Ohio Mammals: Species List With Pictures

Venom: “The salivary glands of the northern short-tailed shrew produce a venom which helps in subduing prey.” (Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Division of Wildlife)

Habitat: These shrews are not restricted to a particular habitat, but they are most likely found in forests, grasslands, marshes, and brushy areas. This may be the most common mammal in Ohio. (Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Division of Wildlife)

Habitat: Allegheny woodrats can be found in rocky outcrops, such as cliffs and caves, in forested areas. Builds a large, cup-shaped nest under rocks or ledges. (Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Division of Wildlife)

Habitat: Badgers prefer shortgrass habitats, such as fields and pastures, typically with dry sand or loamy soils. (Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Division of Wildlife)

Habitat: Beavers are found in forested ponds, lakes, and rivers. (Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Division of Wildlife)

Habitat: Heavily wooded habitats, ranging from swamps and wetlands to dry upland hardwood and coniferous forests; prefers wooded cover with a dense understory. (Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Division of Wildlife)

Habitat: Mink are found near running waters of streams and rivers and the standing waters of marshes and lakes, especially in wooded or brushy areas. (Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Division of Wildlife)

Habitat: Pygmy shrews can live in a variety of habitats, including wooded and open areas, swamps, grassy clearings, and floodplains. (Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Division of Wildlife)

Habitat: In the summer, big brown bats are found in a variety of habitats, including fields, forest openings, urban and/or suburban areas, and around water. In the winter, big brown bats hibernate in caves, mines, and even in attics. (Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Division of Wildlife)

Habitat: A variety of habitats, including forests, old fields, and brushland. They often sleep in hidden dens, hollow trees, or rocky crevices. (Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Division of Wildlife)

Habitat: Brown rats inhabit any place where food and shelter can be found, including woodlands, open fields, garbage dumps, sewers, and basements. (Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Division of Wildlife)

Habitat: Muskrats live in aquatic habitats, such as marshes, ponds, lakes, rivers, and canals. (Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Division of Wildlife)

Habitat: The coyote’s strength is that it can adapt and exploit most any habitat to its advantage, including forests, clearcuts, and woodlots in rural and urban areas. (Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Division of Wildlife)

Habitat: Chipmunks inhabit deciduous forests, brushy areas, and urban and suburban yards. (Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Division of Wildlife)

Habitat: Open areas bordered by thickets or brushy areas. Cottontails prefer old fields with bunch grasses and weeds but will also be found in suburban areas if brushy escape cover is near. (Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Division of Wildlife)

Habitat: Inhabits nearly every dry-land habitat within its range. They can be found in forests, grasslands, brushlands, agricultural fields, and deserts. They are semi-arboreal. (Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Division of Wildlife)

Habitat: Fox squirrels inhabit deciduous and mixed forests. Preferring more open habitats than gray squirrels. (Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Division of Wildlife)

Habitat: Gray squirrels are found in large expanses of hardwood trees, and wooded urban and suburban sites. (Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Division of Wildlife)

Habitat: The eastern harvest mouse inhabits old fields, marshes, and wet meadows. (Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Division of Wildlife)

Habitat: Eastern moles burrow underground in areas with moist, sandy loam soil such as lawns, golf courses, gardens, and fields. (Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Division of Wildlife)

Habitat: Red bats roost among the foliage in forests, forest edges, hedgerows, or in tree bark. Often the species roosts near the ground and move its location every couple of days. In the winter, the species migrates in large groups south. Hibernation sites are not well documented for this species. (Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Division of Wildlife)

Habitat: In the summer, this species is thought to favor rocky, hilly, or even mountainous areas. In the winter, they hibernate in mines and caves, generally near the entrance where the temperatures are colder. (Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Division of Wildlife)

Habitat: Ermines have a wide range that includes open woodlands, brushy areas, grasslands, wetlands, and farmlands. (Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Division of Wildlife)

Habitat: Evening bats prefer forest roosting in large colonies to raise pups and forage in open habitats in the summer. In the winter, this species migrates to southern U.S. or even further south to hibernate. (Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Division of Wildlife)

Habitat: Fishers are found in expansive mature forests, both coniferous and deciduous. (Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Division of Wildlife)

Habitat: Gray foxes live in mostly wooded areas and partially open brushland with little human presence. (Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Division of Wildlife)

Habitat: Groundhogs prefer open grasslands, pastures, and woodlands. Their large burrow entrances are conspicuous. (Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Division of Wildlife)

Habitat: Hairy-tailed moles are found in sandy loam soils with good vegetative cover; they avoid heavy, wet soils. (Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Division of Wildlife)

Habitat: In the summer, hoary bats roost in the foliage of deciduous and coniferous forests. It is thought that in the winter the species migrates large distances south to hibernate. (Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Division of Wildlife)

Habitat: Generally found in close association with humans. While house mice are occasionally found in fields, they usually live in buildings. (Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Division of Wildlife)

Habitat: As a colonial species, they form large summer maternity colonies roosting in larger trees in forests. In the winter, the species migrates relatively short distances to hibernaculum (e.g., caves or mines) that provide stable temperatures just above freezing. (Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Division of Wildlife)

Habitat: Least weasels inhabit open areas such as meadows, marshes, brushy areas, and agricultural fields. Avoids wetlands. (Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Division of Wildlife)

Habitat: As a colonial species, they form large, summer maternity colonies roosting in trees, bat boxes, barns, and buildings. In the winter, the species migrates relatively short distances to hibernaculum (e.g., caves or mines) that provide stable temperatures just above freezing. (Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Division of Wildlife)

Habitat: Long-tailed weasels are found in most land habitats near water, but they avoid dense forests. (Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Division of Wildlife)

Habitat: Masked shrews can be found in a variety of habitats, including forests, open country, and brushland. (Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Division of Wildlife)

Habitat: Meadow jumping mice are found in a variety of habitats with herbaceous cover, but most often found in low, moist grasslands. (Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Division of Wildlife)

Habitat: The most widely distributed of the voles; can be found in meadows, fields, grassy marshes, and other places near streams, lakes, and swamps. (Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Division of Wildlife)

Habitat: Least shrews prefer open, grass-covered or brushy areas. It can also be found in marshes. (Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Division of Wildlife)

Habitat: Otters live in aquatic habitats, including rivers, lakes, and marshes. (Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Division of Wildlife)

Habitat: In the summer, northern long-eared bats inhabit forests and woodlands with smaller maternity roosts. Females will often move flightless pups every two to three days during the summer. In the winter, the species migrates relatively short distances to hibernaculum (e.g., caves or mines), which provide stable cool temperatures just above freezing. (Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Division of Wildlife)

Habitat: Prairie voles occur in prairies, fencerows, old cemeteries, and other fairly dry grassy places. (Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Division of Wildlife)

Habitat: Raccoons live in urban and suburban wooded areas with big trees and water close by. (Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Division of Wildlife)

Habitat: Red foxes are found in a variety of habitats, including mixed, cultivated, and wooded areas, as well as brushlands. (Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Division of Wildlife)

Habitat: Red squirrels are found in coniferous and mixed forests, but are most frequent around mature conifers. (Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Division of Wildlife)

Habitat: In the summer, silver-haired bats are found in mature forests with a water source nearby. In the winter, the species migrates and is found to generally hibernate in trees and rock crevices. (Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Division of Wildlife)

Habitat: Smoky shrews generally live in the leaf litter of birch and hemlock forests. (Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Division of Wildlife)

Habitat: Southern bog lemmings live in low, damp bogs and meadows with heavy vegetative growth. (Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Division of Wildlife)

Habitat: Southern flying squirrels inhabit woodlands or forests of deciduous or mixed deciduous-coniferous trees. (Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Division of Wildlife)

Habitat: Star-nosed moles inhabit low, wet soil near lakes or streams. (Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Division of Wildlife)

Habitat: Skunks are found in somewhat open areas with a mixture of habitats such as woods, grasslands, and agricultural clearings. (Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Division of Wildlife)

Habitat: These ground squirrels inhabit open short to mid-grass prairies, golf courses, cemeteries, airports, and other sites with expanses of mowed grass. (Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Division of Wildlife)

Habitat: Tri-colored bats prefer open forests near water in the summer. This species hibernates in mines, caves, and rock crevices. (Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Division of Wildlife)

Habitat: Quite adaptable and can be found in suburbia and the city. Ideal habitat, however, is an area with woods, wetlands, and farmland interspersed. (Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Division of Wildlife)

Habitat: Inhabits a variety of areas, but most often found in woody or brushy areas. They are also good swimmers. Often enters buildings. (Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Division of Wildlife)

Habitat: A variety of habitats, including woods, farmlands, brushy areas, dense thickets, and edges. (Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Division of Wildlife)

Habitat: Woodland jumping mice live in brushy areas near water, including wet bogs and stream borders. (Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Division of Wildlife)

Habitat: Eastern deciduous forests. They live on the forest floor in the thick layers of leaves and loose soil. (Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Division of Wildlife)