American Badger
Taxidea taxus
Kansas Mammals: Species List With Pictures
Last checked November 3, 2026 against official sources.
On this page
Kansas Mammal Atlas, Sternberg Museum of Natural History, Fort Hays State University: There are 89 species (different kinds) of mammals in Kansas.
This page lists 87 mammals. 1 is nonnative. Kansas Mammal Atlas, Sternberg Museum of Natural History, Fort Hays State University gives a total of 89; the 87 here are the mammals official sources name one by one.
Which mammals can hurt you
Official sources single out these mammals in Kansas, in their own words:
-
Photo: Mirko Schoenitz · CC0 1.0 · iNaturalist skunks and bats
Rabies carriers, as KDWP states. “Skunks and bats are the most common wildlife carriers in Kansas.” Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks
All 87 mammals
From A to Z. Do not handle them.
.jpg){kind=link}
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
.jpg){kind=link}
Beaver
Castor canadensis
No confirmed photo of Big Brown Bat
Big Brown Bat
Eptesicus fuscus
Bison
Bison bison
Black Rat
Rattus rattus
Black-footed Ferret
Mustela nigripes
- Conservation
- Kansas State Endangered Species (as labelled by KMA)
No confirmed photo of Black-tailed Jackrabbit
Black-tailed Jackrabbit
Lepus californicus
No confirmed photo of Black-tailed Prairie Dog
Black-tailed Prairie Dog
Cynomys ludovicianus
.jpg){kind=link}
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 Cave Myotis
Cave Myotis
Myotis velifer
Cougar (Puma, Mountain Lion)
Puma concolor
- Size
- Total length 5 to 8.5 feet including a 21 to 37.5 inch tail; males 79 to 265 lb, females 64 to 141 lb (Missouri Department of Conservation).
- How to recognize it
- Very large, slender cat with a small head, small rounded ears without tufts and a long, heavy tail.
- The tail may be one-third of the total length; much larger than a bobcat or lynx.
- Tracks: 2.75 to 3.75 inches wide, three lobes at the bottom of the heel pad, claw marks usually absent.
.jpg){kind=link}
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)
No confirmed photo of Crawford's Desert Shrew
Crawford's Desert Shrew
Notiosorex crawfordi
No confirmed photo of Desert Cottontail
Desert Cottontail
Sylvilagus audubonii
Eastern Chipmunk
Tamias striatus
Eastern Cottontail
Sylvilagus floridanus
No confirmed photo of Eastern Mole
Eastern Mole
Scalopus aquaticus
Eastern Red Bat
Lasiurus borealis
No confirmed photo of Eastern Spotted Skunk
Eastern Spotted Skunk
Spilogale putorius
- Conservation
- Kansas State Threatened Species (as labelled by KMA)
No confirmed photo of Eastern Woodrat
Eastern Woodrat
Neotoma floridana
No confirmed photo of Elliot's Short-tailed Shrew
Elliot's Short-tailed Shrew
Blarina hylophaga
No confirmed photo of Evening Bat
Evening Bat
Nycticeius humeralis
Fox Squirrel
Sciurus niger
No confirmed photo of Franklin's Ground Squirrel
Franklin's Ground Squirrel
Poliocitellus franklinii
- Conservation
- Kansas Species in Need of Conservation (SINC) (as labelled by KMA)
No confirmed photo of Fulvous Harvest Mouse
Fulvous Harvest Mouse
Reithrodontomys fulvescens
No confirmed photo of Geomys lutescens
Geomys lutescens
Geomys lutescens
.jpg){kind=link}
Gray Fox
Urocyon cinereoargenteus
No confirmed photo of Gray Myotis
Gray Myotis
Myotis grisescens
- Conservation
- Kansas State Endangered Species (as labelled by KMA)
Gray Squirrel
Sciurus carolinensis
No confirmed photo of Hispid Cotton Rat
Hispid Cotton Rat
Sigmodon hispidus
No confirmed photo of Hispid Pocket Mouse
Hispid Pocket Mouse
Chaetodipus hispidus
Hoary Bat
Lasiurus cinereus
House Mouse
Mus musculus
No confirmed photo of Least Shrew
Least Shrew
Cryptotis parvus
No confirmed photo of Least Weasel
Least Weasel
Mustela nivalis
No confirmed photo of Little Brown Myotis
Little Brown Myotis
Myotis lucifugus
Long-tailed Weasel
Mustela frenata
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
Mink
Neovison vison
Mule Deer
Odocoileus hemionus
Muskrat
Ondatra zibethicus
.jpg){kind=link}
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
North American Porcupine
Erethizon dorsatum
- Size
- Adults about 30 inches including a 6- to 10-inch tail, 9 to 15 pounds, older adults up to 20 pounds (Pennsylvania). Massachusetts: 25-31 inches, averaging 12 pounds in early spring to 20 in fall. Minnesota: 24 to 40 inches, 18 to 35 pounds.
- How to recognize it
- Coat of quills; up to 30,000
- Only North American mammal with coat hairs modified as quills
- Short legs, long claws, high-arching back
North American River Otter
Lontra canadensis
No confirmed photo of Northern Grasshopper Mouse
Northern Grasshopper Mouse
Onychomys leucogaster
No confirmed photo of Northern Myotis
Northern Myotis
Myotis septentrionalis
- Conservation
- Kansas Species in Need of Conservation (SINC) (as labelled by KMA)
No confirmed photo of Northern Short-tailed Shrew
Northern Short-tailed Shrew
Blarina brevicauda
Norway Rat
Rattus norvegicus
No confirmed photo of Ord's Kangaroo Rat
Ord's Kangaroo Rat
Dipodomys ordii
No confirmed photo of Pallid Bat
Pallid Bat
Antrozous pallidus
- Conservation
- Kansas Species in Need of Conservation (SINC) (as labelled by KMA)
No confirmed photo of Plains Harvest Mouse
Plains Harvest Mouse
Reithrodontomys montanus
No confirmed photo of Plains Pocket Gopher
Plains Pocket Gopher
Geomys bursarius
No confirmed photo of Plains Pocket Mouse
Plains Pocket Mouse
Perognathus flavescens
No confirmed photo of Prairie Shrew
Prairie Shrew
Sorex haydeni
No confirmed photo of Prairie Vole
Prairie Vole
Microtus ochrogaster
Pronghorn
Antilocapra americana
Raccoon
Procyon lotor
Red Fox
Vulpes vulpes
Ringtail
Bassariscus astutus
No confirmed photo of Silky Pocket Mouse
Silky Pocket Mouse
Perognathus flavus
Silver-haired Bat
Lasionycteris noctivagans
No confirmed photo of Southern Bog Lemming
Southern Bog Lemming
Synaptomys cooperi
- Conservation
- Kansas Species in Need of Conservation (SINC) (as labelled by KMA)
No confirmed photo of Southern Flying Squirrel
Southern Flying Squirrel
Glaucomys volans
- Conservation
- Kansas Species in Need of Conservation (SINC) (as labelled by KMA)
No confirmed photo of Southern Plains Woodrat
Southern Plains Woodrat
Neotoma micropus
Spotted Ground Squirrel
Xerospermophilus spilosoma
Striped Skunk
Mephitis mephitis
No confirmed photo of Swamp Rabbit
Swamp Rabbit
Sylvilagus aquaticus
Swift Fox
Vulpes velox
No confirmed photo of Texas Mouse
Texas Mouse
Peromyscus attwateri
- Conservation
- Kansas Species in Need of Conservation (SINC) (as labelled by KMA)
Thirteen-lined Ground Squirrel
Ictidomys tridecemlineatus
No confirmed photo of Townsend's Big-eared Bat
Townsend's Big-eared Bat
Corynorhinus townsendii
- Conservation
- Kansas Species in Need of Conservation (SINC) (as labelled by KMA)
Tri-colored Bat
Perimyotis subflavus
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 Wapiti (Elk)
Wapiti (Elk)
Cervus elaphus
No confirmed photo of Western Deer Mouse
Western Deer Mouse
Peromyscus sonoriensis
No confirmed photo of Western Harvest Mouse
Western Harvest Mouse
Reithrodontomys megalotis
No confirmed photo of Western Small-footed Myotis
Western Small-footed Myotis
Myotis ciliolabrum
No confirmed photo of White-footed Mouse
White-footed Mouse
Peromyscus leucopus
No confirmed photo of White-tailed Deer
White-tailed Deer
Odocoileus virginianus
Wild Boar
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
Woodchuck
Marmota monax
No confirmed photo of Woodland Vole
Woodland Vole
Microtus pinetorum
No confirmed photo of Yellow-faced Pocket Gopher
Yellow-faced Pocket Gopher
Cratogeomys castanops
Mammals people confuse
Bobcat or Mountain lion (cougar)?
Bobcat Not stated
Mountain lion (cougar) Not stated
Cougars are one color (yellow-brown to light cinnamon) with a long tail. The bobcat's tail is short and its coat is spotted. TWRA says cougars are many times larger and longer, with a very long tail.
Photos show typical adults; individuals vary. Never get close to compare.
When mammals are active in Kansas
Records of mammals in Kansas peak in April to June, August and October to November. 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 Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks:
- After a possible rabies exposure, seek medical attention. Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks
What official sources say
Are there mountain lions in Kansas?
Yes. KDWP: eradicated by the early 1900s; first modern confirmation in Barber County in 2007; confirmed sightings in 49 of 105 counties. Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks
“Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks has confirmed mountain lion sightings in 49 of Kansas's 105 counties.”
Are there bears in Kansas?
Rarely. KDWP: black bears have been documented only occasionally since the 1880s, with more sightings since 2000. Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks
“They have been documented only occasionally since the 1880s, but established populations of black bears within short distances of Kansas have led to increased sightings since 2000.”
Are there armadillos in Kansas?
Yes. The Kansas Mammal Atlas lists the Nine-banded Armadillo among Kansas mammals. Kansas Mammal Atlas, Sternberg Museum of Natural History, Fort Hays State University
About this list
The species list comes from Kansas Mammal Atlas species accounts, "KANSAS MAMMALS" tables by order (Sternberg Museum of Natural History, Fort Hays State University; USFWS/KDWPT State Wildlife Grant) (Kansas Mammal Atlas, Sternberg Museum of Natural History, Fort Hays State University, page (c) 2026; retrieved 2026-11-03). 87 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 Kansas.
Sources
- Threatened, Endangered & Species in Need of Conservation (KDWP). Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks. undated page; checked November 3, 2026.
- Kansas Mammal Atlas: home page. Kansas Mammal Atlas, Sternberg Museum of Natural History, Fort Hays State University. page footer 2026; checked November 3, 2026.
Quoted passages (1)
“There are 89 species (different kinds) of mammals in Kansas.”
- Kansas Mammal Atlas species list, order ARTIODACTYLA. Kansas Mammal Atlas, Sternberg Museum of Natural History, Fort Hays State University. page footer 2026; checked November 3, 2026.
- Kansas Mammal Atlas species list, order CARNIVORA. Kansas Mammal Atlas, Sternberg Museum of Natural History, Fort Hays State University. page footer 2026; checked November 3, 2026.
- Kansas Mammal Atlas species list, order CHIROPTERA. Kansas Mammal Atlas, Sternberg Museum of Natural History, Fort Hays State University. page footer 2026; checked November 3, 2026.
- Kansas Mammal Atlas species list, order CINGULATA. Kansas Mammal Atlas, Sternberg Museum of Natural History, Fort Hays State University. page footer 2026; checked November 3, 2026.
- Kansas Mammal Atlas species list, order EULIPOTYPHLA. Kansas Mammal Atlas, Sternberg Museum of Natural History, Fort Hays State University. page footer 2026; checked November 3, 2026.
- Kansas Mammal Atlas species list, order LAGOMORPHA. Kansas Mammal Atlas, Sternberg Museum of Natural History, Fort Hays State University. page footer 2026; checked November 3, 2026.
- Kansas Mammal Atlas species list, order DIDELPHIMORPHIA. Kansas Mammal Atlas, Sternberg Museum of Natural History, Fort Hays State University. page footer 2026; checked November 3, 2026.
- Kansas Mammal Atlas species list, order RODENTIA. Kansas Mammal Atlas, Sternberg Museum of Natural History, Fort Hays State University. page footer 2026; checked November 3, 2026.
- Outdoor Health and Safety (KDWP). Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks. undated page; checked November 3, 2026.
Quoted passages (2)
“Skunks and bats are the most common wildlife carriers in Kansas.”
“Rabies in humans is 100 percent preventable with prompt medical care, so it is important to seek medical attention after a possible exposure.”
- Wildlife Sightings (KDWP). Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks. undated page; checked November 3, 2026.
Quoted passages (2)
“Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks has confirmed mountain lion sightings in 49 of Kansas's 105 counties.”
“They have been documented only occasionally since the 1880s, but established populations of black bears within short distances of Kansas have led to increased sightings since 2000.”
- 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.