Laurel Highlands Wildlife

Opossums

Order: Didelphimorphia Family: Didelphidae

One species of opossum occurs in Pennsylvania.

Common name	Scientific name	Status^[2]	Notes	Distribution^[2]
Virginia opossum	Didelphis virginiana	Common	D. virginiana virginiana	Statewide

Shrews and moles

Order: Soricomorpha Family: Soricidae

Seven species of shrews live in Pennsylvania.

Common name	Scientific name	Status	Notes	Distribution
Northern short-tailed shrew	Blarina brevicauda	Common		Statewide
Least shrew	Cryptotis parva	Endangered locally		South central
Masked shrew	Sorex cinereus	Common		Statewide
Maryland shrew	Sorex cinereus fontinalis	Common	The Maryland shrew is now considered a subspecies of masked shrew.	Piedmont and Valley and Ridge
Long-tailed shrew	Sorex dispar	Rare		Appalachian Uplands
Smoky shrew	Sorex fumeus	Common		Statewide
Pygmy shrew	Sorex hoyi	Uncommon		Presumed statewide
Water shrew	Sorex palustris	Uncommon		Mountain streams

Order: Soricomorpha Family: Talpidae

Three species of moles occur in Pennsylvania.

Common name	Scientific name	Status	Distribution
Star-nosed mole	Condylura cristata	Uncommon	Statewide
Hairy-tailed mole	Parascalops breweri	Uncommon	Statewide
Eastern mole	Scalopus aquaticus	Uncommon	Piedmont and Valley and Ridge

Bats

Order: Chiroptera Family: Vespertilionidae

Eleven species of evening bats occur in Pennsylvania.

Common name	Scientific name	Status	Distribution
Tri-colored bat	Perimyotis subflavus	Uncommon	Statewide
Big brown bat	Eptesicus fuscus	Common	Statewide
Evening bat	Nycticeius humeralis	Rare	Southeastern
Red bat	Lasiurus borealis	Uncommon	Statewide
Seminole bat	Lasiurus seminolus	Rare	Piedmont
Hoary bat	Lasiurus cinereus	Uncommon	Statewide
Small-footed myotis	Myotis leibii	Threatened locally	Statewide
Northern long-eared bat	Myotis septentrionalis		Statewide
Little brown myotis	Myotis lucifugus	Common	Statewide
Indiana bat	Myotis sodalis	Endangered	Central
Silver-haired bat	Lasionycteris noctivagans	Uncommon	Statewide

Rabbits and hares

Order: Lagomorpha Family: Leporidae

Three species of rabbits and hares occur in Pennsylvania.

Common name	Scientific name	Status	Distribution
Eastern cottontail	Sylvilagus floridanus	Common	Statewide
Appalachian cottontail	Sylvilagus obscurus	Uncommon	Eastern mountains
Snowshoe hare	Lepus americanus	Rare	Appalachian Uplands

Rodents

Order: Rodentia Family: Castoridae

One species of beaver occurs in Pennsylvania.

Common name	Scientific name	Status	Notes	Distribution
Beaver	Castor canadensis	Reintroduced		Statewide

Order: Rodentia Family: Myocastoridae

One species of porcupine occurs in Pennsylvania.

Common name	Scientific name	Status	Notes	Distribution
North American porcupine	Erethizon doratum	Uncommon		Northern and central

Order: Rodentia Family: Dipodidae

Two species of jumping mice occur in Pennsylvania.

Common name	Scientific name	Status	Notes	Distribution
Woodland jumping mouse	Napaeozapus insignis	Common		Northern and western
Meadow jumping mouse	Zapus hudsonius	Common		Statewide

Order: Rodentia Family: Cricetidae

Nine species of voles and New World rats and mice occur in Pennsylvania.

Subfamily Arvicolinae (lemmings, voles, and muskrats)

Common name	Scientific name	Status	Distribution
Rock vole	Microtus chrotorrhinus	Rare	Northeast
Meadow vole	Microtus pennsylvanicus	Common	Statewide
Woodland vole	Microtus pinetorum	Common	Statewide
Southern bog lemming	Synaptomys cooperi	Uncommon	Statewide
Southern red-backed vole	Myodes gapperi	Common	Statewide
Muskrat	Ondatra zibethicus	Common	Statewide

Subfamily Neotominae (North American rats and mice)

Common name	Scientific name	Status	Distribution
Woodrat	Neotoma magister	Threatened	Mountain ridges
Deer mouse	Peromyscus maniculatus	Common	Statewide
White-footed mouse	Peromyscus leucopus	Common	Statewide

Order: Rodentia Family: Muridae

Three species of Old World rats and mice occur in Pennsylvania.

Common name	Scientific name	Status	Distribution
House mouse	Mus musculus	Introduced	Statewide
Norway rat	Rattus norvegicus	Introduced	Statewide
Black rat	Rattus rattus	Introduced	Statewide

Order: Rodentia Family: Sciuridae

Eight species of squirrels, chipmunks, and marmots occur in Pennsylvania.

Subfamily Sciurinae (tree squirrels and flying squirrels)

Common name	Scientific name	Status	Distribution
Gray squirrel	Sciurus carolinensis	Common	Statewide
Fox squirrel	Sciurus niger	Uncommon	Southern and western
Red squirrel	Tamiasciurus hudsonicus	Common	Statewide
Northern flying squirrel	Glaucomys sabrinus	Rare	Northern
Southern flying squirrel	Glaucomys volans	Common	Statewide

Subfamily Xerinae (chipmunks and ground squirrels)

Common name	Scientific name	Status	Distribution
Woodchuck	Marmota monax	Common	Statewide
Thirteen-lined ground squirrel	Spermophilus tridecemlineatus	Introduced	Mercer and Venango Counties
Eastern chipmunk	Tamias striatus	Common	Statewide

Carnivorans

Order: Carnivora Family: Felidae

One species of cat occurs in Pennsylvania.

Common name	Scientific name	Status	Notes	Distribution
Bobcat	Lynx rufus	Rare	L. rufus rufus	Appalachian Uplands

Order: Carnivora Family: Canidae

Three species of canids occurred in Pennsylvania.

Common name	Scientific name	Status	Notes	Distribution
Coyote	Canis latrans	Common	Northeastern coyote, C. latrans thamnos	Statewide
Red fox	Vulpes vulpes	Common	Eastern American red fox, V. vulpes fulvus	Statewide
Gray fox	Urocyon cinereoargenteus	Common		Statewide

Order: Carnivora Family: Ursidae

One species of bear occurs in Pennsylvania.

Common name	Scientific name	Status	Notes	Distribution
Black bear	Ursus americanus	Common	U. americanus americanus	Most of state

Order: Carnivora Family: Mephitidae

Two species of skunks occur in Pennsylvania.

Common name	Scientific name	Status	Notes	Distribution
Striped skunk	Mephitis mephitis	Common		Statewide
Eastern spotted skunk	Spilogale putorius	Rare		South central

Order: Carnivora Family: Mustelidae

Six species of weasels occur in Pennsylvania.

Common name	Scientific name	Status	Notes	Distribution
River otter	Lontra canadensis	Rare	L. canadensis canadensis	Northern
Fisher	Martes pennanti	Reintroduced		North central
Ermine	Mustela erminea	Uncommon		Statewide except southwest
Long-tailed weasel	Mustela frenata	Common		Statewide
Least weasel	Mustela nivalis	Uncommon	M. nivalis allegheniensis	Western two-thirds
Mink	Mustela vison	Common	M. vison mink	Statewide

Order: Carnivora Family: Procyonidae

One species of raccoons occurs in Pennsylvania.

Common name	Scientific name	Status	Notes	Distribution
Raccoon	Procyon lotor	Common	Eastern raccoon, P. lotor lotor	Statewide

Hoofed mammals

Order: Artiodactyla Family: Cervidae

Two species of deer and elk occur in Pennsylvania.

Common name	Scientific name	Status	Notes	Distribution
Elk	Cervus canadensis	Reintroduced		North central
White-tailed deer	Odocoileus virginianus	Common	Northern white-tailed deer, O. virginianus borealis	Statewide

Reference

[2]

List of Pennsylvania Mammals