List of mammals of Pennsylvania
This list of mammals in Pennsylvania consists of 67 species currently believed to occur wild in the state. This excludes feral domesticated species.
Several species recently lived wild in Pennsylvania, but are now probably extirpated. They are the marsh rice rat (Oryzomys palustris), gray wolf (Canis lupus), marten (Martes americana), wolverine (Gulo gulo), badger (Taxidea taxus), mountain lion (Felis concolor), lynx (Lynx lynx), moose (Alces alces) and bison (Bison bison).
Opossums
Order: Didelphimorphia Family: Didelphidae
One species of opossum occurs in Pennsylvania.
Common name | Scientific name | Status[2] | Notes | Distribution[2] |
---|---|---|---|---|
Virginia opossum
|
Didelphis virginiana | Common | D. virginiana virginiana | Statewide |
Shrews and moles
Order: Soricomorpha Family: Soricidae
Seven species of shrews live in Pennsylvania.
Common name | Scientific name | Status | Notes | Distribution |
---|---|---|---|---|
Northern short-tailed shrew | Blarina brevicauda | Common | Statewide | |
Least shrew | Cryptotis parva | Endangered locally |
South central | |
Masked shrew | Sorex cinereus | Common | Statewide | |
Maryland shrew | Sorex cinereus fontinalis | Common | The Maryland shrew is now considered a subspecies of masked shrew. | Piedmont and Valley and Ridge |
Long-tailed shrew | Sorex dispar | Rare | Appalachian Uplands | |
Smoky shrew | Sorex fumeus | Common | Statewide | |
Pygmy shrew | Sorex hoyi | Uncommon | Presumed statewide | |
Water shrew | Sorex palustris | Uncommon | Mountain streams |
Order: Soricomorpha Family: Talpidae
Three species of moles occur in Pennsylvania.
Common name | Scientific name | Status | Notes | Distribution |
---|---|---|---|---|
Star-nosed mole | Condylura cristata | Uncommon | Statewide | |
Hairy-tailed mole | Parascalops breweri | Uncommon | Statewide | |
Eastern mole | Scalopus aquaticus | Uncommon | Piedmont and Valley and Ridge |
Bats
Order: Chiroptera Family: Vespertilionidae
Twelve species of evening bats occur in Pennsylvania.
Common name | Scientific name | Status | Notes | Distribution |
---|---|---|---|---|
Eastern pipistrelle | Pipistrellus subflavus | Uncommon | Statewide | |
Big brown bat | Eptesicus fuscus | Common | Statewide | |
Evening bat | Nycticeius humeralis | Rare | Southeastern | |
Red bat | Lasiurus borealis | Uncommon | Statewide | |
Seminole bat | Lasiurus seminolus | Rare | Piedmont | |
Hoary bat | Lasiurus cinereus | Uncommon | Statewide | |
Keen's myotis | Myotis keenii | Rare | Statewide | |
Small-footed myotis | Myotis leibii | Threatened locally |
Statewide | |
Northern long-eared bat | Myotis septentrionalis | Statewide | ||
Little brown myotis | Myotis lucifugus | Common | Statewide | |
Indiana bat | Myotis sodalis | Endangered | Central | |
Silver-haired bat | Lasionycteris noctivagans | Uncommon | Statewide |
Rabbits and hares
Order: Lagomorpha Family: Leporidae
Three species of rabbits and hares occur in Pennsylvania.
Common name | Scientific name | Status | Notes | Distribution |
---|---|---|---|---|
Eastern cottontail
|
Sylvilagus floridanus | Common | Statewide | |
Appalachian cottontail | Sylvilagus obscurus | Uncommon | Eastern mountains | |
Snowshoe hare | Lepus americanus | Rare | Appalachian Uplands |
Rodents
Order: Rodentia Family: Castoridae
One species of beaver occurs in Pennsylvania.
Common name | Scientific name | Status | Notes | Distribution |
---|---|---|---|---|
Beaver | Castor canadensis | Reintroduced | Statewide |
Order: Rodentia Family: Myocastoridae
One species of porcupine occurs in Pennsylvania.
Common name | Scientific name | Status | Notes | Distribution |
---|---|---|---|---|
North American porcupine | Erethizon doratum | Uncommon | Northern and central |
Order: Rodentia Family: Dipodidae
Two species of jumping mice occur in Pennsylvania.
Common name | Scientific name | Status | Notes | Distribution |
---|---|---|---|---|
Woodland jumping mouse | Napaeozapus insignis | Common | Northern and western | |
Meadow jumping mouse | Zapus hudsonius | Common | Statewide |
Order: Rodentia Family: Cricetidae
Nine species of voles and New World rats and mice occur in Pennsylvania.
Subfamily Arvicolinae (lemmings, voles, and muskrats)
Common name | Scientific name | Status | Notes | Distribution |
---|---|---|---|---|
Rock vole | Microtus chrotorrhinus | Rare | Northeast | |
Meadow vole | Microtus pennsylvanicus | Common | Statewide | |
Woodland vole | Microtus pinetorum | Common | Statewide | |
Southern bog lemming | Synaptomys cooperi | Uncommon | Statewide | |
Southern red-backed vole | Myodes gapperi | Common | Statewide | |
Muskrat | Ondatra zibethicus | Common | Statewide |
Subfamily Neotominae (North American rats and mice)
Common name | Scientific name | Status | Notes | Distribution |
---|---|---|---|---|
Woodrat | Neotoma magister | Threatened | Mountain ridges | |
Deer mouse | Peromyscus maniculatus | Common | Statewide | |
White-footed mouse | Peromyscus leucopus | Common | Statewide |
Order: Rodentia Family: Muridae
Three species of Old World rats and mice occur in Pennsylvania.
Common name | Scientific name | Status | Notes | Distribution |
---|---|---|---|---|
House mouse | Mus musculus | Introduced | Statewide | |
Norway rat | Rattus norvegicus | Introduced | Statewide | |
Black rat | Rattus rattus | Introduced | Statewide |
Order: Rodentia Family: Sciuridae
Eight species of squirrels, chipmunks, and marmots occur in Pennsylvania.
Subfamily Sciurinae (tree squirrels and flying squirrels)
Common name | Scientific name | Status | Notes | Distribution |
---|---|---|---|---|
Gray squirrel
|
Sciurus carolinensis | Common | Statewide | |
Fox squirrel | Sciurus niger | Uncommon | Southern and western | |
Red squirrel | Tamiasciurus hudsonicus | Common | Statewide | |
Northern flying squirrel | Glaucomys sabrinus | Rare | Northern | |
Southern flying squirrel | Glaucomys volans | Common | Statewide |
Subfamily Xerinae (chipmunks and ground squirrels)
Common name | Scientific name | Status | Notes | Distribution |
---|---|---|---|---|
Woodchuck | Marmota monax | Common | Statewide | |
Thirteen-lined ground squirrel | Spermophilus tridecemlineatus | Introduced | Mercer and Venango Counties | |
Eastern chipmunk | Tamias striatus | Common | Statewide |
Carnivorans
Order: Carnivora Family: Felidae
One species of cat occurs in Pennsylvania.
Common name | Scientific name | Status | Notes | Distribution |
---|---|---|---|---|
Bobcat | Lynx rufus | Rare | L. rufus rufus | Appalachian Uplands |
Order: Carnivora Family: Canidae
Three species of canids occurred in Pennsylvania.
Common name | Scientific name | Status | Notes | Distribution |
---|---|---|---|---|
Coyote | Canis latrans | Common | Northeastern coyote, C. latrans thamnos | Statewide |
Red fox | Vulpes vulpes | Common | Eastern American red fox, V. vulpes fulvus | Statewide |
Gray fox | Urocyon cinereoargenteus | Common | Statewide |
Order: Carnivora Family: Ursidae
One species of bear occurs in Pennsylvania.
Common name | Scientific name | Status | Notes | Distribution |
---|---|---|---|---|
Black bear | Ursus americanus | Common | U. americanus americanus | Most of state |
Order: Carnivora Family: Mephitidae
Two species of skunks occur in Pennsylvania.
Common name | Scientific name | Status | Notes | Distribution |
---|---|---|---|---|
Striped skunk | Mephitis mephitis | Common | Statewide | |
Eastern spotted skunk | Spilogale putorius | Rare | South central |
Order: Carnivora Family: Mustelidae
Six species of weasels occur in Pennsylvania.
Common name | Scientific name | Status | Notes | Distribution |
---|---|---|---|---|
River otter | Lontra canadensis | Rare | L. canadensis canadensis | Northern |
Fisher | Martes pennanti | Reintroduced | North central | |
Ermine | Mustela erminea | Uncommon | Statewide except southwest | |
Long-tailed weasel | Mustela frenata | Common | Statewide | |
Least weasel | Mustela nivalis | Uncommon | M. nivalis allegheniensis | Western two-thirds |
Mink | Mustela vison | Common | M. vison mink | Statewide |
Order: Carnivora Family: Procyonidae
One species of raccoons occurs in Pennsylvania.
Common name | Scientific name | Status | Notes | Distribution |
---|---|---|---|---|
Raccoon | Procyon lotor | Common | Eastern raccoon, P. lotor lotor | Statewide |
Hoofed mammals
Order: Artiodactyla Family: Cervidae
Two species of deer and elk occur in Pennsylvania.
Common name | Scientific name | Status | Notes | Distribution |
---|---|---|---|---|
Elk | Cervus canadensis | Reintroduced | North central | |
White-tailed deer
|
Odocoileus virginianus | Common | Northern white-tailed deer, O. virginianus borealis | Statewide |
References
- ↑ "About Pennsylvania". Pennsylvania website. Retrieved 2009-10-14. External link in
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(help) - 1 2 Except where noted otherwise, status and distribution come from "Mammals of Pennsylvania". The American Society of Mammalogists website. Retrieved 2011-06-09. External link in
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- "Which mammals live in Pennsylvania?". Carnegie Museum of Natural History website. Retrieved 2011-06-09.
- Wilson, Don; Deeann Reeder (2005). Mammal Species of the World (3rd ed.). Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. ISBN 0-8018-8221-4.