Mammals of West Virginia

50 established wild species in West Virginia. Plus 19 range-listed species with few or no digitized records.

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Alleghanian spotted skunk foraging among rocks and pine needles in daylight

Alleghanian Spotted Skunk

Spilogale putorius

Marginal occurrence · 3 records
Size 32 cm12.6 in Weight 583 g1.3 lb active by night forest edge
Neotoma magister

Allegheny Woodrat

Neotoma magister

Occasional in West Virginia 10 sightings
Size 31–45 cm12.2–17.7 in Weight 357 g12.6 oz active by night rocky outcrop

Sightings by month

Beaver swimming low in murky green pond water with only its wet head and back above the surface

American Beaver

Castor canadensis

Common in West Virginia 314 sightings
Size 60–90 cm2–3 ft Weight 11–32 kg24.3–70.5 lb active day & night river

Sightings by month

Oso negro (Ursus americanus), Parque natural provincial Tatshenshini-Alsek, Yukón, Canadá, 2017-08-25, DD 85

American Black Bear

Ursus americanus

Common in West Virginia 465 sightings
Size 1.2–2 m3.9–6.6 ft Weight 40–250 kg88.2–551.2 lb active by night conifer forest

Sightings by month

Mustela Erminea head

American Ermine

Mustela erminea

Marginal occurrence · 1 record
Size 17–33 cm6.7–13 in Weight 70–260 g2.5–9.2 oz active by night coniferous forest
Norka amerykańska (neovison vison)

American Mink

Neogale vison

Common in West Virginia 70 sightings
Size 33–45.7 cm13–18 in Weight 0.5–1.4 kg1–3 lb active day & night lake

Sightings by month

American pygmy shrew crossing an asphalt path

American pygmy shrew

Sorex hoyi

Marginal occurrence · 2 records
Size 5–7 cm2–2.8 in Weight 2–5 g0.1–0.2 oz active day & night deciduous forest
Tamiasciurus hudsonicus James Gardens

American Red Squirrel

Tamiasciurus hudsonicus

Common in West Virginia 196 sightings
Size 17–23 cm6.7–9.1 in Weight 140–310 g4.9–10.9 oz active by day wetland

Sightings by month

American water shrew swimming at the surface of a stream, seen from above

American water shrew

Sorex palustris

Occasional in West Virginia 12 sightings
Size 8 cm3.1 in Weight 8–18 g0.3–0.6 oz active day & night river

Sightings by month

Appalachian Cottontail (Sylvilagus obscurus)

Appalachian Cottontail

Sylvilagus obscurus

Common in West Virginia 46 sightings
Size 38.1–43.2 cm15–17 in Weight 0.8–1.2 kg1.7–2.5 lb active by day river

Sightings by month

Big Brown Bats (Eptesicus fuscus)

Big Brown Bat

Eptesicus fuscus

Common in West Virginia 49 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

Marginal occurrence · 4 records
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

Common in West Virginia 114 sightings
Size 30–60 cm11.8–23.6 in Weight 4–18 kg8.8–39.7 lb active by night forest edge

Sightings by month

Common Raccoon in Hugh Taylor Birch State Park

Common Raccoon

Procyon lotor

Common in West Virginia 564 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 West Virginia 208 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 West Virginia 598 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 West Virginia 769 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 West Virginia 1,084 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 harvest mouse moving through grass and herb stems

Eastern Harvest Mouse

Reithrodontomys humulis

Occasional in West Virginia 10 sightings
Size 7.1 cm2.8 in Weight 9 g0.3 oz active by night grassland

Sightings by month

Eastern Mole (Scalopus aquaticus)

Eastern Mole

Scalopus aquaticus

Marginal occurrence · 3 records
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

Occasional in West Virginia 40 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

Occasional in West Virginia 16 sightings
Size 7.5–8.5 cm3–3.3 in Weight 5 g0.2 oz active by night cave

Sightings by month

Elk (Cervus canadensis)

Elk

Cervus canadensis

Common in West Virginia 57 sightings
Size 1.6–2.7 m5.2–8.9 ft Weight 178–497 kg392.4–1095.7 lb active day & night forest edge

Sightings by month

European rabbit feeding in dry vegetation

European Rabbit

Oryctolagus cuniculus

Marginal occurrence · 8 records
Size 34–50 cm13.4–19.7 in Weight 1–2.5 kg2.2–5.5 lb active by night grassland

Sightings by month

Evening bat resting, brown fur and dark ears and wings visible, not restrained

Evening Bat

Nycticeius humeralis

Marginal occurrence · 4 records
Size 5 cm2 in Weight 7–15 g0.2–0.5 oz active by night agricultural
Martes Pennanti

Fisher

Pekania pennanti

Occasional in West Virginia 31 sightings
Size 75–95 cm2.5–3.1 ft Weight 3.5–6 kg7.7–13.2 lb active dawn & dusk wetland

Sightings by month

Sciurus niger

Fox Squirrel

Sciurus niger

Common in West Virginia 302 sightings
Size 25.4–38.1 cm10–15 in Weight 804 g1.8 lb active by day river

Sightings by month

Golden Mouse (Ochrotomys nuttalli)

Golden Mouse

Ochrotomys nuttalli

Range-listed · no digitized records yet
Size 9.7 cm3.8 in Weight 22 g0.8 oz active dawn & dusk woodland
Gray fox standing in dappled woodland

Gray Fox

Urocyon cinereoargenteus

Common in West Virginia 70 sightings
Size 0.8–1.1 m2.5–3.7 ft Weight 3–9 kg6.6–19.8 lb active day & night brushy woodland

Sightings by month

Silver-gray wolf walking along a gravel bank in Alaska

Gray Wolf

Canis lupus

Marginal occurrence · 8 records
Size 1.1–1.6 m3.4–5.2 ft Weight 23–80 kg50.7–176.4 lb active day & night cave
Groundhog (Marmota monax)

Groundhog

Marmota monax

Common in West Virginia 669 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

Occasional in West Virginia 14 sightings
Size 5–10 cm2–3.9 in Weight 12–30 g0.4–1.1 oz active by night agricultural

Sightings by month

Indiana bats roosting in a dense cluster on a cave ceiling with several individuals in flight below

Indiana bat

Myotis sodalis

Rarely seen in West Virginia 4 sightings
Size 5.5 cm2.2 in Weight 5–10 g0.2–0.4 oz active by night agricultural

Sightings by month

Least Weasel (Mustela nivalis)

Least Weasel

Mustela nivalis

Marginal occurrence · 6 records
Size 26 cm10.2 in Weight 50 g1.8 oz active by night grassland
AI-generated image: Long-tailed Shrew in side profile on moss-covered wet rocks. 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

Long-tailed Shrew

Sorex dispar

Marginal occurrence · 3 records
Size 6.6 cm2.6 in Weight 3–8 g0.1–0.3 oz active day & night river
Long-tailed weasel standing alert in grass with its black-tipped tail curled behind it, Sonoma County, California

Long-tailed Weasel

Neogale frenata

Occasional in West Virginia 22 sightings
Size 24.8 cm9.8 in Weight 170 g6 oz active day & night wetland

Sightings by month

Sorex cinereus, Harwich, Chatham, Ontario, Canada 1

Masked Shrew

Sorex cinereus

Occasional in West Virginia 30 sightings
Size 6.9 cm2.7 in Weight 5 g0.2 oz active day & night grassland

Sightings by month

Mountain Lion (Puma concolor)

Mountain Lion

Puma concolor

Range-listed · no digitized records yet
Size 1–1.5 m3.3–5.1 ft Weight 36–120 kg79.4–264.6 lb active day & night montane forest
Muskrats resting on a floating log in open water

Muskrat

Ondatra zibethicus

Common in West Virginia 108 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

Deer Mouse (Peromyscus maniculatus) (9310532204)

North American Deermouse

Peromyscus maniculatus

Common in West Virginia 76 sightings
Size 8–10 cm3.1–3.9 in Weight 21 g0.7 oz active by night river

Sightings by month

North American least shrew moving through short grass

North American Least Shrew

Cryptotis parvus

Marginal occurrence · 9 records
Size 5–8 cm2–3.1 in Weight 6 g0.2 oz active by night grassland
Erethizontidae Erethizon dorsatum 3.2

North American Porcupine

Erethizon dorsatus

Occasional in West Virginia 15 sightings
Size 60–90 cm2–3 ft Weight 3.5–12 kg7.7–26.5 lb active by night mixed forest

Sightings by month

River Otter (Lontra canadensis)

North American River Otter

Lontra canadensis

Common in West Virginia 79 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

Northern Flying Squirrel (Glaucomys sabrinus)

Northern Flying Squirrel

Glaucomys sabrinus

Marginal occurrence · 7 records
Size 25–37 cm9.8–14.6 in Weight 148 g5.2 oz active by night mixed conifer
Hoary bat in flight against blue sky, wings spread to show its yellow throat patch and heavily frosted fur

Northern Hoary Bat

Lasiurus cinereus

Occasional in West Virginia 13 sightings
Size 13–15 cm5.1–5.9 in Weight 26 g0.9 oz active by night cave

Sightings by month

Northern myotis hanging head-down from a rock ceiling, long ears and tan fur visible

Northern Myotis

Myotis septentrionalis

Marginal occurrence · 5 records
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 West Virginia 114 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

Occasional in West Virginia 30 sightings
Size 15–28 cm5.9–11 in Weight 140–500 g0.3–1.1 lb active by night urban

Sightings by month

AI-generated image: Prairie Vole alert in a grassy meadow, stocky grizzled brown-gray body and short tail. 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

Prairie Vole

Microtus ochrogaster

Marginal occurrence · 2 records
Size 12.4 cm4.9 in Weight 47 g1.7 oz active day & night grassland
Rafinesques big-eared bat (5494435840)

Rafinesque's Big-eared Bat

Corynorhinus rafinesquii

Range-listed · no digitized records yet
Size 10.5 cm4.1 in Weight 9–11 g0.3–0.4 oz active by night cave
Red Fox (Vulpes vulpes)

Red Fox

Vulpes vulpes

Common in West Virginia 355 sightings
Size 43 cm16.9 in Weight 5–10 kg11–22 lb active day & night desert

Sightings by month

Microtus chrotorrhinus

Rock Vole

Microtus chrotorrhinus

Occasional in West Virginia 12 sightings
Size 11.5 cm4.5 in Weight 39 g1.4 oz active day & night coniferous forest

Sightings by month

Seminole bat resting on leaf litter at night with wings partly folded

Seminole Bat

Lasiurus seminolus

Range-listed · no digitized records yet
Size 10.8–11.4 cm4.3–4.5 in Weight 13 g0.5 oz active by night coastal
Silver-haired bat tucked into loose bark

Silver-haired Bat

Lasionycteris noctivagans

Occasional in West Virginia 14 sightings
Size 9.5–11.5 cm3.7–4.5 in Weight 11 g0.4 oz active by night river

Sightings by month

Smoky shrew moving through dense green grass

Smoky Shrew

Sorex fumeus

Rarely seen in West Virginia 3 sightings
Size 7.4 cm2.9 in Weight 8 g0.3 oz active day & night river

Sightings by month

Lepus americanus 5459 cropped

Snowshoe Hare

Lepus americanus

Occasional in West Virginia 26 sightings
Size 41–52 cm16.1–20.5 in Weight 1.4–1.6 kg3.2–3.4 lb active by night coniferous forest

Sightings by month

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

Occasional in West Virginia 29 sightings
Size 11.8 cm4.6 in Weight 35 g1.2 oz active day & night mixed conifer

Sightings by month

Southern Flying Squirrel-27527-1

Southern Flying Squirrel

Glaucomys volans

Occasional in West Virginia 40 sightings
Size 17.1 cm6.7 in Weight 65 g2.3 oz active by night deciduous forest

Sightings by month

Southern red-backed vole feeding among sunflower seeds on snow

Southern Red-backed Vole

Clethrionomys gapperi

Rarely seen in West Virginia 3 sightings
Size 12–16.5 cm4.7–6.5 in Weight 6–42 g0.2–1.5 oz active by night mixed forest

Sightings by month

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

Star-nosed mole

Condylura cristata

Occasional in West Virginia 8 sightings
Size 12.1 cm4.8 in Weight 52 g1.8 oz active day & night urban

Sightings by month

Mephitis mephitis in Dierenpark Zie-ZOO

Striped Skunk

Mephitis mephitis

Common in West Virginia 137 sightings
Size 46.5–81.5 cm1.5–2.7 ft Weight 0.6–6.3 kg1.3–13.9 lb active by night grassland

Sightings by month

Townsend's big-eared bat roosting on a cave wall

Townsend's Big-eared Bat

Corynorhinus townsendii

Occasional in West Virginia 14 sightings
Size 5.8 cm2.3 in Weight 9–11 g0.3–0.4 oz active by night coastal

Sightings by month

Tricolored Bat hibernating on a limestone mine wall

Tricolored Bat

Perimyotis subflavus

Occasional in West Virginia 39 sightings
Size 7.7–8.9 cm3–3.5 in Weight 5–8 g0.2–0.3 oz active by night cave

Sightings by month

Virginia Opossum clinging to a tree branch in a snowy winter woodland

Virginia Opossum

Didelphis virginiana

Common in West Virginia 258 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

Rarely seen in West Virginia 4 sightings
Size 8–9.5 cm3.1–3.7 in Weight 6–13 g0.2–0.5 oz active by night cave

Sightings by month

White-footed mouse on a fallen log in leaf litter

White-footed Mouse

Peromyscus leucopus

Common in West Virginia 51 sightings
Size 10.1 cm4 in Weight 20–30 g0.7–1.1 oz active by night urban

Sightings by month

White-tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus)

White-tailed Deer

Odocoileus virginianus

Common in West Virginia 4,494 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

Sightings by month

Microtus pinetorum - crlevy - 550023152

Woodland Vole

Microtus pinetorum

Rarely seen in West Virginia 4 sightings
Size 10.3 cm4.1 in Weight 26 g0.9 oz active day & night woodland

Sightings by month