Term | Definition |
O: Rodentia, F: Cricetidae, White-footed mouse | Peromyscus leucopus, lower peninsula and parts central UP |
O: Rodentia, F: Cricetidae, Deer mouse | Peromyscus maniculatus, statewide, very thin translucent skull, bicolored tail |
O: Rodentia, F: Cricetidae, Southern red-backed vole | Myodes gapperi, UP and northern LP, chestnut stripe on back, shorter tail than mouse |
O: Rodentia, F: Cricetidae, Meadow vole | Microtus pennsylvanicus, statewide, rectangular skull |
O: Rodentia, F: Cricetidae, Woodland vole | Microtus pinetorum, LP |
O: Rodentia, F: Cricetidae, Tundra vole | Microtus oeconomus, not in MI, large and dull colors |
O: Rodentia, F: Cricetidae, Muskrat | Odontra zibethicus, statewide, dark brown tips of hair, re/brown underneath, "crazy teeth", orange incisors, flat skull, rectangular skull, long rostrum, flare zygomatic arch, tail laterally compressed, hind feet partially webbed, stiff hairs on feet |
O: Rodentia, F: Cricetidae, Southern bog lemming | Synaptomys cooperi, statewide, vole-like, short tail, out-competed by meadow vole |
O: Rodentia, F: Muridae, House mouse | Mus musculus, statewide, nonnative, point snout, short-tail, sparsley haired tail, knotched incisors distal end, multicolored tiny skull |
O: Rodentia, F: Muridae, Norway rat | Rattus norvegicus, statewide, long skull, long rostrum, prominent temporal ridge, big, naked tail, ugly skull |
O: Rodentia, F: Dipodidae, Woodland jumping mouse | Napeozapus insignis, UP and northern 1/4 of LP, large hind feet, tip of tail white |
O: Rodentia, F: Dipodidae, Meadow jumping mouse | Zapus hudsonius, statewide, yellowish/brown sides, dark back, long straight tail, white belly, large hind feet, not as brightly colored as woodland |
O: Rodentia, F: Erethizontidae, Porcupine | Erethizon dorsatum, UP and north 1/2 of LP, orange incisors, thin orbits, prominent temporal ridges, infraorbital foramen very large, no elongated auditory meatus |
O: Lagomorpha, F: Leporidae, eastern cottontail | Sylvilagus floridanus, statewide except east 1/2 of UP, netted pattern side of skull, long rostrum, large circular orbitals, postorbital process very close to skull |
O: Lagomorpha, F: Leporidae, snowshoe hare | Lepus americanus, UP and north 1/2 LP, flared post orbital process |
O: Cingulata, F: Dasypodidae, nine-banded armadillo | Dasypus novemcinctus, not in MI, long thin snout |
O: Rodentia, F: Sciuridae, least chipmunk | Tamias minimus, UP only, 4 white stripes, very small gray skull and translucent skull, stripes to the base of tail, less than 34mm, 5 upper cheek teeth |
O: Rodentia, F: Sciuridae, eastern chipmunk | Tamias striatus, statewide, 2 white stripes, stripes to anterior of tail, greater than 34mm, 4 upper cheek teeth |
O: Rodentia, F: Sciuridae, woodchuck | Marmota monax, statewide, small skull, flat skull, large incisors top/bottom, not as heavy as beaver, skulls concave on top, posterior edge of postorbital process perpendicular to skull, occipital region flat and vertical |
O: Rodentia, F: Sciuridae, thirteen-lined ground squirrel | Spermophilus tridecemlineatus, LP and western UP, spots in stripes, 5 upper cheek teeth, front incisors yellow, skull less than 40mm |
O: Rodentia, F: Sciuridae, Eastern gray squirrel | Sciurus carolinensis, statewide, dark gray squirrel, 5 upper cheek teeth (1st small), skull less than 60mm |
O: Rodentia, F: Sciuridae, Eastern fox squirrel | Sciurus niger, LP and parts of east and central UP, red with gray backs, thick but shorter incisors, 4 upper cheek teeth, skull greater than 60mm |
O: Rodentia, F: Sciuridae, red squirrel | Tamiasciurus hudsonicus, statewide, very red stripe down back, short rostrum, non-tapered skull between 40 and 50mm, auditory bullae 3 visible divisions |
O: Rodentia, F: Sciuridae, northern flying squirrel | Glaucomys sabrinus, UP and north 1/2 LP, reddish brown, thinner/translucent skull, belly gray at bases, front incisors orange, auditory bullae has 2 visible divisions, small and highly arched skull, 5 upper cheek teeth |
O: Rodentia, F: Sciuridae, southern flying squirrel | Glaucomys volans, LP and west central UP, have more grey with brown, thicker skull, white belly at base, 5 upper cheek teeth, skull narrow interorbital region |
O: Rodentia, F: Castoridae, american beaver | Castor canadensis, statewide, very strong and heavy skull, complete orbital, flat skull, infraorbital foramen smaller than foramen magnum, tubular external auditory meatus |
Round-tailed ground squirrel | Spermophilus tereticaudus, creosote bush habitat |
Prairie dog | Cynomys ludovicianus |
White-throated wood rat | Neotoma albigula, creosote bush habitat |
Desert wood rat | Neotoma lepida |
Desert kangaroo rat | Dipodomys deserti, sand dunes habitat |
Merriam's kangaroo rat | Dipodomys merriami, creosote bush habitat |
Ord's kangaroo rat | Dipodomys ordii, sparse vegetation over sandy ground in Great Plains |
California mouse | Peromyscus californicus, like a big P. maniculatus |
Deer mouse | Peromyscus maniculatus, like eastern species but lighter color |
Cactus mouse | Peromyscus eremicus, found in hot dry brushy areas, tail not distinctly bicolored |
Bairds pocket gopher | Geomys breviceps |
Douglas squirrel | Tamiasciurus douglasii, coniferous forests along Pacific Coast |
O: Perrissodactyla, F: Equidae, horse | Equus caballus |
O: Artiodactyla, F: Antilocapridae, pronghorn | Antilocapra americana, West-central US |
O: Artiodactyla, F: Cervidae, elk or wapiti | Cervus elaphus, Northern LP, many western states/provinces, medium antlers oriented on top of head |
O: Artiodactyla, F: Cervidae, white-tailed deer | Odocoileus virginianus, statewide, no black tip on tail, simple antlers |
O: Artiodactyla, F: Cervidae, mule deer | Odocoileus hemionus, western US, branched antlers, black tip on tail |
O: Artiodactyla, F: Cervidae, moose | Alces alces, UP and Isle Royale, some western states and Alaska; broad distribution in Canada, extra large bump between antlers, antlers set to side, largest skull besides horse |
O: Artiodactyla, F: Cervidae, caribou | Rangifer tarandus, boreal forest and tundra, smallest skull (of moose, elk or caribou), wideset eyes, dip in skull, wideset snout |
O: Artiodactyla, F: Bovidae, domestic cattle | Bos taurus, flat skull |
O: Artiodactyla, F: Bovidae, bison | Bison bison, various west-central states and provinces |
O: Artiodactyla, F: Bovidae, mountain goat | Oreamnos americanus, NW US, W Canada |
O: Artiodactyla, F: Bovidae, bighorn sheep | Ovis canadensis, isolated spots in west US, thick point horns, brown |
O: Artiodactyla, F: Bovidae, dall sheep | Ovis dalli, Alaska, Western Canada, horns come to thin point, white |
O: Artiodactyla, F: Bovidae, cape buffalo | sea level to mountains, generally likes dense cover |
O: Artiodactyla, F: Bovidae, sable antelope | savannah and grasslands, antlers curve straight back |
O: Artiodactyla, F: Bovidae, greater kudu | variety of habitats that provide thick cover, curly antlers black neck stripe |
O: Artiodactyla, F: Bovidae, waterbuck | grasslands close to water, very light fur very ridged antlers |
O: Artiodactyla, F: Bovidae, nyala | thickets in dry savannah woodland near grasslands and water, slight curl horns tan spots |
O: Artiodactyla, F: Bovidae, red duiker | thick brush, tiny |
O: Artiodactyla, F: Bovidae, red hartebeest | edges of open plains, thin skull short curl horns |
O: Artiodactyla, F: Bovidae, reedbuck | grasslands and wide plains, like tall grass, horns curve forward, tan |
O: Artiodactyla, F: Bovidae, bushbuck | forest edges, brush cover along streams, feed in openings at night, slight curve horns, white face spots |
O: Artiodactyla, F: Bovidae, oribi | tropical scrub forest, savannah and grasslands, tiny horns |
O: Artiodactyla, F: Bovidae, gray duiker | see red duiker, shorter neck, no spot under ears |
O: Artiodactyla, F: Bovidae, impala | woodlands with little undergrowth and grasslands, small skull ridge curl horns |
local mammal true hibernator | thirteen-lined ground squirrel puts on extra fat prior to winter, body temp drops from 37-3 degrees celcius, heartbeat drops from 200-350 bpm to 5bpm so survives 1/100th of normal food supply |
deer adaptations to winter | decrease in metabolic rate from january to february, and eat woody vegetation (shoots are soft)->show raggid bite |
snowshow hare adaptations to winter | use runways, bits of low vegetation show clean cut |
track difference between gray and red squirrels | greater than 5in in gray, less than 5in in red, tracks two small front feet next to each other with two large back feet next to each other behind |
mustelid tracks | two large front feet parallel in front of two large back feet behind |
deer mouse tracks | two small front feet parallel in front of two large back feet parallel behind with tail drag behind |
snowshoe hare tracks | two small front feet slightly misaligned behind two large back feet almost parallel |
deer tracks | long toes in front of two small holes behind, normal walking pattern |