Mammals of Minnesota
NatR3464: Mammalogy
Dr. John P. Loegering
This is the definitive list of the Mammals of Minnesota (~80 species). A few of the taxonomic names differ between this list and the field guide (Burt and Grossenheider 1976). Taxonomy here follows Wilson and Cole (2000). When in conflict, this is the list to follow . Older names are listed in [brackets]
Below are links to the University of Michigan's Animal Diversity Web, http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/. Use these links to view photographs of animals and skulls of these creatures. Notations following entries indicate:
* = media may be absent or in development,
T = taxonomy according to Wilson and Cole (2000) conflicts with Burt and Grossenheider (1976)
Order: Didelphimorphia
Family: Didelphidae
Virginia
Opossum (Didelphis virginiana)
Order:
Insectivora
Family: Talpidae
Eastern
Mole (Scalopus aquaticus)
Star-nosed
mole (Condylura cristata)
Family: Soricidae
Northern Water Shrew (Sorex palustris)
Short-tailed shrew (Blarina brevicauda)
Order:
Chiroptera
Family: Vespertilionidae
Little brown myotis (Myotis lucifugus)
Big brown bat (Eptesicus fuscus)
Eastern Pipistrel (Pipistrellus subflavus)
Silver-haired
bat (Lasionycteris noctivagans)
Order:
Lagomorpha
Family: Leporidae
White-tailed
jackrabbit (Lepus townsendii)
Showshoe
hare (Lepus americanus)
Eastern cottontail (Sylvilagus floridanus)
Order:
Rodentia
Family: Sciuridae
Franklin’s ground squirrel (Spermophilus franklinii)
Thirteen-lined ground squirrel (Spermophilus tridecemlineatus)
Richardson’s ground squirrel (Spermophilus richardsonii)
Least
chipmunk (Tamias minimus)
Eastern chipmunk (Tamias striatus)
Red
squirrel (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus)
Gray squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis)
Southern flying squirrel (Glaucomys volans)
Northern flying squirrel (Glaucomys sabrinus)
Family: Geomyidae
Northern pocket gopher (Thomomys talpoides)
Plains pocket gopher (Geomys bursarius)
Family: Heteromyidae
Plains pocket mouse (Perognathus flavescens)
Family: Cricetidae
Western harvest mouse (Reithrodontomys megalotis)
Northern
grasshopper mouse (Onychomys leucogaster)
Prairie
deer mouse (Peromyscus maniculatus bairdii)
Woodland
deer mouse (Peromyscus maniculatus gracilis)
Northern
white-footed mouse (Peromyscus leucopus)
Southern
bog lemming (Synaptomys cooperi)
Northern bog lemming (Synaptomys borealis)
Southern Red-backed vole (Clethrionomys gapperi)
Meadow vole (Microtus pennsylvanicus)
Prairie vole (Microtus ochrogaster)
Rock vole (Microtus chrotorrhinus)
Family: Muridae
Norway
rat (Rattus norvegicus)
Family: Zapodidae
Meadow jumping mouse (Zapus hudsonius)
Woodland jumping mouse (Napaeozapus insignis)
Family: Erethizontidae
Porcupine
(Erethizon dorsatum)
Order:
Carnivora
Family: Ursidae
Grizzly
bear (Ursus arctos [Ursus horribilis])
Family: Procyonidae
Family: Mustelidae
Pine marten (Martes americana)
Least weasel (Mustela nivalis) * { Mustela rixosa is the old name}
Long-tailed weasel (Mustela frenata)
River otter (Lontra canadensis) T Formerly lumped with Lura canadensis, the European congener.
Eastern spotted skunk (Spilogale putorius)
Striped
skunk (Mephitis mephitis)
Family: Canidae
Gray fox (Urocyon cinereoargenteus)
Swift fox (Vulpes velox)
Gray
(or Timber) wolf (Canis lupus)
Family: Felidae
Mountain lion (Puma concolor
[Felis concolor])
Order:
Artiodactyla
Family: Cervidae
White-tailed
deer (Odocoileus virginianus)
Mule
deer (Odocoileus hemionus)
Woodland
caribou (Rangifer tarandus [Rangifer caribou])
Family: Antilocapridae
Pronghorn
(Antilocapra americana)
Family: Bovidae
Common domestic mammals
Order Carnivora, Family: Canidae, Dog (Canis lupus familiaris)
Order Carnivora, Family: Felidae, Cat (Felis silvestris catus)
Order Perissodactyla, Family Equidae, Horse (Equus caballus)
Order Artiodactyla, Family Suidae, Pig or wild boar (Sus scrofa)
Order Artiodactyla, Family Bovidae, Cattle (Bos taurus)
Big game animals native to western states (important for management)
Order Artiodactyla, Family Bovidae, Mountain goat (Oreamnos americanus)
Order Artiodactyla, Family Bovidae, Bighorn Sheep (Ovis canadensis)
Burt, W. H., and R. P. Grossenheider. 1976. Field guide to the mammals: North America north of Mexico. Third edition. Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
Gunderson, H. L., and J. R. Beer. 1953. Mammals of Minnesota. Occasional Papers, Minnesota Museum of Natural History, University of Minnesota 6:1-190.
Hazard, E. B. 1982. Mammals of Minnesota . University of Minnesota Press, Minneapolis , Minnesota .
Heany, L. R., and E. C. Birney. 1975. Comments on the distribution and natural history of some mammals in Minnesota. Canadian Field-Naturalist 89(1):29-34.
Wiche, J. M. and J. F. Cassel. 1978. Checklist of North Dakota mammals. (Revised). The Prairie Naturalist 10(3):81-88.
Wilson, D. E., and F. R. Cole. 2000. Common names of the mammals of the world. Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington, D. C., USA.
You may download this document in .pdf form.
If you find additional links, mis-spellings, or other corrections; please bring them to my attention. Thanks!