# List of mammals of Texas

This is a list of mammals of Texas. Mammals native to or immediately off the coast of the U.S. state of Texas are listed first. Introduced mammals, whether intentional or unintentional, are listed separately.
The varying geography of Texas, the second largest state, provides a large variety of habitats for mammals. The land varies from swamps, Piney Woods in the east, rocky hills and limestone karst in the central Hill Country of the Edwards Plateau, desert in the south and west, mountains in the far west (the Trans-Pecos), and grassland prairie in the north, also known as the Panhandle. The state's many rivers, including the Rio Grande, the Colorado River, and the Trinity River, also provide diverse river habitats. Its central position in the United States means that species found primarily in either the western or eastern reaches of the country often have their ranges meeting in the state. Additionally, its proximity to Mexico is such that many species found there and into Central America also range as far north as Texas.
Texas recognizes three official mammals: the nine-banded armadillo, the Texas Longhorn, and the Mexican free-tailed bat. State law protects numerous species. The state also recognizes the Texas State Bison Herd at Caprock Canyons State Park since 2011, the state Longhorn herd at multiple state parks since 1969, and the state dog breed, Blue Lacy since 2005.

## List of species
### Order Xenarthra
#### Dasypodidae

Dasypodidae is a family of armoured mammals found mainly in Latin America.
Dasypodidae :
| Species | Common name | Distribution | Status | Image |
| Dasypus novemcinctus | Nine-banded armadillo | Found in all of Texas, except the Trans-Pecos region | LC | |

### Order Chiroptera
#### Phyllostomidae

Phyllostomidae :
| Species | Common name | Distribution | Status |
| Choeronycteris mexicana | Mexican long-tongued bat | Only found in South Texas; may be slowly increasing distribution northward. | NT |
| Diphylla ecaudata | Hairy-legged vampire bat | Only one specimen found in 1967, in Val Verde County. | LC |
| Leptonycteris nivalis | Greater long-nosed bat | Only found in Presidio County and Brewster County. | EN |

#### Mormoopidae

Mormoopidae :
| Species | Common name | Distribution | Status | Image |
| Mormoops megalophylla | Ghost-faced bat | Found in the Trans-Pecos, South Texas Plains, and the southern edge of the Edwards Plateau. | LC | |

#### Vespertilionidae

Vespertilionidae :
| Species | Common name | Distribution | Status |
| Aeorestes cinereus | Hoary bat | Found in mature forested areas across the state | LC |
| Antrozous pallidus | Pallid bat | Commonly found in the western half of Texas, including the panhandle. | LC |
| Corynorhinus rafinesquii | Rafinesque's big-eared bat | Found in small localities in the Pineywoods of East Texas. | LC |
| Corynorhinus townsendii | Townsend's big-eared bat | Commonly found in the western half of Texas, including the panhandle. Population in West Texas and Panhandle are divided into subspecies. | LC |
| Dasypterus ega | Southern yellow bat | Found in seven counties in the Rio Grande Valley. | LC |
| Dasypterus intermedius | Northern yellow bat | Occurs in the eastern and southern part of the state, including along the coast. | LC |
| Dasypterus xanthinus | Western yellow bat | Reported in the southernmost counties of Texas surrounding Big Bend National Park. | LC |
| Eptesicus fuscus | Big brown bat | Found primarily iy the eastern, northern and western parts of the state. | LC |
| Euderma maculatum | Spotted bat | Found only in Big Bend National Park. | LC |
| Lasionycteris noctivagans | Silver-haired bat | Found in forested areas across the state, not seen often in cities. | LC |
| Lasiurus blossevillii | Desert red bat | One specimen found in Presidio County in 1988 | LC |
| Lasiurus borealis | Eastern red bat | Found state-wide, but most commonly found in the eastern and central part of the state | LC |
| Lasiurus seminolus | Seminole bat | Found in the eastern part of the state | LC |
| Myotis austroriparius | Southeastern myotis | Found in eastern Texas caves | LC |
| Myotis californicus | California myotis | Found primarily in the Chihuahuan Desert and Trans-Pecos region of Texas | LC |
| Myotis ciliolabrum | Western small-footed myotis | Found primarily in the Trans-Pecos mountains and small populations in the panhandle | LC |
| Myotis occultus | Arizona myotis | One found in Hudspeth Co., likely a migrant individual. | LC |
| Myotis septentrionalis | Northern long-eared myotis | Only one specimen ever found in Dimmit Co. | NT |
| Myotis thysanodes | Fringed myotis | Found in the Trans-Pecos region, with one migrant speciment collected in the Panhandle. | LC |
| Myotis velifer | Cave myotis | Found in most areas in Texas except the Pineywoods. | LC |
| Myotis volans | Long-legged myotis | Found in the Trans-Pecos region, with one migrant speciment collected in the Panhandle. | LC |
| Myotis yumanensis | Yuma myotis | Found in south Texas along the Rio Grande River. | LC |
| Nycticeius humeralis | Evening bat | Found widespread throughout the state except for the Panhandle, with westward expansion of their range. | LC |
| Parastrellus hesperus | Canyon bat | Found in the western half of the state, especially the Trans-Pecos Mountains. | LC |
| Perimyotis subflavus | Tricolored bat | Found in most regions of Texas except the Trans-Pecos. | VU |

#### Molossidae

Molossidae :
| Species | Common name | Distribution | Status |
| Eumops perotis | Western mastiff bat | Found in Val Verde, Terrell, Brewster, and Presidio counties in South Texas and in Midland County in the west | LC |
| Nyctinomops femorosacca | Pocketed free-tailed bat | Found in Val Verde, Terrell, Brewster, and Presidio counties in South Texas. | LC |
| Nyctinomops macrotis | Big free-tailed bat | Scattered localities in the Panhandle, Trans-Pecos region, and recently in Wise County | LC |
| Molossus molossus | Velvety free-tailed bat | Vagrant | LC |
| Tadarida brasiliensis | Mexican free-tailed bat | State-wide distribution in the summer, with the eastern population being year-round residents | LC |

### Order Carnivora
#### Canidae

Canidae :
| Species | Common name | Distribution | Status |
| Canis latrans | Coyote | ubiquitous throughout Texas | LC |
| Canis lupus | Gray wolf | all subspecies previously found in Texas are either extinct or extirpated; see below | LC |
| C. l. baileyi | Mexican wolf | extirpated | EN |
| C. l. monstrabilis | Texas wolf | extinct | EX |
| C. l. nubilus | Great Plains wolf | extinct | EX |
| Canis rufus | Red wolf | extirpated | CR |
| Urocyon cinereoargenteus | Gray fox | Ubiquitous throughout Texas. | LC |
| Vulpes macrotis | Kit fox | Found in the Trans-Pecos and Edwards Plateau regions. | LC |
| Vulpes velox | Swift fox | Found in the Panhandle region. | LC |

#### Felidae

Felidae :
| Species | Common name | Distribution | Status |
| Herpailurus yagouaroundi | Jaguarundi | Extirpated; Last U.S. sighting in 1986 in Brownsville. | LC |
| Leopardus pardalis | Ocelot | Only found in and around Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge | LC |
| Leopardus wiedii | Margay | Extirpated; Only U.S. record found in 1852 outside Kingsville. | NT |
| Lynx rufus | Bobcat | ubiquitous throughout Texas | LC |
| Panthera onca | Jaguar | Extirpated by 1948. | NT |
| Puma concolor | Cougar | Western counties only | LC |

#### Procyonidae

Procyonidae :
| Species | Common name | Distribution | Status |
| Bassariscus astutus | Ring-tailed cat | Common in the Trans-Pecos, Edwards Plateau and Cross Timbers ecoregions, but also seen statewide except the panhandle | LC |
| Nasua narica | White-nosed coati | Recently, only seen in the Big Bend and Padre Island regions | LC |
| Procyon lotor | Raccoon | Ubiquitous throughout Texas | LC |

#### Mephitidae

Mephitidae :
| Species | Common name | Distribution | Status |
| Conepatus leuconotus | American hog-nosed skunk | Found throughout central and southern Texas. | LC |
| Mephitis macroura | Hooded skunk | Found in the central Trans-Pecos region. | LC |
| Mephitis mephitis | Striped skunk | Ubiquitous throughout Texas. | LC |
| Spilogale gracilis | Western spotted skunk | Found in the southwestern part of the state, north to Garza Co. and east to Duvall Co. | LC |
| Spilogale putorius | Eastern spotted skunk | Found in the eastern half of the state and up into the Panhandle. Somewhat rare. | VU |

#### Mustelidae

Mustelidae :
| Species | Common name | Distribution | Status |
| Lontra canadensis | North American river otter | Found historically along tributaries and rivers of the Red River. Has been limited further east, but recently found as far west as Abilene. | LC |
| Mustela nigripes | Black-footed ferret | Extirpated. Before extirpation, was found wherever prairie dogs were in the Panhandle. | EN |
| Neogale frenata | Long-tailed weasel | Secretive species with few scientific records across the state. Found in a variety of habitats where water is present. Not found in the northern Panhandle. | LC |
| Neogale vison | American mink | Found in the eastern half of the state where water is present. | LC |
| Taxidea taxus | American badger | Found throughout the state except the far eastern Pineywoods.Habitat loss pushes it further east. | LC |

#### Phocidae

Phocidae :
| Species | Common name | Distribution | Status | Image |
| Neomonachus tropicalis | Caribbean monk seal | extinct | EX | |

#### Ursidae

Ursidae :
| Species | Common name | Distribution | Status |
| Ursus americanus | American black bear | Found in the forested areas of east Texas, the Trans-Pecos region, and at the tip of the Panhandle | LC |
| Ursus arctos | Brown bear | all populations once present in Texas are either extirpated or extinct; see below | LC |
| U. a. horribilis | Grizzly bear | extirpated; the only documented grizzly bear (U. a. horribilis) specimen was killed in 1905 in Jeff Davis County | |
| U. a. horribilis | Mexican grizzly bear | extinct | EX |

### Order Artiodactyla
#### Tayassuidae

Tayassuidae :
| Species | Common name | Distribution | Status | Image |
| Dicotyles tajacu | Collared peccary | Mostly restricted to western Texas and south of San Antonio. Introduced populations occur in north Texas | LC | |

#### Cervidae

Cervidae :
| Species | Common name | Distribution | Status |
| Cervus canadensis | Elk | Reintroduced, see below | LC |
| C. c. merriami | Merriam's elk | Extinct by 1906 | EX |
| C. c. nelsoni | Rocky Mountain elk | Introduced to the state in 1928, currently found in the Trans-Pecos and Panhandle regions | LC |
| Odocoileus hemionus | Mule deer | Found in the western-half of the state through the Panhandle and Trans-Pecos. | LC |
| Odocoileus virginianus | White-tailed deer | Ubiquitous throughout Texas. | LC |

#### Antilocapridae

Antilocapridae :
| Species | Common name | Distribution | Status | Image |
| Antilocapra americana | Pronghorn | Native to Central and Western Texas; considered the pronghorn's easternmost range | LC | |

#### Bovidae

Bovidae :
| Species | Common name | Distribution | Status |
| Bison bison | American bison | Reintroduced, see below. | NT |
| B. b. bison | Plains bison | Reintroduced at Caprock Canyons State Park and Fort Worth Nature Center as well as private herds. All controlled by fences. Historically widespread. | NT |
| Ovis canadensis | Bighorn sheep | Extirpated throughout original Trans-Pecos mountain ranges. See below. | LC |
| O. c. nelsoni | Desert bighorn sheep | Reintroduced populations in certain areas of the Trans-Pecos mountains are free-roaming and wild. | LC |

### Order Eulipotyphla
#### Soricidae

Soricidae :
| Species | Common name | Status |
| Blarina carolinensis | Southern short-tailed shrew | LC |
| Blarina hylophaga | Elliot's short-tailed shrew | LC |
| Cryptotis parva | North American least shrew | LC |
| Notiosorex crawfordi | Crawford's gray shrew | LC |

#### Talpidae

Talpidae :
| Species | Common name | Distribution | Status | Image |
| Scalopus aquaticus | Eastern mole | Documented in the eastern two-thirds of the state, eastern areas of South Texas, along the Canadian River drainage in the Panhandle, and in Presidio County in the west | LC | |

### Order Sirenia
#### Trichechidae

Trichechidae :
| Species | Common name | Distribution | Status | Image |
| Trichechus manatus | West Indian manatee | Rare in Texas waters, but observed in the Laguna Madre, Cow Bayou, and near Sabine Lake, Copano Bay, San José Island, Bolivar Peninsula, and the mouth of the Rio Grande | VU | |

### Order Didelphimorphia
#### Didelphidae

Didelphidae :
| Species | Common name | Distribution | Status | Image |
| Didelphis marsupialis | Common opossum | Vagrant | LC | |
| Didelphis virginiana | Virginia opossum | Found throughout the state except for the arid Trans-Pecos and Llano Estacado | LC | |

### Order Lagomorpha
#### Leporidae

Leporidae :
| Species | Common name | Distribution | Status |
| Lepus californicus | Black-tailed jackrabbit | | LC |
| Sylvilagus aquaticus | Swamp rabbit | | LC |
| Sylvilagus audubonni | Desert cottontail | | LC |
| Sylvilagus floridanus | Eastern cottontail | | LC |
| Sylvilagus holzneri | Robust cottontail | Davis Mountains, Guadalupe Mountains | VU |

### Order Rodentia
#### Castoridae

Castoridae :
| Species | Common name | Distribution | Status | Image |
| Castor canadensis | North American beaver | | LC | |

#### Cricetidae

* Northern pygmy mouse (Baiomys taylori)
* Mexican vole (Microtus mexicanus)
* Woodland vole (Microtus pinetorum)
* Prairie vole (Microtus ochrogaster)
* White-throated woodrat (Neotoma albigula)
* Florida woodrat (Neotoma floridana)
* Mexican woodrat (Neotoma mexicana)
* Southern plains woodrat (Neotoma micropus)
* Golden mouse (Ochrotomys nuttalli)
* Muskrat (Ondatra zibethicus)
* Chihuahuan grasshopper mouse (Onychomys arenicola)
* Northern grasshopper mouse (Onychomys leucogaster)
* Coues' rice rat (Oryzomys couesi)
* Marsh rice rat (Oryzomys palustris)
* Texas mouse (Peromyscus attwateri)
* Brush mouse (Peromyscus boylii)
* Cactus mouse (Peromyscus eremicus)
* Cotton mouse (Peromyscus gossypinus)
* Southern deer mouse (Peromyscus labecula)
* White-footed mouse (Peromyscus leucopus)
* White-ankled mouse (Peromyscus pectoralis)
* Northern rock mouse (Peromyscus nasutus)
* Western deer mouse (Peromyscus sonoriensis)
* Pinyon mouse (Peromyscus truei)
* Eastern harvest mouse (Reithrodontomys humulis)
* Fulvous harvest mouse (Reithrodontomys fulvescens)
* Western harvest mouse (Reithrodontomys megalotis)
* Plains harvest mouse (Reithrodontomys montanus)
* Tawny-bellied cotton rat (Sigmodon fulviventer)
* Hispid cotton rat (Sigmodon hispidus)
* Yellow-nosed cotton rat (Sigmodon ochrognathus)

#### Erethizontidae

Erethizontidae :
| Species | Common name | Distribution | Status | Image |
| Erethizon dorsatum | North American porcupine | Found in the western half of the state. | LC | |

#### Geomyidae

Geomyidae :
| Species | Common name | Distribution | Status |
| Cratogeomys castanops | Yellow-faced pocket gopher | Commonly found in the western-half of the state in the high plains and trans-pecos. | LC |
| Geomys arenarius | Desert pocket gopher | Common in El Paso County. | NT |
| Geomys attwateri | Attwater's pocket gopher | Endemic to Texas. East from the Brazos River to the San Antonio River, and along the coast in-between. | LC |
| Geomys breviceps | Baird's pocket gopher | Found in the eastern half of the state. | LC |
| Geomys bursarius | Plains pocket gopher | Found in the northwestern and north-central Texas panhandle. | LC |
| Geomys jugossicularis | Hall's pocket gopher | Found in the northwesternmost-counties of Dallam and Hartley. | |
| Geomys knoxjonesi | Knox Jones's pocket gopher | Found in the southwestern plains of Texas. | LC |
| Geomys personatus | Texas pocket gopher | Found in the far south counties of the state, including the Texas barrier islands. | LC |
| Geomys streckeri | Strecker's pocket gopher | Restricted to Zavala and Dimmit Counties. | |
| Geomys texensis | Llano pocket gopher | Found in two isolated areas in the Hill Country depending on subspecies. Endemic to Texas. | LC |
| Thomomys bottae | Botta's pocket gopher | Found in the Trans-Pecos eastward into the Edwards Plateau. | LC |

#### Heteromyidae

* Hispid pocket mouse (Chaetodipus hispidus)
* Rock pocket mouse (Chaetodipus intermedius)
* Nelson's pocket mouse (Chaetodipus nelsoni)
* Desert pocket mouse (Chaetodipus penicillatus)
* Gulf Coast kangaroo rat (Dipodomys compactus)
* Texas kangaroo rat (Dipodomys elator)
* Merriam's kangaroo rat (Dipodomys merriami)
* Ord's kangaroo rat (Dipodomys ordii)
* Banner-tailed kangaroo rat (Dipodomys spectabilis)
* Mexican spiny pocket mouse (Liomys irroratus)
* Plains pocket mouse (Perognathus flavescens)
* Silky pocket mouse (Perognathus flavus)
* Merriam's pocket mouse (Perognathus merriami)

#### Sciuridae

* Texas antelope squirrel (Ammospermophilus interpres)
* Black-tailed prairie dog (Cynomys ludovicianus)
* Southern flying squirrel (Glaucomys volans)
* Gray-footed chipmunk (Neotamias canipes)
* Eastern gray squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis)
* Fox squirrel (Sciurus niger)
* Mexican ground squirrel (Spermophilus mexicanus)
* Spotted ground squirrel (Spermophilus spilosoma)
* Thirteen-lined ground squirrel (Spermophilus tridecemlineatus)
* Rock squirrel (Spermophilus variegatus)

### Order Cetacea
#### Balaenidae

Balaenidae :
| Species | Common name | Distribution | Status | Image |
| Eubalaena glacialis | North Atlantic right whale | | | |

#### Balaenopteridae

Balaenopteridae :
| Species | Common name | Distribution |
| Balaenoptera acutorostrata | Minke whale | Seen stranded occasionally, rare sightings. Last seen in Texas in the 1980s. |
| Balaenoptera brydei Balaenoptera edeni | Bryde's whale | Seen yearly in every season but the fall in shallow waters. Taxonomy up to debate |
| Balaenoptera musculus | Blue whale | |
| Balaenoptera physalus | Fin whale | |
| Megaptera novaeangliae | Humpback whale | |

#### Kogiidae

Kogiidae is a family of whales.
Kogiidae :
| Species | Common name | Distribution | Status | Image |
| Kogia breviceps | Pygmy sperm whale | | | |
| Kogia simus | Dwarf sperm whale | | | |

#### Physeteridae

Physeteridae is a monotypic family of whales only containing the extant Physeter macrocephalus.
Physeteridae :
| Species | Common name | Distribution | Status | Image |
| Physeter macrocephalus | Sperm whale | | | |

#### Ziphiidae

Ziphiidae :
| Species | Common name |
| Mesoplodon densirostris | Blainville's beaked whale |
| Mesoplodon europaeus | Gervais' beaked whale |
| Ziphius cavirostris | Cuvier's beaked whale |

#### Delphinidae

Delphinidae :
| Species | Common name | Distribution |
| Delphinus delphis | Short-beaked common dolphin | |
| Feresa attenuata | Pygmy killer whale | |
| Globicephala macrorhynchus | Short-finned pilot whale | |
| Grampus griseus | Risso's dolphin | |
| Orcinus orca | Killer whale | Uncommon in Texas waters, rare and poorly documented strandings, occasionally seen off South Padre Island |
| Pseudorca crassidens | False killer whale | |
| Peponocephala electra | Melon-headed whale | |
| Stenella frontalis | Atlantic spotted dolphin | |
| Stenella attenuata | Pantropical spotted dolphin | |
| Stenella coeruleoalba | Striped dolphin | |
| Stenella clymene | Clymene dolphin | |
| Stenella longirostris | Spinner dolphin | |
| Steno brenadensis | Rough-toothed dolphin | |
| Tursiops truncatus | Common bottlenose dolphin | |

## Introduced/invasive mammals
### Order Primates

Primates :
| Species | Common name | Distribution | Status | Image |
| Macaca fuscata | Japanese macaque | Introduced to a sanctuary in Frio County | LC | |

### Order Carnivora
#### Canidae (canids)

Canidae :
| Species | Common name | Distribution | Status | Image |
| Vulpes vulpes | Red fox | While native to North America, red foxes were introduced to Texas and have expanded over most of the state, except the far western and southern regions | LC | |

### Order Artiodactyla
#### Suidae (pigs)

Suidae :
| Species | Common name | Distribution | Status | Image |
| Sus scrofa | Wild boar | Ubiquitous throughout Texas | LC | |

#### Cervidae (deer)

Cervidae :
| Species | Common name | Status |
| Axis axis | Chital | LC |
| Axis porcinus | Indian hog deer | EN |
| Cervus elaphus | Red deer | LC |
| Cervus nippon | Sika deer | LC |
| Dama dama | European fallow deer | LC |
| Rusa unicolor | Sambar deer | VU |

#### Bovidae (antelopes & sheep)

Bovidae :
| Species | Common name | Status |
| Ammotragus lervia | Barbary sheep | VU |
| Antilope cervicapra | Blackbuck | LC |
| Boselaphus tragocamelus | Nilgai | LC |

### Order Rodentia
#### Muridae (Old World mice & rats)

Muridae :
| Species | Common name | Distribution | Status |
| Mus musculus | House mouse | Ubiquitous throughout Texas | LC |
| Rattus norvegicus | Brown rat | Widespread throughout Texas, however not as common in the southern half of Texas as Rattus rattus | LC |
| Rattus rattus | Black rat | Ubiquitous throughout Texas | LC |

#### Myocastoridae (nutria)

Myocastoridae :
| Species | Common name | Distribution | Status | Image |
| Myocastor coypus | Nutria | Invasive species in eastern two-thirds of Texas, currently expanding westward | LC | |