List of mammals of Alabama

The U.S. state of Alabama is home to these known indigenous mammal species.[1] Historically, the state's indigenous species included one armadillo species, sixteen bat species, thirteen carnivore species, six insectivore species, one opossum species, four rabbit species, twenty-two rodent species, and three ungulate species.[2][3][4][5][6][7] Four of these native species have become extirpated within the state, including the American bison (Bos bison), cougar (Puma concolor), red wolf (Canis rufus), and the elk (Cervus canadensis).[1][8]

There are six known introduced mammal species in the state. These include the black rat, brown rat, fallow deer, wild boar, house mouse, and nutria.[8]

Human predation and habitat destruction has placed several mammal species at risk of extirpation or extinction. The Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources lists the conservation status of each species within the state with a rank of lowest, low, moderate, high, and highest concern.[3][5][6][7][8]

Armadillo

Image Scientific name Common name Family Conservation
concern
Dasypus novemcinctus nine-banded armadillo
common long-nosed armadillo		 Dasypodidae Low

Bats

Image Scientific name Common name Family Conservation
concern
Corynorhinus rafinesquii Rafinesque's big-eared bat Vespertilionidae Highest
Eptesicus fuscus big brown bat Vespertilionidae Lowest
Lasionycteris noctivagans silver-haired bat Vespertilionidae Moderate
Lasiurus borealis eastern red bat Vespertilionidae Lowest
Lasiurus cinereus hoary bat Vespertilionidae Moderate
Lasiurus intermedius northern yellow bat Vespertilionidae High
Lasiurus seminolus Seminole bat Vespertilionidae Lowest
Myotis austroriparius southeastern myotis Vespertilionidae High
Myotis grisescens gray bat Vespertilionidae Highest
Myotis leibii eastern small-footed myotis Vespertilionidae Moderate
Myotis lucifugus little brown bat Vespertilionidae High
Myotis septentrionalis northern long-eared myotis Vespertilionidae High
Myotis sodalis Indiana myotis Vespertilionidae Highest
Nycticeius humeralis evening bat Vespertilionidae Lowest
Perimyotis subflavus eastern pipistrelle
tricolored bat		 Vespertilionidae Lowest
Tadarida brasiliensis Mexican free-tailed bat
Brazilian free-tailed bat		 Molossidae High

Carnivores

Image Scientific name Common name Family Conservation
concern
Canis latrans coyote Canidae Lowest
Canis rufus red wolf Canidae Extirpated
Urocyon cinereoargenteus gray fox Canidae Lowest
Vulpes vulpes red fox Canidae Lowest
Ursus americanus American black bear Ursidae Highest


Range limited to northeast Alabama and Mobile-Tensaw River Delta.
Designated as state land mammal.

Procyon lotor raccoon Procyonidae Lowest
Lontra canadensis North American river otter Mustelidae Low
Neogale frenata long-tailed weasel Mustelidae High
Neogale vison American mink Mustelidae Low
Mephitis mephitis striped skunk Mephitidae Low
Spilogale putorius eastern spotted skunk Mephitidae High
Lynx rufus bobcat Felidae Lowest
Puma concolor cougar
mountain lion
panther
puma
 Felidae Extirpated

Eulipotyphlans

Image Scientific name Common name Family Conservation
concern
Blarina brevicauda northern short-tailed shrew Soricidae Moderate
Blarina carolinensis southern short-tailed shrew Soricidae Moderate
Cryptotis parva North American least shrew Soricidae Moderate
Sorex hoyi American pygmy shrew Soricidae High
Sorex longirostris southeastern shrew Soricidae Moderate
Scalopus aquaticus eastern mole Talpidae Low

Opossums

Image Scientific name Common name Family Conservation
concern
Didelphis virginiana Virginia opossum
North American opossum		 Didelphidae Low

Rabbits

Image Scientific name Common name Family Conservation
concern
Sylvilagus aquaticus swamp rabbit Leporidae Low
Sylvilagus floridanus eastern cottontail Leporidae Lowest
Sylvilagus obscurus Appalachian cottontail Leporidae High
Sylvilagus palustris marsh rabbit Leporidae High

Rodents

Image Scientific name Common name Family Conservation
concern
Castor canadensis North American beaver Castoridae Lowest
Glaucomys volans southern flying squirrel Sciuridae Lowest
Marmota monax woodchuck
groundhog		 Sciuridae Lowest
Sciurus carolinensis eastern gray squirrel Sciuridae Lowest
Sciurus niger fox squirrel
eastern fox squirrel
Bryant's fox squirrel		 Sciuridae Low
Tamias striatus eastern chipmunk Sciuridae Lowest
Geomys pinetis southeastern pocket gopher Geomyidae High
Microtus ochrogaster prairie vole Cricetidae Moderate
Microtus pinetorum pine vole
woodland vole		 Cricetidae Low
Neotoma cinerea eastern woodrat
Florida woodrat		 Cricetidae Moderate
Neotoma magister Allegheny woodrat Cricetidae High
Ochrotomys nuttalli golden mouse Cricetidae Lowest
Ondatra zibethicus muskrat Cricetidae Lowest
Oryzomys palustris marsh rice rat Cricetidae Lowest
Peromyscus gossypinus cotton mouse Cricetidae Lowest
Peromyscus leucopus white-footed mouse Cricetidae Lowest
Peromyscus polionotus oldfield mouse
beach mouse		 Cricetidae Moderate
Peromyscus polionotus ammobates Alabama beach mouse Cricetidae Highest


Range limited to Fort Morgan Peninsula and Ono Island in Baldwin County.

Peromyscus polionotus trissyllepsis Perdido Key beach mouse Cricetidae Highest

Range limited to the barrier island of Perdido Key in Baldwin County, Alabama and Escambia County, Florida.
Reithrodontomys humulis eastern harvest mouse Cricetidae Moderate
Sigmodon hispidus hispid cotton rat Cricetidae Lowest
Mus musculus house mouse Muridae Introduced
Rattus rattus black rat Muridae Introduced
Rattus norvegicus Norway rat
brown rat		 Muridae Introduced
Zapus hudsonius meadow jumping mouse Dipodidae High
Myocastor coypus nutria
coypu
river rat		 Myocastoridae Introduced

Cetaceans

Image Scientific name Common name Family Conservation
concern
Eubalaena glacialis North Atlantic right whale Balaenidae Critically endangered
Balaenoptera ricei Rice's whale Balaenopteridae Critically endangered
Balaenoptera acutorostrata common minke whale Balaenopteridae Least concern
Balaenoptera borealis sei whale Balaenopteridae Endangered
Balaenoptera brydei Bryde's whale Balaenopteridae Least concern
Balaenoptera musculus blue whale Balaenopteridae Endangered
Balaenoptera physalus fin whale Balaenopteridae Vulnerable
Megaptera novaeangliae humpback whale Balaenopteridae Least concern
Physeter macrocephalus sperm whale Physeteridae Vulnerable
Kogia breviceps pygmy sperm whale Kogiidae Least concern
Kogia sima dwarf sperm whale Kogiidae Least concern
Mesoplodon bidens Sowerby's beaked whale Ziphiidae Least concern
Mesoplodon densirostris Blainville's beaked whale Ziphiidae Least concern
Mesoplodon europaeus Gervais' beaked whale Ziphiidae Least concern
Peponocephala electra melon-headed whale Ziphiidae Least concern
Ziphius cavirostris Cuvier's beaked whale Ziphiidae Least concern
Feresa attenuata pygmy killer Whale Delphinidae Least concern
Globicephala macrorhynchus short-finned pilot whale Delphinidae Least concern
Grampus griseus Risso's dolphin Delphinidae Least concern
Lagenodelphis hosei Fraser's dolphin Delphinidae Least concern
Orcinus orca killer whale Delphinidae Data deficient
Pseudorca crassidens false killer Whale Delphinidae Near threatened
Stenella frontalis Atlantic spotted dolphin Delphinidae Least concern
Stenella coeruleoalba striped dolphin Delphinidae Least concern
Stenella attenuata pantropical spotted dolphin Delphinidae Least concern
Stenella longirostris spinner dolphin Delphinidae Least concern
Stenella clymene Clymene dolphin Delphinidae Least concern
Steno bredanensis rough-toothed dolphin Delphinidae Least concern
Tursiops truncatus common bottlenose dolphin Delphinidae Least concern

Ungulates

Image Scientific name Common name Family Conservation
concern
Bison bison American bison
American buffalo		 Bovidae Extirpated
Cervus canadensis elk Cervidae Extirpated; reintroduction in 1920s failed[9]
Dama dama fallow deer Cervidae Introduced
Odocoileus virginianus white-tailed deer
Virginia deer		 Cervidae Lowest
Sus scrofa wild boar Suidae Introduced

References

  1. ^ a b Mirarchi, Ralph E. (2004). Alabama Wildlife: Volume One. Tuscaloosa, Alabama: University of Alabama Press. pp. 185–202. ISBN 978-0-81735-1304.
  2. ^ Alden, Peter (1999). National Audubon Society Field Guide to the Southeastern States. New York, New York: Alfred A. Knopf. pp. 350–375. ISBN -0-679-44683-4.
  3. ^ a b "Bats". Outdoor Alabama. Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. Retrieved October 14, 2012.
  4. ^ "Carnivores". Outdoor Alabama. Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. Archived from the original on October 22, 2012. Retrieved October 14, 2012.
  5. ^ a b "Insectivores". Outdoor Alabama. Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. Retrieved October 14, 2012.
  6. ^ a b "Rabbits". Outdoor Alabama. Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. Archived from the original on September 14, 2012. Retrieved October 14, 2012.
  7. ^ a b "Rodents". Outdoor Alabama. Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. Archived from the original on October 22, 2012. Retrieved October 14, 2012.
  8. ^ a b c "Mammals". Outdoor Alabama. Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. Archived from the original on September 27, 2012. Retrieved October 14, 2012.
  9. ^ "The Alabama Elk Experiment".