More than 60 mammals live in Yellowstone, The map below shows the most likely places to see the big mammals and the checklist below the map gives more information. Remember what you see will vary with the weather, season, and behavior of the animals. You might see these and other animals in other places in the park, or you might not see any at all. Enjoy looking for and watching wildlife.
Habitat |
Population |
|
Bears, Cats, Dogs, Raccoons, & Weasels |
||
| Black Bear | forests, meadows | 500–650 |
| Grizzly Bear | forests, meadows | 280–610 |
| Coyote | forests, meadows, grasslands | common |
| Gray Wolf | forests, meadows | >100 |
| Fox | meadows | occasional |
| Bobcat | forests, meadows | may be widespread |
| Cougar | mountains, rocky areas | 15–17 |
| Lynx | subalpine forests | few |
| Raccoon | rivers, cottonwoods | rare |
| Badger | sagebrush | common |
| Fisher | forests | rare, if present |
| Marten | coniferous forests | common |
| Mink | riparian forests | Occasional |
| River Otter | rivers, lakes, ponds | common |
| Striped Skunk | riparian to forest | rare |
| Long-tailed Weasel | willows to spruce/fir forests | common |
| Short-tailed Weasel | willows to spruce/fir forests | common |
| Wolverine | alpine, coniferous forests | rare |
Hoofed Mammals |
||
| Elk (Wapiti) | meadows, forests | 15,000–25,000 |
| Moose | riparian, forests | <500 |
| Mule Deer | forests, grasslands, shrub lands | 2,300–2,500 |
| White-tailed Deer | forests, grasslands, shrub lands | occasional |
| Bison | meadows, grasslands | >3,500 |
| Bighorn Sheep | cliffs, mountain slopes | 250–275 |
| Mountain Goat | alpine meadows, rocky slopes | 175–225 |
| Pronghorn | sagebrush, grasslands | 200–250 |
Bats |
||
| Big Brown Bat | roost in sheltered areas | common |
| Fringe-tailed bat | roost in cliffs, large snags | uncommon |
| Hoary Bat | roost in trees | uncommon |
| Little Brown Bat | roost in caves, buildings, trees | common |
| Long-eared Bat | roost in cliffs, buildings | uncommon |
| Long-legged Bat | roost in tree cavities, cliffs, buildings | common |
| Silver-haired bat | roost in trees, including snags | common |
| Western small-footed Bat | roost in rocky areas, caves | rare, if present |
| Townsend’s Big-eared Bat | roost in caves | uncommon |
| Yuma Bat | roost in caves, buildings, trees | rare, if present |
Habitat |
Population |
|
Pikas, Hares, Rabbits |
||
| Snowshoe Hare | forests, willows | common |
| White-tailed Jackrabbit | sagebrush, grasslands | common |
| Desert Cottontail | shrub lands | common |
| Mountain Cottontail | shrub lands | common |
| Pika | rocky slopes | common |
Shrews |
||
| Dusky Shrew | moist meadows, forests | common |
| Masked Shrew | moist meadows, forests | common |
| Water Shrew | moist meadows, forests | common |
| Preble’s Shrew | moist meadows, forests | rare, if present |
| Dwarf Shrew | moist meadows, forests | rare |
Beaver, Squirrels, Gopher, Mice, Porcupine |
||
| Beaver | ponds, streams | 500 |
| Least Chipmunk | forests | common |
| Uinta Chipmunk | forests | common |
| Yellow Pine Chipmunk | forests | common |
| Yellow-bellied Marmot | rocky slopes | common |
| Golden-mantled Ground Squirrel |
forests, rocky slopes | common |
| Northern Flying Squirrel | forests | occasional |
| Red Squirrel | forests | common |
| Uinta Ground Squirrel | sagebrush, meadows | common |
| Northern Pocket Gopher | sagebrush, meadows, forests | common |
| Deer Mouse | grasslands | common |
| Western Jumping Mouse | riparian | occasional |
| Muskrat | streams, lakes, ponds | common |
| Heather Vole | sagebrush to forests | occasional |
| Long-tailed Vole | moist meadows | common |
| Meadow Vole | moist meadows | common |
| Montane Vole | moist meadows | common |
| Red-backed Vole | dense forests | common |
| Water Vole | riparian | occasional |
| Bushy-tailed Woodrat | rocky slopes | common |
| Porcupine | forests, sagebrush, willows | common |