States Wildlife
Menu

Indiana Mammals: Species List With Pictures

Last checked November 3, 2026 against official sources.

On this page
  1. Which mammals can hurt you
  2. All 60 mammals
  3. When they are active
  4. If you are bitten or stung
  5. How to report
  6. Common questions
  7. What official sources say
  8. About this list
  9. Sources

This page lists 60 mammals: all from Indiana Department of Natural Resources, Division of Fish & Wildlife's Mammals List. 2 are nonnative.

Which mammals can hurt you

Official sources single out these mammals in Indiana, in their own words:

All 60 mammals

From A to Z. Do not handle them.

No confirmed photo of Allegheny woodrat

Allegheny woodrat

Neotoma magister

Conservation
Indiana state endangered
American black bear
Photo: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service - Midwest Region · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons

American black bear

Ursus americanus

Size
Smokies: males average about 6 ft long, 3 ft at the shoulder and 250 lb in summer; females usually just over 100 lb. Missouri: 46 to 78 inches long, 86 to 600 lb.
How to recognize it
  • Straight facial profile, rounded erect ears, very short tail
  • Short curved claws for climbing
Conservation
Indiana species of special concern

Full American black bear guide

Badger
Photo: avocat · CC BY 4.0 · iNaturalist

Badger

Taxidea taxus

Conservation
Indiana species of special concern
Beaver
Photo: GrandTetonNPS · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons

Beaver

Castor canadensis

82 records by month.
No confirmed photo of Big brown bat

Big brown bat

Eptesicus fuscus

Bobcat
Photo: National Marine Sanctuaries · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons

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
Where in Indiana
Common in southern and parts of central Indiana, and increasing in northern Indiana Indiana Department of Natural Resources, Division of Fish & Wildlife

Full Bobcat guide

Coyote
Photo: Gaurav Vaidya from Chapel Hill, USA · CC BY 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Coyote

Canis latrans

Size
About 3.5 to 4 feet long including the tail and roughly 2 feet tall at the shoulder; weight varies by region: Arizona 20 to 30 lb, Florida average about 28 lb, Georgia 25 to 45 lb
How to recognize it
  • Large pointed ears, long narrow nose, bushy black-tipped tail
  • Like a slender medium-sized dog, much smaller than a wolf
  • Paw track about 2 inches long (Florida)
52 records by month.

Full Coyote guide

No confirmed photo of Eastern mole

Eastern mole

Scalopus aquaticus

Eastern small-footed myotis
Photo: Kate Kruesi · CC BY 4.0 · iNaturalist

Eastern small-footed myotis

Myotis leibii

Conservation
Indiana species of special concern
No confirmed photo of Evening bat

Evening bat

Nycticeius humeralis

Conservation
Indiana state endangered
No confirmed photo of Franklin's ground squirrel

Franklin's ground squirrel

Poliocitellus franklinii

Conservation
Indiana state endangered
No confirmed photo of Gray myotis

Gray myotis

Myotis grisescens

Conservation
Indiana state endangered; federally endangered
Gray squirrel
Photo: Mila C · CC BY 4.0 · iNaturalist

Gray squirrel

Sciurus carolinensis

420 records by month.
Hoary bat
Photo: otiegoat · CC BY 4.0 · iNaturalist

Hoary bat

Lasiurus cinereus

Conservation
Indiana species of special concern
House mouse
Photo: Emily Langdon-Lassagne · CC0 1.0 · iNaturalist

House mouse

Mus musculus

Nonnative

No confirmed photo of Indiana myotis

Indiana myotis

Myotis sodalis

Conservation
Indiana state endangered; federally endangered
No confirmed photo of Least shrew

Least shrew

Cryptotis parva

No confirmed photo of Least weasel

Least weasel

Mustela nivalis

Conservation
Indiana species of special concern
No confirmed photo of Little brown myotis

Little brown myotis

Myotis lucifugus

Conservation
Indiana state endangered
No confirmed photo of Masked shrew

Masked shrew

Sorex cinereus

No confirmed photo of Meadow jumping mouse

Meadow jumping mouse

Zapus hudsonius

No confirmed photo of Meadow vole

Meadow vole

Microtus pennsylvanicus

Nine-banded armadillo
Photo: MartinKlippel · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons · resized

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
Where in Indiana
Recent observations of live and roadkill armadillos indicate this species can be found year-round across the southern half of the State. Indiana Department of Natural Resources, Division of Fish & Wildlife

Full Nine-banded armadillo guide

No confirmed photo of Northern long-eared myotis

Northern long-eared myotis

Myotis septentrionalis

Conservation
Indiana state endangered; federally threatened
No confirmed photo of Northern short-tailed shrew

Northern short-tailed shrew

Blarina brevicauda

No confirmed photo of Plains pocket gopher

Plains pocket gopher

Geomys bursarius

Conservation
Indiana species of special concern
No confirmed photo of Prairie vole

Prairie vole

Microtus ochrogaster

No confirmed photo of Pygmy shrew

Pygmy shrew

Sorex hoyi

Conservation
Indiana species of special concern
Raccoon
Photo: Marco Antonino Ramos Rodríguez · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons · resized

Raccoon

Procyon lotor

167 records by month.
No confirmed photo of Rafinesque's big-eared bat

Rafinesque's big-eared bat

Corynorhinus rafinesquii

Conservation
Indiana species of special concern
Red bat
Photo: Judy Gallagher · CC BY-SA 4.0 · iNaturalist · resized

Red bat

Lasiurus borealis

Conservation
Indiana species of special concern
Red fox
Photo: David Willingham · CC BY 4.0 · iNaturalist

Red fox

Vulpes vulpes

41 records by month.
Silver-haired bat
Photo: Sam Kieschnick · CC BY 4.0 · iNaturalist

Silver-haired bat

Lasionycteris noctivagans

Conservation
Indiana species of special concern
No confirmed photo of Smoky shrew

Smoky shrew

Sorex fumeus

Conservation
Indiana species of special concern
No confirmed photo of Southeastern myotis

Southeastern myotis

Myotis austroriparius

Conservation
Indiana species of special concern
No confirmed photo of Southeastern shrew

Southeastern shrew

Sorex longirostris

No confirmed photo of Southern bog lemming

Southern bog lemming

Synaptomys cooperi

No confirmed photo of Southern flying squirrel

Southern flying squirrel

Glaucomys volans

No confirmed photo of Star-nosed mole

Star-nosed mole

Condylura cristata

Conservation
Indiana species of special concern
No confirmed photo of Swamp rabbit

Swamp rabbit

Sylvilagus aquaticus

Conservation
Indiana state endangered
Thirteen-lined ground squirrel
Photo: Evan H · CC BY 4.0 · iNaturalist

Thirteen-lined ground squirrel

Spermophilus tridecemlineatus

Tri-colored bat
Photo: Felix Zareie-Vaux · CC0 1.0 · iNaturalist

Tri-colored bat

Perimyotis subflavus

Conservation
Indiana state endangered
Virginia opossum
Photo: Shirley Zundell · CC BY 4.0 · iNaturalist

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
89 records by month.

Full Virginia opossum guide

No confirmed photo of Western harvest mouse

Western harvest mouse

Reithrodontomys megalotis

No confirmed photo of White-footed mouse

White-footed mouse

Peromyscus leucopus

No confirmed photo of White-tailed deer

White-tailed deer

Odocoileus virginianus

348 records by month.
No confirmed photo of Woodland vole

Woodland vole

Microtus pinetorum

When mammals are active in Indiana

Records of mammals in Indiana peak in March to July and November. They show when people record mammals, not how many there are (about month bars).

2,357 records of mammals in Indiana by month (GBIF, CC0 and CC BY records).

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 Indiana Department of Natural Resources, Division of Fish & Wildlife:

How to report

Invasive species: report online via EDDMapS or the GLEDN app; terrestrial invasives 1-866-NO-EXOTIC (1-866-663-9684), [email protected]; aquatic invasives [email protected]. Nuisance wildlife: DNR does not remove wildlife; hire a licensed wildlife control operator; DNR Customer Service 317-232-4200 or [email protected]. Mammal sightings (armadillo, mountain lion, etc.): DNR Report a Mammal form. Gecko / wall lizard sightings: [email protected]. Indiana Department of Natural Resources

Common questions

What official sources say

Are there mountain lions in Indiana?

No. DNR: extirpated by the late 1800s; the only confirmed reports were in 2009 (Clay County) and 2010 (Greene County). Indiana Department of Natural Resources, Division of Fish & Wildlife

“Indiana has no breeding population of mountain lions.”

About this list

The species list comes from Mammals List (Indiana DNR, compiled by the state Mammalogist) (Indiana Department of Natural Resources, Division of Fish & Wildlife, Revised September 2021).

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 Indiana.

Sources

  1. Reptiles of Indiana List. Indiana Department of Natural Resources, Division of Fish & Wildlife. page states "Revised September 2021"; checked November 3, 2026.
  2. Mammals List. Indiana Department of Natural Resources, Division of Fish & Wildlife. page states "Revised September 2021"; checked November 3, 2026.
  3. Nine-banded Armadillo. Indiana Department of Natural Resources, Division of Fish & Wildlife. dateModified 2026-03-09; checked November 3, 2026.
  4. Bobcats. Indiana Department of Natural Resources, Division of Fish & Wildlife. dateModified 2026-09-25; checked November 3, 2026.
  5. Mammals FAQs. Indiana Department of Natural Resources, Division of Fish & Wildlife. dateModified 2026-03-23; checked November 3, 2026.
    Quoted passages (2)
    “Never handle a bat. Although it is not very common, bats are a vector species that can carry rabies.”
    “Maternity season is usually between mid-June and early-August, and the pups will depend on their mothers for anywhere between 25-37 days.”
  6. Living with Wildlife. Indiana Department of Natural Resources, Division of Fish & Wildlife. dateModified 2026-03-26; checked November 3, 2026.
    Quoted passages (1)
    “Do not pick up a bat with bare hands. If a person has been bitten or scratched by a bat, contact a medical professional as soon as possible and have the bat tested for rabies.”
  7. Black Bear. Indiana Department of Natural Resources, Division of Fish & Wildlife. dateModified 2026-04-01; checked November 3, 2026.
    Quoted passages (1)
    “Enjoy it from a distance. … Never attempt to feed or attract bears. Report bear sightings to the Indiana Division of Fish & Wildlife”
  8. Invasive Species. Indiana Department of Natural Resources. dateModified 2026-09-08; checked November 3, 2026.
    Quoted passages (1)
    “Discuss terrestrial invasives 1-866 NO EXOTIC (1-866-663-9684) [email protected] Discuss aquatic invasives 317-233-0755 [email protected]”
  9. Mountain Lion. Indiana Department of Natural Resources, Division of Fish & Wildlife. dateModified 2026-03-09; checked November 3, 2026.
    Quoted passages (1)
    “Indiana has no breeding population of mountain lions.”
  10. 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.