List of mammals of New England

New England states are indicated in red.

There are 7 orders, 17 families, 40 genera, and 60 species represented among the Mammals of New England. If extirpated, coastal, introduced, and accidental species are included these numbers increase to 8 orders, 26 families, 67 genera, and 105 species. The region includes the U.S. states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Rhode Island.

The makeup and distribution of the mammals in New England are largely the result of the Last Glacial Maximum when the Laurentide ice sheet covered virtually the entire region. Recolonization of the area appears to have occurred from one or a few southern glacial refugia. This is in contrast to the multiple glacial refugia present throughout the American West (Stone and Cook, 2000). As a consequence of both the recent uninhabitability and the few sources of recolonization, species diversity for some taxa in parts of New England are lower than in similar areas in other parts of North America. Chipmunks and ground squirrels are exemplars of this situation. New England has one species of each, but numerous locations west of the Rocky Mountains host several species (Hall, 1981).

Habitat varies throughout the region. Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont, in the north of the region, have a humid continental short summer climate, with cooler summers and long, cold winters. Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Rhode Island, in the south, have a humid continental long summer climate, with hot summers and cold winters. The average rainfall for most of the region is from 1,000 to 1,500 mm (40 to 60 in) a year, although the northern parts of Vermont and Maine see slightly less, from 500 to 1,000 mm (20 to 40 in). Snowfall can often exceed 2,500 mm (100 in) annually (New England Climate Initiative, 2006). Most mammals in this region exhibit specializations for dealing with the sometimes harsh winter conditions.

A comprehensive listing of all species found in the region follows.

Marsupials

Virginia opossum

Opossums, family Didelphidae

Insectivores, order Soricomorpha

Masked shrew

Shrews, family Soricidae

Moles, family Talpidae

Bats, order Chiroptera

Vesper bats, family Vespertilionidae

Lagomorphs, order Lagomorpha

Eastern cottontail

Rabbits and hares, family Leporidae

Rodents, order Rodentia

Eastern chipmunk

Squirrels, chipmunks, and marmots, family Sciuridae

Beavers, family Castoridae

American beaver

Jumping mice, family Dipodidae

White-footed mouse

New World rats and mice, voles, lemmings, and muskrats, family Cricetidae

Old World rats and mice, family Muridae (introduced)

Porcupines, family Erethizontidae

North American porcupine

Carnivores, order Carnivora

Dogs, family Canidae

Bears, family Ursidae

Seals, family Phocidae (coastal)

Walrus, family Odobenidae

Raccoons, family Procyonidae

Weasels, minks, martens, fishers, and otters, family Mustelidae

Skunks, family Mephitidae

Striped skunk

Cats, family Felidae

Even-toed ungulates and whales, order Cetartiodactyla

Deer and moose, family Cervidae

Right whales, family Balaenidae (coastal)

Rorquals, family Balaenopteridae (coastal)

Sperm whales, family Physeteridae (pelagic)

Beaked whales, family Ziphiidae (pelagic)

Beluga and Narwhal, family Monodontidae (coastal vagrant)

Dolphins, family Delphinidae (coastal)

Porpoises, family Phocoenidae (coastal)

Manatees and Dugongs, order Sirenia (coastal vagrant)

Manatees, family Trichechidae (coastal vagrant)

References

See also

This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.