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WILDLIFE of BMCP
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Guide to the Wildlife of BMCP The Preserve is home to a number of mammals, including mule deer, desert bighorn sheep, raccoons, bobcats, coyotes, and kangaroo rats and other rodents. The availability of water brings the bighorn sheep and other animals into the canyon during the hot, dry summer months. Several species of reptiles and amphibians are also present, including gopher snakes, rosy boas, red diamond rattlesnakes, California kingsnakes, common whiptail lizards, side-blotched lizards, desert spiny lizard, Gilbert's skink, and California tree frogs. Following is a list of the mammals documented or expected to occur within the Preserve, with notes on their occurrence: |
| COMMON NAME | SCIENTIFIC NAME | COMMENTS |
| SHREWS | Soricidae | |
| Gray Shrew | Notiosorex crawfordi | The only shrew in our desert area. |
| BATS | Chiroptera | |
| Leaf-nose bat | Macrotus californicus | (The bats listed may be expected here although specific sightings of most have not been verified.) |
| Fringed Myotis | Myotis thysanodes | |
| Long-eared Myotis | Myotis evotis | |
| California Myotis | Myotis californicus | |
| Yuma Myotis | Myotis yumanensis | |
| Long-legged Myotis | Myotis volans | |
| Small-footed Myotis | Myotis subulatus | |
| Western Pipistrel | Pipistrellus hesperus | |
| Red Bat | Lasiurus borealis | |
| Hoary Bat | Lasiurus cinereus | |
| Western Yellow Bat | Lasiurus ega | |
| Big Brown Bat | Eptesicus fucus | |
| Spotted Bat | Euderma maculata | |
| Western Big-eared Bat | Plecotus townsendi | |
| Western Mastiff Bat | Eumops perotis | |
| Pallid Bat | Antrozous pallidus | |
| Pocketed Freetail Bat | Tadarida femorosacca | |
| Big Freetail Bat | Tadarida molossa | |
| Mexican Freetail Bat | Tadarida brasiliensis | |
| BEARS | Ursidae | |
| Black Bear | Ursa americanus | Uncommon but may be expected to enter the Preserve area during droughts. |
| RACCOONS | Procyonidae | |
| Raccoon | Procyon lotor | A Common nocturnal animal. |
| RINGTAILS | Bassariscidae | |
| Ringtail Cat | Bassariscus astutus | A very rare nocturnal animal. |
| BADGERS, SKUNKS | Mustelidae | |
| Badger | Taxidea taxus | No confirmed sightings. |
| Spotted Skunk | Spilogale putorius | No confirmed sightings. |
| Striped Skunk | Mephitis mephitis | Uncommon. |
| DOGS | Canidae | |
| Coyote | Canus latrans | Common. |
| Kit Fox | Vulpes macrotis | Uncommon, but may be expected. |
| Gray Fox | Urocyon cinereoargenteus | Uncommon. |
| CATS | Felidae | |
| Mountain Lion | Felis concolor | Rare, but sightings are reported each year. |
| Bobcat | Lynx rufus | Occasionally encountered resident. |
| SQUIRRELS | Sciuridae | |
| California Ground Squirrel | Spermophilus beecheyi | Common prey animal. |
| Roundtail Ground Squirrel | Spermophilus tereticaulis | Not observed, but may be within the Preserve area. |
| Whitetail Antelope Ground Squirrel | Ammospermophilus leucurus | Occasional. |
| POCKET MICE, KANGAROO RATS, | Heteromyidae | |
| Desert Pocket Mouse | Perognathus penicillatus | Probably common. |
| Spiny Pocket Mouse | Perognathus spinatus | No specific information. |
| Desert Kangaroo Rat | Dipodomys deserti | Common; several nest sites known. |
| Merriam Kangaroo Rat | Dipodymus merriami | Unknown, but may be present. |
| MICE, RATS, VOLES | Cricetidae | |
| Western Harvest Mouse | Reithrodontomys megalotis | Probably common. |
| Cactus Mouse | Peromyscus eremicus | Common. |
| Deer Mouse | Peromyscus maniculatus | Probably common. |
| Piņon Mouse | Peromyscus truei | May be present at higher elevations. |
| Southern Grasshopper Mouse | Onychomys torridus | No information. |
| Desert Woodrat | Neotoma lepida | Several sightings and captures. |
| California Vole | Microtus californicus | Skeletons often found in owl pellets. |
| House Mouse | Mus musculus | Ubiquitous. |
| HARES, RABBITS | Leporidae | |
| Blacktail Jackrabbit | Lepus californicus | Seen occasionally. |
| Desert Cottontail | Sylvilagus audoboni | Common. |
| DEER | Cervidae | |
| Mule Deer | Odocoileus hemionis | Seen occasionally. |
| SHEEP | Bovidae | |
| Bighorn Sheep | Ovis canadensis | Seen occasionally, mostly in the middle of the Canyon Trail. |
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2006 by Friends of Big Morongo Canyon Preserve.
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