Mammals Found in Louisiana

Louisiana Black Bears

• The Louisiana black bear (Ursus americanus luteolus), the official state mammal, is a black bear subspecies also native to eastern Texas and lower Mississippi. They are usually black, but occasionally are brown or pale and can weigh over 400 pounds. Bears cover a range of 100 square miles in their search for food, which is often simply nuts and berries. Chancing upon one is rare, not least because there are thought to be fewer than 400 wild animals remaining.

Carnivores

• Louisiana is part of the historic range of the Florida panther (Puma concolor coryi), a subspecies of cougar. Although thought extinct from the state, photographic evidence in the early 21st Century suggested a return in small numbers. This six-foot-long, supremely agile cat has golden-brown fur and a long, thick tail and can live close to human habitat almost unnoticed. The extremely rare red wolf (Canis rufus) is believed to have been extirpated from the state. More common canine species are the coyote (Canis latrans), which weighs up to 50 pounds, and the smaller red (Vulpes vulpes) and gray (Urocyon cinereoargenteus) foxes.

Raccoons

• The raccoon is one of the most common mammals across North America. It is easily recognizable due to its black face mask and ringed tail and weighs between 10 and 25 pounds. As well as in hollow trees and rock crevices, raccoons sometimes den inside chimneys and attics and can become a pest in Louisiana when they cause physical damage to homes. They are often encountered at night scouring garbage cans for free meals.

Deer

• White-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginiana) inhabit woodland throughout most of the mainland United States and weigh 125 to 300 pounds. The white tail is held upright, like a flag, when the animal is alarmed. Males shed their antlers from January to March and grow them again in spring. Fawns can fall prey to coyotes.

Small Mammals

• Among the numerous rodent species found in Louisiana, the beaver is the largest, reaching a weight of 65 pounds. These aquatic creatures are considered a problem to some communities due to their tree-cutting and dam-building habits. Other nuisance animals include the opossum, which likes to nest in the porches of houses, and the gray squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis). Various species of bat are found in Louisiana, the rarest of which are the silver-haired bat (Lasionycteris noctivagans) and the big brown bat (Eptesicus fuscus).

Sea Mammals

• Louisiana's waters in the Gulf of Mexico have been home to the world's largest mammal, the blue whale (Balaenoptera musculus). Unfortunately numbers of this majestic beast, as well as those of other species, like the sperm whale (Physeter macrocephalus) and finback whale (Balaenoptera physalus) are severely threatened. Manatees, or "sea cows," (Trichechus manatus) are also endangered. Bottlenose dolphins (Tursios truncatus) are relatively common.