Mammals
Mammals are warm-blooded vertebrates that give birth to live young and are covered with hair at some point in their lives. A diverse range of mammals are found in Bay region, both on land and in the water.
Types of Mammals:
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American Black Bear
Ursus americanusAlso known as the cinnamon bear, the American black bear is a common bear whose color varies from black to yellow-brown.
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Beaver
Castor canadensisThe beaver is a large, brown, semi-aquatic mammal with a distinctive flattened, paddle-like tail. It lives in lakes, streams and forested wetlands throughout the Chesapeake Bay watershed.
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Big Brown Bat
Eptesicus fuscusThe big brown bat is a large copper or chocolate brown bat with long fur, rounded ears and a broad nose.
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Bobcat
Lynx rufusThe bobcat is a wild cat that is brownish with dark spots and stripes. It lives mostly in forested and mountainous areas throughout the Chesapeake Bay watershed.
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Bottlenose Dolphin
Tursiops truncatusThe bottlenose dolphin is a large, grayish aquatic mammal that visits the lower and middle Chesapeake Bay in summer.
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Delmarva Fox Squirrel
Sciurus niger cinereusThe Delmarva fox squirrel is a large, gray squirrel that lives in quiet forests on the Delmarva Peninsula.
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Eastern Cottontail
Sylvilagus floridanusThe eastern cottontail is a brownish, medium-sized rabbit that lives in fields, farms, woods and backyards throughout the Chesapeake Bay watershed.
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Eastern Gray Squirrel
Sciurus carolinensisThe eastern gray squirrel is a grayish-brown, bushy-tailed rodent that lives in forests, parks and backyards throughout the Chesapeake Bay watershed.
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Florida Manatee
Trichechus manatus latirostrisThe Florida manatee is a large, gray aquatic mammal that occasionally visits the Chesapeake Bay’s shallow waters in summer.
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Gray Fox
Urocyon cinereoargenteusThe gray fox has coarse, gray fur and a black-tipped tail. It can be found from southern Canada to the northern Columbia and Venezuela.
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Humpback Whale
Megaptera novaeangliaeThe humpback whale is a school bus-sized mammal that occasionally visits the Chesapeake Bay. It is known for its knobbed head and acrobatic breaching displays.
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Little Brown Bat
Myotis lucifugusThe little brown bat is a small, mostly nocturnal flying mammal with long, brownish fur. It lives in buildings, trees, caves and similar areas throughout the Chesapeake Bay watershed.
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Long-tailed Shrew
Sorex disparThe long-tailed shrew is a mid-sized shrew with a slender body and long tail. It lives in cool, rocky, forested areas and can be found year-round in the Appalachian Mountains.
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Marsh Rabbit
Sylvilagus palustrisThe marsh rabbit is a brownish, medium-sized rabbit. In the Chesapeake Bay watershed, it is only found in the marshes and swamps of southeastern Virginia.
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Marsh Rice Rat
Oryzomys palustrisThe marsh rice rat is a grayish-brown rodent with a long tail. It lives in tidal marshes near the Chesapeake Bay in Delaware, Maryland and Virginia.
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Meadow Vole
Microtus pennsylvanicusThe meadow vole is a small, dark brown rodent that is common in grassy marshes throughout the Chesapeake Bay region.
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Muskrat
Ondatra zibethicusThe muskrat is a semi-aquatic mammal with brownish fur and a long, rudder-like tail. It is found in marshes and other shallow-water areas throughout the Chesapeake Bay watershed.
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North American Porcupine
Erethizon dorsatumThe North American porcupine is a native rodent with an iconic feature—quills—that it uses for defense.
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Nutria
Myocastor coypusNutria are large, brown, semi-aquatic rodents that live in marshes and wetlands on the Delmarva Peninsula and other parts of the Chesapeake Bay watershed. They are an invasive species.
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Raccoon
Procyon lotorThe raccoon is a grayish mammal with a distinctive long, ringed tail and black “mask” over its eyes. It lives in nearly every part of the Chesapeake Bay watershed, from cities and suburbs to swamps and marshes.
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Red Fox
Vulpes vulpesThe red fox is a small, reddish, dog-like mammal that lives in swamps, forests and farms throughout the Chesapeake Bay watershed.
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River Otter
Lontra canadensisThe river otter is a large, brown, weasel-like mammal found along the shores of the Chesapeake Bay and lakes, streams, rivers and marshes throughout the Bay watershed.
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Sika Deer
Cervus nipponThe sika deer is a small, brown elk that lives in quiet marshes and forested wetlands on the lower Eastern Shore of Maryland.
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Southern Flying Squirrel
Glaucomys volansThe southern flying squirrel is a small, grayish-brown mammal that is found throughout the Chesapeake Bay watershed in hardwood forests and areas with lots of deciduous trees.
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Striped Skunk
Mephitis mephitisThe striped skunk is a black and white mammal about the size of a house cat. It can be found throughout nearly all of North America, including the continental United States, southern Canada, and northern Mexico.
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Virginia Big-eared Bat
Corynorhinus townsendii virginianusThe Virginia big-eared bat is an endangered, medium-sized bat. It is known for its distinguishing long ears and large glands on its nose.
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Virginia Opossum
Didelphis virginianaThe Virginia opossum is a gray, heavyset mammal found throughout the Chesapeake Bay watershed.
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White-tailed Deer
Odocoileus virginianusThe white-tailed deer is a brownish, medium-sized deer that is found in forests, farms, parks and backyards throughout the Chesapeake Bay watershed.
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Woodchuck
Marmota monaxThe woodchuck, also known as the groundhog, is a heavy-bodied, burrowing critter that hibernates from October to February.