This is a list of all wild mammal species currently found in the U.S. state of Louisiana. Louisiana has a total of 70 mammal species within its borders.
This article presents the common and scientific names for the species, and extra information.
Eulipotyphla - shrews and moles Eulipotyphla are insectivorous mammals.
Species More information Distribution mapBlarina carolinensis Southern short-tailed shrews inhabit roughly every part of Louisiana.Sorex longirostris Southeastern shrews live in the north-eastern region of Louisiana. Cryptotis parva North American least shrews cover practically every part of Louisiana except for a slight south-eastern strip in the New Orleans region. Scalopus aquaticus Scalopus aquaticus are found throughout most parts of Louisiana except in the extreme southern parishes.
Didelphimorphia - opossums
Species More informationDidelphis virginiana Virginia opossums are found throughout the state, with the majority of recent records occurring in the southern half of the state.
Chiroptera - bats Bats are winged, omnivorous mammals capable of taking flight. There are five known species of bats that inhabit throughout the state of Louisiana.
Species More information Distribution mapLasiurus borealis Eastern red bat is a somewhat common bat species that lives throughout all of Louisiana.Nycticeius humeralis Evening bats are a bat species that range over the entire southeast half of the United States. Tadarida brasiliensis Brazilian free-tailed bat are a species of bat that inhabit throughout all of the United States. Eptesicus fuscus Big brown bats can be found all throughout Louisiana. Pipistrellus subflavus Eastern pipistrelles can be found throughout the entire state of Louisiana. Lasiurus cinereus Hoary bats can be found throughout the entirety of the U.S., including Louisiana. Lasiurus intermedius Northern yellow bats can be found through almost all of Louisiana except the northern cap which borders Arkansas. Corynorhinus rafinesquii Rafinesque's big-eared bat covers practically all of Louisiana. Lasiurus seminolus Seminole bats can be found throughout all of Louisiana. Lasionycteris noctivagans Silver haired bats can be found throughout all of Louisiana. Myotis austroriparius Southeastern bats are found in all of north eastern Louisiana. Myotis septentrionalis Northern myotis have been documented in Winn, Jackson, West Feliciana, and Grant parishes.
Cingulata - armadillos
Species More informationDasypus mexicanus Mexican long-nosed armadillos (one species of a complex of four that previously were recognized as Dasypus novemcinctus, the nine-banded armadillo ) are found throughout the state.
Lagomorpha - hares and rabbits
Species More information Sylvilagus floridanus Eastern cottontails are found throughout Louisiana. Sylvilagus aquaticus Swamp rabbits are found statewide in Louisiana.
Rodentia - rodents
Species More information Sciurus carolinensis Sciurus carolinensis possesses a cosmopolitan distribution in Louisiana, being absent from only the southernmost parishes. Sciurus niger S. niger are found throughout Louisiana except in the southernmost parishes.Marmota monax Marmota monax are known only from northwestern Louisiana. Tamias striatus Tamias striatus are restricted to a small area of eastern Louisiana, having been found in East Feliciana, West Feliciana, Avoyelles, and Pointe Coupee parishes.Glaucomys volans Glaucomys volans are found throughout most of Louisiana except in southern coastal parishes. Geomys breviceps Geomys brazensis Undescribed species Chaetodipus hispidus Castor canadensis Baiomys taylori Oryzomys texensis Reithrodontomys humulis Reithrodontomys fulvescens Peromyscus leucopus Peromyscus gossypinus Ochrotomys nuttalli Sigmodon hispidus Neotoma floridana Microtus ochrogaster Microtus pinetorum Ondatra zibethicus Mus musculus Rattus norvegicus Rattus rattus Myocastor coypus Also known as nutria, this is an introduced species to Louisiana.
Carnivora - carnivores
Species More information Canis latrans Canis latrans may be expanding its range, and is currently found statewide. Canis rufus According to Hoffman et al. (2024), Canis rufus had been reported by Lowery (1974) from multiple parishes west of the Mississippi River. However, the last wild individuals of C. rufus were captured in southwestern Louisiana from 1973 - 1980 to establish a captive breeding program, and the species was declared extinct in the wild (Hinton et al. 2013). Vulpes vulpes Vulpes vulpes is found throughout Louisiana except in the southern coastal parishes. Urocyon cinereoargenteus Urocyon cinereoargenteus occur throughout Louisiana except marshlands in the southern part of the state. Ursus americanus luteolus The Louisiana black bear, Ursus americanus luteolus, is one of 16 subspecies of the American black bear (Ursus americanus) in North America. Years of overhunting in the 19th and early 20th centuries and widespread deforestation to support timber and clearing lands for agriculture drastically reduced the population and distribution of Louisiana black bear, which was listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act in 1992. After years of efforts focused largely on restoring black bear habitat, the Louisiana black bear has since recovered and was removed from the list in 2016. Currently, they are found primarily in the Atchafalaya and Mississippi river basins. Bassariscus astutus Procyon lotor Lontra canadensis Neogale frenata Neogale vison Spilogale interrupta Spilogale putorius Mephitis mephitis Puma concolor Lynx rufus
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