Tierra de Oro Laboratory

Physiology and Ecology in the Pinyon-Juniper Savanna

Mammals of the Santa Fe Savanna

Native mammals have quite a presence here, but they are not always obvious. Most are nocturnal to avoid the heat and human interference, so they may only be seen briefly in the morning or evening, or in footage from trail cams.

Genus and species names are provided for species that are easy to identify unambiguously (e.g., coyotes or striped skunks). There are other animals (e.g., kangaroo rats or deer mice), for which there are multiple similar species in the area, and only the genus name is given (e.g., Dipodomys spp.).

The page will evolve as more photographs are available to show subtle differences between species. The arbitrary scale of relative abundance is as follows: Individuals of Abundant species can be seen almost every day; Common mammals are seen every week or so; Uncommon show up a few times per season; Rare species may only be seen once a year.

Carnivores

large canid with heavy coat stalks the grassland
Coyote in the pitfall field. 4/5/25.

Coyote (Canis latrans)

Common.

Captured on trail cams and observed from time to time during morning surveys.

Medium feline at nighttime, eyes glowing
Bobcat walking through pitfall field. 4/9/26.

Bobcat (Lynx rufus)

Uncommon

Occasionally seen at a distance in the evening and very wary.

Raccoon caught by camera in front of reeds and pond
Raccoon at Terry’s pond 11/12/20. From video by Terry Morgan.

Raccoon (Procyon lotor)

Uncommon

Nocturnal and secretive.

Skunk at Terry’s pond. 10/15/18. From video by Terry Morgan.

Striped skunk (Mephitis mephitis)

Uncommon

Nocturnal, frequently seen killed on roads in town.

Gray fox. 11/1/18. From video by Terry Morgan.

Gray Fox (Urocyon cinereoargenteus)

Rare

Other foxes (red, swift, kit fox) have not yet been seen in this area.

Rodents and Rabbits

Bunny , probably Sylvilagus nuttali, in the recovering meadow. 6/5/25.

Cottontail (Sylvilagus spp.)

Common/Abundant

Populations fluctuate, but frequently seen dashing through grasslands and across roads.

Black-tailed jackrabbit near Tierra Antigua, 6/3/26

Black-Tailed Jackrabbit (Lepus californicus)

Uncommon

Less common and more wary than cottontails.

Kangaroo rat on harvester ant nest. 7/17/26

Kangaroo Rat (Dipodomys sp.)

Common

Relatively abundant but nocturnal, they are generally only seen in trail cams and the owl cam.

Deermouse, inner yard. 7/26/25

Deermice (Permyscus spp.)

Abundant

Essentially ubiquitous, nesting in natural and human-made cavities.

Pack rat in recovering meadow. 5/22/26

Woodrat/Pack Rat (Neotoma spp.)

Common

Often build large mounds of plant debris, including cholla stems.

Bats

Pallid bats roosting in corner while another flies. 8/2/26

Pallid Bat (Antrozous pallidus)

Common but rarely seen.

Feed on ground-dwelling insects. Hide in daytime roosts, feed on captured insects in nightime roosts.

See the Party on the Patio post for more information.