New Mexico Mammals: Species List With Pictures

Which mammals can hurt you

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

• 

  Black bear

  Attacks (rare). “If a black bear attacks, fight back aggressively using anything you can find.” New Mexico Department of Wildlife

• 

  Cougar (mountain lion)

  Attacks (rare). “A feeding cougar on its food cache is extremely dangerous and always should be avoided.” New Mexico Department of Wildlife

• 

  Coyote

  Large predator. “In New Mexico, cougars, black bears, bobcats and coyotes are found throughout the state.” New Mexico Department of Wildlife

• 

  Bobcat

  Large predator. “Attacks are rare, and each situation is different and will depend on the predator, the terrain and how the person(s) reacts.” New Mexico Department of Wildlife

• 

  Deer mouse

  Disease. “In New Mexico, deer mice and other similar mice carry hantavirus.” New Mexico Department of Health

• Squirrels, prairie dogs, mice, rabbits and hares

  Disease. “These bacteria live in certain rodents (e.g., squirrels, prairie dogs or mice) and other small mammals (e.g., rabbits or hares).” New Mexico Department of Health

• Raccoons, skunks, bats and foxes

  Disease. “The vast majority of rabies cases reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) each year occur in wild animals like raccoons, skunks, bats, and foxes.” New Mexico Department of Health

All 210 mammals on the list

• Abert's Squirrel Sciurus aberti aberti; chuscensis; ferreus
• Allen's Big-eared Bat Idionycteris phyllotis
• American Badger Taxidea taxus berlandieri
• American Beaver Castor canadensis
• American Bison Bos bison
• American Mink Neogale vison
• American Pika Ochotona princeps incana; saxatilis
• Apache Pocket Mouse Perognathus apache apache; caryi
• Apache Pocket Mouse Perognathus flavescens melanotis
• Arizona Black-tailed Prairie Dog Cynomys ludovicianus arizonensis
• Arizona Cotton Rat Sigmodon arizonae cienegae
• Arizona Gray Squirrel Sciurus arizonensis arizonensis
• Arizona Montane Vole Microtus montanus arizonensis
• Arizona Shrew Sorex arizonae
• Bailey's Pocket Mouse Chaetodipus baileyi baileyi
• Banner-tailed Kangaroo Rat Dipodomys spectabilis
• Barbary Sheep Ammotragus lervia
• Big Brown Bat Eptesicus fuscus pallidus; fuscus
• Big Free-tailed Bat Nyctinomops macrotis
• Black Bear Ursus americanus amblyceps
• Black Rat Rattus rattus
• Black-footed Ferret Mustela nigripes
• Black-tailed Jackrabbit Lepus californicus
• Black-tailed Prairie Dog Cynomys ludovicianus ludovicianus
• Bobcat Lynx rufus baileyi; texensis
• Botta's Pocket Gopher Thomomys bottae
• Brazilian Free-tailed Bat Tadarida brasiliensis mexicana
• Brush Mouse Peromyscus boylii rowleyi
• Burro Equus asinus
• Bushy-tailed Woodrat Neotoma cinerea
• Cactus Mouse Peromyscus eremicus anthonyi; eremicus
• California Leaf-nosed Bat Macrotus californicus
• California Myotis Myotis californicus
• Camp Verde Arizona Cotton Rat Sigmodon arizonae arizonae
• Canada Lynx Lynx canadensis
• Canyon Bat Parastrellus hesperus
• Canyon Mouse Peromyscus crinitus
• Cave Myotis Myotis velifer
• Chihuahua Grasshopper Mouse Onychomys arenicola
• Chihuahuan Pocket Mouse Chaetodipus eremicus
• Chihuahuan Pronghorn Antilocapra americana mexicana
• Cliff Chipmunk Neotamias dorsalis dorsalis
• Collared Peccary Dicotyles tajacu sonoriensis; angulatus
• Colorado Chipmunk Neotamias quadrivittatus quadrivittatus
• Common Gray Fox Urocyon cinereoargenteus scottii
• Common Hog-nosed Skunk Conepatus leuconotus
• Common Muskrat Ondatra zibethicus pallidus; osoyooensis; cinnamominus
• Common Porcupine Erethizon dorsatum
• Common Raccoon Procyon lotor
• Coues' White-tailed Deer Odocoileus virginianus couesi
• Coyote Canis latrans
• Crawford's Desert Shrew Notiosorex crawfordi
• Deer Mouse Peromyscus maniculatus
• Desert Bighorn Sheep (delisted pops) Ovis canadensis mexicana
• Desert Bighorn Sheep (hunted pops) Ovis canadensis mexicana
• Desert Cottontail Rabbit Sylvilagus audubonii
• Desert Pocket Gopher Geomys arenarius
• Desert Pocket Gopher Geomys arenarius brevirostris
• Desert Pocket Mouse Chaetodipus penicillatus
• Dusky Shrew Sorex monticola
• Dwarf Shrew Sorex nanus
• Eastern Cottontail Sylvilagus floridanus llanensis; chapmani
• Eastern Fox Squirrel Sciurus niger rufiventer; limitis
• Eastern Mole Scalopus aquaticus aereus
• Eastern Red Bat Lasiurus borealis
• Eastern Spotted Skunk Spilogale putorius
• Elk Cervus canadensis nelsoni
• Ermine Weasel Mustela richardsonii
• European Ferret Mustela putorius
• Evening Bat Nycticeius humeralis
• Feral Horse Equus caballus
• Feral Pig Sus scrofa
• Fringed Myotis Myotis thysanodes thysanodes
• Fulvous Harvest Mouse Reithrodontomys fulvescens
• Golden-mantled Ground Squirrel Callospermophilus lateralis
• Gray Wolf Canis lupus nubilus; youngi
• Gray-collared Chipmunk Neotamias cinereicollis
• Gray-footed Chipmunk Neotamias canipes
• Greater Western Mastiff Bat Eumops perotis californicus
• Grizzly Bear Ursus arctos
• Gunnison's prairie dog Cynomys gunnisoni
• Harris' Antelope Squirrel Ammospermophilus harrisii
• Heather Vole Phenacomys intermedius intermedius
• Himalayan Tahr Hemitragus jemlahicus
• Hispid Cotton Rat Sigmodon hispidus berlandieri; confinis; texianus
• Hispid Pocket Mouse Chaetodipus hispidus
• Hoary Bat Aeorestes cinereus cinereus
• Holzner's Cottontail Rabbit Sylvilagus holzneri holzneri; robustus
• Hooded Skunk Mephitis macroura milleri
• Hopi Chipmunk Neotamias rufus
• Hot Springs Cotton Rat Sigmodon fulviventer goldmani
• House Mouse Mus musculus
• Jaguar Panthera onca arizonensis
• Jones' Pocket Gopher Geomys knoxjonesi
• Kit Fox Vulpes macrotis
• Lacey's White-ankled Deermouse Peromyscus laceianus laceianus
• Least Chipmunk Neotamias minimus operarius; chuskaensis
• Least Shrew Cryptotis parvus
• Lesser Long-nosed Bat Leptonycteris yerbabuenae
• Little Brown Myotis Myotis lucifugus carissima
• Long-eared Myotis Myotis evotis evotis; chrysonotus
• Long-legged Myotis Myotis volans interior
• Long-tailed Vole Microtus longicaudus longicaudus; alticola; baileyi; mordax
• Long-tailed Weasel Neogale frenata
• Masked Shrew Sorex cinereus cinereus
• Meadow Vole Microtus pennsylvanicus modestus
• Merriam's Elk Cervus canadensis merriami
• Merriam's Kangaroo Rat Dipodomys merriami
• Merriam's Pocket Mouse Perognathus merriami
• Merriam's Shrew Sorex merriami
• Mexican Gray Wolf Canis lupus baileyi
• Mexican Long-nosed Bat Leptonycteris nivalis
• Mexican Long-tongued Bat Choeronycteris mexicana
• Mexican Woodrat Neotoma mexicana mexicana; inopinata; pinetorum; scopulorum
• Mogollon Vole Microtus mogollonensis guadalupensis; mogollonensis
• Montane Vole Microtus montanus fusus
• Moose Alces alces
• Mountain Cottontail Rabbit Sylvilagus nuttallii grangeri
• Mountain Lion Puma concolor
• Mule Deer Odocoileus hemionus
• Nelson's Pocket Mouse Chaetodipus nelsoni canescens
• New Mexico Banner-tailed Kangaroo Rat Dipodomys spectabilis baileyi
• New Mexico Jumping Mouse Zapus hudsonius luteus
• New Mexico Shrew Sorex monticola neomexicanus
• Nine-banded Armadillo Dasypus novemcinctus mexicanus
• North American River Otter Lontra canadensis
• Northern Flying Squirrel Glaucomys sabrinus
• Northern Grasshopper Mouse Onychomys leucogaster
• Northern Pocket Gopher Thomomys talpoides fossor; kaibabensis
• Northern Pygmy Mouse Baiomys taylori ater
• Northern Rock Mouse Peromyscus nasutus griseus
• Northern Rock Mouse Peromyscus nasutus
• Norway Rat Rattus norvegicus
• Nutria Myocastor coypus
• Ocelot Leopardus pardalis
• Olive-backed Pocket Mouse Perognathus fasciatus fasciatus
• Ord's Kangaroo Rat Dipodomys ordii
• Organ Mountains Colorado Chipmunk Neotamias quadrivittatus australis
• Oryx Oryx gazella
• Oscura Mountains Colorado Chipmunk Neotamias quadrivittatus oscuraensis
• Osgood's Mouse Peromyscus gratus gentilis
• Pacific Marten Martes caurina
• Pale Townsend's Big-eared Bat Corynorhinus townsendii pallescens
• Pallid Bat Antrozous pallidus pallidus; bunkeri
• Pecos River Muskrat Ondatra zibethicus ripensis
• Penasco Least Chipmunk Neotamias minimus atristriatus
• Persian Ibex Capra hircus
• Pinyon Mouse Peromyscus truei truei
• Plains Harvest Mouse Reithrodontomys montanus
• Plains Pocket Gopher Geomys bursarius jugossicularis; major
• Plains Pocket Mouse Perognathus flavescens
• Pocketed Free-tailed Bat Nyctinomops femorosaccus
• Prairie Vole Microtus ochrogaster haydenii
• Preble's Shrew Sorex preblei
• Pronghorn Antilocapra americana americana
• Pygmy Shrew Sorex hoyi montanus
• Red Fox Vulpes vulpes fulva; macroura
• Red Squirrel Tamiasciurus fremonti
• Red Squirrel Tamiasciurus hudsonicus lychnuchus
• Red Squirrel Tamiasciurus hudsonicus mogollonensis
• Ringtail Bassariscus astutus
• Rio Grande Ground Squirrel Ictidomys parvidens
• Rock Pocket Mouse Chaetodipus intermedius intermedius; crititus; phasma; umbrosus
• Rock Squirrel Otospermophilus variegatus grammurus
• Rock Squirrel Otospermophilus variegatus tularosae
• Rocky Mtn. Bighorn Sheep Ovis canadensis canadensis
• Siberian Ibex Capra sibirica siberica
• Silky Pocket Mouse Perognathus flavus flavus; hopiensis
• Silver-haired Bat Lasionycteris noctivagans
• Snowshoe Hare Lepus americanus bairdii
• Southern Grasshopper Mouse Onychomys torridus torridus
• Southern Plains Woodrat Neotoma micropus canescens
• Southern Pocket Gopher Thomomys umbrinus intermedius
• Southern Red-backed Vole Myodes gapperi
• Southwestern Little Brown Myotis Myotis occultus
• Southwestern Myotis Myotis auriculus apache
• Southwestern River Otter Lontra canadensis sonora
• Spotted Bat Euderma maculatum
• Spotted Ground Squirrel Xerospermophilus spilosoma
• Springerville Pocket Mouse Perognathus flavus goodpasteri
• Stephen's Woodrat Neotoma stephensi
• Striped Skunk Mephitis mephitis
• Swift Fox Vulpes velox velox
• Tawny-bellied Cotton Rat Sigmodon fulviventer minimus
• Texas Antelope Squirrel Ammospermophilus interpres
• Thirteen-lined Ground Squirrel Ictidomys tridecemlineatus arenicola; blanca; hollisteri
• Tri-colored Bat Perimyotis subflavus
• Virginia Opossum Didelphis virginiana
• Western Harvest Mouse Reithrodontomys megalotis megalotis; aztecus
• Western Jumping Mouse Zapus princeps princeps
• Western Red Bat Lasiurus frantzii
• Western Small-footed Myotis Myotis ciliolabrum melanorhinus; ciliolabrum
• Western Spotted Skunk Spilogale gracilis
• Western Water Shrew Sorex navigator
• Western Yellow Bat Dasypterus xanthinus
• White Mountains Ground Squirrel Ictidomys tridecemlineatus monticola
• White-footed Mouse Peromyscus leucopus
• White-nosed Coati Nasua narica
• White-sided Jackrabbit Lepus callotis gaillardi
• White-tailed Antelope Squirrel Ammospermophilus leucurus
• White-tailed Deer (Texas) Odocoileus virginianus texana
• White-tailed Jackrabbit Lepus townsendii campanius
• White-throated Woodrat Neotoma albigula
• White-toothed woodrat Neotoma leucodon
• Wolverine Gulo gulo
• Yavapai Arizona Cotton Rat Sigmodon arizonae jacksoni
• Yellow-bellied Marmot Marmota flaviventris
• Yellow-faced Pocket Gopher Cratogeomys castanops
• Yellow-nosed Cotton Rat Sigmodon ochrognathus
• Yuma Myotis Myotis yumanensis yumanensis

Mammals people confuse

Nutria or American beaver?

Nutria Not stated

American beaver Not stated

Beavers have a wide, flat tail and dark whiskers and reach up to 60 pounds; nutria have a round, sparsely haired tail and white whiskers.

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

When mammals are active in New Mexico

Records of mammals in New Mexico peak in April to October. They show when people record mammals, not how many there are (about month bars).

• Human-bear encounters increased in 2026 due to drought and poor mast crops. New Mexico Department of Wildlife

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 New Mexico Department of Wildlife:

• Bear encounter: stay calm, do not run, back away slowly; if a black bear attacks, fight back. New Mexico Department of Wildlife

About this list

The species list comes from BISON-M species search, taxonomic name "Mammalia" (New Mexico Department of Wildlife) (New Mexico Department of Wildlife (BISON-M, with Natural Heritage New Mexico), live database export 2026-11-03).

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