Mammals of Berrien County, Michigan

Some 52 species of mammals (Class Mammalia) are known to have inhabited Berrien County, now or in the immediate past; these 50 species represent 8 orders, 17, families, and 38 genera. The starting point for this list was the Smithsonian Institution’s North American Mammals search page, to which I added >3 5 extirpated and 4 introduced species plus Homo sapiens, a dominant member of the county’s mammalian community:

ORDER DIDELPHIMORPHIA (opossums)

Family Didelphidae (opossums):

Didelphis virginiana, Virginia Opossum

ORDER LAGOMORPHA (lagomorphs)

Family Leporidae (rabbits):

Sylvilagus floridanus, Eastern Cottontail

ORDER RODENTIA (rodents)

Family Diplodidae (jumping mice):

Zapus hudsonius, Meadow Jumping Mouse

Family Erethizondidae (porcupines):

Erethizon dorsatum, Porcupine [Extirpated]

Family Muridae (rats, mice, voles, and lemmings):

Microtus ochrogaster, Prairie Vole

Microtus pennsylvanicus, Meadow Vole

Microtus pinetorum, Pine Vole

Mus musculus, House Mouse [Introduced]

Ondatra zibethicus, Muskrat

Peromyscus leucopus, White-footed Mouse

Peromyscus maniculatus, Deer Mouse

Rattus norvegicus, Norway Rat [Introduced]

Synaptomys cooperi, Southern Bog Lemming

Family Castoridae (beavers):

Castor canadensis, American Beaver

Family Sciuridae (sciurids):

Glaucomys volans, Southern Flying Squirrel

Marmota monax, Woodchuck

Sciurus carolinensis, Eastern Gray Squirrel

Sciurus niger, Eastern Fox Squirrel

Spermophilus tridecemlineatus, Thirteen-lined Ground Squirrel

Tamias striatus, Eastern Chipmunk

Tamiasciurus hudsonicus, Red Squirrel

ORDER CARNIVORA (carnivores)

Family Felidae (felines):

Felis catus, Domestic Cat [Introduced]

Puma concolor, Cougar [Extirpated]

Family Canidae (canines):

Canis latrans, Coyote

Canis familiaris, Domestic Dog [Introduced]*

Canis lupus, Gray Wolf [Extirpated]

Urocyon cinereoargenteus, Gray Fox

Vulpes vulpes, Red Fox
*Sometimes treated as a subspecies of the Gray Wolf, Canis lupis familiaris, but here treated as a separate species.

Family Mustelidae (mustelids):

Mustela erminea, Ermine

Mustela frenata, Long-tailed Weasel

Mustela nivalis, Least Weasel

Mustela vison, American Mink

Taxidea taxus, American Badger

Family Procyonidae (raccoons):

Procyon lotor, Raccoon

Family Mephitidae (skunks):

Mephitis mephitis, Striped Skunk

Family Ursidae (bears):

Ursus americanus, Black Bear [Extirpated]

ORDER INSECTIVORA (moles and shrews)

Family Talpidae (moles):

Condylura cristata, Star-nosed Mole

Scalopus aquaticus, Eastern Mole

Family Soricidae (shrews):

Blarina brevicauda, Northern Short-tailed Shrew

Cryptotis parva, Least Shrew

Sorex cinereus, Masked Shrew

ORDER CHIROPTERA (bats)

Family Vespertilionidae (vesper bats):

Eptesicus fuscus, Big Brown Bat

Lasionycteris noctivagans, Silver-haired Bat

Lasiurus borealis, Red Bat

Lasiurus cinereus, Hoary Bat

Myotis lucifugus, Little Brown Bat

Myotis septentrionalis, Northern Long-eared Myotis

Myotis sodalist, Indiana Bat

Nycticeius humeralis, Evening Bat

ORDER ARTIODACTYLA (even-toed ungulates)

Family Cervidae (cervids):

Odocoileus virginianus, White-tailed Deer

Family Bovidae (bison):

Bison bison, American Bison [Extirpated]

ORDER PRIMATES (primates)

Family Hominidae (hominids):

Homo sapiens, Human