Mammals

This section provides information on the life history, track cast (R. Downing, personal communication) war- distribution, and habitat associations of terrestrial mam- rant its inclusion here. We have omitted the beach vole mals in New England. Nomenclature follows the Revised ( breweri) which only inhabits Muskeget Island, checklist of North American north of Mexico, Massachusetts. 1982 (Jones et al. 1982). This checklist is the standard reference used by the American Society of Mammalo- The relationships of New England mammals to forest gists. Species are arranged in phylogenetic order habitats are not understood as well as those of birds. For some species, life history and distribution data are lack- We have included the mountain lion (Felis con- ing, particularly for bats and shrews. For such species, color), which many consider to be extirpated from the this compilation must be regarded as a starting point. Northeastern United States and adjacent Canada; how- From a habitat structure or classification standpoint, ever, many unconfirmed sightings and one confirmed mammals have not been studied as thoroughly as have birds. Species List Marsupialia Didelphidae Deer Mouse (Peromyscusmaniculafus) .....431 Virginia Opossum (Didelphis virginiana) ...400 White-footed Mouse (Peromyscus leucopus) . 432 Southern Red-backed Vole (Clethrionom ys Insectivora gapperi) ...... 433 Soricidae (Microfuspennsylvanicus) ...434 Masked Shrew (Sorexcinereus) ...... 401 Rock Vole (Microtus chroforrhinus) ...... 435 Water Shrew (Sorex palustris) ...... 402 Woodland Vole (Microfuspinetorum) ...... 436 Smoky Shrew (Sorex fumeus) ...... 403 (Ondafra zibethicus) ...... 437 Long-tailed Shrew (Sorex dispar) .....404 Southern Bog (Synapfomys Pygmy Shrew (Sorex hoyi) ...... 405 cooperi) ...... 438 Northern short-tailed Shrew Northern (Synaptomys (Blarina brevicauda) ...... 406 borealis) ...... 439 Least Shrew (Cryptofis parva) ...... 407 Talpidae Muridae Hairy-tailed Mole (Parascalops breweri) ....408 Norway Rat (Raftusnorvegicus) ...... 440 Eastern Mole (Scalopus aquaficus) ...... 409 House Mouse (Mus musculus) ...... 441 Star-nosed Mole (Condylura crisfafa) ...... 410 Zapodidae Meadow Jumping Mouse (Zapus hudsonius) .442 Chiroptera Woodland Jumpinq Mouse Vespertilionidae (Napaeozapus insignis) ...... 443 Little Brown Myotis (Myofis lucifugus) ...... 411 Keen's Myotis (Myofis keenii) ...... 412 Erethizontidae Indiana Myotis (Myofis sodaljs) ...... 4 13 Porcupine (Erefhizon dorsatum) ...... 444 Small-footed Myotis (Myotisleibii) ...... 4 14 Silver-haired Bat Carnivora (Lasion ycferis nocfivagans) ...... 415 Canidae Eastern Pipistrelle (Pipisfrellus subflavus) ...4 16 Coyote (Canis latrans) ...... 445 Big Brown Bat (Epfesicus fuscus) ...... 4 17 Red Fox ( Vulpes vulpes) ...... 446 Red Bat (Lasiurus borealis) ...... 4 18 Gray Fox (Urocyon cinereoargenfeus) .....447 Hoary Bat (Lasiurus cinereus) ...... 4 19 Ursidae Lagomorpha Black Bear (Ursus americanus) ...... 448 Leporidae Eastern Cottontail (Sylvilagus floridanus) ...420 Procyonidae New England Cottontail (Sylvilagus Raccoon (Procyon lotor) ...... 449 transitionalis) ...... 42 1 Snowshoe Hare (Lepus americanus) ...... 422 Mustelidae European Hare (Lepus capensis)) ...... 423 Marten (Marfes americana) ...... 450 Fisher (Marfespennanfi) ...... 451 Ermine (Musfela erminea) ...... 452 Rodentia Long-tailed Weasel (Musfela frenafa) ...... 453 Sciuridae Mink (Musfela vison) ...... 454 Eastern Chipmunk (Tamiassfriatus) ...... 424 Striped Skunk (Mephitis mephitis) ...... 455 Woodchuck (Marmofa monax) ...... 425 River Otter (Lutra canadensis) ...... 456 Gray Squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis) ...... 426 Red Squirrel ( Tamiasciurus hudsonicus) ....427 Felidae Southern Flying Squirrel Mountain Lion (Felis concolor) ...... 457 (Glaucomys volans) ...... 428 Lynx (Felis lynx) ...... 458 Northern Flying Squirrel (Glaucomys Bobcat (Felis rufus) ...... 459 sabrinus) ...... 429 Artiodactyla Cervidae Castoridae White-tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus) .460 Beaver (Casfor canadensis) ...... 430 Moose (Alces alces) ...... 461 SPECIES OCCURRENCEAND UTILIZATION, BY HABITAT FORESTED

SPECIES Special habitat needs

Virginia Opossum Log or tree cavity Didelphis virginiana - --

Masked Shrew Damp woodlands, ground cover Sorex crnereus

Water Shrew Herbaceous cover, cold-water Sorex palustris wetlands.

Smoky Shrew Loose damp leaf litter. Sorex furneus

Long-tailed Shrew Rocky, wooded sites. Sorex dispar

Pygmy Shrew Moist leaf mold near water. Sorex hoyi

Northern Short.tailed Shrew Low vegetation, damp, loose leaf Blarina brevicauda litter

Least Shrew Loose soil Cryptoris parva

Hairy-tailed Mole Loose. moist. well-drained soil. Parascalops breweri

Eastern Mole Soft, moist soils containing Scalopus aquaticus earthworms.

Star-nosed Mole Wet muck, humus Condylura cristala Females: dark, warm sites for 1 L~ttleBrown Myotis maternity colonies. Forest ~~otis~ucrfugus i openings for feeding.

Caves, mine shafts with Keen's Myotis temperatures near 40'F: high i Myotis keenii relative humidity and calm air. I WF 1 Caves for hibernation cool Indiana Myotis stable temperature Oi40- (0 46'F Myotis soaalis thru winter. A W F I p?0 , , I Small-footed Myotis pi Myotis leibll I I

Silver-haired Bat Dead trees with loose bark or Lasionycteris noctivagans cavities; streams. I- I Eastern Pipistrelle Pipistrellus subflavus hibernation, open woods.

Big Brown Bat Cold, dry areas of caves or Eptesicus fuscus buildings for hibernation.

Red Bat Deciduous trees on forest edges Lasiurus borealis for roosting. I i

Hoary bat Edges of coniferous forests. Lasiurus cinereus

Brush piles, stone walls. dens or I Eastern Cottontail burrows; herbaceous and shrubby dmM##1 Sylvilagus flor~danus

New England Cottontail Young woodlands with thick Sylvilagus transitionalis cover. - *see matrix for nonforested types JMSS StL SSpStL

Lepus arnericanus

European Hare Fields. meadows.

1 Lepus capensrs

elevated perches, logs W F

Woodchuck Open land Marmora monax

Gray Squirrel Tall trees for dens or leafnests. Sciurus carolinensis

Red Squirrel Woodlands with mature trees, Tarniasciurus hudsonicus conifers preferred

Southern Flying Squirrel Mature woodland with cavity trees: favors cavities with Glaucom ys volans entrance diameters of 1.6 to 2 in.

Northern Flying Squirrel Mature trees. cavities for winter Glaucomys sabrinus dens; arboreal lichens.

Beaver Woodland streams. lack of Castor canadensis disturbance.

Deer Mouse Northern hardwoods or northern Peromyscus rnaniculatus coniferous forests.

White-footed Mouse Peromyscus leucopus

SPECIES Special habitat needs

Gray Fox Hollow logs. tree cavities. rock Urocyon cinereoargenteus crevices.

Black Bear Fallen trees, hollow logs. rock Ursus amencanus ledges, slash piles.

Hollow trees. dens usually Raccoon located 10 ft. or more above Procyon lotor ground.

Marten Hollow trees. logs. Martes americana

Fisher Hollow trees, logs Martes pennanti

Ermine Dense brushy cover slash Mustela erminea

Longtailed Weasel Mustela frenata

Mink Hollow logs. natural cavities. Mustela vison under tree roots, riparian habitat.

Striped Skunk Meph~tismephitis

River Otter Body of water such as stream. Lutra canadensis pond, lake. river

Mountain Lion Seclusion; deer Felis concolor

SPECIES OCCURRENCEAND UTILIZATION. BY HABITAT NONFORESTED

"-1 "-1 Terrestrial Wetland/Deep Water Other

Special habitat SPECIES needs rD

Virginia Opossum Hollow log or tree cavlly Didelphis virginiana

Masked Shrew Damp woodlands, ground cover. Sorex cinereus I i

Water Shrew Herbaceous cover. cold water Sorex palustris wetlands. I I

Smoky Shrew Loose damp leaf litter I ISorex fumeus Special habitat needs Terrestrial ep Water Other Palustrine I Riverine

Special habitat SPECIES needs

Snowshoe Hare Dense brushy or softwood cover. Lepus americanus

European Hare Fields. meadows Lepus capensis

Eastern Chipmunk Tree or shrub cover, elevated Tamias striatus perches, logs.

Woodchuck Open or semi-open country. Marrnota monax

Gray Squirrel Tall trees for dens or leafnests. Sciurus carolinensrs

Red Squirrel Woodlands with mature trees. Tamiasciurus hudsonicus Conifers preferred.

Mature woodland with cavity trees; 'Outhern Flying Squirrel favors cavities with entrance Glaucomys volans diameters of 1.6 to 2 in.

~~nh~~~~l~i~gsquirrel Mature trees. cavities for winter Glaucomys sabrinus dens; arboreal l~chens.

Beaver Woodland streams, lack of Castor canadensis disturbance.

Deer Mouse Northern hardwoods or northern Perornyscus maniculatus coniferous forests.

White-footed Mouse Perornyscus leucopus Terrestrial II Wetland/Deew Water I Other -Rive

Special habitat needs

Southern Red-backed Vole Springs, brooks. seeps. bogs: Clethrionomys gapperi debris or slash cover.

Meadow Vole Herbaceous vegetation, loose Microtus pennsylvanicus organic soils.

Rock vole Cool, moist, rocky woodlands Microtus chrotorrhinus with herbaceous ground cover and flowing water.

Woodland Vole Ground cover of leaves or grass; Microtus pinetorum moist to well-drained solls.

Muskrat Wetlands with dense emergent Ondatra zibefhicus vegetation: stable water level

Southern Bog Lemming Moist soils Synaptomys cooperr

Northern Bog Lemming Moist to wet loose soils or Synaptomys borealrs leaf mulch.

Norway Rat Buildings, dumps or loose soil Rattus norvegicus for digging burrows.

House Mouse Buildings in winter MUS rnusculus

Meadow Jumping Mouse Herbaceous groundcover. loose Zapus hudsonius SOIIS.

Woodland Jumping Mouse Moist cool woodland. loose solls. Napaeozapus rnsignis herbaceous cover. Terrestrial II WetlandIDeep Water Other Upland field I Palustrine 1 Riverine Marine--I

Porcupine Rock ledges or den trees. Erethrzon dorsatum

I /coyote Canis larrans

Red Fox Vulpes vulpes I I

Gray Fox Hollow logs. tree cavities, rock Urocyon cinereoargenteus crevices.

Black Bear Fallen trees, hollow logs, rock Ursus americanus ledges, slash piles. I I

Raccoon Hollow trees, dens usually located Procyon lotor 10 ft. or more above ground

Marten Hollow trees, logs. Martes americana

Fisher Hollow trees. logs. Martes pennanti

Ermine Dense brushy cover, slash. Mustela erminea

Long-talled Weasel Mustela frenata

Mink Hollow logs, natural cavities. Mustela vison under tree roots. rlparian habitat. Special habitat SPECIES needs

Striped Skunk Mephitis mephitis

River Otter Body of water such as stream, pond Lutra canadensrs lake, rlver.

Mountain Lion Felis concolor Seclusion; deer

Lynx Secluded den sltes, extenslve Felrs lynx forests.

Bobcat Rock ledges, underwindfallsorin Fells rufus hollow logs.

Wh~te-ta~ledDeer Softwood yarding cover in North. Odocor,eus vrrginianus

Moose Wetlands (in summer) Alces alces Virginia Opossum (Didelphis virginiana)

RANGE:Throughout the Eastern United States except n. FOODHABITS: Insects, worms, fruits, nuts, carrion, and New England. Also occurs along the West Coast as a garbage; almost any vegetable or food (Lay result of transplants and in parts of Central America. 1942).Also preys on voles, shrews, and moles (Hamilton 1951, Taube 1947). RELATIVEABUNDANCE IN NEW ENGLAND:Common to un- common. COMMENTS:In winter, opossums become less active but do not hibernate (McManus 1971). Individuals in the HABITAT:Dry to wet wooded areas; commonly found in north are often lacking ears and tails due to frostbite. wet woods near rivers and swamps, less often in wooded Avoids predators by feigning death and voiding noxious uplands or cultivated fields. Common near human habi- odors (Francq 1969). tation where they are attracted to garbage. KEY REFERENCES:Hamilton 1958, Hartman 1953, Lay SPECIALHABITAT REQUIREMENTS: Den-usually in aban- 1942, Llewellyn and Dale 1964, McManus 1974, Wise- doned burrow, tree cavity, hollow log, or brush pile; wa- man and Hendrickson 1950. ter (Llewellyn and Dale 1964).

REPRODUCTION:Age at sexual maturity: 8 to 12 months. Breeding period: Late January to early July, New York (Hamilton 1958). Gestation period: 13 days (Lay 1942). Young born: February to July in extremely undeveloped stage and remain in female's pouch for 60 days. Litter size: 5 to 13, avercge 8. Litters per year: 1 per year in north, 2 or 3 per year in south (Walker 1975:24).

HOMERANGE: Not territorial; separate home ranges not maintained. Average minimum range was 11.5 acres (4.7 ha). Range 0.33 to 58 acres (0.1 to 23.5 ha) for 29 opossums in East Texas (Lay 1942). 15 to 40 acres (6 to 16 ha) (Burt and Grossenheider 1976:l). Average mini- mum length of 25 elongate ranges in several habitats in Maryland was 0.6 mile (I km) (Llewellyn and Dale 1964). ,Masked Shrew (Sorex cinereus)

RANGE:Throughout Canada and Alaska s, to North Car- FOOD HABITS:Mainly insectivorous and carnivorous. olina, New Mexico (mountains), and c. Washington. Also consumes worms, spiders, snails, slugs, and small amounts of vegetable matter. Feeds among litter on for- RELATIVEABUNDANCE IN NEW ENGLAND:Common to un- est floor. common. COMMENTS:Young are independent when about 1 month HABITAT:Damp deciduous and coniferous woodlands old (Godin 1977:24). Nests in grass, or under logs, with grasses, rocks, logs, or stumps for cover; bogs and rocks, or brush. Active throughout winter. other moist areas. Less often in open country with abun- dant moisture or in dry woods. Kirkland (1977b) found KEYREFERENCES: Banfield 1974, Walker 1975, Wrigley et them in clearcuts in West Virginia. al. 1979.

SPECIALHABITAT REQUIREMENTS: High humidity (moist sites) (Banfield 1974:9), ground cover (especially leaves, rotten logs, herbaceous vegetation).

REPRODUCTION:Age at sexual maturity: 20 to 26 weeks (Short 1961). Breeding period: Late April to late Sep- tember or October (Banfield 1974:9). Gestation period: Probably 18 days (Godin 1977:24. Peterson 1966:36). Young born: Late April to September or October. Litter size: 2 to 10, average 4.4 (Banfield 1974:9). Litters per year: Up to 3 may be produced in a sinqle season.

HOME RANGE:About 0.10 acre (0.04 ha) (Banfield 1974:9).

SAMPLEDENSITIES: Densities of up to 9 indiv~dualsper acre (22/ha) have been reported in favorable habitats (Banfield 1974:9). Water Shrew (Sorex palustris)

RANGE:Nova Scotia and s. Quebec w. to British Colum- COMMENTS:Little is known about the habits of this spe- bia, s. through New England, much of New York, Penn- cies. Have been found more than 100 m from streams in sylvania, and the s. Appalachians. Also occurs in the mature northern hardwood stands in northern New mountains of the West. Hampshire (D. Rudis, personal observation).

RELATIVEABUNDANCE IN NEW ENGLAND:Uncomon. KEYREFERENCES: Banfield 1974, Conaway 1952, Wrigley et al. 1979. HABITAT:Wet areas, especially grass-sedge marsh or shrub zones along ponds and streams in coniferous forest (Wrigley et al. 1979). Also at wooded shores with favor- able cover in the form of crevices beneath boulders, tree roots, or overhanging banks.

SPECIALHABITAT REQUIREMENTS:Herbaceous cover, body of cold water (bog, stream, lake, and so on).

REPRODUCTION: Age at sexual maturity: Possibly 9 months. Breeding period: Possibly February to August. Peak: Possibly March to July. Gestation period: Proba- bly about 21 days (Conaway 1952). Young born: Proba- bly March to August. Litter size: 4 to 8, average 6. Litters per year: Possibly 2 to 3 are produced each year by ma- ture females (Banfield 1974:14).

HOMERANGE: 0.5 and 0.8 acres (0.2 and 0.3 ha) for two individuals live-trapped in Manitoba (Buckner and Ray 1968).

FOOD HABITS:Insectivorous-mainly eats larvae of aquatic insects. Also takes snails, flatworms, and small fish (Banfield 1974:14). Smoky Shrew (Sorex fumeus)

RANGE:Maritime Provinces, s. Quebec and Ontario w. COMMENTS:Usually nests beneath stump, rotten log or in to Lake Superior. Southern Maine s. through parts of s. tunnels dug by larger mammals (Banfield 1974: 16, Go- New England, Ohio, Kentucky, and Georgia. din 1977:27). Active throughout winter (Banfield 1974: 16). RELATIVEABUNDANCE IN NEW ENGLAND: Locally common to uncommon. KEY REFERENCES:Banfield 1974, Godin 1977, Hamilton 1940. HABITAT:Damp, boulder-strewn, upland woods (often beech or maple, birch and hemlock) with thick leafmold. Typically near streams with moss-covered banks (Burt and Grossenheider 1976:5, Godin 1977:27). Also uses early clearcuts in coniferous woodlands (Kirkland 197733).

SPECIALHABITAT REQUIREMENTS: Loose damp leaf lit- ter-does not burrow, uses runways of other small mam- mals (Banfield 1974:16) in shady wooded areas (Peterson 1966:38).

REPRODUCTION:Age at sexual maturity: Spring followinq first winter. Breeding period: Late March to early August (New York Godin 1977:27). Gestation period: About 20 days (Hamilton 1940). Young born: Mid-April through August (New York) (Hamilton 1940). Litters per year: Up to 3 (Hamilton 1940).

SAMPLEDENSITIES: Ranged from 5 to 50 individuals per acre (12 to 123/ha) in late summer (Hamilton 1940).

FOODHABITS: Mainly insectivorous (80 percent) but also eats earthworms, spiders, snails, salamanders, small mammals, and birds (Hamilton 1940:480). Long-tailed S hsew (Sorex dispar)

RANGE: Central and w. Maine s. in the Appplachians to COMMENTS:Little is known about this shrew. Occasion- North Carolina. ally it is found in moderate numbers in favorable habitat and is known to be partly subterranean. Also called the RELATIVE ABUNDANCEIN NEW ENGLAND:Undeter- rock &rew. mined-possibly rare. KEY REFERENCES:Connor 1960, Godin 1977, Kirkland HABITAT:Cold, damp coniferous forests, typically near and Van Deusen 1979, Richmond and Grimm 1950. moss-covered rocks and logs, which provide shady pro- tective crevices, or wooded talus slopes (Connor 1960, Richmond and Grimm 1950). Also found in deciduous and mixed forest (Burt and Grossenheider 1976:b). Five individuals were found in a 1-year-old red spruce clear- cut in West Virginia (Kirkland et al. 1976). Others have been taken in road construction rubble (Conaway and Pfitzer 1952).

SPECIALHABITAT REQUIREMENTS: Rocky, wooded sites.

REPRODUCTION:Age at sexual maturity: Less than 1 year. Breeding period: Possibly late April to August (Kirkland and Van Deusen 1979). Gestation period: Unknown. Young born: Probably May to August. Litter size: 5 re- ported (total of 4 records for litter size).

HOMERANGE: Unknown.

SAMPLEDENSITIES: 7 individuals were trapped on 1 acre (0.4 ha) of talus in Pennsylvania (Richmond and Grimm 1950).

FOOD HABITS:Mainly insectivorous. Also eats centi- pedes and spiders'(Connor 1960, Richmond and Grimm 1950). Pygmy shrew (Sorex hoyi)

RANGE:Gasp6 Peninsula w. to s. Wisconsin, s. in the Appalachians to n. Georgia.

RELATIVE ABUNDANCEIN NEW ENGLAND:Generally thought to be rare, but may be fairly common.

HABITAT:Wet or mixed (wet-dry)habitat or less often in dry areas close to water. Found in damp litter especially near rotten stumps and logs in wooded areas. Prefers grassy openings in coniferous forests (Godin l977:2O), but tolerates a variety of habitat conditions (Wrigley et al. 1979). In New Hampshire, this species was more abundant in swamp hardwood than coniferous stands (Hill 1982).

SPECIALHABITAT REQUIREMENTS: Moist leafmold near water.

REPRODUCTION:Age at sexual maturity: Unknown. Breeding period: Unknown. Gestation period: Un- known. Young born: Unknown. Litter size: Unknown. Litters per year: May bear only 1.

HOMERANGE: Unknown.

FOODHABITS: Observed eating insects and flesh of small in captivity.

COMMENTS:Life history is little known.

KEY REFERENCES: Godin 1977; Long 1972, 1974; Prince 1941; Spencer and Pettus 1966; Wrigley et al. 1979. Northern short-tailed Shrew (Blarina brevicauda)

RANGE:Nova Scotia w. to Saskatchewan, s. to East Texas FOODHABITS: Mainly insects, plants, worms, sowbugs, and s. Florida. snails, small vertebrates, centipedes and millipedes, spi- ders (Banf ield 1974:23). RELATIVEABUNDANCE IN NEW ENGLAND:Common. COMMENTS:Active day and night throughout the year. HABITAT:Both timbered and fairly open habitats: decid- More fossorial than other shrews; digs own tunnels and uous, mixed, and less often coniferous forests with moist uses burrows of other vertebrate species, especially loose humus; especially common along banks of streams voles. and in meadows with tall rank grasses or sedges, brush piles, and stone walls. Avoids dry, warm sites (Getz KEYREFERENCES: Banfield 1974; Blair 1940a, 1941; Burt l96la, Pruitt 1959). Favored grass-sedge marsh and wil- 1940; Hamilton 1931a; Wriqley et al. 1979. low-alder shrub zone in Manitoba (Wrigley et al. 1979).

SPECIALHABITAT REQUIREMENTS: Low vegetation, loose leaf litter, high humidity.

REPRODUCTION:Age at sexual maturity: Early females may mature in 6 weeks, but probably do not breed until a year after their birth. Breeding period: March to Sep- tember. Gestation period: 21 to 22 days. Young born: April to September. Litter size: 3 to 10, average 4.5 (Ban- field 1974:23). Litters per year: 2 to 3. HOMERANGE: 1 .O to 1.25 acres (0.40to 0.51 ha) (Banfield 1974:22), 0.5 to 1.0 acre (0.2 to 0.4 ha) (Burt and Gros- sheider 1976: 16).

SAMPLEDENSITIES: Densities of up to 48 individuals per acre (1 19/ha) have been reported in good habitats (Ban- field 1974:22).