Mammals of District of Columbia

19 established wild species in District of Columbia. Plus 23 range-listed species with few or no digitized records.

All species A-Z →

Neotoma magister

Allegheny Woodrat

Neotoma magister

Range-listed · no digitized records yet
Size 31–45 cm12.2–17.7 in Weight 357 g12.6 oz active by night rocky outcrop
Beaver swimming low in murky green pond water with only its wet head and back above the surface

American Beaver

Castor canadensis

Common in District of Columbia 214 sightings
Size 60–90 cm2–3 ft Weight 11–32 kg24.3–70.5 lb active day & night river

Sightings by month

Norka amerykańska (neovison vison)

American Mink

Neogale vison

Marginal occurrence · 2 records
Size 33–45.7 cm13–18 in Weight 0.5–1.4 kg1–3 lb active day & night lake
Tamiasciurus hudsonicus James Gardens

American Red Squirrel

Tamiasciurus hudsonicus

Marginal occurrence · 3 records
Size 17–23 cm6.7–9.1 in Weight 140–310 g4.9–10.9 oz active by day wetland
Big Brown Bats (Eptesicus fuscus)

Big Brown Bat

Eptesicus fuscus

Common in District of Columbia 28 sightings
Size 7.5 cm3 in Weight 17 g0.6 oz active by night agricultural

Sightings by month

Live black rat climbing through branches

Black Rat

Rattus rattus

Range-listed · no digitized records yet
Size 16–24 cm6.3–9.4 in Weight 75–230 g2.6–8.1 oz active by night agricultural
Bobcat (Lynx rufus)

Bobcat

Lynx rufus

Range-listed · no digitized records yet
Size 30–60 cm11.8–23.6 in Weight 4–18 kg8.8–39.7 lb active by night forest edge
Common Bottlenose Dolphin (Tursiops truncatus)

Common Bottlenose Dolphin

Tursiops truncatus

Range-listed · no digitized records yet
Size 2–4 m6.6–13.1 ft Weight 150–650 kg330.7–1433 lb active by day coastal
Common Raccoon in Hugh Taylor Birch State Park

Common Raccoon

Procyon lotor

Common in District of Columbia 263 sightings
Size 40–70 cm1.3–2.3 ft Weight 3.5–9 kg7.7–19.8 lb active by night mixed forest

Sightings by month

Mother Coyote Sitting, Watching Over Den, Photo 1 of 2 (47924154788)

Coyote

Canis latrans

Common in District of Columbia 25 sightings
Size 0.8–1 m2.5–3.3 ft Weight 7–21 kg15.4–46.3 lb active day & night urban

Sightings by month

Eastern Chipmunk (Tamias striatus)

Eastern Chipmunk

Tamias striatus

Common in District of Columbia 343 sightings
Size 16.6 cm6.5 in Weight 93 g3.3 oz active by day urban

Sightings by month

Blacklick Woods - Eastern cottontail feeding 1

Eastern Cottontail

Sylvilagus floridanus

Common in District of Columbia 803 sightings
Size 36–43 cm14.2–16.9 in Weight 0.8–1.5 kg1.8–3.3 lb active day & night lake

Sightings by month

Grey squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis) 01

Eastern Gray Squirrel

Sciurus carolinensis

Common in District of Columbia 4,370 sightings
Size 23–30 cm9.1–11.8 in Weight 400–710 g0.9–1.6 lb active by day wetland

Sightings by month

Eastern Mole (Scalopus aquaticus)

Eastern Mole

Scalopus aquaticus

Common in District of Columbia 26 sightings
Size 14.8 cm5.8 in Weight 75 g2.6 oz active day & night river

Sightings by month

Eastern red bat roosting among green leaves, disguised as a dead leaf

Eastern Red Bat

Lasiurus borealis

Common in District of Columbia 32 sightings
Size 9.3–11.7 cm3.7–4.6 in Weight 7–13 g0.2–0.5 oz active by night desert

Sightings by month

Eastern small-footed myotis clinging to a weathered wooden post in daylight, unhandled and alert

Eastern Small-footed Myotis

Myotis leibii

Range-listed · no digitized records yet
Size 7.5–8.5 cm3–3.3 in Weight 5 g0.2 oz active by night cave
Evening bat resting, brown fur and dark ears and wings visible, not restrained

Evening Bat

Nycticeius humeralis

Marginal occurrence · 1 record
Size 5 cm2 in Weight 7–15 g0.2–0.5 oz active by night agricultural
Sciurus niger

Fox Squirrel

Sciurus niger

Marginal occurrence · 2 records
Size 25.4–38.1 cm10–15 in Weight 804 g1.8 lb active by day river
Gray fox standing in dappled woodland

Gray Fox

Urocyon cinereoargenteus

Range-listed · no digitized records yet
Size 0.8–1.1 m2.5–3.7 ft Weight 3–9 kg6.6–19.8 lb active day & night brushy woodland
Groundhog (Marmota monax)

Groundhog

Marmota monax

Common in District of Columbia 159 sightings
Size 50.6 cm19.9 in Weight 3.4 kg7.5 lb active by day woodland

Sightings by month

House mouse in dry plant litter

House Mouse

Mus musculus

Common in District of Columbia 58 sightings
Size 5–10 cm2–3.9 in Weight 12–30 g0.4–1.1 oz active by night agricultural

Sightings by month

Long-tailed weasel standing alert in grass with its black-tipped tail curled behind it, Sonoma County, California

Long-tailed Weasel

Neogale frenata

Range-listed · no digitized records yet
Size 24.8 cm9.8 in Weight 170 g6 oz active day & night wetland
Muskrats resting on a floating log in open water

Muskrat

Ondatra zibethicus

Common in District of Columbia 89 sightings
Size 25–36 cm9.8–14.2 in Weight 0.6–2 kg1.3–4.4 lb active day & night wetland

Sightings by month

North American least shrew moving through short grass

North American Least Shrew

Cryptotis parvus

Marginal occurrence · 2 records
Size 5–8 cm2–3.1 in Weight 6 g0.2 oz active by night grassland
River Otter (Lontra canadensis)

North American River Otter

Lontra canadensis

Occasional in District of Columbia 15 sightings
Size 0.7–1.1 m2.2–3.5 ft Weight 5–15 kg11–33.1 lb active day & night river

Sightings by month

Hoary bat in flight against blue sky, wings spread to show its yellow throat patch and heavily frosted fur

Northern Hoary Bat

Lasiurus cinereus

Marginal occurrence · 3 records
Size 13–15 cm5.1–5.9 in Weight 26 g0.9 oz active by night cave
Northern myotis hanging head-down from a rock ceiling, long ears and tan fur visible

Northern Myotis

Myotis septentrionalis

Marginal occurrence · 1 record
Size 8.6 cm3.4 in Weight 6 g0.2 oz active by night coniferous forest
Northern Short-tailed Shrew (Blarina brevicauda)

Northern Short-tailed Shrew

Blarina brevicauda

Common in District of Columbia 71 sightings
Size 11.1 cm4.4 in Weight 21 g0.7 oz active day & night riparian

Sightings by month

Live Norway rat beside shallow water

Norway Rat

Rattus norvegicus

Common in District of Columbia 242 sightings
Size 15–28 cm5.9–11 in Weight 140–500 g0.3–1.1 lb active by night urban

Sightings by month

Red Fox (Vulpes vulpes)

Red Fox

Vulpes vulpes

Common in District of Columbia 255 sightings
Size 43 cm16.9 in Weight 5–10 kg11–22 lb active day & night desert

Sightings by month

Silver-haired bat tucked into loose bark

Silver-haired Bat

Lasionycteris noctivagans

Marginal occurrence · 8 records
Size 9.5–11.5 cm3.7–4.5 in Weight 11 g0.4 oz active by night river
AI-generated image: Southern bog lemming alert among wet sedges and sphagnum at a bog edge. No public-domain photograph of this species exists. This image was generated with AI from verified reference material and reviewed by our editorial team for accuracy

Southern Bog Lemming

Synaptomys cooperi

Range-listed · no digitized records yet
Size 11.8 cm4.6 in Weight 35 g1.2 oz active day & night mixed conifer
Southern Flying Squirrel-27527-1

Southern Flying Squirrel

Glaucomys volans

Occasional in District of Columbia 17 sightings
Size 17.1 cm6.7 in Weight 65 g2.3 oz active by night deciduous forest

Sightings by month

Star-nosed mole's fleshy 22-ray nose organ fanned out, close-up macro

Star-nosed mole

Condylura cristata

Range-listed · no digitized records yet
Size 12.1 cm4.8 in Weight 52 g1.8 oz active day & night urban
Mephitis mephitis in Dierenpark Zie-ZOO

Striped Skunk

Mephitis mephitis

Marginal occurrence · 1 record
Size 46.5–81.5 cm1.5–2.7 ft Weight 0.6–6.3 kg1.3–13.9 lb active by night grassland
Tricolored Bat hibernating on a limestone mine wall

Tricolored Bat

Perimyotis subflavus

Marginal occurrence · 4 records
Size 7.7–8.9 cm3–3.5 in Weight 5–8 g0.2–0.3 oz active by night cave
Virginia Opossum clinging to a tree branch in a snowy winter woodland

Virginia Opossum

Didelphis virginiana

Common in District of Columbia 59 sightings
Size 40.8 cm16.1 in Weight 1.1–1.6 kg2.5–3.6 lb active by night river

Sightings by month

Little brown myotis roosting alertly on a wooden beam

Western Little Brown Myotis

Myotis lucifugus

Marginal occurrence · 2 records
Size 8–9.5 cm3.1–3.7 in Weight 6–13 g0.2–0.5 oz active by night cave
White-footed mouse on a fallen log in leaf litter

White-footed Mouse

Peromyscus leucopus

Marginal occurrence · 6 records
Size 10.1 cm4 in Weight 20–30 g0.7–1.1 oz active by night urban
White-tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus)

White-tailed Deer

Odocoileus virginianus

Common in District of Columbia 1,422 sightings
Size 0.9–2.2 m3.1–7.2 ft Weight 68–136 kg149.9–299.8 lb active day & night mixed forest

Sightings by month

Adult wild boar foraging in grass

Wild Boar

Sus scrofa

Marginal occurrence · 1 record
Size 85–90 cm2.8–3 ft Weight 40–50 kg88.2–110.2 lb active day & night lake
Microtus pinetorum - crlevy - 550023152

Woodland Vole

Microtus pinetorum

Marginal occurrence · 3 records
Size 10.3 cm4.1 in Weight 26 g0.9 oz active day & night woodland