Mammals of New Jersey
There are approximately 450 species of vertebrate wildlife which can be found within the Garden State, along with 85 freshwater fish. Our bays, estuaries and marine waters can be home to 28 marine mammals and 336 marine finfish at some point during the year. This is an exceptional number of species for a state as small as New Jersey. The table below lists mammals which can be found, along with their status as defined below:
E - Endangered
T - Threatened
D - Decreasing
INC - Increasing |
S - Stable
U - Undertermined
I - Introduced
P - Peripheral |
For definitions of above terms and links to other checklists use the Checklists of NJ Wildlife page.
COMMON NAME |
SCIENTIFIC NAME |
STATUS |
Opossum |
Didelphis
marsupialis |
S
|
Masked Shrew |
Sorex
cinereus |
S
|
Tuckahoe
Masked Shrew |
Sorex
cinereus nigriculus |
U
|
Water Shrew |
Sorex
palustris |
U
|
Smokey Shrew |
Sorex fumeus |
U
|
Long-tailed
Shrew |
Sorex dispar |
U
|
Short-tailed
Shrew |
Blarina
brevicauda |
S
|
Least Shrew |
Crytotis
parva |
U
|
Pygmy Shrew |
Sorex hoyii |
U |
Hairy-tailed
Mole |
Parascalops
breweri |
U
|
Eastern Mole |
Scalopus
aquaticus |
S
|
Star-nosed
Mole |
Condylura
cristata |
U
|
Little Brown
Bat |
Myotis
lucifugus |
S
|
Indiana Bat |
Myotis
sodalis |
E
|
Keen Myotis |
Myotis
septentrionalis |
U |
Small-footed
Myotis |
Myotis leibii
|
U
|
Silver-haired
Bat |
Lasionycteris
noctivagans |
U
|
Eastern
Pipistrel |
Pipistrellus
subflavus |
U
|
Big Brown Bat
|
Eptesicus
fuscus |
S
|
Red Bat |
Lasiurus
borealis |
S
|
Northern
yellow bat |
Lasiurus
intermedius |
P
|
Hoary Bat |
Lasiurus
cinereus |
U
|
Eastern
Cottontail |
Sylvilagus
floridanus |
S
|
New England
Cottontail |
Sylvilagus
transitionalis |
U
|
European Hare
|
Lepus
capensis |
I
|
Black-tailed
Jackrabbit |
Lepus
californicus |
I
|
White-tailed
Jackrabbit |
Lepus
townsendii |
I |
Eastern
Chipmunk |
Tamias
striatus |
S
|
Woodchuck |
Marmota monax
|
S
|
Gray Squirrel
|
Sciurus
carolinensis |
S
|
Red Squirrel |
Tamiasciurus
hudsonicus |
S
|
Southern
Flying Squirrel |
Glaucomys
volans |
U
|
Northern
Flying Squirrel |
Glaucomys
sabrinus |
U
|
Beaver |
Castor
candensis |
INC
|
Nutria |
Myocastor
coypus |
I |
Marsh Rice
Rat |
Oryzomys
palustris |
S
|
White-footed
Mouse |
Peromyscus
leucopus |
S
|
Eastern Wood
Rat |
Neotoma
floridana |
E
|
Red-backed
Mouse |
Clethrionomys
gapperi |
S
|
Meadow Vole |
Microtus
pennsylvanicus |
S
|
Pine Vole |
Microtus
pinetorum |
S
|
Muskrat |
Ondatra
zibethicus |
S
|
Southern Bog
Lemming |
Synaptomys
cooperi |
U
|
Black Rat |
Rattus rattus
|
I
|
Brown Rat |
Rattus
norvegicus |
I
|
House mouse |
Mus musculus |
I
|
Woodland
Jumping Mouse |
Napaeozapus
insignis |
U
|
Meadow
Jumping Mouse |
Zapus
hudsonius |
U
|
Porcupine |
Erethizon
dorsatum |
INC
|
Eastern
Coyote |
Canis
latrans, var. |
INC
|
Red Fox |
Vulpes vulpes
|
S
|
Gray Fox |
Urocyon
cinereoargenteus |
S
|
Black Bear |
Ursus
americanus |
INC
|
Raccoon |
Procyon lotor
|
S
|
Ermine |
Mustela
erminea |
U
|
Long-tailed
Weasel |
Mustela
frenata |
S
|
Mink |
Mustela vison
|
S
|
Striped Skunk
|
Mephitis
mephitis |
S
|
River Otter |
Lutra
canadensis |
S
|
Bobcat |
Felis rufus |
E
|
White-tailed
Deer |
Odocoileus
virginianus |
D |
Harbor Seal |
Phoca
vitulina |
S
|
Harp Seal |
Pagophilus
groenlandica |
P
|
Gray Seal |
Halichoerus
grypus |
P
|
Hooded Seal |
Cystophora
cristata |
P
|
Goose-beaked
Whale |
Ziphius
cavirostris |
U
|
Dense Beaked
Whale |
Mesoplodon
densirostris |
U
|
Gervais
Beaked Whale |
Mesoplodon
europaeus |
U
|
Trues
Beaked Whale |
Mesoplodon
mirus |
U
|
Sperm Whale |
Physeter
macrocephalus |
E
|
Pygmy Sperm
Whale |
Kogia
breviceps |
U
|
Dwarf Sperm
Whale |
Kogia simus |
U
|
Beluga Whale |
Delphinapterus
leucas |
P
|
Bridled
Spotted Dolphin |
Stenella
frontalis |
U
|
Spotted
Dolphin |
Stenella
plagiodon |
U
|
Striped
Dolphin |
Stenella
coeruleoalba |
U
|
Saddle-backed
Dolphin |
Delphinus
delphis |
U
|
Bottle-nosed
Dolphin |
Tursiops
truncatus |
S
|
Atlantic
Killer Whale |
Orcinus orca |
U
|
Rissos
Dolphin |
Grampus
griseus |
U
|
Long-finned
Pilot Whale |
Globicephala
melaena |
U
|
Short-finned
Pilot Whale |
Globicephala
macrorhyncus |
U
|
Harbor
Porpoise |
Phocoena
phocoena |
U
|
Fin Whale |
Balaenoptera
physalus |
E
|
Sei Whale |
Balaenoptera
borealis |
E
|
Minke Whale |
Balaenoptera
acutorostrata |
U
|
Blue Whale |
Balaenoptera
musculus |
E |
Humpback
Whale |
Megaptera
novaeangliae |
E |
Black Right
Whale |
Balaena
glacialis |
E
|
|