List of mammals of Canada facts for kids
This is a list of the mammal species recorded in Canada. There are approximately 200 mammal species in Canada. Its large territorial size consist of fifteen terrestrial and five marine ecozones, ranging from oceanic coasts, to mountains to plains to urban housing, mean that Canada can harbour a great variety of species, including nearly half of the known cetaceans. The largest marine ecozone is the Arctic Archipelago whereas the terrestrial ecozone is the Boreal Shield. The most well represented order is that of the rodents, and the smallest that of the Didelphimorphia (common opossums).
Studies of mammals in Canada hearken back to the 1795 northern explorations of Samuel Hearne, whose account is considered surprisingly accurate. The first seminal work on Canadian mammals, however, was John Richardson's 1829 Fauna Boreali-Americana. Joseph Burr Tyrrell was the first to attempt to produce, in 1888, a comprehensive list of Canadian mammalian species. Ernest Thompson Seton and Charles-Eusèbe Dionne's work were also important. Modern Canadian publications with interest in mammalogy include The Canadian Field-Naturalist, the Canadian Journal of Zoology and the French-language Le Naturaliste Canadien.
Several species of mammal have particular symbolism. The Canadian horse and North American beaver are official symbols of Canada, and several provinces have designated native species as symbols.
Conservation status - IUCN Red List of Threatened Species:
- - Extinct, - Extinct in the Wild
- - Critically Endangered, - Endangered, - Vulnerable
- - Near Threatened, - Least Concern
- - Data Deficient, - Not Evaluated
- (v. 2013.2, the data is current as of March 5, 2014)
Contents
Native mammals
Bats
Bats most distinguishing feature is that their forelimbs are developed as wings, making them the only mammals capable of flight. Bat species account for about 20% of all mammals.
| Common name
(French name) |
Species
(authority) |
Preferred habitat | Native range | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Family Vespertilionidae: Vesper bats | ||||
| Pallid bat
|
Antrozous pallidus (LeConte, 1856) |
Dry plains | British Columbia |
|
| Townsend's big-eared bat
|
Corynorhinus townsendii (Cooper, 1837) |
Open woodlands | Southern British Columbia |
|
| Big brown bat
|
Eptesicus fuscus (Palisot de Beauvois, 1796) |
Varied, including cities | British Columbia to southern Quebec and New Brunswick |
|
| Spotted bat
|
Euderma maculatum (J. A. Allen, 1891) |
Near waterways | Inner British Columbia |
|
| Silver-haired bat
|
Lasionycteris noctivagans (La Conte, 1831) |
Deciduous forest lakes | All of southern Canada except Gaspesia and northern Maritimes |
|
| Western red bat
|
Lasiurus blossevillii (Lesson and Garnot, 1826) |
Open spaces and cities | Southwestern British Columbia |
|
| Eastern red bat
|
Lasiurus borealis (Müller, 1776) |
Open spaces and cities | Alberta to southern Maritimes |
|
| Hoary bat
|
Lasiurus cinereus (Palisot de Beauvois, 1796) |
Forests | British Columbia to northern Hudson Bay and Maritimes |
|
| California myotis
|
Myotis californicus (Audubon & Bachman, 1842) |
West Coast forest | West Coast and Okanagan Valley |
|
| Western small-footed myotis
|
Myotis ciliolabrum (Merriam, 1886) |
Dry areas | Southern Alberta and Saskatchewan |
|
| Long-eared myotis
|
Myotis evotis (H. Allen, 1864) |
Varied | Southern British Columbia, Alberta and Saskatchewan |
|
| Keen's myotis
|
Myotis keenii (Merriam, 1895) |
Forests | West Coast |
|
| Eastern small-footed myotis
|
Myotis leibii (Audubon & Bachman, 1842) |
Montane forest | Southern and south-central Ontario, southwestern Quebec |
|
| Little brown bat
|
Myotis lucifugus (La Conte, 1831) |
Varied, including cities | Yukon to Atlantic Canada |
|
| Northern long-eared myotis
|
Myotis septentrionalis (Trouessart, 1897) |
Forests | Central to Eastern Canada |
|
| Fringed myotis
|
Myotis thysanodes (Miller, 1897) |
White pine forest | Southcentral British Columbia |
|
| Long-legged myotis
|
Myotis volans (H. Allen, 1866) |
Varied | British Columbia and Alberta |
|
| Yuma myotis
|
Myotis yumanensis (H. Allen, 1864) |
Open areas | West Coast and Okanagan Valley |
|
| Tri-colored bat formerly eastern pipistrelle
|
Pipistrellus subflavus (F. Cuvier, 1832) |
Forest, fields and waterways | Southern Ontario, Quebec and Maritimes |
|
Carnivorans
Carnivorans include over 260 species, the majority of which eat meat as their primary dietary item. They have a characteristic skull shape and dentition.
| Common name (French name) |
Species (authority) |
Preferred habitat | Native range | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Family Felidae: Felines | ||||
| Canada lynx
|
Lynx canadensis (Kerr, 1792) |
Forests | Most of Canada |
|
| Bobcat
|
Lynx rufus (Schreber, 1777) |
Varied | Southern Canada |
|
| Cougar
|
Puma concolor (Linnaeus, 1771) |
Mountain, marshes, dense forest | Mountainous regions of Alberta, British Columbia, and the Yukon |
|
| Family Canidae: Canines | ||||
| Coyote
|
Canis latrans (Say, 1823) |
Varied | Rocky Mountains, southern Prairies, southern Ontario, Quebec, and Maritime provinces |
|
| Grey wolf
|
Canis lupus (Linnaeus, 1758) |
Varied | All of Canada, except Anticosti and Prince Edward Island. Extirpated in several areas. Population of the Arctic subspecies resides in Northern Canada. |
|
| Eastern wolf
(Loup oriental) |
Canis lycaon
(Schreber, 1775) |
Varied | Great Lakes region in southeastern Canada (Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec) |
|
| Red wolf
(Loup rouge) |
Canis rufus
(Audubon & Bachman, 1851) |
Varied | Once ranged into Ontario; extirpated. |
|
| Arctic fox
|
Vulpes lagopus (Linnaeus, 1758) |
Tundra | Northern Canada |
|
| Swift fox
|
Vulpes velox (Say, 1823) |
Desert and dry prairie | Southern Prairie Provinces |
|
| Red fox
|
Vulpes vulpes (Linnaeus, 1758) |
Varied | All of Canada except part of the Arctic Islands and West Coast |
|
| Family Ursidae: Bears | ||||
| Black bear
|
Ursus americanus (Pallas, 1780) |
Varied, mostly forested areas | Most of Canada except Arctic and Prince Edward Island |
|
| Grizzly bear
|
Ursus arctos horribilis (Linnaeus, 1758) |
Open spaces, mostly alpine and Arctic tundra | Yukon, most of British Columbia except Vancouver Island, Rocky Mountains, mainland Northwest Territory and Nunavut |
|
| Polar bear
|
Ursus maritimus (Phipps, 1774) |
Edge of ice fields | Arctic Sea and coasts |
|
| Family Procyonidae: Raccoons and allies | ||||
| Raccoon
|
Procyon lotor (Linnaeus, 1758) |
Riparian forest | Southern Canada except Rockies |
|
| Family Mustelidae: Mustelids | ||||
| Sea otter
|
Enhydra lutris (Linnaeus, 1758) |
Sea and coast | Vancouver and Goose Island coast |
|
| Northern river otter
|
Lontra canadensis (Schreber, 1777) |
Rivers, lakes and swamps | Most of Canada except part of the Arctic and southern Prairies |
|
| Wolverine
|
Gulo gulo (Linnaeus, 1758) |
Boreal forest, Arctic tundra | Largely extinct in southern Canada west of the Rockies - found in much of continental Canada and the Arctic islands |
|
| American marten
|
Martes americana (Turton, 1806) |
Coniferous and mixed forests | Rockies to Labrador and Newfoundland, except Prairies - extinct in several parts of Eastern Canada |
|
| Pacific marten
(Martre du Pacifique) |
Martes caurina
(Merriam, 1890) |
Coniferous and mixed forests | West coast up to Yukon down to British Columbia and the Rockies |
|
| Beringian ermine
|
Mustela erminea (Linnaeus, 1758) |
Boreal forest, Arctic tundra | Most of Arctic Canada aside from parts of eastern Nunavut and Baffin Island |
|
| Haida ermine
|
Mustela haidarum (Preble, 1898) |
Temperate rainforest | Haida Gwaii archipelago |
|
| Black-footed ferret
|
Mustela nigripes (Audubon and Bachman, 1851) |
Prairies and grasslands | Extirpated; once inhabited southern Alberta and southern Saskatchewan |
*I: Endangered
|
| Least weasel
|
Mustela nivalis (Linnaeus, 1766) |
Varied | Yukon to Labrador, except southern Quebec and Ontario |
|
| American ermine
|
Mustela richardsonii (Bonaparte, 1838) |
Varied | Almost all of Canada south of the Arctic, except part of southern Prairies and Anticosti Island. |
|
| Long-tailed weasel
|
Neogale frenata (Lichtenstein, 1831) |
Open areas | Southern Rockies to western Ontario, southern Ontario to western Nova Scotia |
|
| Mink
|
Neogale vison (Schreber, 1777) |
Wetlands and rivers | Most of Canada, except the Arctic, part of the Prairies and Anticosti Island - introduced to Newfoundland |
|
| Fisher
|
Pekania pennanti (Erxleben, 1777) |
Coniferous and mixed forests near rivers | British Columbia to central Quebec, reintroduced in parts of the Maritimes |
|
| Badger
|
Taxidea taxus (Schreber, 1777) |
Fields | Southern Prairies, south-central British Columbia and southernmost Ontario |
|
| Family Mephitidae: Skunks | ||||
| Striped skunk
|
Mephitis mephitis (Schreber, 1776) |
Forests, cultivated areas, valleys | Rockies to the Maritimes - introduced in Prince Edward Island and Nova Scotia in the 19th century |
|
Western spotted skunk (Moufette tachetée occidentale) |
Spilogale gracilis (Merriam, 1890) |
Thickets and bushes | Southwestern British Columbia |
|
| Superfamily Pinnipedia: Pinnipeds | ||||
| Family Otariidae: Eared seals | ||||
| Northern fur seal
|
Callorhinus ursinus (Linnaeus, 1758) |
Sea | Off the coast of British Columbia; appreciates rocky outcrops - occasionally reported from the Arctic |
|
| Steller sea lion
|
Eumetopias jubatus (Schreber, 1776) |
Coast waters | British Columbia; appreciates rocky outcrops |
|
| Walrus
|
Odobenus rosmarus (Linnaeus, 1758) |
Arctic shallows | James Bay to Greenland - extinct in the Western Arctic and the Magdalen Islands |
|
| California sea lion
|
Zalophus californianus ((Lesson, 1828)) |
Coast waters | Near Vancouver Island |
|
| Family Phocidae: Earless seals | ||||
| Hooded seal
|
Cystophora cristata (Erxleben, 1777) |
Sea | Atlantic from Gulf of the Saint Lawrence to northern Baffin Island |
|
| Bearded seal
|
Erignathus barbatus (Erxleben, 1777) |
Sea | Arctic Ocean |
|
| Grey seal
|
Halichoerus grypus (Erxleben, 1777) |
Sea rocks, and reefs | East Coast |
|
| Northern elephant seal
|
Mirounga angustirostris (Gill, 1866) |
Tropical and temperate sea waters | Occasional in British Columbia |
|
| Harp seal
|
Phoca groenlandica (Erxleben, 1777) |
Cold waters | Gulf of Saint Lawrence to James Bay and Greenland |
|
| Harbour seal
|
Phoca vitulina (Linnaeus, 1758) |
Coast waters and some interior lakes | Most Canadian coasts except the colder part of the Arctic |
|
| Ringed seal
|
Pusa hispida (Schreber, 1775) |
Arctic waters and ice-floes | Arctic Ocean |
|
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Cetaceans
Cetaceans includes whales, dolphins and porpoises. They are the mammals most fully adapted to aquatic life with a spindle-shaped nearly hairless body, protected by a thick layer of blubber, and forelimbs and tail modified to provide propulsion underwater.
| Common name
(French name) |
Species
(authority) |
Preferred habitat | Native range | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Family Balaenidae: Right Whales | ||||
| Bowhead whale
|
Balaena mysticetus (Linnaeus, 1758) |
Polar ice shelf in winter, coastal waters in the summer | Arctic Ocean |
|
| North Atlantic right whale
|
Eubalaena glacialis (Linnaeus, 1758) |
Temperate coast waters | North Atlantic |
|
| North Pacific right whale
|
Eubalaena japonica (Lacépède, 1818) |
North Pacific |
|
|
| Family Balaenopteridae: Rorquals | ||||
| Northern minke whale
|
Balaenoptera acutorostrata (Lacépède, 1804) |
Temperate or polar seas | Northern Atlantic and Pacific |
|
| Sei whale
|
Balaenoptera borealis (Lesson, 1828) |
Temperate seas | Atlantic and Pacific oceans |
|
| Blue whale
|
Balaenoptera musculus (Linnaeus, 1758) |
Temperate and polar waters | Atlantic and Pacific oceans |
|
| Fin whale
|
Balaenoptera physalus (Linnaeus, 1758) |
Pelagic, coastal | Atlantic and Pacific oceans |
|
| Humpback whale
|
Megaptera novaeangliae (Borowski, 1781) |
Coastal waters, often penetrates estuaries | Atlantic and Pacific oceans |
|
| Family Eschrichtiidae: Grey Whale | ||||
| Grey whale
|
Eschrichtius robustus (Lilljebor, 1861) |
Temperate continental shelf waters | Pacific Coast |
|
| Family Monodontidae: Narwhal and Beluga | ||||
| Narwhal
|
Monodon monoceros (Linnaeus, 1758) |
Edge of Arctic ice sheet | Eastern Arctic Ocean |
|
| Beluga
|
Delphinapterus leucas (Pallas, 1776) |
Arctic coast waters - often swim deep up rivers | Eastern and Western Arctic Ocean |
|
| Family Phocoenidae: Porpoises | ||||
| Harbour porpoise
|
Phocoena phocoena (Linnaeus, 1758) |
East and West Coast |
|
|
| Dall's porpoise
|
Phocoenoides dalli (True, 1885) |
Continental shelf | North Pacific |
|
| Family Physeteridae: Sperm Whale | ||||
| Sperm whale
|
Physeter macrocephalus (Linnaeus, 1758) |
Very deep waters | Pacific and Atlantic Oceans - only migrating males are found in Canadian waters |
|
| Family Ziphidae: Beaked Whales | ||||
| Cuvier's beaked whale
|
Ziphius cavirostris (G. Cuvier, 1823) |
Uncertain | North Pacific and Atlantic |
|
| Baird's beaked whale
|
Berardius bairdii (Stejneger, 1883) |
Near continental shelf cliffs | North Pacific |
|
| Northern bottlenose whale
|
Hyperoodon ampullatus (Forster, 1770) |
Subarctic waters | North Atlantic and part of Arctic |
|
| Sowerby's beaked whale
|
Mesoplodon bidens (Sowerby, 1804) |
Deep ocean | Temperate North Atlantic |
|
| Hubbs' beaked whale
|
Mesoplodon carlhubbsi (Moore, 1963) |
Temperate waters | North Pacific |
|
| Stejneger's beaked whale
|
Mesoplodon stejnegeri (True, 1885) |
Cold, high sea | North Pacific |
|
| Family Delphinidae: Oceanic dolphins | ||||
| White-beaked dolphin
|
Lagenorhynchus albirostris (Gray, 1846) |
High, cold sea | North Atlantic |
|
| Atlantic white-sided dolphin
|
Leucopleurus acutus (Gray, 1828) |
Temperate high sea | North Atlantic |
|
| Common bottlenose dolphin
|
Tursiops truncatus (Montagu, 1821) |
Coastal waters | Occasional in the Maritimes |
|
| Short-beaked common dolphin
|
Delphinus delphis (Linnaeus, 1758) |
Temperate high sea | Atlantic and Pacific Continental shelves |
|
| Pacific white-sided dolphin
|
Sagmatias obliquidens (Gill, 1865) |
Temperate and subarctic seas | North Pacific |
|
| Orca
|
Orcinus orca (Linnaeus, 1758) |
Prefers coastal waters | Atlantic, Pacific and parts of the Arctic |
|
| Short-finned pilot whale
|
Globicephala macrorhynchus (Gray, 1846) |
Varied | Pacific Ocean |
|
| Long-finned pilot whale
|
Globicephala melas (Traill, 1809) |
Varied | North Atlantic |
|
Even-toed ungulates
The even-toed ungulates are ungulates whose weight is borne about equally by the third and fourth toes, rather than mostly or entirely by the third as in perissodactyls. There are about 220 artiodactyl species worldwide, including many that are of great economic importance.
| Common name (French name) |
Species (authority) |
Preferred habitat | Native range | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Family Cervidae: Deer | ||||
| Moose
|
Alces alces (Linnaeus, 1758) |
Subarctic and open forests | Yukon to New Brunswick - introduced in Newfoundland, Cape Breton and Anticosti Islands |
|
| Elk
|
Cervus canadensis (Linnaeus, 1758) |
Varied, prefers open areas | Southern Rockies and part of the Prairies, reintroduced in several part of its former range. |
|
| Mule deer
|
Odocoileus hemionus (Rafinesque, 1817) |
Subarctic and open forests | West Coast to Prairies |
|
| White-tailed deer
|
Odocoileus virginianus (Zimmerman, 1780) |
Glens, rivers, marshes, forest edges | Southern Rockies and Prairie Provinces to coast of Labrador and Maritimes - introduced to the Anticosti Islands |
|
| Caribou
|
Rangifer tarandus (Zimmerman, 1780) |
Tundra, Taiga and boreal forest | Boreal forest across Canada, and parts of the Arctic and Rockies |
|
| Family Antilocapridae: The Pronghorn | ||||
| Pronghorn
|
Antilocapra americana (Ord, 1815) |
Prairies and plains | Southern Saskatchewan and Alberta |
|
| Family Bovidae: Bovids | ||||
| American bison
|
Bison bison (Linnaeus, 1758) |
Varied | South of the Great Slaves Lake - small reintroduced population found in several parts of its former range |
|
| Mountain goat
|
Oreamnos americanus (Blainville, 1816) |
Mountains | Various parts of the Western Cordillera |
|
| Muskox
|
Ovibos moschatus (Zimmermann, 1780) |
Arctic tundra | Canadian Arctic |
|
| Bighorn sheep
|
Ovis canadensis (Shaw, 1804) |
Alpine prairies | South and southeastern Rockies |
|
| Dall sheep
|
Ovis dalli (Nelson, 1884) |
Alpine tundra | Yukon and northern British Columbia |
ssp. dalli
|
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Marsupials
Didelphimorphia is the order of common opossums of the Western Hemisphere. Opossums probably diverged from the basic South American marsupials in the late Cretaceous or early Paleocene. They are small to medium-sized marsupials, about the size of a large house cat, with a long snout and prehensile tail.
| Common name (French name) |
Species (authority) |
Preferred habitat | Native range | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Family Didelphidae: New World opossums | ||||
| Virginia opossum
|
Didelphis virginiana (Kerr, 1792) |
Humid lowland forest | Southwestern Ontario, introduced in British Columbia |
|
Rabbits, hares, and pikas
The lagomorphs comprise two families, Leporidae (hares and rabbits), and Ochotonidae (pikas). They can resemble rodents, but differ in a number of physical characteristics, such as having four incisors in the upper jaw rather than two.
| Common name
(French name) |
Species
(authority) |
Preferred habitat | Native range | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Family Ochotonidae: Pikas | ||||
| Collared pika
|
Ochotona collaris (Nelson, 1893) |
Mountains above the tree line | Rockies of the Yukon |
|
| American pika
|
Ochotona princeps (Richardson, 1828) |
Mountains near the tree line | Southern British Columbia and Alberta |
|
| Family Leporidae: Rabbits and hares | ||||
| Snowshoe hare
|
Lepus americanus (Erxleben, 1777) |
Forests | Much of mainland Canada except southernmost Ontario |
|
| Arctic hare
|
Lepus arcticus (Ross, 1819) |
Tundra | Canadian Arctic (including Arctic Archipelago), Labrador, Newfoundland |
|
| White-tailed jackrabbit
|
Lepus townsendii (Bachman, 1839) |
Fields | Southern Prairies, Okanagan Valley |
|
| Eastern cottontail
|
Sylvilagus floridanus (J. A. Allen, 1890) |
Open woodlands | Southern Manitoba, Saskatchewan Ontario and Quebec |
|
| Mountain cottontail
|
Sylvilagus nuttallii (J. A. Allen, 1890) |
Dry plains | Southern Alberta and Saskatchewan, Okanagan and Similkameen valleys |
|
| New England cottontail
(Lapin de Nouvelle-Angleterre) |
Sylvilagus transitionalis
(Bangs, 1895) |
High elevation forests | Presence uncertain in Quebec, possibly extant |
|
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Rodents
Rodents make up the largest order of mammals, with over 40% of mammalian species. They have two incisors in the upper and lower jaw which grow continually and must be kept short by gnawing. Most rodents are small though the capybara, a rodent native to South America, can weigh up to 45 kg (100 lb).
| Common name
(French name) |
Species
(authority) |
Preferred habitat | Native range | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Family Erethizontidae: New World porcupines | ||||
| North American porcupine
|
Erethizon dorsatum (Linnaeus, 1758) |
Forests south of the tree line | All of Canada except Arctic | |
| Family Aplodontiidae: mountain beaver | ||||
| Mountain beaver
|
Aplodontia rufa (Rafinesque, 1817) |
Montane forest | Southern British Columbia |
|
| Family Castoridae: Beavers | ||||
| North American beaver
|
Castor canadensis (Kuhl, 1820) |
Humid areas of forests | All of Canada below the tree line except drier parts of the Prairies |
|
| Family Sciuridae: Squirrels | ||||
| Eastern grey squirrel
|
Sciurus carolinensis (Gmelin, 1788) |
Prefers deep forest, but frequent in urban areas | Southern Manitoba and northwestern Ontario, southern Quebec, Ontario and New Brunswick |
|
| Eastern fox squirrel
|
Sciurus niger (Linnaeus, 1758) |
Edges of forests and groves | Southern Manitoba and Saskatchewan, British Columbia and Pelee Island |
|
| Douglas squirrel
|
Tamiasciurus douglasii (Bachman, 1839) |
Coniferous forest | Southwestern British Columbia |
|
| American red squirrel
|
Tamiasciurus hudsonicus (Erxleben, 1839) |
Forests | Mainland Canada south of the tree line, except the southern Prairies and southwestern British Columbia; Vancouver Island |
|
| Humboldt's flying squirrel | Glaucomys oregonensis (Bachman, 1839) |
Boreal forest | Southern British Columbia continuing south through the US border |
|
| Northern flying squirrel
|
Glaucomys sabrinus (Shaw, 1801) |
Boreal forest | Mainland Canada south of the tree line except the southern Prairies |
|
| Southern flying squirrel
|
Glaucomys volans (Linnaeus, 1758) |
Deciduous forest | Southern Ontario, part of Quebec, southern Nova Scotia |
|
| Black-tailed prairie dog
|
Cynomys ludovicianus (Ord, 1815) |
Dry prairies | Small part of southern Saskatchewan |
|
| Hoary marmot
|
Marmota caligata (Eschscholtz, 1829) |
Alpine tundra | Rockies, Columbia, and Coast Mountains |
|
| Yellow-bellied marmot
|
Marmota flaviventris (Audubon and Bachman, 1841) |
Mountains | Central British Columbia and southernmost Alberta |
|
| Groundhog
|
Marmota monax (Linnaeus, 1758) |
Broken ground | Much of mainland Canada east of the Rockies, inland valleys and part of western Yukon |
|
| Vancouver Island marmot
|
Marmota vancouverensis (Swarth, 1911) |
Near the mountain tree line | Endemic to Vancouver Island |
|
| Golden-mantled ground squirrel
|
Callospermophilus lateralis (Say, 1823) |
Montane coniferous forest | Southeastern Rockies |
|
| Cascade golden-mantled ground squirrel
|
Callospermophilus saturatus (Rhoads, 1895) |
Southern British Columbia Cascade Range | British Columbia |
|
| Franklin's ground squirrel
|
Poliocitellus franklinii (Sabine, 1822) |
Parklands | Northwestern Ontario and southern Prairies except short-grass prairies |
*I: Least Concern |
| Thirteen-lined ground squirrel
|
Ictidomys tridecemlineatus (Mitchill, 1821) |
Groves, swamps, uncultivated land | Southern Prairie Provinces |
|
| Columbian ground squirrel
|
Urocitellus columbianus (Ord, 1815) |
Montane open areas | Southern Rocky mountains |
|
| Arctic ground squirrel
|
Urocitellus parryii (Richardson, 1825) |
Tundra without permafrost | Mainland Arctic |
|
| Richardson's ground squirrel
|
Urocitellus richardsonii (Sabine, 1822) |
Prairies | South of the Prairie provinces |
|
| Yellow-pine chipmunk
|
Tamias amoenus (Allen, 1821) |
Dry montane forest | Southern and central British Columbia and Alberta |
|
| Least chipmunk
|
Tamias minimus (Bachman, 1839) |
Edges of forests, groves, but also open spaces | Western Quebec to Yukon |
|
| Red-tailed chipmunk
|
Tamias ruficaudus (A. H. Howell, 1839) |
High altitude forest and valley pine groves | Southern British Columbia and Alberta |
|
| Eastern chipmunk
|
Tamias striatus (Linnaeus, 1758) |
Deciduous forest | Maritime provinces, and the southern half of Quebec, Ontario, and Manitoba |
|
| Townsend's chipmunk
|
Tamias townsendii (Bachman, 1839) |
Western Coast lowland and montane tsuga forests | Southwestern British Columbia |
|
| Family Geomyidae: Pocket gophers | ||||
| Plains pocket gopher
|
Geomys bursarius (Shaw, 1800) |
Fields and banks | Southern Manitoba |
|
| Northern pocket gopher
|
Thomomys talpoides (Richardson, 1828) |
Open areas | Southern Prairie Provinces and British Columbia |
|
| Family Heteromyidae: Heteromyids | ||||
| Ord's kangaroo rat
|
Dipodomys ordii (Woodhouse, 1853) |
Semi-deserctic areas | Great Sand Hills area |
|
| Olive-backed pocket mouse
|
Perognathus fasciatus (Wied-Neuwied, 1839) |
Dry plains | Southern Prairies |
|
| Great Basin pocket mouse
|
Perognathus parvus (Peale, 1848) |
Dry plains | Great Basin |
|
| Family Dipodidae: Jerboas | ||||
| Woodland jumping mouse
|
Napaeozapus insignis (Miller, 1891) |
Forest streams | Eastern Canada |
|
| Meadow jumping mouse
|
Zapus hudsonius (Zimmermann, 1780) |
Wet fields | Eastern Canada (except Anticosti island and Newfoundland) to Yukon |
|
| Western jumping mouse
|
Zapus princeps (Allen, 1893) |
Prairies | Rockies and Prairies |
|
| Pacific jumping mouse
|
Zapus trinotatus (Rhoads, 1893) |
Montane prairies | Southwestern British Columbia |
|
| Family Cricetidae: Cricetids | ||||
| Southern red-backed vole
|
Myodes gapperi (Vigors), 1830 |
Forests | Most of the provinces, except Newfoundland and Vancouver Island |
|
| Northern red-backed vole
|
Myodes rutilus (Pallas, 1779) |
Shrubby tundra | Mainland Arctic |
|
| Northern collared lemming
|
Dicrostonyx groenlandicus (Traill, 1823) |
Tundra | Northern Arctic islands |
|
| Ungava collared lemming
|
Dicrostonyx hudsonius (Pallas, 1778) |
Tundra | Northern Quebec |
|
| Victoria collared lemming
|
Dicrostonyx kilangmiutak (Anderson & Rand, 1945) |
Tundra | Mainland Arctic, Banks, Victoria and King Williams Islands |
|
| Ogilvie Mountains collared lemming
|
Dicrostonyx nunatakensis (Youngman, 1967) |
Montane tundra | Ogilvie Mountains |
|
| Richardson's collared lemming
|
Dicrostonyx richardsoni (Merriam, 1900) |
Tundra | Arctic, roughly south of the Thelon River Basin |
|
| Sagebrush vole
|
Lemmiscus curtatus (Cope, 1868) |
Sagebrush steppes | Southern Alberta and Saskatchewan |
|
| North American brown lemming
|
Lemmus trimucronatus (Richardson, 1825) |
Tundra of Nunavut, Northwest Territories and Yukon, also west coast of British Columbia almost south to Vancouver Island |
|
|
| Rock vole
|
Microtus chrotorrhinus (Miller, 1894) |
Rocky areas | Boreal Ontario and Quebec; southernmost Labrador; Gaspesia and northern New Brunswick |
|
| Long-tailed vole
|
Microtus longicaudus (Miller, 1894) |
Varied | Western Cordillera |
|
| Singing vole
|
Microtus miurus (Osgood, 1901) |
Alpine tundra | Yukon and neighbouring Northwest Territory |
|
| Montane vole
|
Microtus montanus (Peale, 1848) |
Shortgrass alpine prairies | Central south British Columbia |
|
| Prairie vole
|
Microtus ochrogaster (Wagner, 1842) |
Prairies | Prairie provinces |
|
| Tundra vole
|
Microtus oeconomus (Pallas, 1776) |
Wet tundra | Western Arctic |
|
| Creeping vole
|
Microtus oregoni (Bachman, 1839) |
Humid coniferous forest | Southern British Columbia |
|
| Meadow vole
|
Microtus pennsylvanicus (Ord, 1815) |
Wet fields | All of Canada except Arctic and westernmost ranges |
|
| Woodland vole
|
Microtus pinetorum (Le Conte, 1830) |
Deciduous forest | Southernmost Ontario and Quebec |
|
| Water vole
|
Microtus richardsoni (De Kay, 1842) |
Alpine prairies and streams | Cascades and southern Rockies |
|
| Townsend's vole
|
Microtus townsendii (Bachman, 1839) |
Saline marshes and fields | Vancouver Island, nearby islands and Fraser River delta |
|
| Taiga vole
|
Microtus xanthognathus (Leach, 1815) |
Forest streams | From southwestern Hudson Bay through northern Prairies and Yukon |
|
| Muskrat
|
Ondatra zibethicus (Linnaeus, 1766) |
Wetlands | Most of Canada outside the Arctic and southwestern British Columbia |
|
| Western heather vole
|
Phenacomys intermedius (Merriam, 1889) |
Varied | British Columbia |
|
| Eastern heather vole
|
Phenacomys ungava (Merriam, 1889) |
Varied | Quebec, Ontario and Labrador to southern Yukon |
|
| Northern bog lemming
|
Synaptomys borealis (Richardson, 1828) |
Peatlands | Labrador to Alaska; Gaspesia and northern New Brunswick |
|
| Southern bog lemming
|
Synaptomys cooperi (Baird, 1857) |
Peatlands | Western Manitoba, central and southern Ontario and Quebec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia |
|
| Bushy-tailed woodrat
|
Neotoma cinerea (Ord, 1815) |
Mountains | Western Cordillera |
|
| Yukon deer mouse
(Souris de yukon) |
Peromyscus arcticus
(Wagner, 1845) |
Forest, mountains | Yukon |
|
| Northwestern deer mouse
|
Peromyscus keeni (Rhoades, 1894) |
Mild and rainy forest | West of the Coastal Mountains |
|
| White-footed mouse
|
Peromyscus leucopus (Rafinesque, 1818) |
Deciduous forest | Southern Alberta, Saskatchewan, Ontario, Quebec and Nova Scotia |
|
| Eastern deer mouse
|
Peromyscus maniculatus (Wagner, 1845) |
Anywhere except wetlands | Easternmost Saskatchewan to most of eastern Canada aside from northern Quebec and Newfoundland |
|
| Western deer mouse
(Souris sylvestre) |
Peromyscus sonoriensis
(Wagner, 1845) |
Anywhere except wetlands | Saskatchewan west to British Columbia, north to the southern Northwest Territories and eastern Yukon |
|
| Western harvest mouse
|
Reithrodontomys megalotis (Baird, 1858) |
Prairies | Okanagan Valley (ssp. dychei), south of Alberta and Saskatchewann (ssp. megalotis) |
|
| Northern grasshopper mouse
|
Onychomys leucogaster (Wied-Neuwied, 1841) |
Southern Prairies | Prairies |
|
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Shrews and moles
Eulipotyphlans are insectivorous mammals. Shrews and solenodons closely resemble mice, hedgehogs carry spines, while moles are stout-bodied burrowers.
| Common name
(French name) |
Species
(authority) |
Preferred habitat | Native range | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Family Soricidae: Shrews | ||||
| Northern short-tailed shrew
|
Blarina brevicauda (Say, 1823) |
Deciduous forest | Eastern Saskatchewan to Maritime provinces |
|
| North American least shrew
|
Cryptotis parva (Say, 1823) |
Fields, clearings and salt marshes | Long point, Ontario |
|
| Arctic shrew
|
Sorex arcticus (Kerr, 1792) |
Peatlands and marshes | From the Northwest Territory to central Quebec |
|
| Maritime shrew
|
Sorex maritimensis (Smith, 1939) |
Peatlands and marshes | New Brunswick and Nova Scotia |
|
| Marsh shrew
|
Sorex bendirii (Smith, 1939) |
Coniferous forest | Fraser Valley |
|
| Masked shrew
|
Sorex cinereus (Smith, 1939) |
Varied | Most of Mainland Canada except northernmost Quebec; Prince Edward and Cape Breton islands |
|
| Long-tailed shrew
|
Sorex dispar (Batchelder, 1911) |
Wet banks | New Brunswick |
|
| Smoky shrew
|
Sorex fumeus (Miller, 1895) |
Deciduous forest | Great lakes to Maritimes |
|
| Gaspé shrew
|
Sorex gaspensis (Anthony & Goodwin, 1924) |
Near forest streams | Gaspesia and northern New Brunswick; Cape Breton Island |
|
| Prairie shrew
|
Sorex haydeni (Baird, 1857) |
Grassland | Southern Prairies |
|
| American pygmy shrew
|
Sorex hoyi (Baird, 1857) |
Forest clearings | Yukon and eastern Cordillera to Labrador and Maritimes |
|
| Merriam's shrew
|
Sorex merriami (Dobson, 1890) |
Grasslands | Extreme southern British Columbia |
|
| Montane shrew
|
Sorex monticolus (Merriam, 1890) |
Montane streams and marshes | Western Cordillera |
|
| American water shrew
|
Sorex palustris (Richardson, 1828) |
Lakes and marshes | Western Cordillera to Labrador and Maritimes except southern Prairies and southernmost Ontario |
|
| Preble's shrew
|
Sorex preblei (Jackson,1922) |
Montane streams and marshes | Southcentral British Columbia |
|
| Trowbridge's shrew
|
Sorex trowbridgii (Baird, 1857) |
Coniferous forest | Lower Fraser Valley |
|
| Tundra shrew
|
Sorex tundrensis (Merriam, 1900) |
Tundra | Yukon and Northwest territory |
|
| Barren ground shrew
|
Sorex ugyunak (Anderson & Rand, 1945) |
Tundra | Mainland Arctic |
|
| Vagrant shrew
|
Sorex vagrans (Baird, 1857) |
Montane streams | Southern Cordillera |
|
| Family Talpidae: Moles | ||||
| Star-nosed mole
|
Condylura cristata (Linnaeus, 1758) |
Wet forest | Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec, Labrador, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia |
|
| Coast mole
|
Scapanus orarius (True, 1896) |
Alpine coniferous forest | Southwestern British Columbia |
|
| Townsend's mole
|
Scapanus townsendii (Bachman, 1839) |
Fields | Southwestern British Columbia |
|
| Shrew-mole
|
Neurotrichus gibbsii (Baird, 1858) |
Banks | Southwestern British Columbia |
|
| Eastern mole
|
Scalopus aquaticus (Linnaeus, 1758) |
Open woodlands | Point Pelee area |
|
| Hairy-tailed mole (Taupe à queue velue) |
Parascalops breweri (Bachman, 1842) |
Dry loose soils | Southern Quebec and Ontario |
|
Introduced or accidental species
A number of wild mammals may be found in Canadian territory without being confirmed natives. Some were voluntarily or involuntarily introduced. These include the house mouse (Mus musculus), and brown and black rats (respectively Rattus norvegicus and R. rattus). Other include escaped animals: the coypu (Myocastor coypus), European rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus) and European hare (Lepus europaeus). Both the European fallow deer (Dama dama) and wild boar (Sus scrofa) were introduced for hunting.
Finally, other species are encountered only accidentally, or so rarely in Canadian territory that it is impossible to tell whether they are permanent residents. Most of these species are cetaceans, some generally poorly known: Risso's dolphin (Grampus griseus), the dwarf and pygmy sperm whales (Kogia sima and K. breviceps), Blainville's and True's beaked whale (Mesoplodon densirostris and M. mirus), the false killer whale (Pseudorca crassidens), and the striped dolphin (Stenella coeruleoalba). The big free-tailed and evening bats (respectively Nyctinomops macrotis and Nycticeius humeralis), as well as the New England cottontail (Sylvilagus transitionalis) are found mostly in areas south of the U.S.-Canada frontier, and occasionally in Canada.
Extinct, extirpated or reintroduced species
Out of three species that have been extirpated in Canada in written history, two have since been reintroduced.
The sea mink (Neogale macrodon) formerly lived in the Maritime Provinces, but became extinct following overhunting and habitat destruction. The only Canadian (and also last known) specimen was captured on Campobello Island, New Brunswick in 1894.
The eastern elk (Cervus canadensis canadensis), a subspecies of the elk or wapiti, was also formerly found in Quebec and Ontario, but was made extinct for much the same reasons as the sea mink.
Eastern cougars (Puma concolor couguar) were also found in the eastern provinces, but became extinct soon after populations in the United States were eradicated.
The black-footed ferret (Mustela nigripes) became extirpated in Canada in 1937. Between the 1950s and 1981, it was suspected to be entirely extinct until a wild population was discovered in 1981 in Wyoming. Subsequent reintroductions into Canada have failed.
The swift fox (Vulpes velox) and sea otter (Enhydra lutris) both were extirpated in Canada in the 1930s, but were successfully reintroduced in the beginning of the 1970s.
See also
- Fauna of Canada
- List of mammals of the United States
- List of mammals of North America
- Lists of mammals by region
- List of prehistoric mammals
