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Antillean fruit bat
Artibeus jamaicensis
Florida Mammals: Species List With Pictures
Last checked November 3, 2026 against official sources.
On this page
FWC: This checklist identifies the 99 species of wild mammals currently found in Florida, 11 of which have been introduced or recently expanded their range into the state.
This page lists 55 mammals: 47 from FWC's Checklist of Florida's Mammals and 8 named in other official sources. 6 are nonnative. FWC gives a total of 99; the 55 here are the mammals official sources name one by one.
Not every species: this page shows the mammals named in the official sources below. How lists are built.
Which mammals can hurt you
Official sources single out these mammals in Florida, in their own words:
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Photo: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service - Midwest Region · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons Florida black bear
Can seriously harm or kill people, though injuries in Florida are rare. “Even though they are typically quiet and shy animals, they have the potential to seriously harm or kill people.” FWC
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Bats
Disease. “Bats do carry rabies, and are one of the primary vectors for rabies exposure in the United States.” FWC
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Raccoons and foxes
Disease. “However, any mammal is capable of carrying rabies, and in Florida, foxes and raccoons have a higher incidence of rabies than bats do.” FWC
All 55 mammals
From A to Z. Do not handle them.
No confirmed photo of Big brown bat
Big brown bat
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Bobcat
Lynx rufus
- Size
- Total length 18 to 50 inches, tail 3 to 8 inches, weight 8 to 49 pounds (Missouri). About twice the size of a house cat.
- How to recognize it
- Short 'bobbed' tail, 4 to 8 inches, with a black tip and white underneath (Arizona). New Mexico instead describes black bars on top, white underneath and a white tip.
- Pointed ears with tufts at the tips, often with cheek tufts
- Backs of the ears are black with a light central spot
No confirmed photo of Brazilian free-tailed bat
Brazilian free-tailed bat
Tadarida brasiliensis
No confirmed photo of Bryde’s whale
Bryde’s whale
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Coyote
- Where in Florida
- Coyotes are found throughout Florida, having been documented in all 67 Florida counties. FWC
What the sources say
Habitat: This medium-sized canine, a close relative of the domestic dog, is extremely adaptable and can be found in rural, suburban and urban landscapes. (FWC)
No confirmed photo of Eastern mole
Eastern mole
Scalopus aquaticus
Eastern pipistrelle
No confirmed photo of Eastern spotted skunk
Eastern spotted skunk
No confirmed photo of Evening bat
Evening bat
Fin whale
Balaenoptera physalus
Florida black bear
Ursus americanus floridanus
- Danger to people
- “Even though they are typically quiet and shy animals, they have the potential to seriously harm or kill people.” FWC
- Where in Florida
- The subspecies currently lives in seven separated subpopulations throughout Florida, as well as in southern Alabama and southern Georgia. FWC
- Conservation
- Listed by the state as threatened from 1974 to 2012 (FWC)
No confirmed photo of Gambian Pouched Rat
Gambian Pouched Rat
Cricetomys gambianus
No confirmed photo of Gray bat
Gray bat
Myotis grisescens
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Gray fox
Harbor seal
Hoary bat
Lasiurus cinereus
Hooded seal
House Mouse
Mus musculus
No confirmed photo of Humpback whale
Humpback whale
No confirmed photo of Indiana bat
Indiana bat
Myotis sodalis
No confirmed photo of Least shrew
Least shrew
No confirmed photo of Little brown bat
Little brown bat
Myotis lucifugus
No confirmed photo of Little mastiff bat
Little mastiff bat
Molossus molossus
Long-tailed weasel
No confirmed photo of Mink
Mink
Minke whale
Balaenoptera acutorostrata
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Nine-banded armadillo
Dasypus novemcinctus
- Size
- Cat-sized: 15-17 in long not counting the tail, 8-17 lb (FWC); 24-32 in including a 9.5-14.5 in tail (UGA).
- How to recognize it
- Bony skin plates that form a shell, which make it easy to identify
- Long scaly tail, deer-like ears, long pig-like snout
- Tail encased in 12 bony rings; no canine or incisor teeth
No confirmed photo of Northern long-eared bat
Northern long-eared bat
Myotis septentrionalis
No confirmed photo of Northern yellow bat
Northern yellow bat
Lasiurus intermedius
Nutria
Myocastor coypus
- Size
- Body 47 to 61 cm (about 1.5 to 2 ft) plus a tail of about 37 to 41 cm (USGS). Males reach about 20 lb and females 18 lb (USGS). CDFW: up to 2.5 ft body length, 12 to 18 inch tail, 20+ lb.
- How to recognize it
- White whiskers and a large, round, sparsely haired tail.
- Large dark-orange front teeth (incisors).
- Hind feet webbed on four of five toes.
No confirmed photo of Panther or cougar
Panther or cougar
No confirmed photo of Perdido Key Beach Mouse
Perdido Key Beach Mouse
- Where in Florida
- Only resides in the dunes of Perdido Key, a small island located near Pensacola FWC
- Conservation
- federally listed endangered
No confirmed photo of Pygmy killer whale
Pygmy killer whale
Raccoon
Procyon lotor
No confirmed photo of Rafinesque’s big-eared bat
Rafinesque’s big-eared bat
Red bat
Lasiurus borealis
Red fox
Vulpes vulpes
No confirmed photo of Right whale
Right whale
No confirmed photo of Risso’s dolphin or grampus
Risso’s dolphin or grampus
River otter
Saddle-backed dolphin
Delphinus delphis
No confirmed photo of Sei whale
Sei whale
No confirmed photo of Seminole bat
Seminole bat
Lasiurus seminolus
No confirmed photo of Short-finned pilot whale
Short-finned pilot whale
Globicephala macrorhynchus
Silver-haired bat
No confirmed photo of Southeastern bat
Southeastern bat
No confirmed photo of Southeastern shrew
Southeastern shrew
Sorex longirostris
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Southern short-tailed shrew
Blarina carolinensis
No confirmed photo of Star-nosed mole
Star-nosed mole
Striped skunk
Mephitis mephitis
Virginia opossum
Didelphis virginiana
- Size
- Weighs 4 to 7 lb and stands 6 to 8 inches high at the shoulder (South Carolina DNR); about the size of a house cat
- How to recognize it
- Long pointed nose, black hairless ears, dark eyes, nearly hairless grasping (prehensile) tail
- Long scaly tail and a pointed snout ending in a pink nose
- Opposable thumb-like big toe (hallux) on each hind foot
No confirmed photo of Wagner's mastiff bat
Wagner's mastiff bat
Eumops glaucinus
White-tailed deer (South Florida)
Odocoileus virginianus seminolus
Wild Hog
Sus scrofa
- Size
- Adults average 75 to 250 pounds, but some get twice as large. They can stand up to 3 feet tall and reach 5 feet long, and males (boars) are larger than females (sows). FWC says Florida wild hogs can weigh more than 150 pounds and be 5 to 6 feet long. Ohio State Extension says Ohio adults typically weigh 125 to 200 pounds.
- How to recognize it
- Look much like domestic hogs but are generally thinner, with thicker hides of coarse, bristly hair and longer tusks
- Four continuously growing tusks, 2 on top and 2 below
- Russian (Eurasian) boar type: long, straight, narrow snout; dark-colored or camouflage coat; light-tipped bristles
When mammals are active in Florida
Records of mammals in Florida peak in January to May and December. They show when people record mammals, not how many there are (about month bars).
If you are bitten or stung
Call 911 or Poison Help at 1-800-222-1222 right away. Poison Help connects you to your local poison center, any time of day.
Official advice from FWC:
How to report
Report nonnative animals to the FWC Invasive Species Hotline 888-Ive-Got1 (888-483-4681); FWC asks the public to call the Hotline for high-priority species: all nonnative snakes, monitor lizards and tegus. Other nonnative species can be reported via the IveGot1 app or IveGot1.org. Alligator or crocodile concerns: 866-FWC-GATOR (866-392-4286). FWC
Common questions
About this list
The species list comes from Checklist of Florida's Mammals (FWC; undated, archived copy captured 2008-10-28, incomplete scan) (Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), undated; web capture 2008-10-28). 8 more entries come from other official sources named on each card.
Venom labels come only from official sources and link to them; "Not stated" never means harmless. How labels work.
"Nonnative" and "Invasive" follow the wording of the source list. See invasive species in Florida.
Sources
- Checklist of Florida's Amphibians and Reptiles (Revised 2023). Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC). Revised 2023; checked November 3, 2026.
- Checklist of Florida's Mammals (FWC; archived copy, incomplete). Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC). undated page; checked November 3, 2026.
Quoted passages (1)
“This checklist identifies the 99 species of wild mammals currently found in Florida, 11 of which have been introduced or recently expanded their range into the state.”
- Terrestrial Mammals (FWRI research). Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC). archived copy, captured January 15, 2026; checked November 3, 2026. Archived copy.
- Bear encounters (Living with Bears). Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC). archived copy, captured May 12, 2026; checked November 3, 2026. Archived copy.
Quoted passages (2)
“Even though they are typically quiet and shy animals, they have the potential to seriously harm or kill people.”
“Run - running can trigger a chase instinct and bears can sprint up to 35 mph”
- Living with Coyotes. Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC). archived copy, captured September 15, 2026; checked November 3, 2026. Archived copy.
Quoted passages (1)
“Coyotes are not large animals and rarely pose a threat to people, especially adults.”
- Species Not Native to Florida. Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC). archived copy, captured September 9, 2025; checked November 3, 2026. Archived copy.
- Bats and Rabies. Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC). archived copy, captured May 12, 2026; checked November 3, 2026. Archived copy.
Quoted passages (3)
“Bats do carry rabies, and are one of the primary vectors for rabies exposure in the United States.”
“However, any mammal is capable of carrying rabies, and in Florida, foxes and raccoons have a higher incidence of rabies than bats do.”
“Don’t touch or go near any wild animal, particularly one that is not acting normally.”
- Report Nonnative Species. Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC). archived copy, captured October 25, 2026; checked November 3, 2026. Archived copy.
Quoted passages (1)
“You can call the FWC’s Invasive Species Hotline at 888-Ive-Got1 (483-4681) to report nonnative animals. We ask the public to call the Hotline to report high priority species, which include all nonnative snakes, monitor lizards, and tegus.”
- GBIF.org occurrence records, human observations licensed CC0 1.0 or CC BY 4.0 only, accessed November 3, 2026. The datasets behind these counts are listed on our Sources page.