List of mammals of Missouri
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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.

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
| 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] |
Carnivora
| 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] |
Chiroptera
| 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] |
Cingulata
| 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] |
Didelphimorphia
| 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] |
Eulipotyphla
| 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] |
Lagomorpha
| 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] |
Primates
| 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 |
Rodentia
| 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] |