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Mammals of Boston, Massachusetts

The mammals most often spotted near Boston, ranked by recent research-grade observations.

48,613
recent observations
50
species listed
50
mammals

Naturalists have logged 48,613 research-grade observations across the 50 most-recorded species near Boston. The most frequently seen is the Eastern Gray Squirrel, with 14,535 recorded sightings.

Rarer finds confirmed near Boston include Fisher, Bobcat and North Atlantic Right Whale - uncommon enough that a sighting is worth logging.

FisherBobcatNorth Atlantic Right Whale

Most-observed mammals near Boston

Eastern Gray Squirrel
Sciurus carolinensis
14,535 observations
Eastern Cottontail
Sylvilagus floridanus
11,196 observations
White-tailed Deer
Odocoileus virginianus
4,892 observations
Eastern Chipmunk
Tamias striatus
4,316 observations
Common Raccoon
Procyon lotor
2,185 observations
Coyote
Canis latrans
1,578 observations
American Beaver
Castor canadensis
1,331 observations
American Red Squirrel
Tamiasciurus hudsonicus
1,160 observations
Muskrat
Ondatra zibethicus
1,003 observations
Groundhog
Marmota monax
990 observations
Red Fox
Vulpes vulpes
715 observations
Brown Rat
Rattus norvegicus
569 observations
Virginia Opossum
Didelphis virginiana
502 observations
Northern Short-tailed Shrew
Blarina brevicauda
406 observations
Striped Skunk
Mephitis mephitis
392 observations
White-footed Mouse
Peromyscus leucopus
344 observations
Fisher
Pekania pennanti
339 observations
North American River Otter
Lontra canadensis
198 observations
Gray Fox
Urocyon cinereoargenteus
189 observations
Harbor Seal
Phoca vitulina
187 observations
Bobcat
Lynx rufus
183 observations
House Mouse
Mus musculus
158 observations
American Mink
Neogale vison
148 observations
Eastern Meadow Vole
Microtus pennsylvanicus
145 observations
Big Brown Bat
Eptesicus fuscus
137 observations
Humpback Whale
Megaptera novaeangliae
107 observations
Domestic Cat
Felis catus
103 observations
Long-tailed Weasel
Neogale frenata
98 observations · iNaturalist
Grey Seal
Halichoerus grypus
86 observations
Southern Flying Squirrel
Glaucomys volans
76 observations
American Ermine
Mustela richardsonii
66 observations
American Black Bear
Ursus americanus
42 observations
Star-nosed Mole
Condylura cristata
38 observations
Hairy-tailed Mole
Parascalops breweri
30 observations
Eastern Red Bat
Lasiurus borealis
22 observations
Northern Meadow Jumping Mouse
Zapus hudsonius
19 observations
North American Porcupine
Erethizon dorsatum
18 observations
North Atlantic Right Whale
Eubalaena glacialis
15 observations
Masked Shrew
Sorex cinereus
13 observations
Atlantic White-sided Dolphin
Leucopleurus acutus
13 observations · iNaturalist
Harp Seal
Pagophilus groenlandicus
10 observations
Harbour Porpoise
Phocoena phocoena
9 observations
Southern Red-backed Vole
Clethrionomys gapperi
9 observations · iNaturalist
Silver-haired Bat
Lasionycteris noctivagans
7 observations
Common Minke Whale
Balaenoptera acutorostrata
7 observations
Fin Whale
Balaenoptera physalus
7 observations
Woodland Vole
Microtus pinetorum
7 observations
New England Cottontail
Sylvilagus transitionalis
5 observations
Common Dolphin
Delphinus delphis
4 observations
Moose
Alces alces
4 observations

Built from recent research-grade iNaturalist observations. Identifications are community-sourced and may occasionally be wrong, and the ranking reflects where people record and photograph wildlife, so a species seen often here is not necessarily rare elsewhere. Some plants and animals are only out in certain seasons. Treat this as a lively snapshot of what people are finding, not a formal checklist.

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