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Mammals of Chesapeake, VA

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

6,298
recent observations
50
species listed
50
mammals

Naturalists have logged 6,298 research-grade observations across the 50 most-recorded species near Chesapeake. The most frequently seen is the Eastern Gray Squirrel, with 3,034 recorded sightings.

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

BobcatNorth Atlantic Right Whale

Most-observed mammals near Chesapeake

Eastern Gray Squirrel
Sciurus carolinensis
3,034 observations
Eastern Cottontail
Sylvilagus floridanus
818 observations
White-tailed Deer
Odocoileus virginianus
342 observations
Tamanend's Bottlenose Dolphin
Tursiops erebennus
304 observations
Common Raccoon
Procyon lotor
286 observations
Virginia Opossum
Didelphis virginiana
227 observations
Muskrat
Ondatra zibethicus
143 observations
Coypu
Myocastor coypus
124 observations
Domestic Cat
Felis catus
121 observations
North American River Otter
Lontra canadensis
110 observations
American Black Bear
Ursus americanus
76 observations
Red Fox
Vulpes vulpes
72 observations
Marsh Rabbit
Sylvilagus palustris
72 observations
Harbor Seal
Phoca vitulina
65 observations
Humpback Whale
Megaptera novaeangliae
56 observations
American Beaver
Castor canadensis
54 observations
Groundhog
Marmota monax
49 observations
Coyote
Canis latrans
43 observations
Gray Fox
Urocyon cinereoargenteus
38 observations
American Mink
Neogale vison
31 observations
Hispid Cotton Rat
Sigmodon hispidus
22 observations
Bobcat
Lynx rufus
18 observations
Eastern Red Bat
Lasiurus borealis
17 observations
Eastern Mole
Scalopus aquaticus
17 observations
Domestic Horse
Equus caballus
16 observations
Southern Flying Squirrel
Glaucomys volans
15 observations
Black Rat
Rattus rattus
14 observations
Brown Rat
Rattus norvegicus
13 observations
Short-finned Pilot Whale
Globicephala macrorhynchus
11 observations
Northern Short-tailed Shrew
Blarina brevicauda
10 observations
Common Dolphin
Delphinus delphis
9 observations
Silver-haired Bat
Lasionycteris noctivagans
8 observations
House Mouse
Mus musculus
6 observations
Southern Short-tailed Shrew
Blarina carolinensis
6 observations
Common Bottlenose Dolphin
Tursiops truncatus
5 observations
Fin Whale
Balaenoptera physalus
5 observations
Striped Skunk
Mephitis mephitis
5 observations
Eastern Fox Squirrel
Sciurus niger
5 observations
Grey Seal
Halichoerus grypus
4 observations
Domestic Dog
Canis familiaris
4 observations
North Atlantic Right Whale
Eubalaena glacialis
3 observations
Harp Seal
Pagophilus groenlandicus
3 observations
White-footed Mouse
Peromyscus leucopus
3 observations
Big Brown Bat
Eptesicus fuscus
2 observations
Atlantic Spotted Dolphin
Stenella frontalis
2 observations · iNaturalist
Risso's Dolphin
Grampus griseus
2 observations
Wild Boar
Sus scrofa
2 observations · iNaturalist
European Rabbit
Oryctolagus cuniculus
2 observations
Eastern Meadow Vole
Microtus pennsylvanicus
2 observations
Woodland Vole
Microtus pinetorum
2 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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