Mammals are warm-blooded vertebrates that have hair and produce milk. Sometimes the hair can be sparse, or it can be modified hairs like quills on a porcupine. Seven species of mammals are extirpated in Maryland, or no longer can be found wild in the state. These species include the American bison, American elk, American marten, Eastern harvest mouse, Eastern mountain lion, gray wolf, and snowshoe hare. Over 20 species of mammals are considered to be rare, threatened or endangered in Maryland.
For a complete list of rare animals in Maryland, please click here. Mammals such as the nutria, black rat, Norway rat, house mouse, sika deer and feral pony have been introduced to Maryland; nutria were eradicated in 2022.
This list includes species considered accidental, vagrant, introduced or extirpated. Special thanks go to Gene Scarpulla and Susan Knowles for their assistance and information regarding marine mammals.
Common Names are followed by the italicized
Scientific Name
Opossums
Virginia opossum, Didelphis virginiana
Shrews
Masked shrew,
Sorex cinereus
Southeastern shrew,
Sorex longirostris
Southern Water shrew,
Sorex palustris punctulatus
Smoky shrew,
Sorex fumeus
Long-tailed shrew,
Sorex dispar
Southern pygmy shrew,
Sorex hoyiwinnemana
Northern short-tailed shrew, Blarina brevicauda
Least shrew,
Cryptotis parva
Moles
Hairy-tailed mole,
Parascalops breweri
Eastern mole,
Scalopus aquaticus
Southeastern star-nosed mole,
Condylura cristataparva
Bats
Little brown bat, Myotis lucifugus
Indiana bat, Myotis sodalis
Eastern small-footed bat, Myotis leibii
Northern long-eared bat, Myotis septentrionalis
Silver-haired bat, Lasionycteris noctivagans
Tricolored Bat, Perimyotis subflavus
Big brown bat, Eptesicus fuscus
Red bat, Lasiurus borealis
Hoary bat, Lasiurus cinereus
Evening bat, Nycticeius humeralis
Rabbits and Hares
Appalachian cottontail,
Sylvilagus obscurus
Eastern cottontail, Sylvilagus floridanus
Snowshoe hare, Lepus americanus
Squirrels and Chipmunks
Eastern chipmunk, Tamias striatus
Groundhog (aka Woodchuck),
Marmota monax
Eastern gray squirrel, Sciurus carolinensis
Eastern fox squirrel, Sciurus niger
Delmarva fox squirrel, Sciurus niger cinereus
Red squirrel,
Tamiasciurus hudsonicus
Southern flying squirrel, Glaucomys volans
Beavers
American beaver, Castor canadensis
New World Mice and Rats
Marsh rice rat,
Oryzomys palustris
Eastern harvest mouse,
Reithrodontomys humulis
Deer mouse,
Peromyscus maniculatus
White-footed deer mouse, Peromyscus leucopus
Allegheny woodrat,
Neotoma magister
Voles
Southern red-backed vole, Clethrionomys gapperi
Meadow vole,
Microtus pennsylvanicus
Southern Rock vole, Microtus chrotorrhinuscarolinensis
Woodland vole,
Microtus pinetorum
Muskrats
Muskrat, Ondatra zibethicus
Lemmings
Southern bog lemming,
Synaptomys cooperi
Old World Mice and Rats
Black rat,
Rattus rattus
Norway rat,
Rattus norvegicus
House mouse,
Mus musculus
Jumping Mice
Meadow jumping mouse,
Zapus hudsonius
Woodland jumping mouse, Napaeozapus insignis
Porcupines
Porcupine, Erethizon dorsatum
Nutria
Nutria, Myocastor coypus
Dwarf Sperm Whales
Pygmy sperm whale,
Kogia breviceps
Dwarf sperm whale,
Kogia simus
Sperm Whales
Sperm whale,
Physeter macrocephalus
Toothed Whales
Cuvier's beaked whale,
Ziphius cavirostris
True's beaked whale,
Mesoplodon mirus
Oceanic Dolphins and Pilot Whales
Short-beaked common dolphin,
Delphinus delphis
Bottle-nosed dolphin,
Tursiops truncatus
Atlantic spotted dolphin,
Stenella frontalis
Striped dolphin,
Stenella coeruleoalba
Atlantic white-sided dolphin,
Lagenorhynchus acutus
Risso's dolphin,
Grampus griseus
Killer whale,
Orcinus orca
Long-finned pilot whale,
Globicephala melas
Short-finned pilot whale,
Globicephala macrorhynchus
Melon-headed whale,
Peponocephala electra
Porpoises
Harbor porpoise,
Phocoena phocoena
Rorqual whales
Blue whale,
Balaenoptera musculus
Humpback whale,
Megaptera novaeangliae
Fin whale,
Balaenoptera physalus
Sei whale,
Balaenoptera borealis
Common minke whale,
Balaenoptera acutorostrata
Bowhead whales and right whales
North Atlantic right whale,
Eubalaena glacialis
Manatees
Manatee,
Trichechus manatus
Coyotes, Wolves and Foxes
Coyote, Canis latrans
Gray wolf,
Canis lupus
Red fox, Vulpes vulpes
Gray fox, Urocyon cinereoargenteus
Bears
Black bear, Ursus americanus
Raccoons
Raccoon, Procyon lotor
Skunks
Eastern spotted skunk, Spilogale putorius
Striped skunk, Mephitis mephitis
Weasels, Minks and Otters
American marten,
Martes americana
Fisher, Pekania pennanti
American ermine,
Mustela richardsonii
Least weasel,
Mustela nivalis
Long-tailed weasel, Neogale frenata
Mink, Neovison vison
Northern river otter, Lontra canadensis
Seals
Harbor seal,
Phoca vitulina
Harp seal,
Pagophilus groenlandicus
Hooded seal,
Cystophora cristata
Gray seal,
Halichoerus grypus
Cats
Eastern mountain lion,
Felis concolor
Bobcat, Lynx rufus
Hoofed mammals
American elk,
Cervus elaphus
Sika deer, Cervus nippon
White-tailed deer, Odocoileus virginianus
American bison,
Bos bison
Feral horse (Assateague pony),
Equus caballus
For more information, please contact:
Maryland Department of Natural Resources
Wildlife and Heritage Service
Tawes State Office Building, E-1
Annapolis MD 21401
410-260-8540
Toll-free in Maryland: 1-877-620-8DNR
