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Mammals of South Carolina

The mammals most often spotted in South Carolina, ranked by recent research-grade observations.

28,285
recent observations
50
species listed
50
mammals

Naturalists have logged 28,285 research-grade observations across the 50 most-recorded species in South Carolina. The most frequently seen is the Eastern Gray Squirrel, with 8,129 recorded sightings.

Rarer finds confirmed in South Carolina include Bobcat, West Indian Manatee and Southeastern Myotis - uncommon enough that a sighting is worth logging.

BobcatWest Indian ManateeSoutheastern Myotis

Most-observed mammals in South Carolina

Eastern Gray Squirrel
Sciurus carolinensis
8,129 observations
White-tailed Deer
Odocoileus virginianus
5,239 observations
Common Raccoon
Procyon lotor
1,955 observations
Mexican Long-nosed Armadillo
Dasypus mexicanus
1,324 observations
Eastern Fox Squirrel
Sciurus niger
1,302 observations
Eastern Cottontail
Sylvilagus floridanus
1,178 observations
Virginia Opossum
Didelphis virginiana
983 observations
Tamanend's Bottlenose Dolphin
Tursiops erebennus
966 observations
Eastern Chipmunk
Tamias striatus
917 observations
American Beaver
Castor canadensis
682 observations
Domestic Cat
Felis catus
500 observations
Wild Boar
Sus scrofa
460 observations · iNaturalist
Groundhog
Marmota monax
454 observations
Coyote
Canis latrans
448 observations
North American River Otter
Lontra canadensis
423 observations
American Black Bear
Ursus americanus
343 observations
Red Fox
Vulpes vulpes
319 observations
Marsh Rabbit
Sylvilagus palustris
312 observations
Gray Fox
Urocyon cinereoargenteus
262 observations
Bobcat
Lynx rufus
230 observations
American Mink
Neogale vison
192 observations
Eastern Mole
Scalopus aquaticus
180 observations
Hispid Cotton Rat
Sigmodon hispidus
158 observations
Striped Skunk
Mephitis mephitis
135 observations
Southern Flying Squirrel
Glaucomys volans
133 observations
Southern Short-tailed Shrew
Blarina carolinensis
114 observations
Muskrat
Ondatra zibethicus
108 observations
Eastern Red Bat
Lasiurus borealis
104 observations
Big Brown Bat
Eptesicus fuscus
83 observations
Mexican Free-tailed Bat
Tadarida brasiliensis
81 observations
Tri-coloured Bat
Perimyotis subflavus
75 observations
Domestic Dog
Canis familiaris
55 observations
West Indian Manatee
Trichechus manatus
53 observations
Northern Short-tailed Shrew
Blarina brevicauda
40 observations
Evening Bat
Nycticeius humeralis
37 observations
Black Rat
Rattus rattus
35 observations
Seminole Bat
Lasiurus seminolus
32 observations
House Mouse
Mus musculus
32 observations
Rafinesque's Big-eared Bat
Corynorhinus rafinesquii
28 observations
Alleghanian Spotted Skunk
Spilogale putorius
27 observations
American Red Squirrel
Tamiasciurus hudsonicus
25 observations
European Rabbit
Oryctolagus cuniculus
20 observations
Woodland Vole
Microtus pinetorum
20 observations
White-footed Mouse
Peromyscus leucopus
20 observations
Brown Rat
Rattus norvegicus
17 observations
Silver-haired Bat
Lasionycteris noctivagans
12 observations
North American Least Shrew
Cryptotis parvus
12 observations · iNaturalist
Southeastern Myotis
Myotis austroriparius
11 observations
Northern Hoary Bat
Lasiurus cinereus
11 observations
Eastern Woodrat
Neotoma floridana
9 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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