The San Diego Natural History Museum is permitted to trap for rare and endangered rodents including the Pacific Pocket Mouse (Perognathus longimembris pacificus), Stephens’ Kangaroo Rat (Dipodomys stephensi), and San Bernardino Kangaroo Rat (Dipodomys merriami parvus). Other sensitive rodents that we are permitted to survey, trap, and handle include:
Los Angeles Pocket Mouse (Perognathus longimembris brevinasus)
Palm Springs Pocket Mouse (Perognathus longimembris bangsi)
Pallid San Diego Pocket Mouse (Chaetodipus fallax pallidus)
Northwestern San Diego Pocket Mouse (Chaetodipus fallax fallax)
Dulzura Pocket Mouse (Chaetodipus californicus femoralis)
Jacumba Pocket Mouse (Perognathus longimembris internationalis)
Ramona Grasshopper Mouse (Onychomys torridus ramona)
San Diego Desert Woodrat (Neotoma bryanti intermedia)
San Bernardino Northern Flying Squirrel (Glaucomys sabrinus californicus)
Lodgepole chipmunk (Tamias speciosus speciosus)
The Department of Birds and Mammals has also conducted extensive surveys for meso-carnivores through camera traps and other techniques. Species we have worked within include Badger (Taxidea taxus), Ringtail (Bassariscus astutus), Bobcat (Felix rufus), and Mountain Lion (Felis concolor).
Some recent terrestrial mammal projects include:
The goal of this project was to determine the impact of disturbance on small mammal communities across the 600,000-acre Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms. The diversity measures of species richness, heterogeneity, and evenness were used to understand the distribution and abundance of small mammal species across MCAGCC and evaluate whether human impacts had an effect on diversity. A total of 23 species of small and large non-volant mammals were recorded during the study, including 16 rodent species. Project partners included Naval Facilities Engineering Command Southwest and United States Marine Corps.
The goal of this project was to determine the impact of off-road vehicles on mammals across the 10,000-acre Freeman properties purchased by the California Department of Parks and Recreation near the Salton Sea. A total of 23 mammal species were found during the surveys, including 12 rodent species. Project partners included the California Department of Parks and Recreation.