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Michigan 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. Common questions
  6. About this list
  7. Sources

Michigan DNR and MSU Extension: MAMMALS – 54 SPECIES

This page lists 60 mammals: 54 from Michigan DNR and MSU Extension's Vertebrate Wildlife Species of the Upper Peninsula: A Tentative List Compiled by the Michigan DNR and MSU Extension, plus mammals on the state endangered/threatened rule R 299.1027 and named in DNR bulletins and 6 named in other official sources. Michigan DNR and MSU Extension gives a total of 54; the 60 here are the mammals official sources name one by one.

Which mammals can hurt you

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

All 60 mammals

From A to Z. Do not handle them.

No confirmed photo of Big Brown Bat

Big Brown Bat

Where in Michigan
Upper Peninsula (on the DNR/MSU Extension UP list) Michigan DNR and MSU Extension
No confirmed photo of Black Bear

Black Bear

Danger to people
“Black bears are wild, powerful animals that should be appreciated from a distance. They may defend themselves when surprised, threatened or protecting their cubs.” Michigan Department of Natural Resources
Where in Michigan
More than 85% of the population in the Upper Peninsula; also the northern Lower Peninsula; complaints get rarer farther south Michigan Department of Natural Resources
Cougar
Photo: ArgentinaTurismo · CC BY 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Cougar

Felis concolor

Danger to people
“We understand that the prospect of cougars in Michigan can be alarming because cougars are potentially dangerous wild animals.” Michigan Department of Natural Resources
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.
Where in Michigan
Upper Peninsula: DNR has confirmed about 168 cougar sightings since 2008, all in the U.P.; cubs verified in Ontonagon County in 2025 Michigan Department of Natural Resources
Conservation
state endangered

Full Cougar guide

No confirmed photo of Evening bat

Evening bat

Nycticeius humeralis

Conservation
state threatened
No confirmed photo of Gray Squirrel

Gray Squirrel

Where in Michigan
Upper Peninsula (on the DNR/MSU Extension UP list) Michigan DNR and MSU Extension
No confirmed photo of Indiana bat

Indiana bat

Myotis sodalis

Conservation
state endangered
No confirmed photo of Least Chipmunk

Least Chipmunk

Where in Michigan
Upper Peninsula (on the DNR/MSU Extension UP list) Michigan DNR and MSU Extension
No confirmed photo of Least shrew

Least shrew

Cryptotis parva

Conservation
state threatened
No confirmed photo of Little Brown Bat

Little Brown Bat

Myotis lucifugus

Where in Michigan
Upper Peninsula (on the DNR/MSU Extension UP list) Michigan DNR and MSU Extension
Conservation
state threatened
Lynx
Photo: Norma Malinowski · CC BY 4.0 · iNaturalist

Lynx

Lynx canadensis

Conservation
state endangered
No confirmed photo of Meadow Jumping Mouse

Meadow Jumping Mouse

Where in Michigan
Upper Peninsula (on the DNR/MSU Extension UP list) Michigan DNR and MSU Extension
No confirmed photo of Northern Flying Squirrel

Northern Flying Squirrel

Where in Michigan
Upper Peninsula (on the DNR/MSU Extension UP list) Michigan DNR and MSU Extension
No confirmed photo of Northern Long-Eared Bat

Northern Long-Eared Bat

Myotis septentrionalis

Where in Michigan
Upper Peninsula (on the DNR/MSU Extension UP list) Michigan DNR and MSU Extension
Conservation
state threatened
No confirmed photo of Northern River Otter

Northern River Otter

Where in Michigan
Upper Peninsula (on the DNR/MSU Extension UP list) Michigan DNR and MSU Extension
No confirmed photo of Northern Short-Tailed Shrew

Northern Short-Tailed Shrew

Where in Michigan
Upper Peninsula (on the DNR/MSU Extension UP list) Michigan DNR and MSU Extension
No confirmed photo of Prairie vole

Prairie vole

Microtus ochrogaster

Conservation
state endangered
No confirmed photo of Southern Bog Lemming

Southern Bog Lemming

Where in Michigan
Upper Peninsula (on the DNR/MSU Extension UP list) Michigan DNR and MSU Extension
No confirmed photo of Southern Red-backed Vole

Southern Red-backed Vole

Where in Michigan
Upper Peninsula (on the DNR/MSU Extension UP list) Michigan DNR and MSU Extension
No confirmed photo of Star-Nosed Mole

Star-Nosed Mole

Where in Michigan
Upper Peninsula (on the DNR/MSU Extension UP list) Michigan DNR and MSU Extension
No confirmed photo of Virginia Opossum

Virginia Opossum

Where in Michigan
Upper Peninsula (on the DNR/MSU Extension UP list) Michigan DNR and MSU Extension
No confirmed photo of White-Footed Mouse

White-Footed Mouse

Where in Michigan
Upper Peninsula (on the DNR/MSU Extension UP list) Michigan DNR and MSU Extension
No confirmed photo of White-Tailed Deer

White-Tailed Deer

Where in Michigan
Upper Peninsula (on the DNR/MSU Extension UP list) Michigan DNR and MSU Extension
No confirmed photo of Woodland Jumping Mouse

Woodland Jumping Mouse

Where in Michigan
Upper Peninsula (on the DNR/MSU Extension UP list) Michigan DNR and MSU Extension

When mammals are active in Michigan

Records of mammals in Michigan peak in April to August. They show when people record mammals, not how many there are (about month bars).

5,339 records of mammals in Michigan 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 Michigan Department of Natural Resources:

  • Black bears: appreciate from a distance; remove birdfeeders, grease-splattered grills and outdoor pet food, and put garbage out on the day of pickup. A bear in the yard is no reason to panic; scare it off with noise. Michigan Department of Natural Resources
  • If you meet a cougar: face it, stand tall, wave your arms and talk loudly; never run; pick up children; if attacked, fight back and do not play dead; report the encounter to local authorities and the DNR. Michigan Department of Natural Resources

Common questions

About this list

The species list comes from Vertebrate Wildlife Species of the Upper Peninsula: A Tentative List Compiled by the Michigan DNR and MSU Extension (4/2000), plus mammals on the state endangered/threatened rule R 299.1027 and named in DNR bulletins (Michigan DNR and MSU Extension (MSU Upper Peninsula Forestry Extension Office), UP list 4/2000; rule eff. 2023-03-20; bulletins 2013-2026). 6 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.

Sources

  1. When encountering Michigan's snakes, best to leave them be. Michigan Department of Natural Resources. May 31, 2016; checked November 3, 2026.
  2. Vertebrate Wildlife Species of the Upper Peninsula: A Tentative List Compiled by the Michigan DNR and MSU Extension. Michigan DNR and MSU Extension (MSU Upper Peninsula Forestry Extension Office). MSU Upper Peninsula Forestry Extension Office 4/2000; checked November 3, 2026.
    Quoted passages (1)
    “MAMMALS – 54 SPECIES”
  3. Wolves in Michigan (Michigan DNR). Michigan Department of Natural Resources. archived copy, captured June 19, 2026; checked November 3, 2026. Archived copy.
  4. Michigan has two fox species. Have you seen the gray one? Michigan Department of Natural Resources. July 8, 2026; checked November 3, 2026.
  5. Showcasing the DNR: How Michigan can live with black bears. Michigan Department of Natural Resources. August 27, 2026; checked November 3, 2026.
    Quoted passages (2)
    “Black bears are wild, powerful animals that should be appreciated from a distance. They may defend themselves when surprised, threatened or protecting their cubs.”
    “Spotting a bear on your trail camera or wandering through your backyard is no reason to panic. You do not need to call local authorities or the DNR. This is natural bear behavior. You can scare the bear off by yelling, blowing an air horn or banging pots and pans.”
  6. Living with cougars (Michigan DNR). Michigan Department of Natural Resources. archived copy, captured June 16, 2026; checked November 3, 2026. Archived copy.
    Quoted passages (2)
    “We understand that the prospect of cougars in Michigan can be alarming because cougars are potentially dangerous wild animals.”
    “Face the animal and do not act submissive. Stand tall, wave your arms, and talk in a loud voice.”
  7. Mystery solved: Elusive cougar cubs documented again in Michigan. Michigan Department of Natural Resources. December 18, 2025; checked November 3, 2026.
  8. Michigan Administrative Code R 299.1021-299.1028: Endangered and Threatened Species. Michigan Department of Natural Resources (via Michigan Office of Administrative Hearings and Rules). 2023 MR 6, Eff. March 20, 2023; checked November 3, 2026.
  9. Squirrels that can fly? Michigan Department of Natural Resources. June 6, 2013; checked November 3, 2026.
  10. Showcasing the DNR: The fight to save Michigan's bats. Michigan Department of Natural Resources. October 22, 2026; checked November 3, 2026.
    Quoted passages (2)
    “Less than 1% of bats carry rabies.”
    “In October, swarms of bats descend into abandoned mines in the Upper Peninsula to hibernate for the winter.”
  11. 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.