This is a list of mammal species found in the wild in the American state of Florida . One hundred sixteen species of mammals are known to inhabit, or have recently inhabited, the state and its surrounding waters. This includes a few species, such as the black-tailed jackrabbit and red deer, that were introduced after the arrival of Europeans. It also includes the extinct Caribbean monk seal and Florida black wolf. Rodents account for roughly one quarter of all species, followed closely by mammals from the families Cetacea and Carnivora.
The species included in this list are drawn from the work of the American Society of Mammalogists (ASM), which compiled information from five different publications. [3] Information on the international conservation status of species has been drawn from the IUCN Red List.
Of the bats listed below, thirteen are confirmed to be resident species - all of them are insectivorous. Eight species had very low numbers reported, and can be classified as accidental species: the Indiana bat, Jamaican fruit bat, buffy flower bat, Cuban flower bat, Cuban fig-eating bat, little brown bat, northern long-eared myotis, and the silver-haired bat. [4]
Bats can be classified in two groups by their roosting habits: solitary-roosting and colony-roosting bats.
Solitary bats prefer to live in leaves, palm fronds, and Spanish moss. Resident bats in this category are the eastern red bat, the northern yellow bat, and the Seminole bat. Hoary bats are not considered residents, because they migrate to Mexico and South America to spend the winter, but are considered a native species. [5]
The remaining species are considered to be colony-roosting bats. Darker than their solitary counterparts and less furry, these bats prefer to live under bridges, in tree holes or caves. Only three Florida species live in caves: the eastern pipistrelle, the gray bat and the southeastern myotis. Florida has the highest concentration of southeastern myotis in the world. [5]
The greatest threat to bats in Florida is the disturbance or destruction of roost sites, due to either vandalism or urban development. [5]
Common name | Scientific name authority | ASM state status and native range [3] | Red list |
---|---|---|---|
Family Molossidae: Free-tailed bats | |||
Florida bonneted bat | Eumops floridanus (Allen, 1932) | rare, endemic to southern Florida | [6] |
Velvety free-tailed bat | Molossus molossus (Pallas, 1766) | rare; Lower Keys | [7] |
Mexican free-tailed bat | Tadarida brasiliensis (I. Geoffroy, 1824) | common, statewide except for Keys | |
Family Mormoopidae | |||
Antillean ghost-faced bat | Mormoops blainvillei (Leach, 1821) | rare, Lower Keys only [9] | [10] |
Ghost-faced bat | Mormoops megalophylla (Peters, 1864) | extirpated [11] | [12] |
Pristine mustached bat | Pteronotus pristinus (Silva-Taboada, 1974) | Extinct | |
Family Phyllostomidae: Leaf-nosed bats | |||
Jamaican fruit bat | Artibeus jamaicensis (Leach, 1821) | rare, Lower Keys only | [13] |
Buffy flower bat | Erophylla sezekorni (Gundlach, 1860) | rare; Lower Keys | [14] |
Cuban flower bat | Phyllonycteris poeyi (Gundlach, 1860) | rare; Lower Keys | [15] |
Cuban fig-eating bat | Phyllops falcatus (Gray, 1839) | rare; Lower Keys | [16] |
Family Vespertilionidae: Vesper bats | |||
Rafinesque's big-eared bat | Corynorhinus rafinesquii Lesson, 1827 | rare, statewide except southern tip of peninsula and Keys | [17] |
Big brown bat | Eptesicus fuscus (Beauvois, 1796) | common statewide except for Keys | [18] |
Silver-haired bat | Lasionycteris noctivagans (La Conte, 1831) | rare; known only from north Santa Rosa County and possibly north Nassau County | [19] |
Eastern red bat | Lasiurus borealis (Müller, 1776) | uncommon; panhandle and northern quarter of peninsula | |
Hoary bat | Lasiurus cinereus (Beauvois, 1796) | uncommon, panhandle and northern half of peninsula | [21] |
Northern yellow bat | Lasiurus intermedius H. Allen, 1862 | common statewide except southern tip of peninsula and Keys | [22] |
Seminole bat | Lasiurus seminolus (Rhoads, 1895) | common, statewide except southern tip of peninsula and Keys | |
Southeastern myotis | Myotis austroriparius (Rhoads, 1897) | common; cave habitats in panhandle and, disjunct, northeastern and northcentral peninsula | [24] |
Gray bat | Myotis griscens A.H. Howell, 1909 | rare, known only from panhandle, Marianna area | [25] |
Little brown bat | Myotis lucifugus (La Conte, 1831) | rare, known only from panhandle and Okaloosa County | [26] |
Northern long-eared myotis | Myotis septentrionalis (Trouessart, 1897) | rare/accidental or possibly extirpated, [27] known only from panhandle, Marianna and Jackson counties | [28] |
Indiana bat | Myotis sodalis Miller & Allen, 1922 | rare, known only from panhandle, Marianna and Jackson counties | [29] |
Evening bat | Nycticeius humeralis (Rafinesque, 1818) | uncommon; panhandle and northern quarter of peninsula | [30] |
Eastern pipistrelle | Perimyotis subflavus (F. Cuvier, 1832) | uncommon; panhandle and northern half of peninsula | [31] |
Coyotes arrived in northern Florida in the 1970s as their natural range expanded. Illegal releases, as well as the extirpation of the red wolf and gray wolf from the state, were factors in their occupation of the state. Coyotes are extremely adaptable, living in all types of forests and farms. [32]
Florida has two types of foxes. The native gray fox can be found in the United States almost anywhere, except the northern plains and Rockies. It is sometimes confused with the red fox due to having patches of red hair. [33] The red fox was introduced to Florida by hunting clubs, although it may have been native in the northern panhandle. Its preferred habitats are open areas, while the gray fox prefers woods. [34]
Red wolves were once common throughout the southeastern US, including Florida. Extinct in the wild in 1980, it has been progressively introduced to select nature preserves. The present population was introduced as part of this recovery program in 1997 to the Saint Vincent National Refuge; [35] once red wolf pups reach 18 months, they are relocated to the North Carolina portion of the program. [36] A subspecies of red wolf, the Florida black wolf (Canis rufus floridanus) was also endemic to the state, but became extinct in the 19th century.
Bobcats are well adapted to urban development and are not a conservation concern. They make their home in hammocks, forests or swamps. [37]
The Florida panther is a population of cougars found in Florida. It differs from other populations by having longer legs, a smaller size, and a shorter darker coat. The skull of the Florida panther is broader and flatter with highly arched nasal bones. [38] Reportedly only seventy adult animals are alive, [39] and a 1992 study estimated that the subspecies would become extinct between 2016 and 2055. [40] It was chosen in 1982 as the Florida state animal by the state's schoolchildren. [41]
Two of the eleven species of skunks live in Florida. Both the eastern spotted skunk and the striped skunk can be found statewide (except for the Keys).
Small populations of the Everglades mink (Neogale vison evergladensis), a subspecies of American mink, are encountered near Lake Okeechobee, and in the Big Cypress Swamp-Everglades National Park area. [42]
North American river otters are a common sight close to freshwater streams in Florida. The population is increasing. [43]
Raccoons are prevalent in the contiguous 48 states, including Florida. Adaptable to almost all kinds of habitats, they are among the few which actually benefit from human development, since food becomes more available. Attacks by predators like the bobcat cause minimum mortality, and the main reason for raccoon deaths is considered to be car accidents. [44] They are predators of sea turtle nests. [45]
The Florida black bear (Ursus americanus floridanus) is a subspecies of the American black bear. Differences between subspecies are very small; the Florida black bear has a highly arched forehead and a long and narrow braincase. [46] Estimates for 2002 indicated the number of bears statewide to be between 2,000 and 3,200, indicating an increase from the previous census in 1998. The biggest cause of concern is roadkill, although the rates of mortality are equivalent to other areas in the country. [47]
Florida does not have seal colonies, but stray seals come ashore in Florida occasionally. The most prevalent of those have been the common seal and the hooded seal, although a bearded seal was seen in 2007. [48] The Caribbean monk seal was native to the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico. Once a popular prey for Bahamas fishermen, their numbers diminished greatly in the 1800s. The last sighting of the species in Florida was in 1922, and specimens have not been seen anywhere since 1952. [49]
Common name | Scientific name authority | ASM state status and native range [3] | Red List |
---|---|---|---|
Family Felidae: Felines | |||
Ocelot | Leopardus pardalis (Linnaeus, 1758) | extirpated [50] | [51] |
Bobcat | Lynx rufus (Schreber, 1777) | common; peninsula and northern Keys | |
Jaguar | Panthera onca (Linnaeus, 1758) | extirpated [52] | [53] |
Florida panther | Puma concolor (Linnaeus, 1771) | endemic and rare; restricted to Green Swamp and Big Cypress areas in SW peninsula | |
Family Canidae: Canines | |||
Coyote | Canis latrans Say, 1823 | uncommon or locally common statewide | [54] |
Gray wolf | Canis lupus Linnaeus, 1758 | extirpated [55] | [56] |
Red wolf | Canis rufus (Audubon & Bachman, 1851) | rare; introduced on St. Vincent Island, extirpated elsewhere | [57] |
Florida black wolf | C. r. floridanus Miller, 1912 | extinct | |
Gray fox | Urocyon cinereoargenteus (Schreber, 1775) | uncommon or locally common statewide | [58] |
Red fox | Vulpes vulpes (Linnaeus, 1758) | uncommon or locally common statewide | [59] |
Family Ursidae: Bears | |||
Black bear | Ursus americanus (Pallas, 1780) | rare or uncommon; localized populations statewide except Keys | [60] |
Family Procyonidae: Raccoons and allies | |||
Kinkajou | Potos flavus (Schreber, 1774) | introduced [61] | [62] |
Common raccoon | Procyon lotor (Linnaeus, 1758) | abundant, statewide | [63] |
White-nosed coati | Nasua narica Linnaeus, 1766 | introduced [64] | [65] |
South American coati | Nasua nasua Linnaeus, 1766 | introduced; Miami-Dade County [66] | [67] |
Family Mustelidae: Mustelids | |||
Northern river otter | Lontra canadensis (Schreber, 1777) | locally common, mostly freshwater habitats, primarily rivers and streams, statewide except Keys | [68] |
European polecat | Mustela putorius Linnaeus, 1758 | introduced [69] | [70] |
Long-tailed weasel | Neogale frenata (Lichtenstein, 1831) | rare; statewide except Everglades and Keys | [71] |
American mink | Neogale vison (Schreber, 1777) | rare; coastal marshes in west Panhandle, Big Bend area, northeast area, and Everglades | [72] |
American badger | Taxidea taxus (Schreber, 1777) | uncommon; Gulf coast [73] | [74] |
Family Mephitidae: Skunks | |||
American hog-nosed skunk | Conepatus leuconotus (Lichtenstein, 1832) | extirpated [75] | [76] |
Striped skunk | Mephitis mephitis (Schreber, 1776) | common; statewide except Keys | [77] |
Eastern spotted skunk | Spilogale putorius (Linnaeus, 1758) | common; statewide except northeast corner and Keys | [78] |
Superfamily Pinnipedia: Pinnipeds | |||
Family Otariidae: Eared seals | |||
California sea lion | Zalophus californianus (Lesson, 1828) | introduced; accidental sightings had occurred in Florida's Gulf coast of wandering individuals from Mobile Bay, Alabama [79] | [80] |
Family Phocidae: Earless seals | |||
Hooded seal | Cystophora cristata (Erxleben, 1777) | rare; east coastal marine areas to Central Florida | [81] |
Bearded seal | Erignathus barbatus (Erxleben, 1777) | rare; east coastal marine areas to Central Florida | [82] |
Caribbean monk seal | Neomonachus tropicalis (Erxleben, 1777) | extinct | [83] |
Gray seal | Halichoerus grypus (O. Fabricius, 1791) | rare [84] | |
Harbor seal | Phoca vitulina (Linnaeus, 1758) | rare; east coastal marine areas to Central Florida | [85] |
Of the several whales seen close to Florida, the most frequent and notable visitor is the North Atlantic right whale. Named as such because they were the "right" whales to kill, their only known calving ground is located off the coasts of Georgia and Florida. Pregnant females migrate from feeding grounds located far north and deliver calves from mid-December to March. [86] Humpback whales are also re-colonizing the area while gray whales, once cavorting off Florida for the same reasons as the right whales, were extirpated from the Atlantic in the 17th and 18th centuries. [87]
The most common dolphin in the state is the common bottlenose dolphin. Dolphins, like manatees, are vulnerable to red tide and have mass fatalities when one occurs. [88] Dolphins were designated the Florida state saltwater mammal in 1975. [89]
Common name | Scientific name authority | ASM state status and native range [3] | Red List | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Family Balaenidae: Right whales | ||||
Southern right whale | Eubalaena australis (Desmoulins, 1822) | vagrant; Atlantic coast [90] | [91] | |
North Atlantic right whale | Eubalaena glacialis (Linnaeus, 1758) | regular migrant (in very small number) | [92] | |
Family Balaenopteridae: Rorquals | ||||
Common minke whale | Balaenoptera acutorostrata Lacépède, 1804 | rare | [93] | |
Sei whale | Balaenoptera borealis (Lesson, 1828) | rare | [94] | |
Rice's whale | Balaenoptera ricei Rosel et al., 2021 | resident | [95] | |
Bryde's whale | Balaenoptera brydei Anderson, 1878 | rare | [96] | |
Blue whale | Balaenoptera musculus (Linnaeus, 1758) | rare | [97] | |
Fin whale | Balaenoptera physalus (Linnaeus, 1758) | rare | [98] | |
Humpback whale | Megaptera novaeangliae (Borowski, 1781) | common (in small numbers) | [99] | |
Family Eschrichtiidae: Gray whales | ||||
Gray whale | Eschrichtius robustus (Lilljebor, 1861) | extirpated; however in December 2023, a rare sighting of the species was seen at Sunny Isles Beach, which is considered to be the first rediscovered gray whale in Florida since the 18th century [100] [101] [102] | [103] | |
Family Physeteridae: Sperm whales | ||||
Sperm whale | Physeter macrocephalus (Linnaeus, 1758) | rare | [104] | |
Family Kogiidae: Dwarf sperm whales | ||||
Pygmy sperm whale | Kogia breviceps (Blainville, 1838) | uncommon | [105] | |
Dwarf sperm whale | Kogia sima (Owen, 1866) | uncommon | [106] | |
Family Ziphidae: Beaked whales | ||||
Northern bottlenose whale | Hyperoodon ampullatus (Forster, 1770) | rare; Atlantic coast [107] | [108] | |
Sowerby's beaked whale | Mesoplodon bidens Sowerby, 1804 | rare; Gulf coast [109] | [110] | |
Blainville's beaked whale | Mesoplodon densirostris (Blainville, 1817) | rare | [111] | |
Gervais' beaked whale | Mesoplodon europaeus (Gervais, 1855) | rare | [112] | |
True's beaked whale | Mesoplodon mirus (True, 1913) | rare; Atlantic coast south to Flagler County. | [113] | |
Cuvier's beaked whale | Ziphius cavirostris (G. Cuvier, 1823) | rare | ||
Family Phocoenidae: Porpoises | ||||
Harbor porpoise | Phocoena phocoena (Linnaeus, 1758) | rare; east coastal marine areas to North Florida [115] [116] | [117] | |
Family Delphinidae: Oceanic dolphins | ||||
Short-beaked common dolphin | Delphinus delphis (Gray, 1828) | rare | [118] | |
Pygmy killer whale | Feresa attenuata (Gray, 1875) | rare | [119] | |
Short-finned pilot whale | Globicephala macrorhynchus Gray, 1846 | rare | [120] | |
Risso's dolphin | Grampus griseus (G. Cuvier, 1812) | rare | [121] | |
Fraser's dolphin | Lagenodelphis hosei (Fraser, 1956) | rare; | [122] | |
Killer whale | Orcinus orca (Linnaeus, 1758) | rare though last sighting of the orcas where in the Florida Keys off Key Largo in July 2023. [123] [124] & again spotted migrating from the coast of Fort Pierce to Vero Beach on September 12, 2023. [125] [126] | [127] | |
Melon-headed whale | Peponocephala electra (Gray, 1846) | rare | [128] | |
False killer whale | Pseudorca crassidens (Owen, 1846) | rare | [129] | |
Pantropical spotted dolphin | Stenella attenuata (Gray, 1846) | rare | [130] | |
Clymene dolphin | Stenella clymene (Gray, 1846) | rare | [131] | |
Striped dolphin | Stenella coeruleoalba (Meyen, 1833) | rare | [132] | |
Atlantic spotted dolphin | Stenella frontalis (G. Cuvier, 1829) | rare | [133] | |
Spinner dolphin | Stenella longirostris (Gray, 1828) | rare | [134] | |
Rough-toothed dolphin | Steno bredanensis (G. Cuvier in Lesson, 1828) | rare | [135] | |
Common bottlenose dolphin | Tursiops truncatus (Montagu, 1821) | common; coastal | [136] | |
Tamanend's bottlenose dolphin | Tursiops erebennus (Cope, 1865) | rare; coastal |
The only native even-toed ungulate is the white-tailed deer. It is the most economically important hunting mammal in all of North America, and is one of the major prey animals of the Florida panther. There were only about 20,000 deer in Florida during the late 1930s, and the species was almost extinct in South Florida due to a campaign to eliminate tick-borne diseases. Hunt restraining measures and purchases from other states were very successful bringing the population to more than 700,000 deer statewide. A smaller subspecies, the Key deer, lives only in the Keys and numbers around 800 animals. [137] Sambar deer were introduced in 1908 as alternative game for hunters on Saint Vincent Island. The population is between 700 and 1,000; 130 hunters are licensed per year, and each can kill up to two deer. [138] Some red deer were released from a hunting ranch around 1967 and may still exist as a small herd. [139]
Wild boar found their way to Florida in 1539 with Spanish colonist Hernando de Soto. Florida has 12% of the three million boars that roam in the US. [140] They are a popular hunting prey, but are regarded as a pest, due to the damage they inflict to agriculture and environment. More than 21,000 boar were killed in 1980 alone. [141]
Common name | Scientific name authority | ASM state status and native range [3] | Red List | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Family Cervidae: Deer | ||||
Chital | Axis axis (Erxleben, 1777) | introduced; uncommon | [142] | |
Elk | Cervus canadensis (Erxleben, 1777) | introduced, possibly extirpated [143] | [144] | |
Red deer | Cervus elaphus Linnaeus, 1758 | introduced; single population in Highlands County [145] | [146] | |
Sika deer | Cervus nippon Temminck, 1838 | introduced [147] | [148] | |
White-tailed deer | Odocoileus virginianus (Zimmerman, 1780) | common statewide; rare in Keys | [149] | |
Key deer | O. v. clavium Barbour & G. M. Allen, 1922 | only in Everglades or Keys | ||
Barasingha | Rucervus duvaucelii G. Cuvier, 1823 | introduced [150] | [151] | |
Sambar deer | Rusa unicolor (Kerr, 1792) | introduced on St. Vincent Island | [152] | |
Family Bovidae: Bovids | ||||
American bison | Bison bison (Linnaeus, 1758) | reintroduced on Paynes Prairie Preserve [153] [154] [155] | [156] | |
Nilgai | Boselaphus tragocamelus (Pallas, 1766) | introduced | ||
Family Suidae: Pigs | ||||
Common warthog | Phacochoerus africanus (Gmelin, 1788) | introduced [157] | [158] | |
Wild boar | Sus scrofa Linnaeus, 1758 | introduced; common | [159] | |
Family Antilocapridae: Pronghorns | ||||
Pronghorn | Antilocapra americana (Ord, 1815) | introduced, presumably extirpated; Osceloa County [160] | [161] | |
Family Tayassuidae: Peccaries | ||||
Collared peccary | Dicotyles tajacu (Linnaeus, 1758) | extirpated [162] | [163] |
The Virginia opossum is the only marsupial found in North America north of the Rio Grande. It lives in wooded areas and can be easily found statewide.
Common name | Scientific name authority | ASM state status and native range [3] | Red List | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Family Didelphidae: New World opossums | ||||
Virginia opossum | Didelphis virginiana (Kerr, 1792) | common; statewide | [164] |
Cingulata are represented by the nine-banded armadillo, having migrated from Texas. Subsequent introductions and fast breeding spread the species statewide. [141]
Common name | Scientific name authority | ASM state status and native range [3] | Red List | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Family Dasypodidae: Armadillos | ||||
Nine-banded armadillo | Dasypus novemcinctus Linnaeus, 1758 | common; statewide, except possibly some parts of Everglades | [165] |
The Myrmecophagidae are a family of anteaters, the name is derived from the Ancient Greek words for 'ant' and 'eat'. Two genera and three species are in the family, consisting of the giant anteater, and the tamanduas.
Common name | Scientific name authority | ASM state status and native range [3] | Red List | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Family Myrmecophagidae | ||||
Northern tamandua | Tamandua mexicana (Saussure, 1860) | introduced; Miami-Dade County [166] | [167] |
Six rhesus macaques were introduced sometime in the 1930s as tourist attractions, confined to an island in a Central Florida river and flourished. [168] Charles River Laboratories, the world's biggest producer of lab animals, maintained a free-range colony until 1999, when they were forced to remove the animals after they destroyed parts of the mangrove forests in Key Haven. [169] Other primates with reported sightings not included in this list are crab-eating macaques and squirrel monkeys. [170]
Common name | Scientific name authority | ASM state status and native range [3] | Red List | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Family Cercopithecidae: Old World monkeys | ||||
Vervet monkey | Chlorocebus pygerythrus (F. Cuvier, 1821) | introduced; Dania Beach and Fort Lauderdale area. [171] | [172] | |
Rhesus macaque | Macaca mulatta (Zimmermann, 1780) | introduced; Ocala and Silver Springs area | [173] | |
Family Lemuridae: Lemurs | ||||
Ring-tailed lemur | Lemur catta Linnaeus, 1758 | introduced [174] | [175] |
All the confirmed lagomorphs in Florida are nocturnal; the black-tailed jackrabbit—introduced as a training tool for racing greyhounds from 1930 to 1950; the native eastern cottontail, which can be found anywhere but in forests and coastal marshes; and the marsh rabbit, which prefers freshwater and brackish marshes. The subspecies Lower Keys marsh rabbit has the scientific name Sylvilagus palustris hefneri after Hugh Hefner—because research on the subspecies was financed in part by the Playboy Foundation. [176]
Common name | Scientific name authority | ASM state status and native range [3] | Red List | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Family Leporidae: Rabbits and hares | ||||
Black-tailed jackrabbit | Lepus californicus (Gray, 1837) | introduced; established in Homestead area | [177] | |
Swamp rabbit | Sylvilagus aquaticus (Bachman, 1837) | rare and unconfirmed; possibly present in Escambia County but no known records | [178] | |
Eastern cottontail | Sylvilagus floridanus (J. A. Allen, 1890) | common; statewide except Keys | [179] | |
Marsh rabbit | Sylvilagus palustris (Bachman, 1837) | common; statewide | [180] | |
Lower Keys marsh rabbit | S. p. hefneri (Lazell, 1984) | Florida Keys |
Of the several species of rodents in Florida, the subspecies of oldfield mouse are the biggest conservation concern, along with the Florida mouse and Florida salt marsh vole. Six of eight subspecies of the oldfield mouse (commonly named beach mice) are in endangered status, and one is extinct. Given causes for their demise is predators like cats and red foxes and destruction of their natural habitats. [181] The Florida mouse is on the endangered species list because of destruction of their habitat. The Florida bonneted bat, Florida mouse and Florida salt marsh vole are the only mammal species endemic to Florida. The mouse depends on the gopher tortoise (also endangered) for its survival, because it makes its burrows from tortoise burrows, or in the absence of those, oldfield mouse burrows. [182]
Non-native species brought in boats by colonizers are the black rat, brown rat and house mouse. Other non-natives are the capybara, the nutria and the Mexican gray squirrel. [183]
Common name | Scientific name authority | ASM state status and native range [3] | Red List | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Family Castoridae: Beavers | ||||
American beaver | Castor canadensis (Kuhl, 1820) | common; panhandle and northern third of peninsula, except coastal areas. | [184] | |
Family Sciuridae: Squirrels | ||||
Southern flying squirrel | Glaucomys volans (Linnaeus, 1758) | common; statewide except Keys and possibly southwest peninsula | [185] | |
Groundhog | Marmota monax (Linnaeus, 1758) | rare [186] | [187] | |
Mexican gray squirrel | Sciurus aureogaster F. Cuvier, 1829 | introduced; established on Elliott Key | [188] | |
Eastern gray squirrel | Sciurus carolinensis (Gmelin, 1788) | common; statewide except Lower Keys | [189] | |
Fox squirrel | Sciurus niger (Linnaeus, 1758) | rare; statewide except Keys; possibly extinct in southeastern peninsula | [190] | |
Eastern chipmunk | Tamias striatus (Linnaeus, 1758) | uncommon; northern half of western panhandle in mesic forest areas | [191] | |
American red squirrel | Tamiasciurus hudsonicus (Erxleben, 1777) | rare [192] | [193] | |
Family Geomyidae: Pocket gophers | ||||
Plains pocket gopher | Geomys bursarius (Shaw, 1800) | rare [194] | [195] | |
Southeastern pocket gopher | Geomys pinetis (Rafinesque, 1817) | common; panhandle and northern half of peninsula | [196] | |
Goff's pocket gopher | G. p. goffi Sherman, 1944 | extinct; once endemic to Brevard County | ||
Family Zapodidae: Jumping mice | ||||
Woodland jumping mouse | Napaeozapus insignis (Miller, 1891) | rare [197] | [198] | |
Family Cricetidae: Voles, muskrats | ||||
Eastern harvest mouse | Reithrodontomys humulis (Audubon & Bachman, 1941) | common; panhandle and northern two thirds of peninsula in old fields, grasslands, and fields | [199] | |
Florida salt marsh vole | Microtus dukecampbelli (Woods, Post, and Kilpatrick, 1982) | rare; endemic to salt marshes in Waccasassa Bay in Levy County | [200] | |
Woodland vole | Microtus pinetorum (Le Conte, 1830) | uncommon; central portion of northern third of peninsula | [201] | |
Round-tailed muskrat | Neofiber alleni (True, 1884) | common; peninsula and isolated populations in Apalachicola and Okefenokee areas | [202] | |
Florida woodrat | Neotoma floridana (Ord, 1818) | uncommon; panhandle, northern two thirds of peninsula and rare; Key Largo | [203] | |
Key Largo woodrat | Neotoma floridana smalli (Sherman, 1955) | Endangered in Key Largo | ||
Golden mouse | Ochrotomys nuttalli (Harlan, 1832) | rare; panhandle and northern half of peninsula | [204] | |
Muskrat | Ondatra zibethicus (Linnaeus, 1766) | common; northwestern half of panhandle | [205] | |
Marsh rice rat | Oryzomys palustris (Harlan, 1837) | common; statewide | [206] | |
Cotton mouse | Peromyscus gossypinus (Le Conte, 1850) | common; statewide in forests and mixed forest/grasslands | [207] | |
Key Largo cotton mouse | P. g. allapaticola (Schwartz, 1952) | endemic to Key Largo | ||
Chadwick Beach cotton mouse | P. g. restrictus (A.H. Howell, 1939) | extinct; once endemic to the Chadwick Beach area of Manasota Key | ||
Oldfield mouse | Peromyscus polionotus (Wagner, 1843) | common; several endemic subspecies (see below) | ||
Pallid beach mouse | P. p. decoloratus (A.H. Howell, 1939) | extinct; once endemic to Ponce Park in Volusia County and Bulow in Flagler County | ||
Anastasia Island beach mouse | P. p. phasma (Bangs, 1898) | endemic to Anastasia Island in St. Augustine, Florida | ||
Perdido Key beach mouse | P. p. trissyllepsis (Bowen, 1968) | endemic to Perdido Key, Florida | ||
Florida mouse | Podomys floridanus (Chapman, 1889) | rare; central peninsula, mostly in habitats along central ridges. | [208] | |
Hispid cotton rat | Sigmodon hispidus Say & Ord, 1825 | common; statewide | [209] | |
Family Muridae: Murids | ||||
House mouse | Mus musculus Linnaeus, 1758 | introduced; common; statewide | [210] | |
Brown rat | Rattus norvegicus (Berkenhout, 1769) | introduced; common; statewide | [211] | |
Black rat | Rattus rattus (Linnaeus, 1758) | introduced; common statewide | [212] | |
Family Nesomyidae: Nesomyids | ||||
Gambian pouched rat | Cricetomys gambianus Waterhouse, 1840 | introduced; Keys [213] | [214] | |
Family Myocastoridae: Nutrias | ||||
Nutria | Myocastor coypus (Molina, 1782) | introduced; Duval County and panhandle populations; possibly established statewide except Keys | [215] | |
Family Caviidae: Cavies | ||||
Patagonian mara | Dolichotis patagonum (Zimmermann, 1780) | introduced [216] | [217] | |
Capybara | Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris (Linnaeus, 1766) | introduced; [218] while no breeding population has been confirmed, sightings still occur. While it is considered an invasive species, some claim that it may serve as a proxy of the Pleistocene species. [219] | [220] | |
Family Dasyproctidae: Agoutis and acouchis | ||||
Red-rumped agouti | Dasyprocta leporina (Linnaeus, 1766) | introduced; Miami-Dade County [221] | [222] |
Four species of shrews (eulipotyphlans) are found across Florida. Two known subspecies are the Homosassa shrew (Sorex longirostris eionis) and Sherman's short-tailed shrew (Blarina carolinensis shermanii). [223] One of their main predators is the cat. Completing the Eulipotyphla are two species of moles.
Common name | Scientific name authority | ASM state status and native range [3] | Red List | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Family Soricidae: Shrews | ||||
Southern short-tailed shrew | Blarina carolinensis (Bachman, 1837) | common; statewide except for Keys | [224] | |
North American least shrew | Cryptotis parva (Say, 1823) | common; statewide except for Keys | [225] | |
Everglades short-tailed shrew | Blarina peninsulae (Merriam, 1895) | common; peninsular | ||
Southeastern shrew | Sorex longirostris Bachman, 1837 | uncommon; north, south through Central Florida | [226] | |
Family Talpidae: Moles | ||||
Star-nosed mole | Condylura cristata (Linnaeus, 1758) | rare; Okefenokee Swamp area and possibly in Leon County | [227] | |
Eastern mole | Scalopus aquaticus (Linnaeus, 1758) | common; statewide except for Keys | [228] |
Trichechus manatus latirostris is one of the two subspecies of the West Indian manatee. This herbivorous aquatic mammal lives in rivers, springs and shallow coastal waters. It was designated the state marine mammal in 1975 [229] and is protected by federal and state laws. Threatened by habitat loss, entanglements in fishing gear and crab traps, or by being asphyxiated or crushed by canal locks and flood gates, the most common cause for manatee deaths is being struck by boats, which caused one quarter of all deaths recorded since 1974. In 2015, the statewide population was estimated at 6,063. [230]
Common name | Scientific name authority | ASM state status and native range [3] | Red List | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Family Sirenia: Sea cows | ||||
West Indian manatee | Trichechus manatus (Linnaeus, 1758) | rare; coastal marine areas, but not usually north of the Suwannee River in the Gulf of Mexico; enters rivers and connected springs common; peninsula and northern Keys. | [231] |
This article is a list of biological species, subspecies, and evolutionary significant units that are known to have become extinct during the Holocene, the current geologic epoch, ordered by their known or approximate date of disappearance from oldest to most recent.
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