Mammalogy is the branch of zoology that deals with animals belonging to the class Mammalia. Two of the characteristics that distinguish mammals from the other vertebrates are the presence of hair on at least part of their bodies and the fact that females nourish their young with milk secreted by their mammary glands.
About 5,413 species of living mammals, divided into 30 orders and 149 families, are currently recognized. The larger mammals, such as carnivores and ungulates, are among the most familiar and charismatic of animals, although the majority of mammal species are small rodents or bats that go largely unnoticed by most people.
Mammals possess morphological, physiological, and behavioral adaptations for an amazing variety of habitats and lifestyles. Some mammals spend most of their time underground or in trees, some are completely aquatic, some live in extremely arid deserts, and some can even fly.
As of the 2020 listing, Illinois is home to 5 state endangered and 3 state threatened species. The INHS Mammal Collection contains specimens from each of these species. A full checklist of mammals found in Illinois is listed below.
FE = Federal Endangered
FT = Federal Threatened
X = Extirpated from Illinois
SE = Illinois State Endangered
ST = Illinois State Threatened
I = Introduced (non-native)
U = Status in Illinois Uncertain
Phylum Chordata
Class Mammalia
Order Didelphimorphia: Opossums
Family Didelphidae: Opossums
Didelphis virginiana Kerr, 1792 – Virginia opossum
Order Soricomorpha: Insectivores
Family Soricidae: Shrews
Sorex cinereus Kerr, 1792 – masked or cinereus shrew
Sorex longirostris Bachman, 1837 – southeastern shrew
Sorex hoyi Baird, 1857 – American pygmy shrew
Blarina brevicauda (Say, 1823) – northern short-tailed shrew
Blarina carolinensis (Bachman, 1837) – southern short-tailed shrew
Cryptotis parva (Say, 1823) – North American least shrew
Family Talpidae: Moles
Scalopus aquaticus (Linnaeus, 1758) – eastern mole
Order Chiroptera: Bats
Family Vespertilionidae: Vespertilionid bats
Myotis leibii – Eastern Small-footed BatST
Myotis lucifugus (Le Conte, 1831) – little brown bat
Myotis sodalis Miller & Allen, 1928 – Indiana bat FE / SE
Myotis austroriparius (Rhoads, 1897) – southeastern myotis SE
Myotis grisescens A.H. Howell, 1909 – gray bat FE / SE
Myotis septentrionalis (Trouessart, 1897) – northern long-eared bat or northern myotis FT / ST
Lasionycteris noctivagans (Le Conte, 1831) – silver-haired bat
Pipistrellus subflavus (F. Cuvier, 1832) – eastern pipistrelle
Eptesicus fuscus (Beauvois, 1796) – big brown bat
Lasiurus borealis (Mülller, 1776) – eastern red bat
Lasiurus cinereus (Palisot de Beauvois, 1796) – hoary bat
Nycticeius humeralis (Rafinesque, 1818) – evening bat
Corynorhinus rafinesquii (Lesson, 1827) – Rafinesque’s big-eared bat SE
Order Cinqulata: Armadillos
Family Dasypodidae: Armadillos
Dasypus novemcinctus (Linnaeus, 1758) – nine-banded armadillo U
Order Lagomorpha: Lagomorphs
Family Leporidae: Rabbits and hares
Sylvilagus floridanus (J.A. Allen, 1890) – eastern cottontail
Sylvilagus aquaticus (Bachman, 1837) – swamp rabbit
Lepus townsendii Bachman, 1839 – white-tailed jackrabbit X
Order Rodentia: Rodents
Family Sciuridae: Squirrels
Tamias striatus (Linnaeus, 1758) – eastern chipmunk
Marmota monax (Linnaeus, 1758) – woodchuck
Spermophilus tridecemlineatus (Mitchill, 1821) – thirteen-lined ground squirrel
Spermophilus franklinii (Sabine, 1822) – Franklin’s ground squirrel ST
Sciurus carolinensis Gmelin, 1788 – eastern gray squirrel
Sciurus niger Linnaeus, 1758 – eastern fox squirrel
Tamiasciurus hudsonicus (Erxleben, 1777) – red squirrel
Glaucomys volans (Linnaeus, 1758) – southern flying squirrel
Family Geomyidae: Pocket gophers
Geomys bursarius (Shaw, 1800) – plains pocket gopher
Family Castoridae: Beavers
Castor canadensis Kuhl, 1820 – American beaver
Family Cricetidae: Rats, mice and voles
Oryzomys palustris (Harlan, 1837) – marsh rice rat
Reithrodontomys megalotis (Baird, 1858) – western harvest mouse
Peromyscus maniculatus (Wagner, 1845) – deer mouse
Peromyscus leucopus (Rafinesque, 1818) – white-footed mouse
Peromyscus gossypinus (Le Conte, 1853) – cotton mouse
Ochrotomys nuttalli (Harlan, 1832) – golden mouse
Neotoma floridana (Ord, 1818) – eastern woodrat
Microtus pennsylvanicus (Ord, 1815) – meadow vole
Microtus ochrogaster (Wagner, 1842) – prairie vole
Microtus pinetorum (Le Conte, 1830) – woodland vole
Ondatra zibethicus (Linnaeus, 1766) – muskrat
Synaptomys cooperi Baird, 1858 – southern bog lemming
Family Murinae: Old World rats and mice
Rattus norvegicus (Berkenhout, 1769) – Norway rat I
Mus musculus Linnaeus, 1758 – house mouse I
Family Dipodidae: Jumping mice
Zapus hudsonius (Zimmermann, 1780) – meadow jumping mouse
Family Erethizontidae
Erethizon dorsata (Linnaeus, 1758) – North American porcupine X
Order Carnivora: Carnivores
Family Canidae: Coyotes, wolves
Canis latrans Say, 1823 – coyote
Canis lupus Linnaeus 1758 – wolf X, FE / SE
Vulpes vulpes (Linnaeus, 1758) – red fox
Urocyon cinereoargenteus (Schreber, 1775) – gray fox
Family Procyonidae: Raccoons, ringtails
Procyon lotor (Linnaeus, 1758) – raccoon
Family Mustelidae: Weasels, badgers, and allies
Mustela nivalis Linnaeus, 1766 – least weasel
Mustela frenata Lichtenstein, 1831 – long-tailed weasel
Neovison vison (Schreber, 1777) – American mink
Taxidea taxus (Schreber, 1777) – American badger
Martes pennanti (Erxleben, 1777) – fisher X
Martes americana (Turton, 1806) – American marten X
Lontra canadensis (Schreber, 1777) – North American river otter
Family Mephitidae: Skunks
Mephitis mephitis (Schreber, 1776) – striped skunk
Family Felidae: Cats
Lynx rufus (Schreber, 1777) – bobcat
Puma concolor (Linnaeus, 1771) – cougar X
Family Ursidae: Bears
Ursus americanus Pallas, 1780 – American black bear X
Order Artiodactyla: Even-toed Ungulates
Family Cervidae: Deer and allies
Odocoileus virginianus (Zimmermann, 1780) – white-tailed deer
Cervus elaphus Linnaeus, 1758 – elk (wapiti) X
Family Bovidae: Bovids
Bison bison (Linnaeus, 1758) – American bison X