List of mammals of Alabama

The U.S. state of Alabama is home to these known indigenous mammal species.^[1] Historically, the state's indigenous species included one armadillo species, sixteen bat species, thirteen carnivore species, six insectivore species, one opossum species, four rabbit species, twenty-two rodent species, and three ungulate species.^{[2][3][4][5][6][7]} Four of these native species have become extirpated within the state, including the American bison, cougar, elk, and the red wolf.^[1][8]

There are six known introduced mammal species in the state. These include the black rat, brown rat, fallow deer, feral swine, house mouse, and nutria.^[8] Several other mammal species have had verifiable sightings within the state, but are believed by biologists to be without established breeding populations. These include the California sea lion (in Mobile Bay), ring-tailed cat, and jaguarundi.^[4]

Human predation and habitat destruction has placed several mammal species at risk of extirpation or extinction. The Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources lists the conservation status of each species within the state with a rank of lowest, low, moderate, high, and highest concern.^{[3][5][6][7][8]}

Armadillo

Image	Scientific name	Common name	Family	Conservation concern
	Dasypus novemcinctus mexicanus	nine-banded armadillo common long-nosed armadillo	Dasypodidae	Low

Bats

Image	Scientific name	Common name	Family	Conservation concern
	Tadarida brasiliensis	Mexican free-tailed bat Brazilian free-tailed bat	Molossidae	High
	Corynorhinus rafinesquii	Rafinesque's big-eared bat	Vespertilionidae	Highest
	Eptesicus fuscus	big brown bat	Vespertilionidae	Lowest
	Lasionycteris noctivagans	silver-haired bat	Vespertilionidae	Moderate
	Lasiurus borealis	eastern red bat	Vespertilionidae	Lowest
	Lasiurus seminolus	Seminole bat	Vespertilionidae	Lowest
	Lasiurus cinereus	hoary bat	Vespertilionidae	Moderate
	Lasiurus intermedius	northern yellow bat	Vespertilionidae	High
	Myotis lucifugus	little brown bat	Vespertilionidae	High
	Myotis austroriparius	southeastern myotis	Vespertilionidae	High
	Myotis grisescens	gray bat	Vespertilionidae	Highest/ U.S. Fish and Wildlife lists as endangered
	Myotis septentrionalis	northern long-eared myotis	Vespertilionidae	High
	Myotis leibii	eastern small-footed myotis	Vespertilionidae	Moderate
	Myotis sodalis	Indiana myotis	Vespertilionidae	Highest/ U.S. Fish and Wildlife lists as endangered
	Nycticeius humeralis	evening bat	Vespertilionidae	Lowest
	Perimyotis subflavus	eastern pipistrelle tricolored bat	Vespertilionidae	Lowest

Carnivores

Image	Scientific name	Common name	Family	Conservation concern
	Canis latrans	coyote	Canidae	Lowest
	Canis lupus	gray wolf	Canidae	Extirpated/
	Canis rufus	red wolf	Canidae	Extirpated/ U.S. Fish and Wildlife lists as endangered
	Vulpes vulpes fulvus	red fox	Canidae	Lowest
	Urocyon cinereoargenteus	gray fox	Canidae	Lowest
	Ursus americanus	American black bear	Ursidae	Highest/ Range limited to Mobile-Tensaw River Delta and surrounding area. Designated as state land mammal.
	Procyon lotor	raccoon	Procyonidae	Lowest
	Mustela frenata	long-tailed weasel	Mustelidae	High
	Neovison vison	American mink	Mustelidae	Low
	Lontra canadensis	North American river otter northern river otter	Mustelidae	Low
	Mephitis mephitis	striped skunk polecat	Mephitidae	Low
	Spilogale putorius	eastern spotted skunk polecat	Mephitidae	High
	Puma concolor	cougar mountain lion panther puma	Felidae	Extirpated
	Lynx rufus	bobcat	Felidae	Lowest

Insectivores

Image	Scientific name	Common name	Family	Conservation concern
	Blarina brevicauda	northern short-tailed shrew	Soricidae	Moderate
	Blarina carolinensis	southern short-tailed shrew	Soricidae	Moderate
	Cryptotis parva	North American least shrew	Soricidae	Moderate
	Sorex hoyi	American pygmy shrew	Soricidae	High
	Sorex longirostris	southeastern shrew	Soricidae	Moderate
	Scalopus aquaticus	eastern mole	Talpidae	Low

Opossum

Image	Scientific name	Common name	Family	Conservation concern
	Didelphis virginiana	Virginia opossum North American opossum	Didelphidae	Low

Rabbits

Image	Scientific name	Common name	Family	Conservation concern
	Sylvilagus aquaticus	swamp rabbit	Leporidae	Low
	Sylvilagus floridanus	eastern cottontail	Leporidae	Lowest
	Sylvilagus obscurus	Appalachian cottontail	Leporidae	High
	Sylvilagus palustris	marsh rabbit	Leporidae	High

Rodents

Image	Scientific name	Common name	Family	Conservation concern
	Tamias striatus	eastern chipmunk	Sciuridae	Lowest
	Marmota monax	woodchuck groundhog	Sciuridae	Lowest
	Sciurus carolinensis	eastern gray squirrel	Sciuridae	Lowest
	Sciurus niger	fox squirrel eastern fox squirrel Bryant's fox squirrel	Sciuridae	Low Note: Alabama examples often have a black facial mask with white nose and ears.
	Glaucomys volans	southern flying squirrel	Sciuridae	Lowest
	Geomys pinetis	southeastern pocket gopher	Geomyidae	High Note: Geomys bursarius is pictured, however Geomys pinetis is nearly identical in appearance.
	Castor canadensis	North American beaver	Castoridae	Lowest
	Oryzomys palustris	marsh rice rat	Cricetidae	Lowest
	Reithrodontomys humulis	eastern harvest mouse	Cricetidae	Moderate
	Peromyscus polionotus	oldfield mouse beach mouse	Cricetidae	Moderate
	Peromyscus polionotus ammobates	Alabama beach mouse	Cricetidae	Highest/ U.S. Fish and Wildlife lists as endangered. Range limited to Fort Morgan Peninsula and Ono Island in Baldwin County.
	Peromyscus polionotus trissyllepsis	Perdido Key beach mouse	Cricetidae	Highest/ U.S. Fish and Wildlife lists as endangered. Range limited to the barrier island of Perdido Key in Baldwin County, Alabama and Escambia County, Florida.
	Peromyscus gossypinus	cotton mouse	Cricetidae	Lowest
	Peromyscus leucopus	white-footed mouse	Cricetidae	Lowest
	Ochrotomys nuttalli	golden mouse	Cricetidae	Lowest
	Sigmodon hispidus	hispid cotton rat	Cricetidae	Lowest
	Neotoma cinerea	eastern woodrat Florida woodrat	Cricetidae	Moderate
	Neotoma magister	Allegheny woodrat	Cricetidae	High
	Microtus ochrogaster	prairie vole	Cricetidae	Moderate
	Microtus pinetorum	pine vole woodland vole	Cricetidae	Low
	Ondatra zibethicus	muskrat	Cricetidae	Lowest
	Rattus rattus	black rat	Muridae	Exotic/ Considered a pest species
	Rattus norvegicus	Norway rat brown rat	Muridae	Exotic/ Considered a pest species
	Mus musculus	house mouse	Muridae	Exotic/ Considered a pest species
	Zapus hudsonius	meadow jumping mouse	Dipodidae	High
	Myocaster coypus	nutria coypu river rat	Myocastoridae	Exotic/ Considered a pest species

Cetaceans

Image	Scientific name	Common name	Family	Conservation concern
	Eubalaena glacialis	North Atlantic right whale	Balaenidae	Endangered
	Balaenoptera musculus	blue whale	Balaenopteridae	Endangered
	Balaenoptera physalus	fin whale	Balaenopteridae	Endangered
	Balaenoptera borealis	sei whale	Balaenopteridae	Endangered
	Balaenoptera brydei	Bryde's whale	Balaenopteridae	Data Deficient
	Balaenoptera brydei	common minke whale	Balaenopteridae	Least concern
	Megaptera novaeangliae	humpback whale	Balaenopteridae	Least concern
	Physeter macrocephalus	sperm whale	Physeteridae	Vulnerable
	Kogia breviceps	pygmy sperm whale	Kogiidae	Data Deficient
	Kogia sima	dwarf sperm whale	Kogiidae	Data Deficient
	Ziphius cavirostris	Cuvier's beaked whale	Ziphiidae	Least concern
	Mesoplodon densirostris	Blainville's beaked whale	Ziphiidae	Data Deficient
	Mesoplodon bidens	Sowerby's beaked whale	Ziphiidae	Data Deficient
	Mesoplodon europaeus	Gervais' beaked whale	Ziphiidae	Data Deficient
	Peponocephala electra	melon-headed whale	Ziphiidae	Data Deficient
	Feresa attenuata	pygmy killer Whale	Delphinidae	Data Deficient
	Pseudorca crassidens	false killer Whale	Delphinidae	Data Deficient
	Orcinus orca	killer whale	Delphinidae	Data Deficient
	Globicephala macrorhynchus	short-finned pilot whale	Delphinidae	Data Deficient
	Steno bredanensis	rough-toothed dolphin	Delphinidae	Least concern
	Lagenodelphis hosei	Fraser's dolphin	Delphinidae	Least concern
	Tursiops truncatus	common bottlenose dolphin	Delphinidae	Least Concern
	Grampus griseus	Risso's dolphin	Delphinidae	Least concern
	Stenella frontalis	Atlantic spotted dolphin	Delphinidae	Data Deficient
	Stenella coeruleoalba	striped dolphin	Delphinidae	Data Deficient
	Stenella attenuata	pantropical spotted dolphin	Delphinidae	Data Deficient
	Stenella longirostris	spinner dolphin	Delphinidae	Data Deficient
	Stenella clymene	clymene dolphin	Delphinidae	Data Deficient

Ungulates

Image	Scientific name	Common name	Family	Conservation concern
	Cervus canadensis	elk	Cervidae	Extirpated
	Odocoileus virginianus	white-tailed deer Virginia deer	Cervidae	Lowest
	Dama dama	fallow deer	Cervidae	Exotic
	Sus scrofa	feral swine	Suidae	Exotic Note: A significant threat to the ecosystem, they compete heavily with native wildlife and destroy natural plant communities
	Bison bison	American bison American buffalo	Bovidae	Extirpated Note: Domestic herds have been reintroduced on farms.[9][10][11]

References

1. Mirarchi, Ralph E. (2004). Alabama Wildlife: Volume One. Tuscaloosa, Alabama: University of Alabama Press. pp. 185–202. ISBN 978-0-81735-1304.
2. Alden, Peter (1999). National Audubon Society Field Guide to the Southeastern States. New York, New York: Alfred A. Knopf. pp. 350–375. ISBN -0-679-44683-4.
3. "Bats". Outdoor Alabama. Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. Retrieved October 14, 2012.
4. "Carnivores". Outdoor Alabama. Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. Retrieved October 14, 2012.
5. "Insectivores". Outdoor Alabama. Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. Retrieved October 14, 2012.
6. "Rabbits". Outdoor Alabama. Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. Retrieved October 14, 2012.
7. "Rodents". Outdoor Alabama. Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. Retrieved October 14, 2012.
8. "Mammals". Outdoor Alabama. Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. Retrieved October 14, 2012.
9. "On a farm in south Alabama, the buffalo roam in herds". Gadsden Times. April 2, 2000.
10. "Former aerospace manager raising bison". The Tuscaloosa News. December 28, 1996.
11. "Wiregrass Buffalo". WTVY 4. February 23, 2007. Retrieved October 15, 2012.