Mammals at the Cofrin Center for Biodiversity

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Finding Mammals: In Search of the Elusive Mammal

Striped Skunk (Photo by Dr. Lloyd Glenn Ingles, California Academy of Sciences) The mammals of North America are a diverse and fascinating group. However, because most mammals are nocturnal, secretive, and quiet, they tend to be elusive. For instance, on a normal walk through the woods, you might expect to see only five or six species of mammals: Eastern Chipmunks, Eastern Cottontails, Woodchucks, Muskrats, Gray Squirrels, and maybe a White-tailed Deer. But the woods contain many other kinds of mammals that are not as easily discovered. Because many mammals are secretive, you must pay close attention to the evidence they might have left behind. Some of the signs left by mammals that can be used for identification purposes include trails and paths, track and tail trails, droppings (or scat), burrows, nests, dens, hair remains, food caches (or storage), feeding signs (gnawing marks, scrap piles). For example, look closely at the mud along streams or ponds and you will probably find an abundance of mammal tracks. There are many field guides for identifying mammals from their tracks, both in snow and in mud. Examine the forest floor and you will probably find an abundance of rabbit and deer droppings and you might find scat from a carnivore with pieces of bone and hair. Discarded black cherry pits, caches of stored food, or burrows under tree roots indicate the presence of White-footed mice. Look underneath ground litter and you might discover a burrow from the Woodland Vole or even a Eastern Mole. If you have a good eye for details and have enough patience, you will soon find it is possible to discover which mammals are present in an area.

Photos courtesy of California Academy of Sciences/Manzanita Project and CalPhotos.

Biodiversity Topics: Introduction . Plants . Animals . Mammals . Birds . Reptiles & Amphibians . Arthropods . Spiders . Insects