Massachusetts Mammals: Species List With Pictures
Last checked November 3, 2026 against official sources.
On this page
This page lists 105 mammals: all from MassWildlife's Mammals in Massachusetts. 7 are nonnative.
Which mammals can hurt you
Official sources single out these mammals in Massachusetts, in their own words:
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Photo: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service - Midwest Region · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons American Black Bear
MassWildlife. “Do not approach bears or intrude between a female bear and her cubs. Do not run. Fight back if a black bear makes contact with you.” MassWildlife
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Photo: Gaurav Vaidya from Chapel Hill, USA · CC BY 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons Coyote
MassWildlife. “While unfortunate, it’s normal behavior for coyotes to attack pets like outdoor cats and unsupervised dogs.” MassWildlife
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All 105 mammals on the list
- Allegheny Woodrat Neotoma magister
- American Beaver Castor canadensis
- American Black Bear Ursus americanus
- American Marten Martes americana
- American Mink Neovison vison
- American Pygmy Shrew Sorex hoyi
- American Water Shrew Sorex palustris
- Atlantic Spotted Dolphin Stenella frontalis
- Atlantic White-sided Dolphin Lagenorhynchus acutus
- Bearded Seal Erignathus barbatus
- Beluga Delphinapterus leucas
- Big Brown Bat Eptesicus fuscus
- Black Rat Rattus rattusNonnative
- Black-tailed Jackrabbit Lepus californicusNonnative
- Blainville's Beaked Whale Mesoplodon densirostris
- Blue Whale Balaenoptera musculus
- Bobcat Lynx rufus
- Bottlenose Dolphin Tursiops truncatus
- Bowhead Whale Balaena mysticetus
- Brown Rat Rattus norvegicusNonnative
- Canadian Lynx Lynx canadensis
- Cinereus (Masked) Shrew Sorex cinereus
- Common Muskrat Ondatra zibethicus
- Cougar (Mountain Lion) Puma concolor
- Coyote Canis latrans
- Cuvier's Beaked Whale Ziphius cavirostris
- Domestic Cat Felis catus
- Domestic Dog Canis lupus familiaris
- Dwarf Sperm Whale Kogia sima
- Eastern Chipmunk Tamias striatus
- Eastern Cottontail Sylvilagus floridanus
- Eastern Gray Squirrel Sciurus carolinensis
- Eastern Mole Scalopus aquaticus
- Eastern Red Bat Lasiurus borealis
- Eastern Small-footed Bat Myotis leibii
- Elk Cervus elaphus
- Ermine Mustela erminea
- European Hare Lepus europaeusNonnative
- European Rabbit Oryctolagus cuniculusNonnative
- Fallow Deer Dama damaNonnative
- False Killer Whale Pseudorca crassidens
- Fin Whale Balaenoptera physalus
- Fisher Martes pennanti
- Gervais' Beaked Whale Mesoplodon europaeus
- Gray Fox Urocyon cinereoargenteus
- Gray Wolf Canis lupus
- Grey Seal Halichoerus grypus
- Hairy-tailed Mole Parascalops breweri
- Harbor Porpoise Phocoena phocoena
- Harbor Seal Phoca vitulina
- Harp Seal Pagophilus groenlandicus
- Hoary Bat Lasiurus cinereus
- Hooded Seal Cystophora cristata
- House Mouse Mus musculusNonnative
- Humpback Whale Megaptera novaeangliae
- Indiana Bat Myotis sodalis
- Killer Whale Orcinus orca
- Little Brown Bat Myotis lucifugus
- Long-finned Pilot Whale Globicephala melas
- Long-tailed Shrew Sorex dispar
- Long-tailed Weasel Mustela frenata
- Meadow Jumping Mouse Zapus hudsonius
- Meadow Vole Microtus pennsylvanicus
- Minke Whale Balaenoptera acutorostrata
- Moose Alces americanus
- New England Cottontail Sylvilagus transitionalis
- North American Deermouse Peromyscus maniculatus
- North American Porcupine Erethizon dorsatum
- North American River Otter Lontra canadensis
- North Atlantic Right Whale Eubalaena glacialis
- Northern Bottlenose Whale Hyperoodon ampullatus
- Northern Flying Squirrel Glaucomys sabrinus
- Northern Long-eared Bat Myotis septentrionalis
- Northern Short-tailed Shrew Blarina brevicauda
- Pantropical Spotted Dolphin Stenella attenuata
- Pygmy Sperm Whale Kogia breviceps
- Raccoon Procyon lotor
- Red Fox Vulpes vulpes
- Red Squirrel Tamiasciurus hudsonicus
- Ringed Seal Pusa hispida
- Risso's Dolphin Grampus griseus
- Sei Whale Balaenoptera borealis
- Short-beaked Common Dolphin Delphinus delphis
- Short-finned Pilot Whale Globicephala macrorhynchus
- Silver-haired Bat Lasionycteris noctivagans
- Smoky Shrew Sorex fumeus
- Snowshoe Hare Lepus americanus
- Southern Bog Lemming Synaptomys cooperi
- Southern Flying Squirrel Glaucomys volans
- Southern Red-backed Vole Myodes gapperi
- Sowerby's Beaked Whale Mesoplodon bidens
- Sperm Whale Physeter catodon
- Star-nosed Mole Condylura cristata
- Striped Dolphin Stenella coeruleoalba
- Striped Skunk Mephitis mephitis
- Tricolored Bat Pipistrellus subflavus
- Virginia Opossum Didelphis virginiana
- West Indian Manatee Trichechus manatus
- White-beaked Dolphin Lagenorhynchus albirostris
- White-footed Deermouse Peromyscus leucopus
- White-tailed Deer Odocoileus virginianus
- Wolverine Gulo gulo
- Woodchuck Marmota monax
- Woodland Jumping Mouse Napaeozapus insignis
- Woodland Vole Microtus pinetorum
Mammals people confuse
Bobcat or Mountain lion (cougar)?
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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.
Bobcat or Canada lynx?
Bobcat Not stated
Canada lynx Not stated
A lynx has longer ear tufts and large, fur-covered feet (3.5 to 4.5 inches wide). A bobcat's feet are small and hairless (up to 2.5 inches). A lynx's tail has a black tip and no white underneath; a bobcat's tail is white underneath. Do not use the tail tip alone, because agencies describe the bobcat's tip differently (New Mexico white, Arizona black).
Bobcat or Domestic cat?
Bobcat Not stated
Domestic cat Not stated
TWRA says the domestic cat is smaller, usually has a longer tail and is not spotted with black. NCWRC says a bobcat is about twice as large, and South Carolina DNR says its legs are longer. Tracks of young bobcats are easily confused with house cat tracks (Missouri).
Coyote or Gray wolf?
Coyote Not stated
Gray wolf Not stated
NY DEC: gray wolves are much larger (females typically 50-100 lb, males 70-145 lb, 5-6 ft nose to tail, 27-33 in at the shoulder); eastern coyotes rarely exceed 50 lb and generally stand under 2 ft at the shoulder. Wolves have small rounded ears and a short blocky snout; coyotes have larger, more pointed ears (can look rounded in winter coat) and a long, narrow, pointed snout. Coyote tracks are typically 3 x 2 in, wolf tracks about 5 x 4 in. NY DEC says most wolf reports in New York were coyotes, dogs or wolf-dog hybrids.
Photos show typical adults; individuals vary. Never get close to compare.
When mammals are active in Massachusetts
Records of mammals in Massachusetts peak in March to July. They show when people record mammals, not how many there are (about month bars).
- Black bears den mid-November to early December and come out early March to mid-April. MassWildlife
- Coyotes are active year-round; breeding peaks mid-February and pups are born April or May. MassWildlife
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 MassWildlife:
- Bears: talk calmly and back away slowly, do not run, never come between a female and cubs; fight back if a black bear makes contact. MassWildlife
- Coyotes: never feed them; keep pets leashed and supervised; haze bold coyotes. MassWildlife
What official sources say
Are there bears in Massachusetts?
Yes. MassWildlife estimates over 4,500 black bears, growing and expanding eastward; they live and breed in Worcester County, northern Middlesex County and west to the Berkshires. MassWildlife
“The statewide population of bears is estimated to be over 4,500 animals and is growing and expanding eastward.”
Are there coyotes in Massachusetts?
Yes. The eastern coyote is well established throughout Massachusetts except Nantucket and Martha's Vineyard. MassWildlife
“The eastern coyote is well established throughout Massachusetts except on Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard.”
Are there mountain lions in Massachusetts?
No. MassWildlife lists the cougar as extirpated (last record 1858); almost all recent reports are misidentifications, with one confirmed scat (1997) and a trail of tracks (2011) in Franklin County. MassWildlife
“Extirpated; six records from 1680 to 1858; last record 1858 from Hampshire County. Almost all recent records are misidentifications or spurious.”
Are there moose in Massachusetts?
Yes. Resident in northeastern, central and western Massachusetts; vagrants may occur in the southeast. MassWildlife
“Resident in northeastern, central, and western Massachusetts. Vagrants may occur in southeastern Massachusetts.”
About this list
The species list comes from Mammals in Massachusetts (Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife (MassWildlife), printable list Updated October 2020; web page Internet Archive capture 2026-04-11).
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 Massachusetts.
Sources
- Frequently asked questions about rattlesnakes in MA. Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife (MassWildlife). archived copy, captured June 18, 2026; checked November 3, 2026.
- Mammals in Massachusetts. Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife (MassWildlife). archived copy, captured April 11, 2026; checked November 3, 2026.
Quoted passages (2)
“Extirpated; six records from 1680 to 1858; last record 1858 from Hampshire County. Almost all recent records are misidentifications or spurious.”
“Resident in northeastern, central, and western Massachusetts. Vagrants may occur in southeastern Massachusetts.”
- Prevent conflicts with coyotes. Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife (MassWildlife). archived copy, captured April 22, 2026; checked November 3, 2026.
Quoted passages (2)
“While unfortunate, it’s normal behavior for coyotes to attack pets like outdoor cats and unsupervised dogs.”
“Never intentionally provide food for coyotes to attract them to your property.”
- Learn about black bears. Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife (MassWildlife). archived copy, captured May 28, 2026; checked November 3, 2026.
Quoted passages (4)
“Do not approach bears or intrude between a female bear and her cubs. Do not run. Fight back if a black bear makes contact with you.”
“If you encounter a bear while hiking or camping, talk in a calm voice and slowly back away. Do not approach bears or intrude between a female bear and her cubs. Do not run. Fight back if a black bear makes contact with you.”
“Depending on food availability and snow cover, bears will den between mid-November and early December and exit between early March and mid-April.”
“The statewide population of bears is estimated to be over 4,500 animals and is growing and expanding eastward.”
- Learn about coyotes. Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife (MassWildlife). archived copy, captured October 24, 2026; checked November 3, 2026.
Quoted passages (2)
“They remain active year-round and do not hibernate.”
“The eastern coyote is well established throughout Massachusetts except on Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard.”
- 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.