Mammals of Hawaii

20 established wild species in Hawaii. Plus 14 range-listed species with few or no digitized records.

All species A-Z →

Live black rat climbing through branches

Black Rat

Rattus rattus

Common in Hawaii 100 sightings
Size 16–24 cm6.3–9.4 in Weight 75–230 g2.6–8.1 oz active by night agricultural

Sightings by month

Beaked Whale

Blainville's beaked whale

Mesoplodon densirostris

Occasional in Hawaii 18 sightings
Size 4–6 m13.1–19.7 ft Weight 800–1500 kg1763.7–3306.9 lb active day & night river

Sightings by month

Live blue whale surfacing with a tall bushy blow spray rising from its blowhole in sunlit open ocean

Blue Whale

Balaenoptera musculus

Range-listed · no digitized records yet
Size 21–30.5 m68.9–100.1 ft Weight 70000–200000 kg154323.7–440924.9 lb active by day estuary
Bowhead whale swimming beside sea ice, photographed from the air

Bowhead Whale

Balaena mysticetus

Range-listed · no digitized records yet
Size 14–20 m45.9–65.6 ft Weight 50000–100000 kg110231.2–220462.4 lb active day & night cave
Brush-tailed Rock Wallaby (Petrogale penicillata)

Brush-tailed Rock Wallaby

Petrogale penicillata

Marginal occurrence · 1 record
Size 80 cm2.6 ft Weight 6.5 kg14.3 lb active by night rocky outcrop
Spotted deer (Axis axis) female

Chital

Axis axis

Common in Hawaii 105 sightings
Size 0.9–1 m3–3.3 ft Weight 70–90 kg154.3–198.4 lb active day & night grassland

Sightings by month

Common Bottlenose Dolphin (Tursiops truncatus)

Common Bottlenose Dolphin

Tursiops truncatus

Common in Hawaii 98 sightings
Size 2–4 m6.6–13.1 ft Weight 150–650 kg330.7–1433 lb active by day coastal

Sightings by month

Ziphius cavirostris Mar Ligure

Cuvier's beaked whale

Ziphius cavirostris

Marginal occurrence · 4 records
Size 5–7 m16.4–23 ft Weight 2000–3500 kg4409.2–7716.2 lb active day & night coastal
Dwarf sperm whale logging at the ocean surface

Dwarf Sperm Whale

Kogia sima

Marginal occurrence · 2 records
Size 2.1–2.7 m6.9–8.9 ft Weight 136–270 kg299.8–595.2 lb active day & night coastal
European rabbit feeding in dry vegetation

European Rabbit

Oryctolagus cuniculus

Occasional in Hawaii 15 sightings
Size 34–50 cm13.4–19.7 in Weight 1–2.5 kg2.2–5.5 lb active by night grassland

Sightings by month

Two false killer whales bow-riding at speed through breaking white spray

False Killer Whale

Pseudorca crassidens

Marginal occurrence · 9 records
Size 4–6.1 m13.1–20 ft Weight 700–2200 kg1543.2–4850.2 lb active day & night coastal

Sightings by month

Fin whale from air

Fin Whale

Balaenoptera physalus

Range-listed · no digitized records yet
Size 17–22 m55.8–72.2 ft Weight 40000–80000 kg88185–176370 lb active by day coastal
Three Fraser's dolphins porpoising together through open ocean water

Fraser's dolphin

Lagenodelphis hosei

Marginal occurrence · 1 record
Size 2–2.7 m6.6–8.9 ft Weight 160–210 kg352.7–463 lb active day & night coastal
Hawaiian hoary bat close-up showing frosted reddish-brown fur and rounded ears

Hawaiian Hoary Bat

Lasiurus semotus

Common in Hawaii 61 sightings
Size 8.2–9.7 cm3.2–3.8 in Weight 14–18 g0.5–0.6 oz active by night urban

Sightings by month

An endangered Hawaiian Monk Seal resting on Poipu Beach in Kauai

Hawaiian Monk Seal

Neomonachus schauinslandi

Common in Hawaii 3,200 sightings
Size 2.4 m8 ft Weight 68–90.7 kg150–200 lb active by night coastal

Sightings by month

House mouse in dry plant litter

House Mouse

Mus musculus

Common in Hawaii 107 sightings
Size 5–10 cm2–3.9 in Weight 12–30 g0.4–1.1 oz active by night agricultural

Sightings by month

Humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) with calf Moorea 2

Humpback Whale

Megaptera novaeangliae

Common in Hawaii 1,231 sightings
Size 12–17 m39.4–55.8 ft Weight 25000–40000 kg55115.6–88185 lb active by day marine

Sightings by month

Javan mongoose walking on a paved path at Mai Po, Hong Kong

Javan Mongoose

Herpestes javanicus

Common in Hawaii 9,023 sightings
Size 46.5 cm18.3 in Weight 775 g1.7 lb active day & night river

Sightings by month

Peponocephala electra Mayotte

Melon-headed Whale

Peponocephala electra

Marginal occurrence · 6 records
Size 2.8 m9.2 ft Weight 206 kg454.2 lb active day & night coastal
Mule Deer (Odocoileus hemionus)

Mule Deer

Odocoileus hemionus

Occasional in Hawaii 18 sightings
Size 1.3–1.7 m4.1–5.5 ft Weight 55–150 kg121.3–330.7 lb active day & night river

Sightings by month

North Pacific Right Whale, Niijima, March 2, 2011 by Aramusha A

North Pacific Right Whale

Eubalaena japonica

Range-listed · no digitized records yet
Size 15–18 m49.2–59.1 ft Weight 50000–80000 kg110231.2–176370 lb active day & night urban
Live Norway rat beside shallow water

Norway Rat

Rattus norvegicus

Occasional in Hawaii 8 sightings
Size 15–28 cm5.9–11 in Weight 140–500 g0.3–1.1 lb active by night urban

Sightings by month

Killer Whales Hunting a Seal

Orca

Orcinus orca

Marginal occurrence · 1 record
Size 5–9.8 m16.4–32.2 ft Weight 2600–10000 kg5732–22046.2 lb active day & night coastal
Pantropical spotted dolphin (Stenella attenuata)

Pantropical spotted dolphin

Stenella attenuata

Occasional in Hawaii 33 sightings
Size 1.9–2.1 m6.4–6.9 ft Weight 66.8–107.9 kg147.2–238 lb active day & night coastal

Sightings by month

Polynesian rat foraging in leaf litter on a forest floor

Polynesian Rat

Rattus exulans

Occasional in Hawaii 10 sightings
Size 12 cm4.7 in Weight 60 g2.1 oz active by night grassland

Sightings by month

Orques pygmées (Feresa attenuata) (Ifremer 00574-68627 - 46051)

Pygmy Killer Whale

Feresa attenuata

Occasional in Hawaii 10 sightings
Size 2.7 m8.9 ft Weight 151.5 kg334 lb active day & night coastal

Sightings by month

Risso s Dolphin (Grampus griseus) Catalina (3)

Risso's Dolphin

Grampus griseus

Marginal occurrence · 2 records
Size 2.6–4 m8.5–13.1 ft Weight 342.5–460 kg755.1–1014.1 lb active by night coastal
Rough-toothed dolphin porpoising at the surface of blue ocean water, showing its slender uncreased rostrum and low sloped forehead

Rough-toothed dolphin

Steno bredanensis

Occasional in Hawaii 7 sightings
Size 2.6 m8.5 ft Weight 118.3 kg260.7 lb active day & night river

Sightings by month

Sei whale surfacing in deep blue ocean water, small curved dorsal fin visible with a splash at the blowhole

Sei Whale

Balaenoptera borealis

Range-listed · no digitized records yet
Size 12–20 m39.4–65.6 ft Weight 14000–30000 kg30864.7–66138.7 lb active by day urban
Short-finned Pilot Whale off Tenerife

Short-finned Pilot Whale

Globicephala macrorhynchus

Common in Hawaii 44 sightings
Size 6.1 m20 ft Weight 726 kg1600.6 lb active by night coastal

Sightings by month

Mongoose (1057759548)

Small Indian Mongoose

Urva auropunctata

Size 0.9–1.3 m3–4.3 ft active by day river

Sightings by month

Sperm whale pod recolored

Sperm Whale

Physeter macrocephalus

Marginal occurrence · 4 records
Size 10.7–11 m35–36 ft Weight 13500–57000 kg29762.4–125663.6 lb active day & night urban

Sightings by month

Spinner Dolphin (Stenella longirotris)

Spinner Dolphin

Stenella longirostris

Common in Hawaii 959 sightings
Size 2.5 m8.3 ft Weight 72.7 kg160.2 lb active day & night coastal

Sightings by month

Adult wild boar foraging in grass

Wild Boar

Sus scrofa

Common in Hawaii 662 sightings
Size 85–90 cm2.8–3 ft Weight 40–50 kg88.2–110.2 lb active day & night lake

Sightings by month