# List of mammals of Canada

This is a list of the mammal species recorded in Canada. There are approximately 200 mammal species in Canada. Its large territorial size consist of fifteen terrestrial and five marine ecozones, ranging from oceanic coasts, to mountains to plains to urban housing, mean that Canada can harbour a great variety of species, including nearly half of the known cetaceans. The largest marine ecozone is the Arctic Archipelago whereas the terrestrial ecozone is the Boreal Shield. The most well represented order is that of the rodents, and the smallest that of the Didelphimorphia (common opossums).
Studies of mammals in Canada hearken back to the 1795 northern explorations of Samuel Hearne, whose account is considered surprisingly accurate. The first seminal work on Canadian mammals, however, was John Richardson's 1829 Fauna Boreali-Americana. Joseph Burr Tyrrell was the first to attempt to produce, in 1888, a comprehensive list of Canadian mammalian species. Ernest Thompson Seton and Charles-Eusèbe Dionne's work were also important. Modern Canadian publications with interest in mammalogy include The Canadian Field-Naturalist, the Canadian Journal of Zoology and the French-language Le Naturaliste Canadien.
Several species of mammal have particular symbolism. The Canadian horse and North American beaver are official symbols of Canada, and several provinces have designated native species as symbols.
Conservation status - IUCN Red List of Threatened Species:
| EX | Extinct | No reasonable doubt that the last individual has died. |
| EW | Extinct in the wild | Known only to survive in captivity or as a naturalized population well outside its previous range. |
| CR | Critically endangered | The species is in imminent risk of extinction in the wild. |
| EN | Endangered | The species is facing an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild. |
| VU | Vulnerable | The species is facing a high risk of extinction in the wild. |
| NT | Near threatened | The species does not meet any of the criteria that would categorise it as risking extinction but it is likely to do so in the future. |
| LC | Least concern | There are no current identifiable risks to the species. |
| DD | Data deficient | There is inadequate information to make an assessment of the risks to this species. |
| NE | Not evaluated | Not been assessed by the IUCN. |
    (v. 2013.2, the data is current as of March 5, 2014)

## Native mammals
### Bats

Bats most distinguishing feature is that their forelimbs are developed as wings, making them the only mammals capable of flight. Bat species account for about 20% of all mammals.
| Common name (French name) | Species (authority) | Preferred habitat | Native range | Status |
| Family Vespertilionidae: vesper bats |||||
| Pallid bat (Chauve-souris blonde) | Antrozous pallidus (LeConte, 1856) | Dry plains | British Columbia | I: LC least concern CA: threatened BC: Red List |
| Townsend's big-eared bat (Oreillard de Townsend) | Corynorhinus townsendii (Cooper, 1837) | Open woodlands | Southern British Columbia | I: LC least concern BC: Blue List |
| Big brown bat (Grande chauve-souris brune) | Eptesicus fuscus (Palisot de Beauvois, 1796) | Varied, including cities | British Columbia to southern Quebec and New Brunswick | I: LC least concern |
| Spotted bat (Oreillard maculé) | Euderma maculatum (J. A. Allen, 1891) | Near waterways | Inner British Columbia | I: LC least concern CA: special concern BC: Blue List |
| Silver-haired bat (Chauve-souris argentée) | Lasionycteris noctivagans (La Conte, 1831) | Deciduous forest lakes | All of southern Canada except Gaspesia and northern Maritimes | I: LC least concern QC: listing candidate |
| Western red bat (Chauve-souris rousse de l'Ouest) | Lasiurus blossevillii (Lesson and Garnot, 1826) | Open spaces and cities | Southwestern British Columbia | I: LC least concern |
| Eastern red bat (Chauve-souris rousse de l'Est) | Lasiurus borealis (Müller, 1776) | Open spaces and cities | Alberta to southern Maritimes | I: LC least concern QC: listing candidate |
| Hoary bat (Chauve-souris cendré) | Lasiurus cinereus (Palisot de Beauvois, 1796) | Forests | British Columbia to northern Hudson Bay and Maritimes | I: LC least concern QC: listing candidate |
| California myotis (Chauve-souris de Californie) | Myotis californicus (Audubon & Bachman, 1842) | West Coast forest | West Coast and Okanagan Valley | I: LC least concern |
| Western small-footed myotis (Chauve-souris pygmée de l'Ouest) | Myotis ciliolabrum (Merriam, 1886) | Dry areas | Southern Alberta and Saskatchewan | I: LC least concern BC: Blue List |
| Long-eared myotis (Chauve-souris à longues oreilles) | Myotis evotis (H. Allen, 1864) | Varied | Southern British Columbia, Alberta and Saskatchewan | I: LC least concern QC: listing candidate |
| Keen's myotis (Chauve-souris de Keen) | Myotis keenii (Merriam, 1895) | Forests | West Coast | I: LC least concern CA: data deficient BC: unknown |
| Eastern small-footed myotis (Chauve-souris pygmée de l'Est) | Myotis leibii (Audubon & Bachman, 1842) | Montane forest | Southern and south-central Ontario, southwestern Quebec | I: EN least concern QC: listing candidate |
| Little brown bat (Petite chauve-souris brune) | Myotis lucifugus (La Conte, 1831) | Varied, including cities | Yukon to Atlantic Canada | I: EN least concern |
| Northern long-eared myotis (Vespertilion nordique or Chauve-souris nordique) | Myotis septentrionalis (Trouessart, 1897) | Forests | Central to Eastern Canada | I: NT least concern BC: Blue List |
| Fringed myotis (Chauve-souris à queue frangée) | Myotis thysanodes (Miller, 1897) | White pine forest | Southcentral British Columbia | I: LC least concern CA: data deficient BC: Blue List |
| Long-legged myotis (Chauve-souris à longues pattes) | Myotis volans (H. Allen, 1866) | Varied | British Columbia and Alberta | I: LC least concern |
| Yuma myotis (Chauve-souris de Yuma) | Myotis yumanensis (H. Allen, 1864) | Open areas | West Coast and Okanagan Valley | I: LC least concern |
| Tri-colored bat formerly eastern pipistrelle (Pipistrelle de l'Est) | Pipistrellus subflavus (F. Cuvier, 1832) | Forest, fields and waterways | Southern Ontario, Quebec and Maritimes | I: VU least concern QC: listing candidate |

### Carnivorans

Carnivorans include over 260 species, the majority of which eat meat as their primary dietary item. They have a characteristic skull shape and dentition.
| Common name (French name) | Species (authority) | Preferred habitat | Native range | Status |
| Family Felidae: felines |||||
| Canada lynx (Lynx du Canada) | Lynx canadensis (Kerr, 1792) | Forests | Most of Canada | I: LC least concern NB: regionally endangered NS: endangered |
| Bobcat (Lynx roux) | Lynx rufus (Schreber, 1777) | Varied | Southern Canada | I: LC least concern |
| Cougar (Puma) | Puma concolor (Linnaeus, 1771) | Mountain, marshes, dense forest | Mountainous regions of Alberta, British Columbia, and the Yukon | I: LC least concern Eastern population CA: data deficient ON: endangered QC: listing candidate NB: endangered |
| Family Canidae: canines |||||
| Coyote (Coyote) | Canis latrans (Say, 1823) | Varied | Rocky Mountains, southern Prairies, southern Ontario, Quebec, and Maritime provinces | I: LC least concern |
| Grey wolf (Loup) | Canis lupus (Linnaeus, 1758) | Varied | All of Canada, except Anticosti and Prince Edward Island. Extirpated in several areas. Population of the Arctic subspecies resides in Northern Canada. | I: LC least concern |
| Eastern wolf (Loup oriental) | Canis lycaon (Schreber, 1775) | Varied | Great Lakes region in southeastern Canada (Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec) | I: NE not evaluated CA: designated special concern (as C. l. lycaon) |
| Red wolf (Loup rouge) | Canis rufus (Audubon & Bachman, 1851) | Varied | Once ranged into Ontario; extirpated. | I: CR critically endangered |
| Arctic fox (Renard arctique or polaire) | Vulpes lagopus (Linnaeus, 1758) | Tundra | Northern Canada | I: LC least concern |
| Swift fox (Renard véloce) | Vulpes velox (Say, 1823) | Desert and dry prairie | Southern Prairie Provinces | I: LC least concern CA: endangered AB: endangered |
| Red fox (Renard roux) | Vulpes vulpes (Linnaeus, 1758) | Varied | All of Canada except part of the Arctic Islands and West Coast | I: LC least concern |
| Family Ursidae: bears |||||
| Black bear (Ours noir) | Ursus americanus (Pallas, 1780) | Varied, mostly forested areas | Most of Canada except Arctic and Prince Edward Island | I: LC least concern |
| Grizzly bear (Ours brun) | Ursus arctos horribilis (Linnaeus, 1758) | Open spaces, mostly alpine and Arctic tundra | Yukon, most of British Columbia except Vancouver Island, Rocky Mountains, mainland Northwest Territory and Nunavut | I: LC least concern CA: special concern AB: recommended for threatened NWT: sensitive BC: Blue List |
| Polar bear (Ours blanc or polaire) | Ursus maritimus (Phipps, 1774) | Edge of ice fields | Arctic Sea and coasts | I: VU vulnerable CA: special concern BC: Yellow List NWT: sensitive QC: listing candidate NF: vulnerable |
| Family Procyonidae: raccoons and allies |||||
| Raccoon (Raton laveur) | Procyon lotor (Linnaeus, 1758) | Riparian forest | Southern Canada except Rockies | I: LC least concern |
| Family Mustelidae: mustelids |||||
| Sea otter (Loutre de mer) | Enhydra lutris (Linnaeus, 1758) | Sea and coast | Vancouver and Goose Island coast | I: EN endangered CA: threatened BC: Red List |
| Northern river otter (Loutre de rivière) | Lontra canadensis (Schreber, 1777) | Rivers, lakes and swamps | Most of Canada except part of the Arctic and southern Prairies | I: LC least concern |
| Wolverine (Carcajou) | Gulo gulo (Linnaeus, 1758) | Boreal forest, Arctic tundra | Largely extinct in southern Canada west of the Rockies - found in much of continental Canada and the Arctic islands | I: LC least concern Eastern population CA: endangered ON: threatened QC: endangered NF: endangered Western population CA: special concern BC: varies |
| American marten (Martre d'Amérique) | Martes americana (Turton, 1806) | Coniferous and mixed forests | Rockies to Labrador and Newfoundland, except Prairies - extinct in several parts of Eastern Canada | I: LC least concern NS: endangered NF: endangered |
| Pacific marten (Martre du Pacifique) | Martes caurina (Merriam, 1890) | Coniferous and mixed forests | West coast up to Yukon down to British Columbia and the Rockies | I: not evaluated |
| Beringian ermine (Hermine béringienne) | Mustela erminea (Linnaeus, 1758) | Boreal forest, Arctic tundra | Most of Arctic Canada aside from parts of eastern Nunavut and Baffin Island | I: LC least concern |
| Haida ermine (Hermine Haïda) | Mustela haidarum (Preble, 1898) | Temperate rainforest | Haida Gwaii archipelago | I: NE not evaluated ssp. haidarum CA: threatened BC: Red List |
| Black-footed ferret (Putois à pieds noirs) | Mustela nigripes (Audubon and Bachman, 1851) | Prairies and grasslands | Extirpated; once inhabited southern Alberta and southern Saskatchewan | I: EN endangered CA: reintroduced, once again extirpated |
| Least weasel (Belette pygmée) | Mustela nivalis (Linnaeus, 1766) | Varied | Yukon to Labrador, except southern Quebec and Ontario | I: LC least concern QC: listing candidate |
| American ermine (Hermine américaine) | Mustela richardsonii (Bonaparte, 1838) | Varied | Almost all of Canada south of the Arctic, except part of southern Prairies and Anticosti Island. | I: NE not evaluated ssp. anguinae BC: Blue List |
| Long-tailed weasel (Belette à longue queue) | Neogale frenata (Lichtenstein, 1831) | Open areas | Southern Rockies to western Ontario, southern Ontario to western Nova Scotia | I: LC least concern |
| Mink (Vison d'Amérique) | Neogale vison (Schreber, 1777) | Wetlands and rivers | Most of Canada, except the Arctic, part of the Prairies and Anticosti Island - introduced to Newfoundland | I: LC least concern |
| Fisher (Pékan) | Pekania pennanti (Erxleben, 1777) | Coniferous and mixed forests near rivers | British Columbia to central Quebec, reintroduced in parts of the Maritimes | I: LC least concern BC: Blue List |
| Badger (Blaireau d'Amérique) | Taxidea taxus (Schreber, 1777) | Fields | Southern Prairies, south-central British Columbia and southernmost Ontario | I: LC least concern CA: endangered (jeffersoni and jacksoni) BC: Red List |
| Family Mephitidae: skunks |||||
| Striped skunk (Moufette rayée) | Mephitis mephitis (Schreber, 1776) | Forests, cultivated areas, valleys | Rockies to the Maritimes - introduced in Prince Edward Island and Nova Scotia in the 19th century | I: LC least concern |
| Western spotted skunk (Moufette tachetée occidentale) | Spilogale gracilis (Merriam, 1890) | Thickets and bushes | Southwestern British Columbia | I: LC least concern (IUCN) I: secure (TNC) |
| Superfamily Pinnipedia: pinnipeds |||||
| Family Otariidae: eared seals |||||
| Northern fur seal (Otarie à fourrure) | Callorhinus ursinus (Linnaeus, 1758) | Sea | Off the coast of British Columbia; appreciates rocky outcrops - occasionally reported from the Arctic | I: VU vulnerable BC: Red List |
| Steller sea lion (Otarie de Steller) | Eumetopias jubatus (Schreber, 1776) | Coast waters | British Columbia; appreciates rocky outcrops | I: NT near threatened BC: Blue List ssp. monteriensis I: LC least concern |
| Walrus (Morse) | Odobenus rosmarus (Linnaeus, 1758) | Arctic shallows | James Bay to Greenland - extinct in the Western Arctic and the Magdalen Islands | I: VU data deficient |
| California sea lion (Otarie de Californie) | Zalophus californianus ((Lesson, 1828)) | Coast waters | Near Vancouver Island | I: LC least concern |
| Family Phocidae: earless seals |||||
| Hooded seal (Phoque à capuchon) | Cystophora cristata (Erxleben, 1777) | Sea | Atlantic from Gulf of the Saint Lawrence to northern Baffin Island | I: VU vulnerable |
| Bearded seal (Phoque barbu) | Erignathus barbatus (Erxleben, 1777) | Sea | Arctic Ocean | I: LC least concern |
| Grey seal (Phoque gris) | Halichoerus grypus (Erxleben, 1777) | Sea rocks, and reefs | East Coast | I: LC least concern |
| Northern elephant seal (Éléphant de mer du Nord) | Mirounga angustirostris (Gill, 1866) | Tropical and temperate sea waters | Occasional in British Columbia | I: LC least concern |
| Harp seal (Phoque du Groenland) | Phoca groenlandica (Erxleben, 1777) | Cold waters | Gulf of Saint Lawrence to James Bay and Greenland | I: LC least concern |
| Harbour seal (Phoque commun) | Phoca vitulina (Linnaeus, 1758) | Coast waters and some interior lakes | Most Canadian coasts except the colder part of the Arctic | I: LC least concern QC: ssp. mellonae listing candidate |
| Ringed seal (Phoque annelé) | Pusa hispida (Schreber, 1775) | Arctic waters and ice-floes | Arctic Ocean | I: LC least concern |

### Cetaceans

Cetaceans includes whales, dolphins and porpoises. They are the mammals most fully adapted to aquatic life with a spindle-shaped nearly hairless body, protected by a thick layer of blubber, and forelimbs and tail modified to provide propulsion underwater.
| Common name (French name) | Species (authority) | Preferred habitat | Native range | Status |
| Family Balaenidae: right whales |||||
| Bowhead whale (Baleine boréale) | Balaena mysticetus (Linnaeus, 1758) | Polar ice shelf in winter, coastal waters in the summer | Arctic Ocean | I: LC least concern CA: at risk |
| North Atlantic right whale (Baleine franche) | Eubalaena glacialis (Linnaeus, 1758) | Temperate coast waters | North Atlantic | I: CR endangered CA: endangered QC: listing candidate |
| North Pacific right whale (Baleine franche) | Eubalaena japonica (Lacépède, 1818) | | North Pacific | I: EN endangered CA: endangered Northeast Pacific subpopulation I: CR critically endangered |
| Family Balaenopteridae: rorquals |||||
| Northern minke whale (Petit rorqual) | Balaenoptera acutorostrata (Lacépède, 1804) | Temperate or polar seas | Northern Atlantic and Pacific | I: LC least concern CA: not at risk |
| Sei whale (Rorqual boréal) | Balaenoptera borealis (Lesson, 1828) | Temperate seas | Atlantic and Pacific oceans | I: EN endangered Pacific CA: BC: Blue List Atlantic CA: data deficient |
| Blue whale (Rorqual bleu) | Balaenoptera musculus (Linnaeus, 1758) | Temperate and polar waters | Atlantic and Pacific oceans | I: EN endangered ssp. musculus (North Pacific stock) I: LR/cd lower risk/conservation dependent CA: endangered BC: Blue List ssp. musculus (North Atlantic stock) I: VU vulnerable CA: endangered QC: listing candidate ssp. brevicauda I: DD data deficient |
| Fin whale (Rorqual commun) | Balaenoptera physalus (Linnaeus, 1758) | Pelagic, coastal | Atlantic and Pacific oceans | I: VU endangered CA: threatened/special concern BC: Blue List QC: listing candidate |
| Humpback whale (Baleine à bosse) | Megaptera novaeangliae (Borowski, 1781) | Coastal waters, often penetrates estuaries | Atlantic and Pacific oceans | I: LC least concern CA: threatened/not at risk BC: Blue List |
| Family Eschrichtiidae: grey whale |||||
| Grey whale (Baleine grise) | Eschrichtius robustus (Lilljebor, 1861) | Temperate continental shelf waters | Pacific Coast | I: LC least concern Western subpopulation I: EN critically endangered, but Canada is not in the range description CA: special concern BC: Blue List |
| Family Monodontidae: narwhal and beluga |||||
| Narwhal (Narval) | Monodon monoceros (Linnaeus, 1758) | Edge of Arctic ice sheet | Eastern Arctic Ocean | I: LC near threatened/apparently secure CA: special concern |
| Beluga (Bélouga) | Delphinapterus leucas (Pallas, 1776) | Arctic coast waters - often swim deep up rivers | Eastern and Western Arctic Ocean | I: LC near threatened CA: Varied QC: threatened/listing candidate ON: not at risk |
| Family Phocoenidae: porpoises |||||
| Harbour porpoise (Marsouin commun) | Phocoena phocoena (Linnaeus, 1758) | | East and West Coast | I: LC least concern CA: special concern BC: Blue List |
| Dall's porpoise (Marsouin de Dall) | Phocoenoides dalli (True, 1885) | Continental shelf | North Pacific | I: LC least concern |
| Family Physeteridae: sperm whale |||||
| Sperm whale (Cachalot) | Physeter macrocephalus (Linnaeus, 1758) | Very deep waters | Pacific and Atlantic Oceans - only migrating males are found in Canadian waters | I: VU vulnerable CA: not at risk BC: Blue List |
| Family Ziphidae: beaked whales |||||
| Cuvier's beaked whale (Baleine à bec de Cuvier) | Ziphius cavirostris (G. Cuvier, 1823) | Uncertain | North Pacific and Atlantic | I: LC least concern CA: not at risk |
| Baird's beaked whale (Grande baleine à bec) | Berardius bairdii (Stejneger, 1883) | Near continental shelf cliffs | North Pacific | I: LC data deficient CA: not at risk |
| Northern bottlenose whale (Baleine à bec commune) | Hyperoodon ampullatus (Forster, 1770) | Subarctic waters | North Atlantic and part of Arctic | I: NT data deficient CA: endangered |
| Sowerby's beaked whale (Baleine à bec de Sowerby) | Mesoplodon bidens (Sowerby, 1804) | Deep ocean | Temperate North Atlantic | I: LC data deficient CA: special concern |
| Hubbs' beaked whale (Baleine à bec de Moore) | Mesoplodon carlhubbsi (Moore, 1963) | Temperate waters | North Pacific | I: DD data deficient CA: not at risk |
| Stejneger's beaked whale (Baleine à bec de Stejneger) | Mesoplodon stejnegeri (True, 1885) | Cold, high sea | North Pacific | I: NT data deficient CA: not at risk |
| Family Delphinidae: oceanic dolphins |||||
| White-beaked dolphin (Dauphin à bec blanc) | Lagenorhynchus albirostris (Gray, 1846) | High, cold sea | North Atlantic | I: LC least concern |
| Atlantic white-sided dolphin (Dauphin à flancs blancs) | Leucopleurus acutus (Gray, 1828) | Temperate high sea | North Atlantic | I: LC least concern |
| Common bottlenose dolphin (Grand dauphin) | Tursiops truncatus (Montagu, 1821) | Coastal waters | Occasional in the Maritimes | I: LC least concern |
| Short-beaked common dolphin (Dauphin commun à bec court) | Delphinus delphis (Linnaeus, 1758) | Temperate high sea | Atlantic and Pacific Continental shelves | I: LC least concern |
| Pacific white-sided dolphin (Dauphin à flancs blancs du pacifique) | Sagmatias obliquidens (Gill, 1865) | Temperate and subarctic seas | North Pacific | I: LC least concern |
| Orca (Épaulard or orque) | Orcinus orca (Linnaeus, 1758) | Prefers coastal waters | Atlantic, Pacific and parts of the Arctic | I: DD data deficient CA: varies BC: varies |
| Short-finned pilot whale (Globicéphale du Pacifique) | Globicephala macrorhynchus (Gray, 1846) | Varied | Pacific Ocean | I: LC data deficient CA: not at risk |
| Long-finned pilot whale (Globicéphale de l'Atlantique) | Globicephala melas (Traill, 1809) | Varied | North Atlantic | I: LC data deficient |

### Even-toed ungulates

The even-toed ungulates are ungulates whose weight is borne about equally by the third and fourth toes, rather than mostly or entirely by the third as in perissodactyls. There are about 220 artiodactyl species worldwide, including many that are of great economic importance.
| Common name (French name) | Species (authority) | Preferred habitat | Native range | Status |
| Family Cervidae: deer |||||
| Moose (Orignal) | Alces alces (Linnaeus, 1758) | Subarctic and open forests | Yukon to New Brunswick - introduced in Newfoundland, Cape Breton and Anticosti Islands | I: LC least concern NS: endangered |
| Elk (Wapiti) | Cervus canadensis (Linnaeus, 1758) | Varied, prefers open areas | Southern Rockies and part of the Prairies, reintroduced in several part of its former range. | I: LC least concern ssp roosevelti BC: Blue List |
| Mule deer (Cerf mulet) | Odocoileus hemionus (Rafinesque, 1817) | Subarctic and open forests | West Coast to Prairies | I: LC least concern MB: threatened |
| White-tailed deer (Cerf de Virginie) | Odocoileus virginianus (Zimmerman, 1780) | Glens, rivers, marshes, forest edges | Southern Rockies and Prairie Provinces to coast of Labrador and Maritimes - introduced to the Anticosti Islands | I: LC least concern |
| Caribou (Caribou) | Rangifer tarandus (Zimmerman, 1780) | Tundra, Taiga and boreal forest | Boreal forest across Canada, and parts of the Arctic and Rockies | I: VU least concern AB: caribou & groenlandicus threatened MB: caribou threatened QC: threatened NF: caribou threatened BC: varies |
| Family Antilocapridae: pronghorn |||||
| Pronghorn (Antilope d'Amérique or pronghorn) | Antilocapra americana (Ord, 1815) | Prairies and plains | Southern Saskatchewan and Alberta | I: LC least concern |
| Family Bovidae: bovids |||||
| American bison (Bison) | Bison bison (Linnaeus, 1758) | Varied | South of the Great Slaves Lake - small reintroduced population found in several parts of its former range | I: NT near threatened AB: endangered BC: Red List |
| Mountain goat (Chèvre de montagne) | Oreamnos americanus (Blainville, 1816) | Mountains | Various parts of the Western Cordillera | I: LC least concern |
| Muskox (Boeuf musqué) | Ovibos moschatus (Zimmermann, 1780) | Arctic tundra | Canadian Arctic | I: LC least concern |
| Bighorn sheep (Mouflon d'Amérique) | Ovis canadensis (Shaw, 1804) | Alpine prairies | South and southeastern Rockies | I: LC least concern BC: Blue List |
| Dall sheep (Mouflon de Dall) | Ovis dalli (Nelson, 1884) | Alpine tundra | Yukon and northern British Columbia | I: LC least concern ssp. dalli BC: Blue List |

### Marsupials

Didelphimorphia is the order of common opossums of the Western Hemisphere. Opossums probably diverged from the basic South American marsupials in the late Cretaceous or early Paleocene. They are small to medium-sized marsupials, about the size of a large house cat, with a long snout and prehensile tail.
| Common name (French name) | Species (authority) | Preferred habitat | Native range | Status |
| Family Didelphidae: New World opossums |||||
| Virginia opossum (Opossum d'Amérique or de Virginie) | Didelphis virginiana (Kerr, 1792) | Humid lowland forest | Southwestern Ontario, introduced in British Columbia | I: LC least concern |

### Rabbits, hares, and pikas

The lagomorphs comprise two families, Leporidae (hares and rabbits), and Ochotonidae (pikas). They can resemble rodents, but differ in a number of physical characteristics, such as having four incisors in the upper jaw rather than two.
| Common name (French name) | Species (authority) | Preferred habitat | Native range | Status |
| Family Ochotonidae: pikas |||||
| Collared pika (Pica à collier) | Ochotona collaris (Nelson, 1893) | Mountains above the tree line | Rockies of the Yukon | I: LC least concern |
| American pika (Pica d'Amérique) | Ochotona princeps (Richardson, 1828) | Mountains near the tree line | Southern British Columbia and Alberta | I: LC least concern |
| Family Leporidae: rabbits and hares |||||
| Snowshoe hare (Lièvre d'Amérique) | Lepus americanus (Erxleben, 1777) | Forests | Much of mainland Canada except southernmost Ontario | I: LC least concern ssp. washingtonii BC: Red List |
| Arctic hare (Lièvre arctique) | Lepus arcticus (Ross, 1819) | Tundra | Canadian Arctic (including Arctic Archipelago), Labrador, Newfoundland | I: LC least concern |
| White-tailed jackrabbit (Lièvre de Townsend) | Lepus townsendii (Bachman, 1839) | Fields | Southern Prairies, Okanagan Valley | I: LC least concern BC: Red List |
| Eastern cottontail (Lapin à queue blanche) | Sylvilagus floridanus (J. A. Allen, 1890) | Open woodlands | Southern Manitoba, Saskatchewan Ontario and Quebec | I: LC least concern |
| Mountain cottontail (Lapin de Nuttall) | Sylvilagus nuttallii (J. A. Allen, 1890) | Dry plains | Southern Alberta and Saskatchewan, Okanagan and Similkameen valleys | I: LC least concern BC: Blue List ssp. nuttallii CA: special concern |
| New England cottontail (Lapin de Nouvelle-Angleterre) | Sylvilagus transitionalis (Bangs, 1895) | High elevation forests | Presence uncertain in Quebec, possibly extant | I: VU vulnerable |

### Rodents

Rodents make up the largest order of mammals, with over 40% of mammalian species. They have two incisors in the upper and lower jaw which grow continually and must be kept short by gnawing. Most rodents are small though the capybara, a rodent native to South America, can weigh up to 45 kg (100 lb).
| Common name (French name) | Species (authority) | Preferred habitat | Native range | Status |
| Family Erethizontidae: New World porcupines |||||
| North American porcupine (Porc-épic d'Amérique) | Erethizon dorsatum (Linnaeus, 1758) | Forests south of the tree line | All of Canada except Arctic | I: LC least concern |
| Family Aplodontiidae: mountain beaver |||||
| Mountain beaver (Castor de montagne) | Aplodontia rufa (Rafinesque, 1817) | Montane forest | Southern British Columbia | I: LC least concern CA: special concern BC: Blue List |
| Family Castoridae: beavers |||||
| North American beaver (Castor) | Castor canadensis (Kuhl, 1820) | Humid areas of forests | All of Canada below the tree line except drier parts of the Prairies | I: LC least concern |
| Family Sciuridae: squirrels |||||
| Eastern grey squirrel (Écureuil gris) | Sciurus carolinensis (Gmelin, 1788) | Prefers deep forest, but frequent in urban areas | Southern Manitoba and northwestern Ontario, southern Quebec, Ontario and New Brunswick | I: LC least concern |
| Eastern fox squirrel (Écureuil fauve) | Sciurus niger (Linnaeus, 1758) | Edges of forests and groves | Southern Manitoba and Saskatchewan, British Columbia and Pelee Island | I: LC least concern |
| Douglas squirrel (Écureuil de Douglas) | Tamiasciurus douglasii (Bachman, 1839) | Coniferous forest | Southwestern British Columbia | I: LC least concern |
| American red squirrel (Écureuil roux) | Tamiasciurus hudsonicus (Erxleben, 1839) | Forests | Mainland Canada south of the tree line, except the southern Prairies and southwestern British Columbia; Vancouver Island | I: LC least concern |
| Humboldt's flying squirrel | Glaucomys oregonensis (Bachman, 1839) | Boreal forest | Southern British Columbia continuing south through the US border | I: not evaluated |
| Northern flying squirrel (Grand polatouche) | Glaucomys sabrinus (Shaw, 1801) | Boreal forest | Mainland Canada south of the tree line except the southern Prairies | I: LC least concern |
| Southern flying squirrel (Petit polatouche) | Glaucomys volans (Linnaeus, 1758) | Deciduous forest | Southern Ontario, part of Quebec, southern Nova Scotia | I: LC least concern QC: listing candidate |
| Black-tailed prairie dog (Chien de prairie à queue noire) | Cynomys ludovicianus (Ord, 1815) | Dry prairies | Small part of southern Saskatchewan | I: LC least concern CA: special concern |
| Hoary marmot (Marmotte des Rocheuses) | Marmota caligata (Eschscholtz, 1829) | Alpine tundra | Rockies, Columbia, and Coast Mountains | I: LC least concern |
| Yellow-bellied marmot (Marmotte à ventre jaune) | Marmota flaviventris (Audubon and Bachman, 1841) | Mountains | Central British Columbia and southernmost Alberta | I: LC least concern |
| Groundhog (Marmotte commune, siffleux) | Marmota monax (Linnaeus, 1758) | Broken ground | Much of mainland Canada east of the Rockies, inland valleys and part of western Yukon | I: LC least concern |
| Vancouver Island marmot (Marmotte de Vancouver) | Marmota vancouverensis (Swarth, 1911) | Near the mountain tree line | Endemic to Vancouver Island | I: CR critically endangered CA: endangered BC: Red List |
| Golden-mantled ground squirrel (Spermophile à mante dorée) | Callospermophilus lateralis (Say, 1823) | Montane coniferous forest | Southeastern Rockies | I: LC lower risk/conservation dependent |
| Cascade golden-mantled ground squirrel (Spermophile à mante dorée des Cascades) | Callospermophilus saturatus (Rhoads, 1895) | Southern British Columbia Cascade Range | British Columbia | I: LC least concern |
| Franklin's ground squirrel (Écureuil terrestre de Franklin) | Poliocitellus franklinii (Sabine, 1822) | Parklands | Northwestern Ontario and southern Prairies except short-grass prairies | *I: LC least concern |
| Thirteen-lined ground squirrel (Spermophile rayé) | Ictidomys tridecemlineatus (Mitchill, 1821) | Groves, swamps, uncultivated land | Southern Prairie Provinces | I: LC least concern |
| Columbian ground squirrel (Spermophile du Columbia) | Urocitellus columbianus (Ord, 1815) | Montane open areas | Southern Rocky mountains | I: LC least concern |
| Arctic ground squirrel (Spermophile arctique) | Urocitellus parryii (Richardson, 1825) | Tundra without permafrost | Mainland Arctic | I: LC least concern |
| Richardson's ground squirrel (Spermophile de Richardson) | Urocitellus richardsonii (Sabine, 1822) | Prairies | South of the Prairie provinces | I: LC least concern |
| Yellow-pine chipmunk (Tamia amène) | Tamias amoenus (Allen, 1821) | Dry montane forest | Southern and central British Columbia and Alberta | I: LC least concern |
| Least chipmunk (Tamia mineur) | Tamias minimus (Bachman, 1839) | Edges of forests, groves, but also open spaces | Western Quebec to Yukon | I: LC least concern ssp. selkirki AB: |
| Red-tailed chipmunk (Tamia à queue rousse) | Tamias ruficaudus (A. H. Howell, 1839) | High altitude forest and valley pine groves | Southern British Columbia and Alberta | I: LC least concern CA: vulnerable AB: may be at risk BC: Imperiled |
| Eastern chipmunk (Tamia rayé, Petit suisse) | Tamias striatus (Linnaeus, 1758) | Deciduous forest | Maritime provinces, and the southern half of Quebec, Ontario, and Manitoba | I: LC least concern |
| Townsend's chipmunk (Tamia de Townsend) | Tamias townsendii (Bachman, 1839) | Western Coast lowland and montane tsuga forests | Southwestern British Columbia | I: LC least concern |
| Family Geomyidae: pocket gophers |||||
| Plains pocket gopher (Gaufre brun) | Geomys bursarius (Shaw, 1800) | Fields and banks | Southern Manitoba | I: LC least concern CA: not at risk |
| Northern pocket gopher (Gaufre gris) | Thomomys talpoides (Richardson, 1828) | Open areas | Southern Prairie Provinces and British Columbia | I: LC least concern ssp. douglasii vulnerable ssp. segregatus near threatened BC: secure ssp. segregatus Red List |
| Family Heteromyidae: heteromyids |||||
| Ord's kangaroo rat (Rat-kangourou d'Ord) | Dipodomys ordii (Woodhouse, 1853) | Semi-deserctic areas | Great Sand Hills area | I: LC least concern CA: special concern AB: endangered |
| Olive-backed pocket mouse (Souris à abajoues des plaines) | Perognathus fasciatus (Wied-Neuwied, 1839) | Dry plains | Southern Prairies | I: LC least concern CA: sensitive |
| Great Basin pocket mouse (Souris à abajoues des pinèdes) | Perognathus parvus (Peale, 1848) | Dry plains | Great Basin | I: LC least concern CA: sensitive BC: Red List |
| Family Dipodidae: jerboas |||||
| Woodland jumping mouse (Souris sauteuse des bois) | Napaeozapus insignis (Miller, 1891) | Forest streams | Eastern Canada | I: LC least concern |
| Meadow jumping mouse (Souris sauteuse des champs) | Zapus hudsonius (Zimmermann, 1780) | Wet fields | Eastern Canada (except Anticosti island and Newfoundland) to Yukon | I: LC least concern ssp. alascensis BC: Blue List |
| Western jumping mouse (Souris sauteuse de l'ouest) | Zapus princeps (Allen, 1893) | Prairies | Rockies and Prairies | I: LC least concern |
| Pacific jumping mouse (Souris sauteuse du Pacifique) | Zapus trinotatus (Rhoads, 1893) | Montane prairies | Southwestern British Columbia | I: LC least concern |
| Family Cricetidae: cricetids |||||
| Southern red-backed vole (Campagnol à dos roux de Gapper) | Clethrionomys gapperi (Vigors), 1830 | Forests | Most of the provinces, except Newfoundland and Vancouver Island | I: LC least concern ssp. galei BC: Blue List ssp. occidentalis BC: Red List |
| Northern red-backed vole (Campagnol à dos roux boréal) | Clethrionomys rutilus (Pallas, 1779) | Shrubby tundra | Mainland Arctic | I: LC least concern |
| Northern collared lemming (Lemming variable or lemming à collerette) | Dicrostonyx groenlandicus (Traill, 1823) | Tundra | Northern Arctic islands | I: LC least concern |
| Ungava collared lemming (Lemming d'Ungava) | Dicrostonyx hudsonius (Pallas, 1778) | Tundra | Northern Quebec | I: LC least concern |
| Victoria collared lemming (Lemming à collerette) | Dicrostonyx kilangmiutak (Anderson & Rand, 1945) | Tundra | Mainland Arctic, Banks, Victoria and King Williams Islands | I: LC least concern |
| Ogilvie Mountains collared lemming (—) | Dicrostonyx nunatakensis (Youngman, 1967) | Montane tundra | Ogilvie Mountains | I: LC least concern (IUCN) I: critically imperiled (TNC) |
| Richardson's collared lemming (—) | Dicrostonyx richardsoni (Merriam, 1900) | Tundra | Arctic, roughly south of the Thelon River Basin | I: LC least concern |
| Sagebrush vole (Campagnol des sauges) | Lemmiscus curtatus (Cope, 1868) | Sagebrush steppes | Southern Alberta and Saskatchewan | I: LC least concern |
| North American brown lemming (Lemming brun) | Lemmus trimucronatus (Richardson, 1825) | | Tundra of Nunavut, Northwest Territories and Yukon, also west coast of British Columbia almost south to Vancouver Island | I: LC least concern |
| Rock vole (Campagnol des rochers) | Microtus chrotorrhinus (Miller, 1894) | Rocky areas | Boreal Ontario and Quebec; southernmost Labrador; Gaspesia and northern New Brunswick | I: LC least concern QC: listing candidate ssp. ravus data deficient |
| Long-tailed vole (Campagnol longicaude) | Microtus longicaudus (Miller, 1894) | Varied | Western Cordillera | I: LC least concern |
| Singing vole (Campagnol chanteur) | Microtus miurus (Osgood, 1901) | Alpine tundra | Yukon and neighbouring Northwest Territory | I: LC least concern |
| Montane vole (Campagnol montagnard) | Microtus montanus (Peale, 1848) | Shortgrass alpine prairies | Central south British Columbia | I: LC least concern |
| Prairie vole (Campagnol des prairies) | Microtus ochrogaster (Wagner, 1842) | Prairies | Prairie provinces | I: LC least concern |
| Tundra vole (Campagnol nordique) | Microtus oeconomus (Pallas, 1776) | Wet tundra | Western Arctic | I: LC least concern |
| Creeping vole (Campagnol de l'oregon) | Microtus oregoni (Bachman, 1839) | Humid coniferous forest | Southern British Columbia | I: LC least concern |
| Meadow vole (Campagnol des champs) | Microtus pennsylvanicus (Ord, 1815) | Wet fields | All of Canada except Arctic and westernmost ranges | I: LC least concern |
| Woodland vole (Campagnol sylvestre) | Microtus pinetorum (Le Conte, 1830) | Deciduous forest | Southernmost Ontario and Quebec | I: LC least concern CA: special concern QC: listing candidate |
| Water vole (Campagnol de Richardson) | Microtus richardsoni (De Kay, 1842) | Alpine prairies and streams | Cascades and southern Rockies | I: LC least concern |
| Townsend's vole (Campagnol de Townsend) | Microtus townsendii (Bachman, 1839) | Saline marshes and fields | Vancouver Island, nearby islands and Fraser River delta | I: LC least concern ssp. cowani conservation dependent BC: Red List |
| Taiga vole (Campagnol à joues jaunes) | Microtus xanthognathus (Leach, 1815) | Forest streams | From southwestern Hudson Bay through northern Prairies and Yukon | I: LC least concern |
| Muskrat (Rat musqué) | Ondatra zibethicus (Linnaeus, 1766) | Wetlands | Most of Canada outside the Arctic and southwestern British Columbia | I: LC least concern |
| Western heather vole (Campagnol des bruyères) | Phenacomys intermedius (Merriam, 1889) | Varied | British Columbia | I: LC least concern ssp. artemisiae near threatened ssp. sphagnicola near threatened |
| Eastern heather vole (Phénacomys d'Ungava) | Phenacomys ungava (Merriam, 1889) | Varied | Quebec, Ontario and Labrador to southern Yukon | I: LC least concern |
| Northern bog lemming (Campagnol-lemming boréal) | Synaptomys borealis (Richardson, 1828) | Peatlands | Labrador to Alaska; Gaspesia and northern New Brunswick | I: LC least concern |
| Southern bog lemming (Campagnol-lemming de Cooper) | Synaptomys cooperi (Baird, 1857) | Peatlands | Western Manitoba, central and southern Ontario and Quebec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia | I: LC least concern QC: listing candidate |
| Bushy-tailed woodrat (Rat à queue touffue) | Neotoma cinerea (Ord, 1815) | Mountains | Western Cordillera | I: LC least concern |
| Yukon deer mouse (Souris de yukon) | Peromyscus arcticus (Wagner, 1845) | Forest, mountains | Yukon | I: LC not evaluated |
| Northwestern deer mouse (Souris de keen) | Peromyscus keeni (Rhoades, 1894) | Mild and rainy forest | West of the Coastal Mountains | I: LC least concern |
| White-footed mouse (Souris à pattes blanches) | Peromyscus leucopus (Rafinesque, 1818) | Deciduous forest | Southern Alberta, Saskatchewan, Ontario, Quebec and Nova Scotia | I: LC least concern |
| Eastern deer mouse (Souris sylvestre) | Peromyscus maniculatus (Wagner, 1845) | Anywhere except wetlands | Easternmost Saskatchewan to most of eastern Canada aside from northern Quebec and Newfoundland | I: LC least concern |
| Western deer mouse (Souris sylvestre) | Peromyscus sonoriensis (Wagner, 1845) | Anywhere except wetlands | Saskatchewan west to British Columbia, north to the southern Northwest Territories and eastern Yukon | I: LC not evaluated |
| Western harvest mouse (Souris-moissonneuse occidentale) | Reithrodontomys megalotis (Baird, 1858) | Prairies | Okanagan Valley (ssp. dychei), south of Alberta and Saskatchewan (ssp. megalotis) | I: LC least concern CA: special concern (dychei) CA: endangered (megalotis) BC: Blue List AB: unknown SA: unknown |
| Northern grasshopper mouse (Souris à sauterelles) | Onychomys leucogaster (Wied-Neuwied, 1841) | Southern Prairies | Prairies | I: LC least concern |

### Shrews and moles

Eulipotyphlans are insectivorous mammals. Shrews and solenodons closely resemble mice, hedgehogs carry spines, while moles are stout-bodied burrowers.
| Common name (French name) | Species (authority) | Preferred habitat | Native range | Status |
| Family Soricidae: shrews |||||
| Northern short-tailed shrew (Grande musaraigne) | Blarina brevicauda (Say, 1823) | Deciduous forest | Eastern Saskatchewan to Maritime provinces | I: LC least concern |
| North American least shrew (Petite musaraigne) | Cryptotis parva (Say, 1823) | Fields, clearings and salt marshes | Long point, Ontario | I: LC least concern CA: possibly extirpated |
| Arctic shrew (Musaraigne arctique) | Sorex arcticus (Kerr, 1792) | Peatlands and marshes | From the Northwest Territory to central Quebec | I: LC least concern |
| Maritime shrew (Musaraigne des Maritimes) | Sorex maritimensis (Smith, 1939) | Peatlands and marshes | New Brunswick and Nova Scotia | I: LC least concern The Nature Conservancy: vulnerable |
| Marsh shrew (Musaraigne de Bendire) | Sorex bendirii (Smith, 1939) | Coniferous forest | Fraser Valley | I: LC least concern CA: threatened BC: Red List |
| Masked shrew (Musaraigne cendrée) | Sorex cinereus (Smith, 1939) | Varied | Most of Mainland Canada except northernmost Quebec; Prince Edward and Cape Breton islands | I: LC least concern |
| Long-tailed shrew (Musaraigne longicaude) | Sorex dispar (Batchelder, 1911) | Wet banks | New Brunswick | I: LC least concern |
| Smoky shrew (Musaraigne fuligineuse) | Sorex fumeus (Miller, 1895) | Deciduous forest | Great lakes to Maritimes | I: LC least concern |
| Gaspé shrew (Musaraigne de Gaspé) | Sorex gaspensis (Anthony & Goodwin, 1924) | Near forest streams | Gaspesia and northern New Brunswick; Cape Breton Island | I: LC least concern CA: not at risk QC: listing candidate |
| Prairie shrew (Musaraigne des steppes) | Sorex haydeni (Baird, 1857) | Grassland | Southern Prairies | I: LC least concern |
| American pygmy shrew (Musaraigne pygmée) | Sorex hoyi (Baird, 1857) | Forest clearings | Yukon and eastern Cordillera to Labrador and Maritimes | I: LC least concern |
| Merriam's shrew (Musaraigne de Merriam) | Sorex merriami (Dobson, 1890) | Grasslands | Extreme southern British Columbia | I: LC least concern BC: Red List |
| Montane shrew (Musaraigne sombre) | Sorex monticolus (Merriam, 1890) | Montane streams and marshes | Western Cordillera | I: LC least concern |
| American water shrew (Musaraigne palustre) | Sorex palustris (Richardson, 1828) | Lakes and marshes | Western Cordillera to Labrador and Maritimes except southern Prairies and southernmost Ontario | I: LC least concern ssp. brooksi BC: Red List |
| Preble's shrew (Musaraigne de Preble) | Sorex preblei (Jackson,1922) | Montane streams and marshes | Southcentral British Columbia | I: LC least concern BC: Red List |
| Trowbridge's shrew (Musaraigne de Trowbridge) | Sorex trowbridgii (Baird, 1857) | Coniferous forest | Lower Fraser Valley | I: LC least concern BC: Blue List |
| Tundra shrew (—) | Sorex tundrensis (Merriam, 1900) | Tundra | Yukon and Northwest territory | I: LC least concern BC: Red List |
| Barren ground shrew (—) | Sorex ugyunak (Anderson & Rand, 1945) | Tundra | Mainland Arctic | I: LC least concern |
| Vagrant shrew (Musaraigne errante) | Sorex vagrans (Baird, 1857) | Montane streams | Southern Cordillera | I: LC least concern |
| Family Talpidae: moles |||||
| Star-nosed mole (Condylure étoilé) | Condylura cristata (Linnaeus, 1758) | Wet forest | Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec, Labrador, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia | I: LC least concern |
| Coast mole (Taupe du Pacifique) | Scapanus orarius (True, 1896) | Alpine coniferous forest | Southwestern British Columbia | I: LC least concern |
| Townsend's mole (Taupe de Townsend) | Scapanus townsendii (Bachman, 1839) | Fields | Southwestern British Columbia | I: LC least concern CA: endangered BC: Red List |
| Shrew-mole (Taupe de Townsend) | Neurotrichus gibbsii (Baird, 1858) | Banks | Southwestern British Columbia | I: LC least concern |
| Eastern mole (Taupe à queue glabre) | Scalopus aquaticus (Linnaeus, 1758) | Open woodlands | Point Pelee area | I: LC least concern CA: special concern |
| Hairy-tailed mole (Taupe à queue velue) | Parascalops breweri (Bachman, 1842) | Dry loose soils | Southern Quebec and Ontario | I: LC least concern |

## Introduced or accidental species

A number of wild mammals may be found in Canadian territory without being confirmed natives. Some were voluntarily or involuntarily introduced. These include the house mouse (Mus musculus), and brown and black rats (respectively Rattus norvegicus and R. rattus). Other include escaped animals: the coypu (Myocastor coypus), European rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus) and European hare (Lepus europaeus). Both the European fallow deer (Dama dama) and wild boar (Sus scrofa) were introduced for hunting.
Finally, other species are encountered only accidentally, or so rarely in Canadian territory that it is impossible to tell whether they are permanent residents. Most of these species are cetaceans, some generally poorly known: Risso's dolphin (Grampus griseus), the dwarf and pygmy sperm whales (Kogia sima and K. breviceps), Blainville's and True's beaked whale (Mesoplodon densirostris and M. mirus), the false killer whale (Pseudorca crassidens), and the striped dolphin (Stenella coeruleoalba). The big free-tailed and evening bats (respectively Nyctinomops macrotis and Nycticeius humeralis), as well as the New England cottontail (Sylvilagus transitionalis) are found mostly in areas south of the U.S.-Canada frontier, and occasionally in Canada.

### Extinct, extirpated or reintroduced species

Out of three species that have been extirpated in Canada in written history, two have since been reintroduced.
The sea mink (Neogale macrodon) formerly lived in the Maritime Provinces, but became extinct following overhunting and habitat destruction. The only Canadian (and also last known) specimen was captured on Campobello Island, New Brunswick in 1894.
The eastern elk (Cervus canadensis canadensis), a subspecies of the elk or wapiti, was also formerly found in Quebec and Ontario, but was made extinct for much the same reasons as the sea mink.
Eastern cougars (Puma concolor couguar) were also found in the eastern provinces, but became extinct soon after populations in the United States were eradicated.
The black-footed ferret (Mustela nigripes) became extirpated in Canada in 1937. Between the 1950s and 1981, it was suspected to be entirely extinct until a wild population was discovered in 1981 in Wyoming. Subsequent reintroductions into Canada have failed.
The swift fox (Vulpes velox) and sea otter (Enhydra lutris) both were extirpated in Canada in the 1930s, but were successfully reintroduced in the beginning of the 1970s.