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. Six species of mammals are extirpated in Maryland, or no longer can be found wild in the state. These species include the Gray wolf, American elk, Eastern mountain lion, Snowshoe hare, American marten and Eastern harvest mouse. 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.
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 opossumDidelphis virginiana
Shrews
Masked shrew
Sorex cinereus
Southeastern shrew
Sorex longirostris
Southern Water shrew
Sorex palustrispunctulatus
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 batMyotis lucifugus
Indiana batMyotis sodalis
Eastern small-footed batMyotis leibii
Northern long-eared batMyotis septentrionalis
Silver-haired batLasionycteris noctivagans
Tricolored BatPerimyotis subflavus
Big brown batEptesicus fuscus
Red batLasiurus borealis
Hoary batLasiurus cinereus
Evening batNycticeius humeralis
Rabbits and Hares
Eastern cottontail Sylvilagus floridanus
Appalachian cottontail
Sylvilagus obscurus
Snowshoe hareLepus americanus
Squirrels and Chipmunks
Eastern chipmunkTamias striatus
Groundhog (aka Woodchuck)
Marmota monax
Eastern gray squirrelSciurus carolinensis
Eastern fox squirrel Sciurus niger
Delmarva fox squirrel Sciurus niger cinereus
Red squirrel
Tamiasciurus hudsonicus
Southern flying squirrel Glaucomys volans
Beavers
American beaverCastor canadensis
New World Mice and Rats
Marsh rice rat
Oryzomys palustris
Eastern harvest mouse
Reithrodontomys humulis
Deer mouse
Peromyscus maniculatus
White-footed deer mousePeromyscus 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
MuskratOndatra 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
PorcupineErethizon dorsatum
Nutria
NutriaMyocastor 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
CoyoteCanis latrans
Gray wolf
Canis lupus
Red fox Vulpes vulpes
Gray foxUrocyon cinereoargenteus
Bears
Black bearUrsus americanus
Raccoons
Raccoon Procyon lotor
Skunks
Eastern spotted skunk
Spilogale putorius
Striped skunkMephitis mephitis
Weasels, Minks and Otters
American marten
Martes americana
FisherPekania pennanti
American ermine
Mustela richardsonii
Least weasel
Mustela nivalis
Long-tailed weaselNeogale frenata
MinkNeovison vison
Northern river otterLontra 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 deerCervus nippon
White-tailed deerOdocoileus 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
