occurrence records, human observations licensed CC0 1.0 or CC BY 4.0 only, accessed November 3, 2026. The datasets behind these counts are listed on our Sources page.