List of mammals of Pennsylvania

The White-tailed deer is the state animal of Pennsylvania.[1]

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 Species Name Status[2] Notes Distribution[2]
Virginia opossum


Didelphis virginiana Common D. virginiana virginiana State-wide

Shrews and Moles

Order: Soricomorpha Family: Soricidae

7 species of shrews in Pennsylvania.

Common Name Species Name Status Notes Distribution
Northern short-tailed shrew Blarina brevicauda Common State-wide
Least shrew Cryptotis parva Endangered
locally		 South central
Masked shrew Sorex cinereus Common State-wide
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 State-wide
Pygmy shrew Sorex hoyi Uncommon Presumed state-wide
Water shrew Sorex palustris Uncommon Mountain streams

Order: Soricomorpha Family: Talpidae

3 species of moles occur in Pennsylvania.

Common Name Species Name Status Notes Distribution
Star-nosed mole Condylura cristata Uncommon State-wide
Hairy-tailed mole Parascalops breweri Uncommon State-wide
Eastern mole Scalopus aquaticus Uncommon Piedmont and Valley and Ridge

Bats

Order: Chiroptera Family: Vespertilionidae

12 species of evening bats occur in Pennsylvania.

Common Name Species Name Status Notes Distribution
Eastern pipistrelle Pipistrellus subflavus Uncommon State-wide
Big brown bat Eptesicus fuscus Common State-wide
Evening bat Nycticeius humeralis Rare Southeastern
Red bat Lasiurus borealis Uncommon State-wide
Seminole bat Lasiurus seminolus Rare Piedmont
Hoary bat Lasiurus cinereus Uncommon State-wide
Keen's myotis Myotis keenii Rare State-wide
Small-footed myotis Myotis leibii Threatened
locally		 State-wide
Northern long-eared bat Myotis septentrionalis State-wide
Little brown myotis Myotis lucifugus Common State-wide
Indiana bat Myotis sodalis Endangered Central
Silver-haired bat Lasionycteris noctivagans Uncommon State-wide

Rabbits and hares

Order: Lagomorpha Family: Leporidae

3 species of rabbits and hares occur in Pennsylvania.

Common Name Species Name Status Notes Distribution
Eastern cottontail


Sylvilagus floridanus Common State-wide
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 Species Name Status Notes Distribution
Beaver Castor canadensis Reintroduced State-wide

Order: Rodentia Family: Myocastoridae

One species of porcupine occurs in Pennsylvania.

Common Name Species Name Status Notes Distribution
North American porcupine Erethizon doratum Uncommon Northern and central

Order: Rodentia Family: Dipodidae

2 species of jumping mice occur in Pennsylvania.

Common Name Species Name Status Notes Distribution
Woodland jumping mouse Napaeozapus insignis Common Northern and western
Meadow jumping mouse Zapus hudsonius Common State-wide

Order: Rodentia Family: Cricetidae

9 species of voles and New World rats and mice occur in Pennsylvania.

Subfamily Arvicolinae (lemmings, voles, and muskrat)

Common Name Species Name Status Notes Distribution
Rock vole Microtus chrotorrhinus Rare Northeast
Meadow vole Microtus pennsylvanicus Common State-wide
Woodland vole Microtus pinetorum Common State-wide
Southern bog lemming Synaptomys cooperi Uncommon State-wide
Southern red-backed vole Myodes gapperi Common State-wide
Muskrat Ondatra zibethicus Common State-wide

Subfamily Neotominae (North American rats and mice)

Common Name Species Name Status Notes Distribution
Woodrat Neotoma magister Threatened Mountain ridges
Deer mouse Peromyscus maniculatus Common State-wide
White-footed mouse Peromyscus leucopus Common State-wide

Order: Rodentia Family: Muridae

3 species of Old World rats and mice occur in Pennsylvania.

Common Name Species Name Status Notes Distribution
House mouse Mus musculus Introduced State-wide
Norway rat Rattus norvegicus Introduced State-wide
Black rat Rattus rattus Introduced State-wide

Order: Rodentia Family: Sciuridae

8 species of squirrels, chipmunks, and marmots occur in Pennsylvania.

Subfamily Sciurinae (tree squirrels and flying squirrels)

Common Name Species Name Status Notes Distribution
Gray squirrel


Sciurus carolinensis Common State-wide
Fox squirrel Sciurus niger Uncommon Southern and western
Red squirrel Tamiasciurus hudsonicus Common State-wide
Northern flying squirrel Glaucomys sabrinus Rare Northern
Southern flying squirrel Glaucomys volans Common State-wide

Subfamily Xerinae (chipmunks and ground squirrels)

Common Name Species Name Status Notes Distribution
Woodchuck Marmota monax Common State-wide
Thirteen-lined ground squirrel Spermophilus tridecemlineatus Introduced Mercer and Venango Counties
Eastern chipmunk Tamias striatus Common State-wide

Carnivorans

Order: Carnivora Family: Felidae

One species of cat occurs in Pennsylvania.

Common Name Species Name Status Notes Distribution
Bobcat Lynx rufus Rare L. rufus rufus Appalachian Uplands

Order: Carnivora Family: Canidae

3 species of canids occurred in Pennsylvania.

Common Name Species Name Status Notes Distribution
Coyote Canis latrans Common Northeastern Coyote, C. latrans thamnos State-wide
Red fox Vulpes vulpes Common Eastern American Red Fox, V. vulpes fulvus State-wide
Gray fox Urocyon cinereoargenteus Common State-wide

Order: Carnivora Family: Ursidae

One species of bear occurs in Pennsylvania.

Common Name Species Name Status Notes Distribution
Black bear Ursus americanus Common U. americanus americanus Most of state

Order: Carnivora Family: Mephitidae

2 species of skunks occur in Pennsylvania.

Common Name Species Name Status Notes Distribution
Striped skunk Mephitis mephitis Common State-wide
Eastern spotted skunk Spilogale putorius Rare South central

Order: Carnivora Family: Mustelidae

6 species of weasels occur in Pennsylvania.

Common Name Species Name Status Notes Distribution
River otter Lontra canadensis Rare L. canadensis canadensis Northern
Fisher Martes pennanti Reintroduced North central
Ermine Mustela erminea Uncommon State-wide except southwest
Long-tailed weasel Mustela frenata Common State-wide
Least weasel Mustela nivalis Uncommon M. nivalis allegheniensis Western two-thirds
Mink Mustela vison Common M. vison mink State-wide

Order: Carnivora Family: Procyonidae

One species of raccoon occurs in Pennsylvania.

Common Name Species Name Status Notes Distribution
Raccoon Procyon lotor Common Eastern raccoon, P. lotor lotor State-wide

Hoofed mammals

Order: Artiodactyla Family: Cervidae

2 species of deer and elk occur in Pennsylvania.

Common Name Species Name Status Notes Distribution
Elk Cervus canadensis Reintroduced North central
White-tailed deer


Odocoileus virginianus Common Northern white-tailed deer, O. virginianus borealis State-wide

References

  1. ↑ "About Pennsylvania". Pennsylvania website. Retrieved 2009-10-14.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Except where noted otherwise, status and distribution come from "Mammals of Pennsylvania". The American Society of Mammalogists website. Retrieved 2011-06-09.