Desert Big horn Sheep

Scientific name:

Ovis Canadensis nelson

Description:

The most conspicuous feature is that the horns continue to grow. Both male and fe-male have horns, but the male is much lar-ger. The horns are permanent and consist of a sheath of keratin coering a boney core.

Life span:

6 - 8 years

Habitat and range:

Typical terrain is rough, rocky and steep, broken up by washes and canyons. This helps fight predation. They live in areas with hot dry summers. They are located in moun-tain ranges throughout the southwest. Be-sides Nevada, they are found in California, Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, Texas and Mexico.

Food:

They are herbivores, mainly eating grasses, forbs and shrubs.

Spotted Bat

Scientific name:

Euderma maculatum

Description:

The spotted bat is black with very large pink ears. Conspicious white spots mark each shoulder, the rump and the base of each ear.

Life span:

Unknown

Habitat:

Spotted bats can be found in wetland, riparian, rock, cliff, desert, shrubland, grass-land, or wooded habitats near a permanent water source. They roost in caves, rocks, and occasionally mines. They can be found from Biritish Columbia through the western United States.

Food:

These bats forage for insects, primarily moths, high in the are off the ground.

Black Tailed Jackrabbit Scientific name:

Lepus californicus

Description:

Long ears, up to 8 inches long. Big feet, long hind legs and bushy black tail. Distinc-tive long ears with black tips and a black strip that runs from its rump up its tail. Their fur color allows for great camouflage.

Life span:

1 - 5 years

Habitat and Range:

These rabbits are common in Nevada’s deserts and foothill landscapes. They live in the extreme environments of the desert where temperatures are hot in the day and cold at night and there isn’t a lot of rain. They prefer open areas where they can see predators approaching. They can be found in the Western U.S. from Washington to south California and east to Nebraska and Texas.

Food:

In summer, alfalfa, clover and others. In winter, woody and dried vegetation.

Western Spotted Skunk Scientific name:

Spilogale gracilis

Description:

It is distinguished from it’s larger cousins by its shorter stripes and spots across its back. It has an ambling gate and does a spectacular headstand to spray back over its head.

Life Span:

1 - 3 years

Habitat and Range:

Mountainous, rocky and brushy areas are preferred. It is found throughout Western North America. It is the only skunk found in Southern Nevada.

Food:

It will eat small mammals, fish, amphibi-ans, birds, eggs and even insects, but it is also fond of ripe corn and fruit.

Pika

Scientific name:

Ochotona princeps

Description:

This creature looks like a combination of a rabbit and a mouse, with large ears but no tail.

Life span:

6 - 7 years

Habitat and range:

Pika are well adapted to harsh habitat, but spend most of the year burrowed under-ground away from the cold. They are usually around rocks.

They are distributed through Western North America

Food:

They are herbivores, eating grass.

Sierra Mountain Beaver

Scientific name:

Aplodontia rufa Californica

Description:

Thought to be the most primitive living rodent, this beaver is a bit different than the traditional beaver. This chunky, grizzled gray rodent looks a lot like a tail-less muskrat. It has a small, one inch furred tail. The eyes are small and the ears are small and rounded.

Life span:

5 - 6 years

Habitat and Range:

Mountain beavers inhabit moist forest habitats with ample vegetative ground cover, and live underground.

Populations are found in Nevada, Califor-nia, Oregon, Washington and British Colom-bia.

Food:

They are herbivores and forage for plants, trees and shrubs.

Coyote Scientific name:

Canis latrans

Description:

The coyote resembles a medium-sized shepherd-collie dog. Distinguishing charac-teristics are pointed ears and nose, and a long bushy tail. The legs are generally slim-mer than a dogs.

Life span:

5 - 7 years

Habitat and Range:

From the low desert valleys to the alpine ridges, coyotes are found in about any type of habitat where they can find food. They have perhaps the most varied habitat of any animal in Nevada. They can be found across North America in, including Alaska.

Food:

In Nevada, rabbits, rodents and carrion make up the bulk of their diet, while deer and antelope fawns are occasional. In other areas, their diet includes insects and plant material.

Pronghorn Antelope Scientific name:

Antelocapra americana

Description:

The body is distinctly marked with white on the underside and rump. The back is brown with shades of cinnamon and the males have a black cheek patch, muzzle and forhead. Both female and male have horns. The males horns reach about 12 inches with two branches.

Life Span:

5 - 10 years

Habitat and Range:

They prefer gentle rolling or flat, wide-open topography. Low sagebrush and north-ern desert shrubs are preferred. Historically they extended to Mexico but with cattle ranges they are mostly found in Nevada.

Food:

They will eat over 150 different species of grasses, forbs and succulent plants.

Mule Deer

Scientific name:

Ochotona princeps

Description:

This creature looks like a combination of a rabbit and a mouse, with large ears but no tail.

Life span:

6 - 7 years

Habitat and range:

Pika are well adapted to harsh habitat, but spend most of the year burrowed under-ground away from the cold. They are usually around rocks.

They are distributed through Western North America

Food:

They are herbivores, eating grass.

Wild horses

Scientific name:

Aplodontia rufa Californica

Description:

Thought to be the most primitive living rodent, this beaver is a bit different than the traditional beaver. This chunky, grizzled gray rodent looks a lot like a tail-less muskrat. It has a small, one inch furred tail. The eyes are small and the ears are small and rounded.

Life span:

5 - 6 years

Habitat and Range:

Mountain beavers inhabit moist forest habitats with ample vegetative ground cover, and live underground.

Populations are found in Nevada, Califor-nia, Oregon, Washington and British Colom-bia.

Food:

They are herbivores and forage for plants, trees and shrubs.

Badger Scientific name:

Canis latrans

Description:

The coyote resembles a medium-sized shepherd-collie dog. Distinguishing charac-teristics are pointed ears and nose, and a long bushy tail. The legs are generally slim-mer than a dogs.

Life span:

5 - 7 years

Habitat and Range:

From the low desert valleys to the alpine ridges, coyotes are found in about any type of habitat where they can find food. They have perhaps the most varied habitat of any animal in Nevada. They can be found across North America in, including Alaska.

Food:

In Nevada, rabbits, rodents and carrion make up the bulk of their diet, while deer and antelope fawns are occasional. In other areas, their diet includes insects and plant material.

River Otter Scientific name:

Antelocapra americana

Description:

The body is distinctly marked with white on the underside and rump. The back is brown with shades of cinnamon and the males have a black cheek patch, muzzle and forhead. Both female and male have horns. The males horns reach about 12 inches with two branches.

Life Span:

5 - 10 years

Habitat and Range:

They prefer gentle rolling or flat, wide-open topography. Low sagebrush and north-ern desert shrubs are preferred. Historically they extended to Mexico but with cattle ranges they are mostly found in Nevada.

Food:

They will eat over 150 different species of grasses, forbs and succulent plants.

Black Bear

Scientific name:

Ursus americanus

Description:

May get to four feet tall at the shoulder and weigh 450 pounds. They are not always black. They also come in shades of cinnamon and brown. They have large ears, a long snout and round head that distinguishes them from grizzly and brown bears.

Life span:

30 + years

Habitat and range:

Mountainous areas and scrub lands, river and lake areas that have fish and fat-rich in-sects.

The American black bear is the only bear species occurring naturally in Nevada. Ranges includes mountainous areas and foothills of Lake Tahoe, the Sierra Nevada Mountains and nearby mountain ranges in extreme western Nevada.

Food:

Black bears are omnivorous. They will graze on grass and browse on berries and and blossoms, dig grubs, catch fish and small mammals. Prior to winter hibernation, black bears seek to consume more than 20,000 calories a day.

Natural History:

Black bears are primarily nocturnal with daytime forays, usually solitary except femals with cubs. Black bears may range 15 miles or more a day. They can achieve 30 miles an hour in a sprint and are excellent climbers. Their eyesight is poor, hearing is good and smell is excellent.

Mountain Lion

Scientific name:

Felis concolor

Description:

Also known as a cougar, panther or puma. An adult can stand 30 inches a the shoulder and measure up to 8 feet in length, and weigh up to 180 pounds. The short dense fur varies from yellow to a tawny rusty brown or gray. The understide of the body is white and the tail is tipped in black. The rounded ears and sides of the nose are also black. They are much larger than bobcats and have a long tail, about one third of the total length.

Life span:

12 - 15 years

Habitat and Range:

These cats exist only in the Western Hemisphere and is North America’s second biggest cat. Their habitat ranges from desert, chaparral and badlands to sub alpine mountains and tropical rain forests. They are usually most abundant where deer are plentiful. Their range is from 10 to 370 square miles.

Food:

Small mammals such as mice, ground squirrels, rabbits, skunks and porcupines make up a large part of their diet. Where possible, deer are their primary prey species.