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List of mammals of Missouri

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77 species of wild mammals can be found the U.S. state of Missouri. Of these, 30 species are rodents, 16 are bats, 15 are carnivorans, 7 are eulipotyphlans, 3 are artiodactyls, another 3 are lagomorphs, and the armadillos, opossums, primates each have one species in the state. Most species have established populations, but some, such as the grey wolf, are not native to the state but are still spotted on rare occasions. Two species, the eastern small-footed myotis and little brown bat are classified as endangered species by the IUCN. Other species, such as feral or domesticated mammals, are not included on this list.

Location of Missouri within the United States.

Most species listed in this article are derived from the work The Wild Mammals of Missouri, a 2001 catalogue of all known wild mammal species in the state.[1]: v–vi  Three species in the book, the red wolf (Canis rufus),[2] Townsend's big-eared bat (Corynorhinus townsendii),[3] and white-tailed jackrabbit (Lepus townsendii)[4] are not included as there are no longer any individuals present in Missouri. Unless otherwise noted, range information is provided by the Missouri Department of Conservation's Field Guide.[5]

Artiodactyla

More information Common name and image, Scientific name ...
Common name and image Scientific name Range Status
Family Bovidae — one species
American bison
Bison bison
Linnaeus, 1758
Small populations in Barton and Harrison counties. Others live on some private ranches. Near Threatened[6]
Family Cervidae (deer) — two species
Elk
Cervus canadensis
Erxleben, 1777
Carter, Reynolds, and Shannon counties. Occasional sightings in other areas. Least Concern[7]
White-tailed deer
Odocoileus virginianus
Zimmermann, 1780
Statewide. Least Concern[8]
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Carnivora

More information Common name and image, Scientific name ...
Common name and image Scientific name Range Status
Family Canidae (dogs) — four species
Coyote
Canis latrans
Say, 1823
Statewide, most common in northern and western grasslands. Least Concern[9]
Gray wolf
Canis lupus
Linnaeus, 1758
No permanent populations. Sometimes spotted while travelling between states. Least Concern[10]
Red fox
Vulpes vulpes
Linnaeus, 1758
Statewide, most common in the north and west. Least Concern[11]
Gray fox
Urocyon cinereoargenteus
Schreber, 1775
Statewide, most common in the Ozarks. Least Concern[12]
Family Felidae (cats) — two species
Bobcat
Lynx rufus
Schreber, 1777
Statewide. Least Concern[13]
Cougar
Puma concolor
Linnaeus, 1771
No known permanent populations, but there have been numerous sightings statewide. Least Concern[14]
Family Mephitidae — two species
Striped skunk
Mephitis mephitis
Schreber, 1776
Statewide. Least Concern[15]
Eastern spotted skunk
Spilogale putorius
Linnaeus, 1758
Statewide. Vulnerable[16]
Family Mustelidae — five species
North American river otter
Lontra canadensis
Schreber, 1777
Statewide. Least Concern[17]
Least weasel
Mustela nivalis
Linnaeus, 1766
Most areas in the north. Least Concern[18]
Long-tailed weasel
Neogale frenata
Lichtenstein, 1831
Statewide, most common in the south. Least Concern[19]
American mink
Neogale vison
Schreber, 1777
Statewide, most common in the Mississippi lowlands. Least Concern[20]
American badger
Taxidea taxus
Schreber, 1777
Statewide, most common in the Osage and Dissected Till Plains. Least Concern[21]
Family Procyonidae — one species
Common raccoon
Procyon lotor
Linnaeus, 1758
Statewide. Least Concern[22]
Family Ursidae (bears) — one species
American black bear
Ursus americanus
Pallas, 1780
Statewide, most concentrated in the south. Least Concern[23]
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Chiroptera

More information Common name and image, Scientific name ...
Common name and image Scientific name Range Status
Family Molossidae (free-tailed bats) — two species
Big free-tailed bat
Nyctinomops macrotis
Gray, 1839
Native to South America, Central America, Mexico, and the Southeastern US. Occasional wanderers have been recorded in the state.[24] Least Concern[25]
Mexican free-tailed bat
Tadarida brasiliensis
Geoffroy, 1824
Individuals from the Southwestern US wander into the state on rare occasions. Least Concern[26]
Family Vespertilionidae — fourteen species
Rafinesque's big-eared bat
Corynorhinus rafinesquii
Lesson, 1827
Southeastern corner. Least Concern[27]
Big brown bat
Eptesicus fuscus
Beauvois, 1796
Statewide. Least Concern[28]
Silver-haired bat
Lasionycteris noctivagans
Le Conte, 1831
Statewide; most common during spring and fall. Least Concern[29]
Eastern red bat
Lasurius borealis
Müller, 1776
Statewide; most common in May–September, generally rare in winter, especially in the north. Least Concern[30]
Hoary bat
Lasurius cinereus
Beauvois, 1796
Statewide. Least Concern[31]
Seminole bat
Lasiurus seminolus
Rhoads, 1895
The northern limits of its summer migration have been expanding, likely because of climate change.[32] Can now be found in the far south, with some reaching as far north as Pulaski county. Least Concern[33]
Southeastern myotis
Myotis austroriparius
Rhoads, 1897
Southeastern corner.[34] Least Concern[34]
Gray bat
Myotis grisescens
Howell, 1909
Most common in the Ozarks, but can be found in some areas north of the Missouri river. Vulnerable[35]
Eastern small-footed myotis
Myotis leibii
Audubon & Bachman, 1842
Southwestern areas; has been identified in Washington, Iron,[36] Madison counties.[37] Endangered[38]
Little brown bat
Myotis lucifugus
Le Conte, 1831
Statewide. Endangered[39]
Northern long-eared bat
Myotis septentrionalis
Trouessart, 1897
Statewide except for southwestern corner.[40] Near Threatened[40]
Indiana bat
Myotis sodalis
Miller & Allen, 1928
Most areas in the summer, found in the north during winter. Near Threatened[41]
Evening bat
Nycticeius humeralis
Rafinesque, 1818
Statewide. Least Concern[42]
Tricolored bat
Perimyotis subflavus
F. Cuvier, 1832
Statewide. Vulnerable[43]
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Cingulata

More information Common name and image, Scientific name ...
Common name and image Scientific name Range Status
Family Dasypodidae — one species
Nine-banded armadillo
Dasypus novemcinctus
Linnaeus, 1758
Statewide except for the far north. Least Concern[44]
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Didelphimorphia

More information Common name and image, Scientific name ...
Common name and image Scientific name Range Status
Family Didelphidae (opossums) — one species
Virginia opossum
Didelphis virginiana
Kerr, 1792
Statewide, less common in the northwest and southeast. Least Concern[45]
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Eulipotyphla

More information Common name and image, Scientific name ...
Common name and image Scientific name Range Status
Family Soricidae (shrews) — six species
Northern short-tailed shrew
Blarina brevicauda
Say, 1823
Together, the short-tailed shrews are found statewide. However, the range of individual Blarina species is somewhat unknown. Least Concern[46]
Southern short-tailed shrew
Blarina carolinensis
Bachman, 1837
Least Concern[47]
Elliot's short-tailed shrew Blarina hylophaga
Elliot, 1899
Least Concern[48]
North American least shrew
Cryptotis parva
Say, 1823
Statewide. Least Concern[49]
Cinereus shrew
Sorex cinereus
Kerr, 1792
Northern half of the state, most common near streams and in floodplains Least Concern[50]
Southeastern shrew
Sorex longirostris
Bachman, 1837
Statewide except for the far northwest. Least Concern[51]
Family Talpidae — one species
Eastern mole
Scalopus aquaticus
Linnaeus, 1758
Statewide. Least Concern[52]
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Lagomorpha

More information Common name and image, Scientific name ...
Common name and image Scientific name Range Status
Family Leporidae — three species
Black-tailed jackrabbit
Lepus californicus
Gray, 1837
Eastern areas.[53] Least Concern[53]
Swamp rabbit
Sylvilagus aquaticus
Bachman, 1837
Southeastern Mississippi lowlands. Least Concern[54]
Eastern cottontail
Sylvilagus floridanus
J. A. Allen, 1890
Statewide. Least Concern[55]
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Primates

More information Common name and image, Scientific name ...
Common name and image Scientific name Range Status
Family Hominidae (great apes) — one species
Human

Mike Kehoe, current governor of Missouri
Homo sapiens
Linnaeus, 1758
Statewide, largest settlements are Kansas City and St. Louis.[56] Not Evaluated
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Rodentia

More information Common name and image, Scientific name ...
Common name and image Scientific name Range Status
Family Castoridae (beavers) — one species
North American beaver
Castor canadensis
Kuhl, 1820
Statewide near rivers and streams. Least Concern[57]
Family Cricetidae — sixteen species
Eastern meadow vole
Microtus pennsylvanicus
Ord, 1815
Northern areas, most common in stream valleys and floodplains. Least Concern[58]
Woodland vole
Microtus pinetorum
Le Conte, 1830
Statewide. Least Concern[59]
Prairie vole
Microtus ochrogaster
Wagner, 1842
Statewide. Least Concern[60]
Eastern woodrat
Neotoma floridana
Ord, 1818
Known occurrences in the southern half of the state, potentially present in the north.[61] Least Concern[62]
Golden mouse
Ochrotomys nuttalli
Harlan, 1832
Southeastern areas.[63] Least Concern[63]
Muskrat
Ondatra zibethicus
Linnaeus, 1766
Statewide. Least Concern[64]
Marsh rice rat
Oryzomys palustris
Harlan, 1837
Extreme southeast.[65] Least Concern[66]
Texas mouse
Peromyscus attwateri
Allen, 1895
Southwestern areas.[67] Least Concern[68]
Cotton mouse
Peromyscus gossypinus
Le Conte, 1853
Southeastern areas.[69] Least Concern[70]
Eastern deer mouse
Peromyscus maniculatus
Wagner, 1845
Statewide. Least Concern[71]
White-footed mouse
Peromyscus leucopus
Rafinesque, 1818
Statewide.[72] Least Concern[72]
Fulvous harvest mouse
Reithrodontomys fulvescens
J.A.Allen, 1894
Southwestern areas.[73] Least Concern[73]
Western harvest mouse
Reithrodontomys megalotis
Baird, 1857
Statewide.[74] Least Concern[75]
Plains harvest mouse
Reithrodontomys montanus
Baird, 1855
Western areas.[76] Least Concern[77]
Hispid cotton rat
Sigmodon hispidus
Say and Ord, 1825
Statewide except for northeast.[78] Least Concern[79]
Southern bog lemming
Synaptomys cooperi
Baird, 1857
Statewide except for southwestern corner.[80] Least Concern[80]
Family Echimyidae — one species
Nutria
Myocastor coypus
Molina, 1782
Introduced,[81] now statewide and is most common in the southeast. Least Concern[81]
Family Geomyidae (gophers) — one species
Plains pocket gopher
Geomys bursarius
Shaw, 1800
North and eastern areas.[82] Least Concern[83]
Family Heteromyidae — one species
Plains pocket mouse
Perognathus flavescens
Merriam, 1889
Northwestern corner;[84] has been found in Atchison county.[85] Least Concern[86]
Family Muridae — three species
House mouse
Mus musculus
Linnaeus, 1758
Introduced, now statewide.[87] Least Concern[87]
Brown rat
Rattus norvegicus
Berkenhout, 1769
Introduced, now statewide.[88] Least Concern[88]
Black rat
Rattus rattus
Linnaeus, 1758
Introduced, now in St. Louis; potentially in Kansas City.[1]: 252  Least Concern[89]
Family Scuiridae (squirrels) — six species
Southern flying squirrel
Glaucomys volans
Linnaeus, 1758
Statewide. Least Concern[90]
Thirteen-lined ground squirrel
Ictidomys tridecemlineatus
Mitchill, 1821
Mostly in northwestern areas. Least Concern[91]
Groundhog
Marmota monax
Linnaeus, 1758
Statewide, less common in the Mississippi lowlands. Least Concern[92]
Franklin's Ground Squirrel
Poliocitellus franklinii
Howell, 1938
Northern quarter. Least Concern[93]
Eastern gray squirrel
Scuirus carolinensis
Gmelin, 1788
Statewide, most common in the Ozarks and Mississippi lowlands. Least Concern[94]
Fox squirrel
Sciurus niger
Linnaeus, 1758
Statewide, more common in the north and western plains. Least Concern[95]
Family Zapodidae (jumping mice) — one species
Meadow jumping mouse
Zapus hudsonius
Zimmermann, 1780
Statewide.[96] Least Concern[97]
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