KofaWildlife |
Wildlife at Kofa National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) in Arizona. Published by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS).
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U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Watchable Wildlife
Kofa National Wildlife Refuge
Welcome to wildlife watching on Kofa
National Wildlife Refuge
Kofa NWR encompasses 665,400 acres
of Sonoran Desert in southwestern
Arizona. Broad valleys, gently rolling
foothills, jagged peaks, and steep cliffs
are found within this rugged Refuge.
The Refuge receives little annual rainfall
and is characterized by warm winters
and scorching summer heat. Despite
these harsh conditions, a diverse group of
mammals, amphibians, and reptiles are
found on Kofa NWR.
Black-tailed jack rabbits, zebratailed lizards, western diamondback
rattlesnakes, and desert bighorn sheep
are several of the more commonly seen
animals on the Refuge. Other species,
including the coyote, Gila monster, desert
tortoise, and kit fox, may be spotted on
occasion, particularly at dawn or dusk.
Listed here are mammals, reptiles, and
amphibians recorded on Kofa NWR. Birds
are on a separate checklist. Additional
species may be present on the Refuge.
Symbols used in this list follow:
* Nonnative
† Native to southeast Arizona border area
Mammals
Order Chiroptera (Bats)
Family Molossidae
Western Mastiff-bat (Eumops perotis)
Pocketed Free-tailed Bat
(Nyctinomops femorosacca)
Mexican Free-tailed Bat
(Tadarida brasiliensis)
Family Phyllostomidae
California leaf-nosed bat
(Macrotus californicus)
Desert bighorn sheep. Susanna Henry / USFWS
Mule Deer. Katrina Krebs / USFWS
Family Vespertilionidae
Pallid Bat (Antrozous pallidus)
Townsend’s Big-eared Bat
(Corynorhinus townsendii )
Big Brown Bat (Eptesicus fuscus)
Spotted Bat (Euderma maculatum)
California Myotis (Myotis californicus)
Arizona Myotis (M. occultus)
Cave Myotis (M. velifer)
Yuma Myotis (M. yumanensis)
Canyon Bat
(Parastrellus hesperus)
Order Lagomorpha (Rabbits and Hares)
Family Leporidae
Black-tailed Jack Rabbit
(Lepus californicus)
Desert Cottontail (Sylvilagus audubonii)
Order Rodentia (Rodents)
Family Cricetidae
White-throated Woodrat
(Neotoma albigula)
Desert Woodrat (N. lepida)
Southern Grasshopper Mouse
(Onychomys torridus)
Brush Mouse (Peromyscus boylii)
Canyon Mouse (P. crinitus)
Cactus Mouse (P. eremicus)
Deer Mouse (P. maniculatus)
Western Harvest Mouse
(Reithrodontomys megalotis)
Family Erethizontidae
Porcupine (Erethizon dorsatum)
Family Geomyidae
Botta’s Pocket Gopher
(Thomomys bottae)
Family Heteromyidae
Bailey’s Pocket Mouse
(Chaetodipus baileyi)
Long-tailed Pocket Mouse (C. formosus)
Rock Pocket Mouse (C. intermedius)
Desert Pocket Mouse (C. penicillatus)
Desert Kangaroo Rat
(Dipodomys deserti)
Merriam’s Kangaroo Rat (D. merriami)
Arizona Pocket Mouse
(Perognathus amplus)
Little Pocket Mouse (P. longimembris)
Family Sciuridae
Harris’ Antelope Squirrel
(Ammospermophilus harrisii)
Round-tailed Ground Squirrel
(Xerospermophilus tereticaudus)
Order Soricomorpha (Shrews)
Family Soricidae
Desert Shrew (Notiosorex crawfordi)
Order Carnivora (Carnivores)
Family Canidae
Coyote (Canis latrans)
Gray Fox (Urocyon cinereoargenteus)
Kit Fox (Vulpes macrotis)
Family Ranidae
†Tarahumara Frogs (Rana tarahumarae)
Family Felidae
Bobcat (Lynx rufus)
Mountain Lion (Puma concolor)
Reptiles
Family Mephitidae
Striped Skunk (Mephitis mephitis)
Western Spotted Skunk
(Spilogale gracilis)
Family Mustelidae
Badger (Taxidea taxus)
Family Procyonidae
Ringtail (Bassariscus astutus)
Order Artiodactyla (Even-toed ungulates)
Family Antilocapridae
Sonoran Pronghorn
(Antilocapra americana sonoriensis)
Family Bovidae
Desert Bighorn Sheep
(Ovis canadensis Mexicana)
Family Cervidae
Mule Deer
(Odocoileus hemionus crooki)
Family Tayassuidae
Collared Peccary (Pecari tajacu)
Order Perissodactyla
Family Equidae
*Burro (Equus africanus asinus)
*Horse (E. caballus)
Amphibians
Order Anura (Toads and Frogs)
Family Bufonidae
Colorado River Toad (Bufo alvarius)
Great Plains Toad (B. cognatus)
Red-spotted Toad (B. punctatus)
Family Scaphiopodidae
Couch’s Spadefoot (Scaphiopus couchii)
Order Testudines (Turtles and Tortoises)
Family Testudinoidae
Desert Tortoise (Gopherus agassizii)
Order Squamata (Lizards and Snakes)
Family Crotaphytidae
Collared Lizard
(Crotaphytus insularis bicinctores)
Long-nosed Leopard Lizard
(Gambelia wislizenii wislizenii)
Family Gekkonidae
Western Banded Gecko
(Coleonyx variegatus variegates)
Family Helodermatidae
Banded Gila Monster
(Heloderma suspectum cinctum)
Family Iguanidae
Desert Iguana
(Dipsosaurus dorsalis dorsalis)
Chuckwalla (Sauromalus obesus obesus)
Family Phrynosomatidae
Zebra-tailed Lizard
(Callisaurus draconoides rhodostictus)
Desert Horned Lizard
(Phrynosoma platyrhinos calidiarum)
Desert Spiny Lizard
(Sceloporus magister magister)
Colorado Desert Fringe-toed Lizard
(Uma notata rufopunctata)
Long-tailed Brush Lizard
(Urosaurus graciosus graciosus)
Tree Lizard (U. ornatus symmetricus)
Side-blotched Lizard
(Uta stansburiana elegans)
Night Snake
(Hypsiglena torquata ochrorhyncha)
Common Kingsnake
(Lampropeltis getulus californiae)
Coachwhip
(Masticophis flagellum piceus)
Pine Gopher Snake
(Pituophis melanoleucus affinis)
Spotted Leaf-nosed Snake
(Phyllorhynchus decurtatus perkinsi)
Long-nosed Snake
(Rhinocheilus lecontei lecontei)
Western Patch-nosed Snake
(Salvadora hexalepis hexalepis)
Ground Snake (Sonora semiannulata)
Smith’s Black-headed Snake
(Tantilla hobartsmithi)
Checkered Garter Snake
(Thamnophis marcianus marcianus)
Western Lyre Snake
(Trimorphodon biscutatus lambda)
Family Elapidae
Sonoran Coral Snake
(Micruroides euryxanthus)
Family Teiidae
Western Whiptail
(Aspidoscelis tigris tigris)
Family Leptotyphlopidae
Western Slender Blind Snake
(Leptotyphlops humilis cahuilae)
Family Xantusiidae
Desert Night Lizard
(Xantusia vigilis vigilis)
Family Viperidae
Western Diamondback Rattlesnake
(Crotalus atrox)
Sidewinder (C. cerastes laterorepens)
Speckled Rattlesnake
(C. mitchellii pyrrhus)
Black-tailed Rattlesnake
(C. molossus molossus)
Mojave Rattlesnake
(C. scutulatus scutulatus)
Family Boidae
Rosy Boa (Lichanura trivirgata gracia)
Desert tortoise. Christa Weise / USFWS
Chuckwalla. Katrina Krebs / USFWS
Family Colubridae
Glossy Snake
(Arizona elegans noctivaga)
Banded Sand Snake
(Chilomeniscus cinctus)
Western Shovel-nosed Snake
(Chionactis occipitalis annulata)
February 2014