Mammals of the Park
Many species of mammals in the park are mostly nocturnal and seldom seen.
Carnivorous and omnivorous mammals.
Our largest and most frequently seen carnivores are bobcat and coyote. Bobcats have increased over the last decade in and around the park, and coyotes do well in suburban areas and parks like ours. Raccoons and possums are more strictly nocturnal omnivores. The small and fierce long-tailed weasel is sometime seen in the park, and striped skunk can be most often detected with the nose. Black bears and cougars have occurred in the park, but only pass through every decade or so.
Rodents and rabbits.
One of the most encountered mammals is the introduced eastern cottontail, which is the scourge of local gardeners but prey for coyotes and bobcats. Our native Douglas squirrel is more likely to be seen in the park than the introduced eastern gray squirrel, the plague of bird feeders. The nocturnal northern flying squirrel is unlikely to be seen in daytime. We also have Townsend’s chipmunks, mice, the creeping vole (like a mouse with a short tail), and introduced rats. Porcupines strip bark off trees to get to the growing tissues underneath. The nocturnal mountain beaver is the most primitive rodent in the world and is the critter that makes the holes along trails - entrances to its burrow system. [link to mountain beaver page]
Insectivorous mammals.
Animals that eat insects are called insectivorous, and in the park include bats, shrews, and moles. There are likely as many as eight species of bats in the park. Nocturnal, bats, such as the little brown Myotis, can sometimes be seen at dusk. Shrews are tiny, high-energy insectivores that scurry in the litter on the ground seeking prey. Some have toxic venom, and the vagrant shrew uses echolocation, like bats. Moles burrow looking for worms and insect larvae underground, and can be a problem in local lawns and gardens. For some reason, one often encounters dead moles and shrew moles on trails in the park.
Ungulates:
The ungulate (hoofed mammal) you are most likely to see in the park is the horse! Occasionally passing through the park, blacktail deer don’t seem to stay long. Deer can be a real garden pest in some yards near the park.
Fun facts about mammals in the park
Photo credits: Jim Erckmann, Wikimedia Commons (Cody Pope, Jonathan Dickinson), Needpix.com (J Gordon), Flickr (Marit and Toomas Hinnosaar), Wikipedia.