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Black Bear (Ursus americanus)

Black bears are actually brown in color here at the Punchbowl (black in color in the Eastern United States). They are occasional visitors, mainly at night. Raiding the park trash cans is their favorite pastime. Being omnivores, they eat almost anything, plant or animal. In the wild they feed on manzanita berries, beetle larvae in dead trees, or anything they find dead or alive.

Mule Deer (Odocoileus hemionus)

Mule deer are found throughout the park, but are rarely seen. They feed on a variety of plants but their favorite food is bitter-brush or antelope-brush (Purshia glandulosa). This plant is considered the "ice cream" species for deer. Mule deer are so called for their large mule like ears. They are not large deer but their ears make up for it. They usually have one fawn, but twins are not uncommon especially with older does. Mule deer are the favorite food for mountain lions.

Bighorn Sheep (Ovis Canadensis)

The Bighorn Sheep makes the high elevation ridges and steep canyon walls their home. They scamper up rock faces with ease. The large curled horns are used by rams to spar for mating rights to females in a flock. The loud clashing sounds of the head butting may be heard for long distances. At one time, the Desert Bighorn Sheep were nearly poached out of existence. Now their population is growing and they may often be seen on mountain sides above State Highway 2.

Mountain Lion (Felis concolor)

The Mountain Lion is a large feline that mainly feeds on the Mule deer. It is 4-5 feet long and 2.5 feet tall. They are very shy and are rarely seen. They are light brown (young spotted) with a white underbelly. If you encounter a mountain lion while hikng or camping, don't run; a mountain lion's instinct will tell it to chase you. Instead stand tall and act big. The mountain lion does not want prey that will stand up to face it.

Bobcat (Felis rufus)

The Bobcat is a medium sized feline that is much larger than a house cat (L 28-49" and can weigh 14-68 Lbs). The bobcat is not as shy as the mountain lion, but is rarely seen as well. It hunts Quail, rabbits, rodents, and snakes. The bobcat has a short, stubby tail, giving it its name, and small tufts on the ears. Fur color varies on age and season. The bobcat is found in most of the United States, unlike the Lynx that is found only in eleven northern states. There are no lynx in California.

Coyote (Canis latrans)

The coyote is a small canine that is often mistaken for a dog, or the other way around. They are lanky with gray fur. Their ears are large and held upright, the tail is bushy and long. The coyote is a scavenger, and if it does hunt, it mainly hunts for rabbits and squirrels. Many cat deaths have been blamed on the coyote, but they are not USUALLY the guilty party. Usually it is Great Horned owls, or dogs that take the life of house cats. Sometimes a cat may fall victim to a hungry coyote, but it is very rare. Manzanita berries are a very important coyote food. Coyotes are very shy and are rarely seen by people.

Gray Fox (Urocyon cinereoargenteus)

The Gray Fox is the most common mammal around the Devil's Punchbowl area. It is very small 29" long weighing 7-13 lb. It is gray fur that is very long, a very catlike face with a long nose and beady eyes. They spend most of their time scavenging - eating berries, small mammals, and leftover food from the picnic area.

Kit Fox (Vulpes velox)

The Kit Fox is even smaller than the gray fox. Its coloring is dusty gray and has long fur with rather large ears for their size. They live primarily in the desert, eating rodents and anything else that it can catch. The kit fox live inside small, underground dens and are nocturnal.

Antelope Jack Rabbit (Lepus callotis)

The Antelope Jackrabbit is the largest of the native rabbits. It has gray fur, with some dark patches. Antelope Jackrabbits have long ears that stand straight up and long front legs, and large hind legs that help it run and jump. It is tall and lanky and a primary food source for many desert animals including Red-tailed hawks, mountain lions, bobcats, and coyotes.

Desert Cottontail (Sylvilagus audubonii)

The Desert Cottontail is a lot smaller and more compact than the Antelope Jack rabbit. It has dark fur except for its tail (that is "cotton white"). It lives in the chaparral of the lower mountains, but can be found in most parts of the Antelope Valley. Being smaller than the Antelope Jackrabbit it is prey to more predators.

Brush Rabbit (Sylvilagus bachmani)

The Brush Rabbit is the smallest of the native rabbits. It is so small it could fit in cupped hands. It is brown and does not have a white tail like the cottontail rabbit. It lives in the deep brush of the chaparral in the desert and lower mountains.

Marten (Martes americana)

A Marten is a small mammal growing to the length of 17". It has yellowish brown hair with a bushy tail. It is nocturnal. Living mainly in trees it comes down from its perch to forage on the ground. The Marten's main food is smaller mammals but it also feeds on berries, nuts, and birds.

Badger (Taxidea Taxus)

The Badger is larger and more ferocious than the Marten. It has yellow gray fur and a white stripe down its dark head. It is found in the valley floor near farms. The farms attract small mammals that are the primary food source for the badger. Badgers live in large dens in the ground. The dens are large and more oval with the sides being wider than the roof is tall. Nocturnal.

Raccoon (Procyon lotor)

The Raccoon is the trouble maker of the desert. Commonly thought of as bandits, probably because they like to get into everything and steal food and shiny objects (they also look like bandits with a black band over their eyes). They are also "compulsive hand washers", constantly washing their hands in streams.

Ringtail Cat (Bassariscus astutus)

Ringtail cats are rare and secretive. They are yellow-gray and have black and white bands on their tails. The ringtail cat has a catlike face. It feeds on small mammals, insects, birds and sometimes lizards. Nocturnal.

Striped Skunk (Mephitis mephitis)

The striped skunk is a large skunk, black fur with white stripes down its back. One of their main predators is the Great Horned Owl. A well-known defensive tactic of the skunk is its musky spray that it shoots from under its tail. They are predators to small mammals, birds, bird eggs, and insects.

Spotted Skunk (Spilogale putorius)

The spotted skunk is a smaller skunk. It has the same odorous defensive tactics as all skunks do. It is black with white spots. It is carnivorous, eating small mammals, birds and insects. Nocturnal.

Long Tailed Weasel (Mustela frenata)

The long tailed weasel is a small mammal. Long tail with light brown fur. They are very aggressive eaters. The long tailed weasels feedcarnivorously on small mammals, birds, bird eggs, lizards, and insects. Primarily Nocturnal.

Western Gray Squrrel (sciurus griseus)

Western Gray Squirrel can be seen jumping from tree to tree in the coniferous belt of the mountains. It has fluffy gray fur. It feeds primarily on Coulter pine nuts and some greens. Diurnal.

Antelope Ground Squrrel (Ammospermophilus leucurus)

The Antelope Ground Squirrel is a small mammal. It has light brown to tan fur with white stripes down its back. It is seen running across the road with its tail on its back. The Antelope Ground Squirrel eats mainly nuts and grains. Diurnal.

California Ground Squrrel (Citellus beecheyi)

The California Ground Squirrel is a tan to brown mammal. It is mainly vegetarian but on occasion it will eat insects or other dead animals. It lives in large burrows. When its territory is threatened it will chirp like a bird. The California Ground Squirrel can be very destructive to a garden. These squirrels fall prey to many animals including the coyote, bobcat, large birds of prey, and rattlesnakes.

Pocket Gopher (Thomomys bottae)

The Pocket Gopher is about four inches long. It has golden fur and a short tail. Like most rodents it has extremely sharp teeth. The Pocket gopher is known for the mounds of dirt it makes above the opening of its home and the damage it does to plants. Its main diet is the root system of plants.

Pocket Mouse (Perognathus californicus)

Pinyon Mouse (Peromyscus truei)

The pinyon mouse is a large mouse with big ears and beady eyes. It has dark brown fur, but the tail is bicolor with white under the brown. Its primary food source is nuts and grains in the wild, but it also eats greens. This mouse is also a food source for other animals in the desert.

Deer Mouse (Peromyscus maniculatus)

The Deer Mouse is smaller than the pinyon mouse. It can be found with a variety of colors. The Deer Mouse's food consists of nuts and grains.

Merriam's Kangaroo Rat (Dipodomys merriami)

The Merriam's Kangaroo Rat is not really a rat at all but a nocturnal squirrel. It has large eyes, and very large hind feet. On the end of its tail is a fluff of fur. This kangaroo rat is found in the entire Antelope Valley, and is commonly seen hopping across the road at nighttime. The kangaroo rat will gather seeds and bury them for later use. It also changes carbohydrates and the oxygen it breathes into water. The kangaroo rat is a primary food and water source for many animals in the desert.

Desert Kangaroo Rat (Diplodomys deserti)

The Desert Kangaroo Rat is much larger than the Merriam's Kangaroo Rat. It also has the large eyes and large hind, jumping legs. It is lighter in color than Merriam's. It is found in the eastern Antelope Valley.

Dusky-Footed Wood Rat (Neotoma fuscipes)

The Dusky-Footed Wood Rat is a very delicate creature. It is a large rodent that utilizes sticks to build its nest. The nest is a large and dome shape structure that can be up to three feet tall. It is very common in scrub and brush.

California Myotis Bat (Myotis californicus)