List of mammals of North Dakota facts for kids

North Dakota is home to many different kinds of mammals! This list tells you about all the mammal species that have been seen living in the state of North Dakota in the United States. There are about 87 different types of mammals known to live here. This includes animals that used to live in North Dakota but don't anymore, like the gray wolf, swift fox, caribou, and grizzly bear. The mammals on this list are grouped by their scientific families. This list does not include animals that are only found in zoos or kept as pets.

Marsupials

Opossums

• Virginia opossum, Didelphis virginiana

Moles and Shrews

Shrews

• Northern short-tailed shrew, Blarina brevicauda
• Least shrew, Cryptotis parva
• Arctic shrew, Sorex arcticus
• Masked shrew, Sorex cinereus
• American pygmy shrew, Sorex hoyi
• Dwarf shrew, Sorex nanus
• American water shrew, Sorex palustris
• Merriam's shrew, Sorex merriami - This one is rare to see.

Moles

• Eastern mole, Scalopus aquaticus
• Star-nosed mole, Condylura cristata

Bats

Vesper Bats

• Big brown bat, Eptesicus fuscus
• Eastern red bat, Lasiurus borealis
• Hoary bat, Lasiurus cinereus
• Silver-haired bat, Lasionycteris noctivagans
• Little brown bat, Myotis lucifugus
• Northern long-eared bat, Myotis septentrionalis
• Western small-footed bat, Myotis ciliolabrum
• Long-legged myotis, Myotis volans
• Long-eared myotis, Myotis evotis
• Townsend's big-eared bat, Plecotus townsendii
• Fringe-tailed bat, Myotis thysanodes - This bat is only seen by accident.

Free-tailed Bats

• Big free-tailed bat, Nyctinomops macrotis - Seen by accident.
• Mexican free-tailed bat, Tadarida brasiliensis - Seen by accident.

Carnivores

Canids (Dogs and Foxes)

• Coyote, Canis latrans
• Gray wolf, Canis lupus - These no longer live here.
  • Great Plains wolf, C. l. nubilus - This type of wolf no longer lives here.
• Gray fox, Urocyon cineroeargenteus
• Swift fox, Vulpes velox - These no longer live here.
• Red fox, Vulpes vulpes

Felids (Cats)

• Canada lynx, Lynx canadensis - These no longer live here.
• Bobcat, Lynx rufus
• Cougar, Puma concolor

Raccoons

• Raccoon, Procyon lotor

Skunks

• Striped skunk, Mephitis mephitis
• Western spotted skunk, Spilogale gracilis
• Eastern spotted skunk, Spilogale putorius

Mustelids (Weasels, Otters, Badgers)

• Wolverine, Gulo gulo - These no longer live here.
• North American river otter, Lontra canadensis
• American marten, Martes americana
• Black-footed ferret, Mustela nigripes - These animals have been brought back to live here.
• Least weasel, Mustela nivalis
• American ermine, Mustela richardsonii
• Long-tailed weasel, Neogale frenata
• American mink, Neogale vison
• Fisher, Pekania pennanti
• American badger, Taxidea taxus

Bears

• American black bear, Ursus americanus
• Brown bear, Ursus arctos - These no longer live here.
  • Grizzly bear, U. a. horribilis - This type of bear no longer lives here.

Even-Toed Ungulates

Deer

• Moose, Alces alces
• Elk, Cervus canadensis
• Mule deer, Odocoileus hemionus
• White-tailed deer, Odocoileus virginianus
• Caribou, Rangifer tarandus - These no longer live here.
  • Boreal woodland caribou, R. t. caribou - This type of caribou no longer lives here.

Pronghorns

• Pronghorn, Antilocapra americana

Bovids (Cattle and Sheep)

• American bison, Bison bison - These animals have been brought back to live here.
  • Plains bison, B. b. bison - This type of bison has been brought back.
• Bighorn sheep, Ovis canadensis

Lagomorphs

Rabbits and Hares

• Snowshoe hare, Lepus americanus
• White-tailed jackrabbit, Lepus townsendii
• Desert cottontail, Sylvilagus audubonii
• Eastern cottontail, Sylvilagus floridanus
• Mountain cottontail, Sylvilagus nuttalii - These no longer live here.

Rodents

Beavers

• American beaver, Castor canadensis

New World Mice and Voles

• Southern red-backed vole, Clethrionomys gapperi
• Sagebrush vole, Lagurus curtatus
• Long-tailed vole, Microtus longicaudus
• Prairie vole, Microtus ochrogaster
• Meadow vole, Microtus pennsylvanicus
• Bushy-tailed woodrat, Neotoma cinerea
• Muskrat, Ondatra zibethicus
• Northern grasshopper mouse, Onychomys leucogaster
• White-footed mouse, Peromyscus leucopus
• Western deer mouse, Peromyscus sonoriensis
• Western harvest mouse, Reithrodontomys megalotis
• Plains harvest mouse, Reithrodromys montanus

Porcupines

• North American porcupine, Erethizon dorsatum

Pocket Gophers

• Plains pocket gopher, Geomys bursarius
• Northern pocket gopher, Thomomys talpoides

Kangaroo Rats and Pocket Mice

• Ord's kangaroo rat, Dipodomys ordii
• Plains pocket mouse, Perognathus flavescens
• Olive-backed pocket mouse, Perognathus fasciatus

Old World Mice and Rats

• House mouse, Mus musculus - These were brought here by people.
• Norway rat, Rattus norvegicus - These were brought here by people.

Squirrels, Chipmunks, and Marmots

• Black-tailed prairie dog, Cynomys ludovicianus
• Northern flying squirrel, Glaucomys sabrinus
• Southern flying squirrel, Glaucomys volans - Seen by accident.
• Thirteen-lined ground squirrel, Ictidomys tridecemlineatus
• Yellow-bellied marmot, Marmota flaviventris
• Groundhog, Marmota monax
• Least chipmunk, Neotamias minimus
• Franklin's ground squirrel, Poliocitellus frankinii
• Fox squirrel, Sciurus niger
• Eastern chipmunk, Tamias striatus
• American red squirrel, Tamiasciurus hudsonicus
• Richardson's ground squirrel, Urocitellus richardsonii
• Spotted ground squirrel, Xerospermophilus spilosoma - Seen by accident.
• Eastern gray squirrel, Sciurus carolinensis

Jumping Mice

• Meadow jumping mouse, Zapus hudsonius
• Western jumping mouse, Zapus princeps

See also

• Lists of mammals by region
• Mammal classification