List of mammals of Florida
Common name Scientific name authority Order Family ASM state status and native range Red List
Coyote Canis latrans Say , 1823 Carnivora Canidae uncommon or locally common statewide 7
Feral dog Canis familiaris Linnaeus , 1758 Carnivora Canidae locally common ; escaped or released statewide 0
Gray fox Urocyon cinereoargenteus ( Schreber , 1775 ) Carnivora Canidae uncommon or locally common statewide 7
Red fox Vulpes vulpes Linnaeus , 1758 Carnivora Canidae uncommon or locally common statewide 7
Florida black wolf Canis lupus floridanus Miller , 1912 Carnivora Canidae extinct 3
Red wolf Canis rufus Audubon & Bachman , 1851 Carnivora Canidae rare , introduced on Saint Vincent Island 3
Bobcat Lynx rufus ( Schreber , 1777 ) Carnivora Felidae common ; peninsula and northern Keys 7
Florida panther Puma concolor ( Linnaeus , 1771 ) Carnivora Felidae rare , restricted to Green Swamp and Big Cypress areas in SW peninsula 6
Feral cat Felis catus ( Linnaeus , 1758 ) Carnivora Felidae abundant ; escaped or released statewide 0
Jaguarundi Herpailurus yaguarondi ( Lacépède , 1809 ) Carnivora Felidae possibly introduced to the northern two thirds of peninsula 7
Eastern spotted skunk Spilogale putorius ( Linnaeus , 1758 ) Carnivora Mephitidae common ; statewide except northeast corner and Keys 7
Striped skunk Mephitis mephitis ( Schreber , 1776 ) Carnivora Mephitidae common ; statewide except Keys 7
Long-tailed weasel Mustela frenata Lichtenstein , 1831 Carnivora Mustelidae rare ; statewide except Everglades and Keys 7
Mink Mustela vison Schreber , 1777 Carnivora Mustelidae rare ; coastal marshes in west Panhandle , Big Bend area , northeast area , and Everglades 7
Northern river otter Lontra canadensis ( Schreber , 1777 ) Carnivora Mustelidae locally common , mostly freshwater habitats , primarily rivers and streams , statewide except Keys 7
Common raccoon Procyon lotor ( Linnaeus , 1758 ) Carnivora Procyonidae abundant , statewide 7
White-nosed coati Nasua narica ( Linnaeus , 1766 ) Carnivora Procyonidae introduced species , with reports over a wide area of southern Florida 7
Florida black bear Ursus americanus floridanus Pallas , 1780 Carnivora Ursidae rare or uncommon ; localized populations statewide except Keys 7
Terrestrial mammals -- Carnivora
Florida panther Coyotes arrived in northern Florida in the 1970s as their natural range expanded . Illegal releases were another factor in their occupation of the state . Coyotes are extremely adaptable , living in all types of forests and farms . [ 4 ] Florida has two types of foxes . The native gray fox can be found in the United States almost anywhere , except the northern plains and Rockies . It is sometimes confused with the red fox due to having patches of red hair . [ 5 ] The red fox was introduced to Florida by hunting clubs , although it may have been native in the northern panhandle . Its preferred habitats are open areas , while the gray fox prefers woods . [ 6 ] Red wolves were once common throughout the southeastern US , including Florida . Extinct in the wild in 1980 , it has been progressively introduced to select nature preserves . The present population was introduced as part of this recovery program in 1997 to the Saint Vincent National Refuge ; [ 7 ] once red wolf pups reach 18 months , they are relocated to the North Carolina portion of the program . [ 8 ] Bobcats are well adapted to urban development and are not a conservation concern . They make their home in hammocks , forests or swamps . [ 9 ] The Florida panther ( Puma concolor coryi ) is a subspecies of cougar . Its main differences from other subspecies are longer legs , smaller size and a shorter darker coat . The skull of the Florida panther is broader and flatter with highly arched nasal bones . [ 10 ] Reportedly only seventy adult animals are alive , [ 11 ] and a 1992 study estimated that the subspecies would become extinct between 2016 and 2055 . [ 12 ] It was chosen in 1982 as the Florida state animal by the state 's schoolchildren . [ 13 ] It is believed that some jaguarundis were unintentionally released in the wild in the 1940s . [ 14 ] There is no evidence besides witness accounts , and the existence of jaguarandis in the state is dubious . [ 15 ] Two of the eleven species of skunks live in Florida . Both the eastern spotted skunk and the striped skunk can be found statewide ( except for the Keys ) . Small populations of the Everglades mink ( Mustela vison evergladensis ) , a subspecies of American mink , are encountered near Lake Okeechobee , and in the Big Cypress Swamp-Everglades National Park area . [ 16 ] Northern river otters are a common sight close to freshwater streams in Florida . The population is increasing . [ 17 ] Raccoons are prevalent in the contiguous 48 states , including Florida . Adaptable to almost all kinds of habitats , they are among the few which actually benefit from human development , since food becomes more available . Attacks by predators like the bobcat cause minimum mortality , and the main reason for raccoon deaths is considered to be car accidents . [ 18 ] They are predators of sea turtle nests . [ 19 ]
This is a list of mammal species found in the wild in the American state of Florida. Ninety-nine species of mammals are known to inhabit, or have recently inhabited, the state and its surrounding waters. This includes a few species, such as the black-tailed jackrabbit and red deer, that were introduced after the arrival of Europeans. It also includes the extinct Caribbean monk seal. Rodents account for roughly one quarter of all species, followed closely by mammals from the families Cetacea and Carnivora. The species included in this list are drawn from the work of the American Society of Mammalogists (ASM), which compiled information from five different publications. Information on the international conservation status of species has been drawn from the IUCN Red List.