List of mammals of Canada facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

Canada is a huge country with many different types of land and water, from ocean coasts to tall mountains, wide plains, and even cities. This means it's home to about 200 different kinds of mammals! You can find almost half of all the known whales and dolphins here. The biggest ocean area is the Arctic Archipelago, and the largest land area is the Boreal Shield. The most common type of mammal in Canada is the rodent, while the smallest group is the opossums.

People have been studying mammals in Canada for a long time. One of the first detailed accounts was from Samuel Hearne in 1795. Later, John Richardson wrote an important book in 1829 called Fauna Boreali-Americana. Joseph Burr Tyrrell tried to make a full list of Canadian mammals in 1888. Other important naturalists included Ernest Thompson Seton and Charles-Eusèbe Dionne. Today, you can read about Canadian mammals in magazines like The Canadian Field-Naturalist and the Canadian Journal of Zoology.

Some Canadian mammals are very special symbols. The Canadian horse and the North American beaver are official symbols of Canada. Many provinces also have their own special animal symbols.

The North American beaver, Castor canadensis, is the national animal of Canada.

What do animal statuses mean?
Mammals Living in Canada
Animals That Are New to Canada
- Animals That Have Disappeared or Returned
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See also

What do animal statuses mean?

When we talk about how animals are doing, we often use the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. This list helps us understand if an animal is safe or if it needs our help. Here's what the different levels mean:

Extinct: This animal is gone forever.
Extinct in the Wild: This animal only lives in zoos or special places, not in nature.
Critically Endangered: This animal is in extreme danger of disappearing very soon.
Endangered: This animal is in high danger of disappearing.
Vulnerable: This animal is likely to become endangered if we don't help it.
Near Threatened: This animal might become vulnerable soon.
Least Concern: This animal is doing well and is not in danger right now.
Data Deficient: We don't have enough information to know how this animal is doing.
Not Evaluated: This animal hasn't been checked yet.

(The information below is from March 5, 2014)

Mammals Living in Canada

Bats: Flying Mammals

Bats are amazing because they are the only mammals that can truly fly! Their front legs have become wings. About 20% of all mammal species are bats.

Common Name (French Name)	Species	Where it Lives	Where it's Found in Canada	Status
Family Vespertilionidae: Vesper Bats
Pallid bat (Chauve-souris blonde)	Antrozous pallidus	Dry plains	British Columbia	I: Least Concern CA: Threatened
Townsend's big-eared bat (Oreillard de Townsend)	Corynorhinus townsendii	Open woodlands	Southern British Columbia	I: Least Concern
Big brown bat (Grande chauve-souris brune)	Eptesicus fuscus	Many places, including cities	British Columbia to southern Quebec and New Brunswick	I: Least Concern
Spotted bat (Oreillard maculé)	Euderma maculatum	Near water	Inner British Columbia	I: Least Concern CA: Special Concern
Silver-haired bat (Chauve-souris argentée)	Lasionycteris noctivagans	Forest lakes	Most of southern Canada	I: Least Concern
Western red bat (Chauve-souris rousse de l'Ouest)	Lasiurus blossevillii	Open areas and cities	Southwestern British Columbia	I: Least Concern
Eastern red bat (Chauve-souris rousse de l'Est)	Lasiurus borealis	Open areas and cities	Alberta to southern Maritimes	I: Least Concern
Hoary bat (Chauve-souris cendré)	Lasiurus cinereus	Forests	British Columbia to northern Hudson Bay and Maritimes	I: Least Concern
California myotis (Chauve-souris de Californie)	Myotis californicus	West Coast forest	West Coast and Okanagan Valley	I: Least Concern
Western small-footed myotis (Chauve-souris pygmée de l'Ouest)	Myotis ciliolabrum	Dry areas	Southern Alberta and Saskatchewan	I: Least Concern
Long-eared myotis (Chauve-souris à longues oreilles)	Myotis evotis	Varied	Southern British Columbia, Alberta and Saskatchewan	I: Least Concern
Keen's myotis (Chauve-souris de Keen)	Myotis keenii	Forests	West Coast	I: Least Concern CA: Data Deficient
Eastern small-footed myotis (Chauve-souris pygmée de l'Est)	Myotis leibii	Mountain forest	Southern Ontario, southwestern Quebec	I: Least Concern
Little brown bat (Petite chauve-souris brune)	Myotis lucifugus	Many places, including cities	Yukon to Atlantic Canada	I: Least Concern
Northern long-eared myotis (Vespertilion nordique or Chauve-souris nordique)	Myotis septentrionalis	Forests	Central to Eastern Canada	I: Least Concern
Fringed myotis (Chauve-souris à queue frangée)	Myotis thysanodes	White pine forest	Southcentral British Columbia	I: Least Concern CA: Data Deficient
Long-legged myotis (Chauve-souris à longues pattes)	Myotis volans	Varied	British Columbia and Alberta	I: Least Concern
Yuma myotis (Chauve-souris de Yuma)	Myotis yumanensis	Open areas	West Coast and Okanagan Valley	I: Least Concern
Tri-colored bat (Pipistrelle de l'Est)	Pipistrellus subflavus	Forest, fields and waterways	Southern Ontario, Quebec and Maritimes	I: Least Concern

Carnivores: Meat Eaters

Carnivorans are a group of over 260 species, and most of them eat meat. They have special teeth and skull shapes for eating meat.

Common Name (French Name)	Species	Where it Lives	Where it's Found in Canada	Status
Family Felidae: Cats
Canada lynx (Lynx du Canada)	Lynx canadensis	Forests	Most of Canada	I: Least Concern
Bobcat (Lynx roux)	Lynx rufus	Varied	Southern Canada	I: Least Concern
Cougar (Puma)	Puma concolor	Mountains, marshes, dense forest	Mountainous regions of Alberta, British Columbia, and the Yukon	I: Least Concern Eastern population CA: Data Deficient
Family Canidae: Dogs
Coyote (Coyote)	Canis latrans	Varied	Rocky Mountains, southern Prairies, southern Ontario, Quebec, and Maritime provinces	I: Least Concern
Grey wolf (Loup)	Canis lupus	Varied	All of Canada, except Anticosti and Prince Edward Island. Arctic wolves live in Northern Canada.	I: Least Concern
Eastern wolf (Loup oriental)	Canis lycaon	Varied	Great Lakes region in southeastern Canada (Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec)	I: Not Evaluated CA: Special Concern
Red wolf (Loup rouge)	Canis rufus	Varied	Used to live in Ontario; now gone from Canada.	I: Critically Endangered
Arctic fox (Renard arctique or polaire)	Vulpes lagopus	Tundra	Northern Canada	I: Least Concern
Swift fox (Renard véloce)	Vulpes velox	Desert and dry prairie	Southern Prairie Provinces	I: Least Concern CA: Endangered
Red fox (Renard roux)	Vulpes vulpes	Varied	All of Canada except parts of the Arctic Islands and West Coast	I: Least Concern
Family Ursidae: Bears
Black bear (Ours noir)	Ursus americanus	Varied, mostly forested areas	Most of Canada except Arctic and Prince Edward Island	I: Least Concern
Grizzly bear (Ours brun)	Ursus arctos horribilis	Open spaces, mostly alpine and Arctic tundra	Yukon, most of British Columbia, Rocky Mountains, Northwest Territory and Nunavut	I: Least Concern CA: Special Concern
Polar bear (Ours blanc or polaire)	Ursus maritimus	Edge of ice fields	Arctic Sea and coasts	I: Vulnerable CA: Special Concern
Family Procyonidae: Raccoons and Relatives
Raccoon (Raton laveur)	Procyon lotor	Forests near water	Southern Canada except Rockies	I: Least Concern
Family Mustelidae: Weasels and Otters
Sea otter (Loutre de mer)	Enhydra lutris	Sea and coast	Vancouver and Goose Island coast	I: Endangered CA: Threatened
Northern river otter (Loutre de rivière)	Lontra canadensis	Rivers, lakes and swamps	Most of Canada except parts of the Arctic and southern Prairies	I: Least Concern
Wolverine (Carcajou)	Gulo gulo	Boreal forest, Arctic tundra	Much of continental Canada and the Arctic islands	I: Least Concern Eastern population CA: Endangered Western population CA: Special Concern
American marten (Martre d'Amérique)	Martes americana	Coniferous and mixed forests	Rockies to Labrador and Newfoundland, except Prairies	I: Least Concern
Pacific marten (Martre du Pacifique)	Martes caurina	Coniferous and mixed forests	West coast up to Yukon down to British Columbia and the Rockies	I: Not evaluated
Beringian ermine (Hermine béringienne)	Mustela erminea	Boreal forest, Arctic tundra	Most of Arctic Canada	I: Least Concern
Haida ermine (Hermine Haïda)	Mustela haidarum	Temperate rainforest	Haida Gwaii archipelago	I: Not Evaluated CA: Threatened
Black-footed ferret (Putois à pieds noirs)	Mustela nigripes	Prairies and grasslands	Used to live in southern Alberta and Saskatchewan, now gone.	*I: Endangered CA: Reintroduced, but gone again
Least weasel (Belette pygmée)	Mustela nivalis	Varied	Yukon to Labrador, except southern Quebec and Ontario	I: Least Concern
American ermine (Hermine américaine)	Mustela richardsonii	Varied	Almost all of Canada south of the Arctic	I: Not Evaluated
Long-tailed weasel (Belette à longue queue)	Neogale frenata	Open areas	Southern Rockies to western Ontario, southern Ontario to western Nova Scotia	I: Least Concern
Mink (Vison d'Amérique)	Neogale vison	Wetlands and rivers	Most of Canada, except the Arctic, parts of the Prairies and Anticosti Island	I: Least Concern
Fisher (Pékan)	Pekania pennanti	Coniferous and mixed forests near rivers	British Columbia to central Quebec	I: Least Concern
Badger (Blaireau d'Amérique)	Taxidea taxus	Fields	Southern Prairies, south-central British Columbia and southernmost Ontario	I: Least Concern CA: Endangered
Family Mephitidae: Skunks
Striped skunk (Moufette rayée)	Mephitis mephitis	Forests, farms, valleys	Rockies to the Maritimes	I: Least Concern
Western spotted skunk (Moufette tachetée occidentale)	Spilogale gracilis	Thickets and bushes	Southwestern British Columbia	I: Least Concern
Superfamily Pinnipedia: Seals and Walruses
Family Otariidae: Eared Seals
Northern fur seal (Otarie à fourrure)	Callorhinus ursinus	Sea, rocky coasts	Off the coast of British Columbia	I: Vulnerable
Steller sea lion (Otarie de Steller)	Eumetopias jubatus	Coast waters, rocky areas	British Columbia	I: Near Threatened
Walrus (Morse)	Odobenus rosmarus	Arctic shallow waters	James Bay to Greenland	I: Data Deficient
California sea lion (Otarie de Californie)	Zalophus californianus	Coast waters	Near Vancouver Island	I: Least Concern
Family Phocidae: Earless Seals
Hooded seal (Phoque à capuchon)	Cystophora cristata	Sea	Atlantic from Gulf of the Saint Lawrence to northern Baffin Island	I: Vulnerable
Bearded seal (Phoque barbu)	Erignathus barbatus	Sea	Arctic Ocean	I: Least Concern
Grey seal (Phoque gris)	Halichoerus grypus	Sea rocks, and reefs	East Coast	I: Least Concern
Northern elephant seal (Éléphant de mer du Nord)	Mirounga angustirostris	Tropical and temperate sea waters	Sometimes seen in British Columbia	I: Least Concern
Harp seal (Phoque du Groenland)	Phoca groenlandica	Cold waters	Gulf of Saint Lawrence to James Bay and Greenland	I: Least Concern
Harbour seal (Phoque commun)	Phoca vitulina	Coast waters and some inland lakes	Most Canadian coasts except the colder Arctic	I: Least Concern
Ringed seal (Phoque annelé)	Pusa hispida	Arctic waters and ice	Arctic Ocean	I: Least Concern

Cetaceans: Whales, Dolphins, and Porpoises

Cetaceans are mammals that live completely in the water. They have a smooth body, almost no hair, and a thick layer of blubber to keep them warm. Their front fins and tail help them move through the water.

Common Name (French Name)	Species	Where it Lives	Where it's Found in Canada	Status
Family Balaenidae: Right Whales
Bowhead whale (Baleine boréale)	Balaena mysticetus	Polar ice in winter, coastal waters in summer	Arctic Ocean	I: Least Concern CA: At Risk
North Atlantic right whale (Baleine franche)	Eubalaena glacialis	Temperate coast waters	North Atlantic	I: Endangered CA: Endangered
North Pacific right whale (Baleine franche)	Eubalaena japonica		North Pacific	I: Endangered CA: Endangered
Family Balaenopteridae: Rorquals
Northern minke whale (Petit rorqual)	Balaenoptera acutorostrata	Temperate or polar seas	Northern Atlantic and Pacific	I: Least Concern CA: Not at Risk
Sei whale (Rorqual boréal)	Balaenoptera borealis	Temperate seas	Atlantic and Pacific oceans	I: Endangered
Blue whale (Rorqual bleu)	Balaenoptera musculus	Temperate and polar waters	Atlantic and Pacific oceans	I: Endangered CA: Endangered
Fin whale (Rorqual commun)	Balaenoptera physalus	Open ocean, coastal	Atlantic and Pacific oceans	I: Endangered CA: Threatened/Special Concern
Humpback whale (Baleine à bosse)	Megaptera novaeangliae	Coastal waters, often in river mouths	Atlantic and Pacific oceans	I: Least Concern CA: Threatened/Not at Risk
Family Eschrichtiidae: Grey Whale
Grey whale (Baleine grise)	Eschrichtius robustus	Temperate continental shelf waters	Pacific Coast	I: Least Concern CA: Special Concern
Family Monodontidae: Narwhal and Beluga
Narwhal (Narval)	Monodon monoceros	Edge of Arctic ice sheet	Eastern Arctic Ocean	I: Near Threatened/Apparently Secure CA: Special Concern
Beluga (Bélouga)	Delphinapterus leucas	Arctic coast waters, often swims up rivers	Eastern and Western Arctic Ocean	I: Near Threatened CA: Varied
Family Phocoenidae: Porpoises
Harbour porpoise (Marsouin commun)	Phocoena phocoena		East and West Coast	I: Least Concern CA: Special Concern
Dall's porpoise (Marsouin de Dall)	Phocoenoides dalli	Continental shelf	North Pacific	I: Least Concern
Family Physeteridae: Sperm Whale
Sperm whale (Cachalot)	Physeter macrocephalus	Very deep waters	Pacific and Atlantic Oceans (only migrating males in Canadian waters)	I: Vulnerable CA: Not at Risk
Family Ziphidae: Beaked Whales
Cuvier's beaked whale (Baleine à bec de Cuvier)	Ziphius cavirostris	Uncertain	North Pacific and Atlantic	I: Least Concern CA: Not at Risk
Baird's beaked whale (Grande baleine à bec)	Berardius bairdii	Near continental shelf cliffs	North Pacific	I: Data Deficient CA: Not at Risk
Northern bottlenose whale (Baleine à bec commune)	Hyperoodon ampullatus	Subarctic waters	North Atlantic and part of Arctic	I: Data Deficient CA: Endangered
Sowerby's beaked whale (Baleine à bec de Sowerby)	Mesoplodon bidens	Deep ocean	Temperate North Atlantic	I: Data Deficient CA: Special Concern
Hubbs' beaked whale (Baleine à bec de Moore)	Mesoplodon carlhubbsi	Temperate waters	North Pacific	I: Data Deficient CA: Not at Risk
Stejneger's beaked whale (Baleine à bec de Stejneger)	Mesoplodon stejnegeri	Cold, high sea	North Pacific	I: Data Deficient CA: Not at Risk
Family Delphinidae: Oceanic Dolphins
White-beaked dolphin (Dauphin à bec blanc)	Lagenorhynchus albirostris	High, cold sea	North Atlantic	I: Least Concern
Atlantic white-sided dolphin (Dauphin à flancs blancs)	Leucopleurus acutus	Temperate high sea	North Atlantic	I: Least Concern
Common bottlenose dolphin (Grand dauphin)	Tursiops truncatus	Coastal waters	Sometimes seen in the Maritimes	I: Least Concern
Short-beaked common dolphin (Dauphin commun à bec court)	Delphinus delphis	Temperate high sea	Atlantic and Pacific Continental shelves	I: Least Concern
Pacific white-sided dolphin (Dauphin à flancs blancs du pacifique)	Sagmatias obliquidens	Temperate and subarctic seas	North Pacific	I: Least Concern
Orca (Épaulard or orque)	Orcinus orca	Prefers coastal waters	Atlantic, Pacific and parts of the Arctic	I: Data Deficient CA: Varies
Short-finned pilot whale (Globicéphale du Pacifique)	Globicephala macrorhynchus	Varied	Pacific Ocean	I: Data Deficient CA: Not at Risk
Long-finned pilot whale (Globicéphale de l'Atlantique)	Globicephala melas	Varied	North Atlantic	I: Data Deficient

Even-Toed Ungulates: Hoofed Animals

Even-toed ungulates are animals with hooves that have an even number of toes (like two or four). Their weight is spread evenly on their third and fourth toes. There are about 220 species worldwide, and many are very important to humans.

Common Name (French Name)	Species	Where it Lives	Where it's Found in Canada	Status
Family Cervidae: Deer
Moose (Original)	Alces alces	Subarctic and open forests	Yukon to New Brunswick	I: Least Concern
Elk (Wapiti)	Cervus canadensis	Varied, prefers open areas	Southern Rockies and parts of the Prairies	I: Least Concern
Mule deer (Cerf mulet)	Odocoileus hemionus	Subarctic and open forests	West Coast to Prairies	I: Least Concern
White-tailed deer (Cerf de Virginie)	Odocoileus virginianus	Valleys, rivers, marshes, forest edges	Southern Rockies and Prairie Provinces to Labrador and Maritimes	I: Least Concern
Caribou (Caribou)	Rangifer tarandus	Tundra, Taiga and boreal forest	Boreal forest across Canada, and parts of the Arctic and Rockies	I: Least Concern
Family Antilocapridae: The Pronghorn
Pronghorn (Antilope d'Amérique or pronghorn)	Antilocapra americana	Prairies and plains	Southern Saskatchewan and Alberta	I: Least Concern
Family Bovidae: Bovids
American bison (Bison)	Bison bison	Varied	South of the Great Slaves Lake	I: Near Threatened
Mountain goat (Chèvre de montagne)	Oreamnos americanus	Mountains	Various parts of the Western Cordillera	I: Least Concern
Muskox (Boeuf musqué)	Ovibos moschatus	Arctic tundra	Canadian Arctic	I: Least Concern
Bighorn sheep (Mouflon d'Amérique)	Ovis canadensis	Alpine prairies	South and southeastern Rockies	I: Least Concern
Dall sheep (Mouflon de Dall)	Ovis dalli	Alpine tundra	Yukon and northern British Columbia	I: Least Concern

Marsupials: Pouch Mammals

Didelphimorphia is the group of common opossums found in the Americas. They are small to medium-sized mammals, about the size of a large house cat, with a long nose and a tail that can grip things.

Common Name (French Name)	Species	Where it Lives	Where it's Found in Canada	Status
Family Didelphidae: New World Opossums
Virginia opossum (Opossum d'Amérique or de Virginie)	Didelphis virginiana	Humid lowland forest	Southwestern Ontario, introduced in British Columbia	I: Least Concern

Rabbits, Hares, and Pikas

The lagomorphs include two families: Leporidae (hares and rabbits) and Ochotonidae (pikas). They might look like rodents, but they have four front teeth in their upper jaw instead of two.

Common Name (French Name)	Species	Where it Lives	Where it's Found in Canada	Status
Family Ochotonidae: Pikas
Collared pika (Pica à collier)	Ochotona collaris	Mountains above the tree line	Rockies of the Yukon	I: Least Concern
American pika (Pica d'Amérique)	Ochotona princeps	Mountains near the tree line	Southern British Columbia and Alberta	I: Least Concern
Family Leporidae: Rabbits and Hares
Snowshoe hare (Lièvre d'Amérique)	Lepus americanus	Forests	Much of mainland Canada except southernmost Ontario	I: Least Concern
Arctic hare (Lièvre arctique)	Lepus arcticus	Tundra	Canadian Arctic (including Arctic Archipelago), Labrador, Newfoundland	I: Least Concern
White-tailed jackrabbit (Lièvre de Townsend)	Lepus townsendii	Fields	Southern Prairies, Okanagan Valley	I: Least Concern
Eastern cottontail (Lapin à queue blanche)	Sylvilagus floridanus	Open woodlands	Southern Manitoba, Saskatchewan Ontario and Quebec	I: Least Concern
Mountain cottontail (Lapin de Nuttall)	Sylvilagus nuttallii	Dry plains	Southern Alberta and Saskatchewan, Okanagan and Similkameen valleys	I: Least Concern CA: Special Concern
New England cottontail (Lapin de Nouvelle-Angleterre)	Sylvilagus transitionalis	High elevation forests	Possibly in Quebec	I: Vulnerable

Rodents: Gnawing Mammals

Rodents are the largest group of mammals, making up over 40% of all mammal species! They have two front teeth in their upper and lower jaws that never stop growing. They have to keep gnawing to keep their teeth short. Most rodents are small, but some, like the capybara from South America, can weigh up to 45 kg (100 lb).

Common Name (French Name)	Species	Where it Lives	Where it's Found in Canada	Status
Family Erethizontidae: New World Porcupines
North American porcupine (Porc-épic d'Amérique)	Erethizon dorsatum	Forests south of the tree line	All of Canada except Arctic	I: Least Concern
Family Aplodontiidae: Mountain Beaver
Mountain beaver (Castor de montagne)	Aplodontia rufa	Mountain forest	Southern British Columbia	I: Least Concern CA: Special Concern
Family Castoridae: Beavers
North American beaver (Castor)	Castor canadensis	Wet areas of forests	All of Canada below the tree line except drier parts of the Prairies	I: Least Concern
Family Sciuridae: Squirrels
Eastern grey squirrel (Écureuil gris)	Sciurus carolinensis	Prefers deep forest, but often in cities	Southern Manitoba and northwestern Ontario, southern Quebec, Ontario and New Brunswick	I: Least Concern
Eastern fox squirrel (Écureuil fauve)	Sciurus niger	Edges of forests and groves	Southern Manitoba and Saskatchewan, British Columbia and Pelee Island	I: Least Concern
Douglas squirrel (Écureuil de Douglas)	Tamiasciurus douglasii	Coniferous forest	Southwestern British Columbia	I: Least Concern
American red squirrel (Écureuil roux)	Tamiasciurus hudsonicus	Forests	Mainland Canada south of the tree line, except southern Prairies and southwestern British Columbia; Vancouver Island	I: Least Concern
Humboldt's flying squirrel	Glaucomys oregonensis	Boreal forest	Southern British Columbia	I: Not evaluated
Northern flying squirrel (Grand polatouche)	Glaucomys sabrinus	Boreal forest	Mainland Canada south of the tree line except southern Prairies	I: Least Concern
Southern flying squirrel (Petit polatouche)	Glaucomys volans	Deciduous forest	Southern Ontario, parts of Quebec, southern Nova Scotia	I: Least Concern
Black-tailed prairie dog (Chien de prairie à queue noire)	Cynomys ludovicianus	Dry prairies	Small part of southern Saskatchewan	I: Least Concern CA: Special Concern
Hoary marmot (Marmotte des Rocheuses)	Marmota caligata	Alpine tundra	Rockies, Columbia, and Coast Mountains	I: Least Concern
Yellow-bellied marmot (Marmotte à ventre jaune)	Marmota flaviventris	Mountains	Central British Columbia and southernmost Alberta	I: Least Concern
Groundhog (Marmotte commune, siffleux)	Marmota monax	Broken ground	Much of mainland Canada east of the Rockies, inland valleys and parts of western Yukon	I: Least Concern
Vancouver Island marmot (Marmotte de Vancouver)	Marmota vancouverensis	Near the mountain tree line	Only found on Vancouver Island	I: Critically Endangered CA: Endangered
Golden-mantled ground squirrel (Spermophile à mante dorée)	Callospermophilus lateralis	Mountain coniferous forest	Southeastern Rockies	I: Least Concern
Cascade golden-mantled ground squirrel (Spermophile à mante dorée des Cascades)	Callospermophilus saturatus	Southern British Columbia Cascade Range	British Columbia	I: Least Concern
Franklin's ground squirrel (Écureuil terrestre de Franklin)	Poliocitellus franklinii	Parklands	Northwestern Ontario and southern Prairies	I: Least Concern
Thirteen-lined ground squirrel (Spermophile rayé)	Ictidomys tridecemlineatus	Groves, swamps, uncultivated land	Southern Prairie Provinces	I: Least Concern
Columbian ground squirrel (Spermophile du Columbia)	Urocitellus columbianus	Mountain open areas	Southern Rocky mountains	I: Least Concern
Arctic ground squirrel (Spermophile arctique)	Urocitellus parryii	Tundra without permafrost	Mainland Arctic	I: Least Concern
Richardson's ground squirrel (Spermophile de Richardson)	Urocitellus richardsonii	Prairies	South of the Prairie provinces	I: Least Concern
Yellow-pine chipmunk (Tamia amène)	Tamias amoenus	Dry mountain forest	Southern and central British Columbia and Alberta	I: Least Concern
Least chipmunk (Tamia mineur)	Tamias minimus	Edges of forests, groves, but also open spaces	Western Quebec to Yukon	I: Least Concern
Red-tailed chipmunk (Tamia à queue rousse)	Tamias ruficaudus	High altitude forest and valley pine groves	Southern British Columbia and Alberta	I: Least Concern CA: Vulnerable
Eastern chipmunk (Tamia rayé, Petit suisse)	Tamias striatus	Deciduous forest	Maritime provinces, and the southern half of Quebec, Ontario, and Manitoba	I: Least Concern
Townsend's chipmunk (Tamia de Townsend)	Tamias townsendii	Western Coast lowland and mountain forests	Southwestern British Columbia	I: Least Concern
Family Geomyidae: Pocket Gophers
Plains pocket gopher (Gaufre brun)	Geomys bursarius	Fields and banks	Southern Manitoba	I: Least Concern CA: Not at risk
Northern pocket gopher (Gaufre gris)	Thomomys talpoides	Open areas	Southern Prairie Provinces and British Columbia	I: Least Concern
Family Heteromyidae: Pocket Mice and Kangaroo Rats
Ord's kangaroo rat (Rat-kangourou d'Ord)	Dipodomys ordii	Semi-desert areas	Great Sand Hills area	I: Least Concern CA: Special Concern
Olive-backed pocket mouse (Souris à abajoues des plaines)	Perognathus fasciatus	Dry plains	Southern Prairies	I: Least Concern CA: Sensitive
Great Basin pocket mouse (Souris à abajoues des pinèdes)	Perognathus parvus	Dry plains	Great Basin	I: Least Concern CA: Sensitive
Family Dipodidae: Jumping Mice
Woodland jumping mouse (Souris sauteuse des bois)	Napaeozapus insignis	Forest streams	Eastern Canada	I: Least Concern
Meadow jumping mouse (Souris sauteuse des champs)	Zapus hudsonius	Wet fields	Eastern Canada to Yukon	I: Least Concern
Western jumping mouse (Souris sauteuse de l'ouest)	Zapus princeps	Prairies	Rockies and Prairies	I: Least Concern
Pacific jumping mouse (Souris sauteuse du Pacifique)	Zapus trinotatus	Mountain prairies	Southwestern British Columbia	I: Least Concern
Family Cricetidae: Voles, Lemmings, and Mice
Southern red-backed vole (Campagnol à dos roux de Gapper)	Myodes gapperi	Forests	Most of the provinces, except Newfoundland and Vancouver Island	I: Least Concern
Northern red-backed vole (Campagnol à dos roux boréal)	Myodes rutilus	Shrubby tundra	Mainland Arctic	I: Least Concern
Northern collared lemming (Lemming variable or lemming à collerette)	Dicrostonyx groenlandicus	Tundra	Northern Arctic islands	I: Least Concern
Ungava collared lemming (Lemming d'Ungava)	Dicrostonyx hudsonius	Tundra	Northern Quebec	I: Least Concern
Victoria collared lemming (Lemming à collerette)	Dicrostonyx kilangmiutak	Tundra	Mainland Arctic, Banks, Victoria and King Williams Islands	I: Least Concern
Ogilvie Mountains collared lemming (—)	Dicrostonyx nunatakensis	Mountain tundra	Ogilvie Mountains	I: Least Concern
Richardson's collared lemming (—)	Dicrostonyx richardsoni	Tundra	Arctic, roughly south of the Thelon River Basin	I: Least Concern
Sagebrush vole (Campagnol des sauges)	Lemmiscus curtatus	Sagebrush steppes	Southern Alberta and Saskatchewan	I: Least Concern
North American brown lemming (Lemming brun)	Lemmus trimucronatus		Tundra of Nunavut, Northwest Territories and Yukon, also west coast of British Columbia	I: Least Concern
Rock vole (Campagnol des rochers)	Microtus chrotorrhinus	Rocky areas	Boreal Ontario and Quebec; southernmost Labrador; Gaspesia and northern New Brunswick	I: Least Concern
Long-tailed vole (Campagnol longicaude)	Microtus longicaudus	Varied	Western Cordillera	I: Least Concern
Singing vole (Campagnol chanteur)	Microtus miurus	Alpine tundra	Yukon and neighbouring Northwest Territory	I: Least Concern
Montane vole (Campagnol montagnard)	Microtus montanus	Shortgrass alpine prairies	Central south British Columbia	I: Least Concern
Prairie vole (Campagnol des prairies)	Microtus ochrogaster	Prairies	Prairie provinces	I: Least Concern
Tundra vole (Campagnol nordique)	Microtus oeconomus	Wet tundra	Western Arctic	I: Least Concern
Creeping vole (Campagnol de l'oregon)	Microtus oregoni	Humid coniferous forest	Southern British Columbia	I: Least Concern
Meadow vole (Campagnol des champs)	Microtus pennsylvanicus	Wet fields	All of Canada except Arctic and westernmost ranges	I: Least Concern
Woodland vole (Campagnol sylvestre)	Microtus pinetorum	Deciduous forest	Southernmost Ontario and Quebec	I: Least Concern CA: Special Concern
Water vole (Campagnol de Richardson)	Microtus richardsoni	Alpine prairies and streams	Cascades and southern Rockies	I: Least Concern
Townsend's vole (Campagnol de Townsend)	Microtus townsendii	Salty marshes and fields	Vancouver Island, nearby islands and Fraser River delta	I: Least Concern
Taiga vole (Campagnol à joues jaunes)	Microtus xanthognathus	Forest streams	From southwestern Hudson Bay through northern Prairies and Yukon	I: Least Concern
Muskrat (Rat musqué)	Ondatra zibethicus	Wetlands	Most of Canada outside the Arctic and southwestern British Columbia	I: Least Concern
Western heather vole (Campagnol des bruyères)	Phenacomys intermedius	Varied	British Columbia	I: Least Concern
Eastern heather vole (Phénacomys d'Ungava)	Phenacomys ungava	Varied	Quebec, Ontario and Labrador to southern Yukon	I: Least Concern
Northern bog lemming (Campagnol-lemming boréal)	Synaptomys borealis	Peatlands	Labrador to Alaska; Gaspesia and northern New Brunswick	I: Least Concern
Southern bog lemming (Campagnol-lemming de Cooper)	Synaptomys cooperi	Peatlands	Western Manitoba, central and southern Ontario and Quebec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia	I: Least Concern
Bushy-tailed woodrat (Rat à queue touffue)	Neotoma cinerea	Mountains	Western Cordillera	I: Least Concern
Yukon deer mouse (Souris de yukon)	Peromyscus arcticus	Forest, mountains	Yukon	I: Not Evaluated
Northwestern deer mouse (Souris de keen)	Peromyscus keeni	Mild and rainy forest	West of the Coastal Mountains	I: Least Concern
White-footed mouse (Souris à pattes blanches)	Peromyscus leucopus	Deciduous forest	Southern Alberta, Saskatchewan, Ontario, Quebec and Nova Scotia	I: Least Concern
Eastern deer mouse (Souris sylvestre)	Peromyscus maniculatus	Anywhere except wetlands	Easternmost Saskatchewan to most of eastern Canada	I: Least Concern
Western deer mouse (Souris sylvestre)	Peromyscus sonoriensis	Anywhere except wetlands	Saskatchewan west to British Columbia, north to the southern Northwest Territories and eastern Yukon	I: Not Evaluated
Western harvest mouse (Souris-moissonneuse occidentale)	Reithrodontomys megalotis	Prairies	Okanagan Valley, south of Alberta and Saskatchewan	I: Least Concern CA: Special Concern (dychei) CA: Endangered (megalotis)
Northern grasshopper mouse (Souris à sauterelles)	Onychomys leucogaster	Southern Prairies	Prairies	I: Least Concern

Shrews and Moles: Insect Eaters

Eulipotyphlans are mammals that mostly eat insects. Shrews look a lot like mice, while moles are strong diggers that live underground.

Common Name (French Name)	Species	Where it Lives	Where it's Found in Canada	Status
Family Soricidae: Shrews
Northern short-tailed shrew (Grande musaraigne)	Blarina brevicauda	Deciduous forest	Eastern Saskatchewan to Maritime provinces	I: Least Concern
North American least shrew (Petite musaraigne)	Cryptotis parva	Fields, clearings and salt marshes	Long Point, Ontario	I: Least Concern CA: Possibly gone from Canada
Arctic shrew (Musaraigne arctique)	Sorex arcticus	Peatlands and marshes	From the Northwest Territory to central Quebec	I: Least Concern
Maritime shrew (Musaraigne des Maritimes)	Sorex maritimensis	Peatlands and marshes	New Brunswick and Nova Scotia	I: Least Concern
Marsh shrew (Musaraigne de Bendire)	Sorex bendirii	Coniferous forest	Fraser Valley	I: Least Concern CA: Threatened
Masked shrew (Musaraigne cendrée)	Sorex cinereus	Varied	Most of Mainland Canada except northernmost Quebec; Prince Edward and Cape Breton islands	I: Least Concern
Long-tailed shrew (Musaraigne longicaude)	Sorex dispar	Wet banks	New Brunswick	I: Least Concern
Smoky shrew (Musaraigne fuligineuse)	Sorex fumeus	Deciduous forest	Great lakes to Maritimes	I: Least Concern
Gaspé shrew (Musaraigne de Gaspé)	Sorex gaspensis	Near forest streams	Gaspesia and northern New Brunswick; Cape Breton Island	I: Least Concern CA: Not at Risk
Prairie shrew (Musaraigne des steppes)	Sorex haydeni	Grassland	Southern Prairies	I: Least Concern
American pygmy shrew (Musaraigne pygmée)	Sorex hoyi	Forest clearings	Yukon and eastern Cordillera to Labrador and Maritimes	I: Least Concern
Merriam's shrew (Musaraigne de Merriam)	Sorex merriami	Grasslands	Extreme southern British Columbia	I: Least Concern
Montane shrew (Musaraigne sombre)	Sorex monticolus	Mountain streams and marshes	Western Cordillera	I: Least Concern
American water shrew (Musaraigne palustre)	Sorex palustris	Lakes and marshes	Western Cordillera to Labrador and Maritimes except southern Prairies and southernmost Ontario	I: Least Concern
Preble's shrew (Musaraigne de Preble)	Sorex preblei	Mountain streams and marshes	Southcentral British Columbia	I: Least Concern
Trowbridge's shrew (Musaraigne de Trowbridge)	Sorex trowbridgii	Coniferous forest	Lower Fraser Valley	I: Least Concern
Tundra shrew (—)	Sorex tundrensis	Tundra	Yukon and Northwest territory	I: Least Concern
Barren ground shrew (—)	Sorex ugyunak	Tundra	Mainland Arctic	I: Least Concern
Vagrant shrew (Musaraigne errante)	Sorex vagrans	Mountain streams	Southern Cordillera	I: Least Concern
Family Talpidae: Moles
Star-nosed mole (Condylure étoilé)	Condylura cristata	Wet forest	Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec, Labrador, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia	I: Least Concern
Coast mole (Taupe du Pacifique)	Scapanus orarius	Alpine coniferous forest	Southwestern British Columbia	I: Least Concern
Townsend's mole (Taupe de Townsend)	Scapanus townsendii	Fields	Southwestern British Columbia	I: Least Concern CA: Endangered
Shrew-mole (Taupe de Townsend)	Neurotrichus gibbsii	Banks	Southwestern British Columbia	I: Least Concern
Eastern mole (Taupe à queue glabre)	Scalopus aquaticus	Open woodlands	Point Pelee area	I: Least Concern CA: Special Concern
Hairy-tailed mole (Taupe à queue velue)	Parascalops breweri	Dry loose soils	Southern Quebec and Ontario	I: Least Concern

Animals That Are New to Canada

Some wild mammals found in Canada were not originally from here. Some were brought here on purpose or by accident. These include the house mouse (Mus musculus), and brown and black rats (Rattus norvegicus and R. rattus). Other animals like the coypu (Myocastor coypus), European rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus), and European hare (Lepus europaeus) escaped from captivity. The European fallow deer (Dama dama) and wild boar (Sus scrofa) were brought in for hunting.

Other animals are seen in Canada only by chance, or so rarely that we don't know if they live here permanently. Most of these are whales and dolphins that are not well known. Some bats, like the big free-tailed bat (Nyctinomops macrotis) and evening bat (Nycticeius humeralis), are mostly found south of Canada but sometimes cross the border. The New England cottontail (Sylvilagus transitionalis) is also usually found in the US but might sometimes be in Canada.

Animals That Have Disappeared or Returned

In recorded history, three mammal species disappeared from Canada, but two of them have been brought back!

The sea mink (Neogale macrodon) used to live in the Maritime Provinces. Sadly, it became extinct because too many were hunted, and their homes were destroyed. The last known sea mink was caught in New Brunswick in 1894.

The eastern elk (Cervus canadensis canadensis), a type of elk, also used to live in Quebec and Ontario. It disappeared for similar reasons as the sea mink.

Eastern cougars (Puma concolor couguar) also lived in the eastern provinces but disappeared after their populations in the United States were wiped out.

The black-footed ferret (Mustela nigripes) disappeared from Canada in 1937. People thought it was completely gone until a wild group was found in Wyoming in 1981. Efforts to bring them back to Canada have not worked yet.

The swift fox (Vulpes velox) and sea otter (Enhydra lutris) both disappeared from Canada in the 1930s. But good news! They were successfully brought back in the early 1970s.