Grizzly bears, gray wolves and bison top the list of animals that literally stop traffic across Yellowstone National Park all summer long. But if one Wyoming researcher had his way, park visitors would be snapping a lot more photos of fringe-tailed bats and golden-mantled ground squirrels.
While it’s the charismatic megafauna that capture public attention and research dollars, the less heralded mammals of Yellowstone and Wyoming are just as important. But not nearly enough is known about these smaller species, said Steven Buskirk, a professor emeritus of zoology and physiology at the University of Wyoming.
