Maine’s Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife has developed a summary table describing well-known mammals that make their home in the state. To expand that effective presentation, we have added some creatures to the table.
| Features | Size |
Habitat | Food | Litter | When | Behavior |
BEAVER
| Largest rodent, flat scaly tail, large front teeth; sexes indistinguishable |
L 35-46″ T 11-17″ 45-60 lbs |
Rivers, streams, marshes, lakes, ponds | Vegetation, tree twigs, water plants | 4-5 | April – May | Nocturnal; cuts trees, builds lodges and dams |
BOBCAT
| Catlike, face ruff, black-tipped ears | L 28-49″ T 3-7″ 14-68 lbs |
Scrubby country, broken forests | Rabbits, mice, squirrels, porcupines, cave bats | 2-3 | April – May | Active day and night, solitary animal |
BLACK BEAR
| Not only black, seen in auburn or cinnamon with patches of white on chest and tips of paws |
H 3-3½ ft L 4½-6¼ft 203-595 lbs |
Fairly remote forests and swamps |
Vegetation including twigs, leaves, buds, nuts, fruits | 1-5 (avg 2) |
Jan – March | Nocturnal, solitary, mark trees by clawing and ripping off bark |
COTTONTAIL RABBIT
| Grayish-brown with some black, short tail | L 14-18″ T 1-3″ 2-4 lbs |
Brushy areas, open woodlands, swamps, mountains | Summer: grasses and herbs. Winter: seedlings, bark, twigs, buds |
2 or 3 per yr; 3-8 young |
March-July | Secretive, rarely ventures from cover |
COYOTE
| Doglike, narrow muzzle, greyish fur | H 23-26″ L 41-52″ T 11-15″ 20-40 lbs |
Hilly, brushy areas, also open areas, adapted to suburbs | Rabbits, mice, squirrels, birds, frogs, snakes, insects, deer | 1-10 | April – May | Family is the social unit; strong swimmer |
FISHER
| Long, thin body | L 33-40″ 4-20 lbs |
Forest, brushlands, grown-up clear cuts | Small animals, porcupine, berries, nuts, | 1-5 | May – June | Nocturnal; solitary, aggressive hunter |
GRAY FOX
| Doglike, black stripe down back |
H 14-15″ L 31-44″ T 8-17″ 7-13 lbs |
Wooded areas and brushlands | Rabbits, small mammals, birds, insects, fruits, nuts | 3-4 | March-April | Primarily nocturnal |
RED FOX
| Red coat, white-tipped, bushy tail | L 35-40″ T 13-17″ 8-15 lbs |
Mixed cultivated and wooded areas, brushlands |
Winter: birds and mammals Summer: vegetation and fruits | 4-8 | March – May | Nocturnal; shy, nervous; good smell and hearing |
MARTEN
| Dark brown to blond fur, pointed snout, small ears | L 19-27″ T 5-9″ 1-4 lbs |
Soft wood dominated mixed forests |
Small mammals, small birds and their eggs, insects, fruits, frogs | 3-4 | April – May | Active day and night |
MINK
| Sleek body, short legs, soft dark fur | L 19-28″ T 6-7″ 2-4 lbs |
Rivers, creeks, lakes, ponds and marshes | Small animals, birds, fish, snakes, frogs | 3-6 | March – April | Nocturnal; most time spent hunting |
MOOSE
| Dark brown body, large, long head, long, thin legs | L 9′; H 6′ 800-1,000 lbs |
Forests, cows more likely at lower elevations | Leaves, twigs of hardwood: e.g., cherry, aspen, birch, ash | 1 or 2 | May | Often browse at edges of ponds in daylight |
MUSKRAT
| Small ears, short legs, scaly tail, brown fur, smaller front feet | L 16-24″ T 7-12 ” 1-4 lbs |
Wetlands | Aquatic plants, crayfish, frogs, and fish | 4-7 | May – Oct. | Nocturnal; build mud homesites |
OPOSSUM
| Greyish fur, scaly prehensile tail, pouches in female |
L 25-40″ T 10-21″ 4-14 lbs |
Open woods, brushy wastelands, farmlands |
Carrion, insects, frogs, birds, snakes, fruits, berries | 1-14 | March – April | Nocturnal and solitary; “plays dead” as defense |
RIVER OTTER
| Long slender; webbed feet, brown fur |
L 35-51″ T 11-20″ 11-30 lbs |
Wetlands, rivers, lakes, bays | Fish, frogs, shellfish, and small mammals | 1-4 | March – April | Active day & night; can travel long way from home |
RACOON
| Brown fur, black mask, long ringed tail | L 23-37″ T 7-16″ 12-48 lbs |
Wetlands, some developed areas | Prefers sweet foods, fruit, nuts, bird eggs, insects, frogs | 4-5 | April – May | Nocturnal and solitary |
RED SQUIRREL
| Reddish-reddish gray fur on top; white or cream underside; white around eyes. Tail shorter, less bushy than other squirrels. | L 11-13″ T 4-5″7-9 oz. |
Coniferous, deciduous and mixed coniferous- deciduous forests |
Insects, seeds, bark, nuts, fruits, mushrooms, pine seeds or cones. Also young birds, mice, rabbits, pine seeds. | 3-7 | Late winter | Most active in early morning; late afternoon. Nests in hollows in the ground, trees, logs, tree crotches. |
SKUNK
| Black coat with white stripe down back; bushy black tail with white tip |
L 20-31″ T 7-15″ 6-14 lbs |
Woodlands, grassy plains, suburbs | Plants, grubs, insects, small mammals, bird eggs & amphibians | 4-7 | April – May | Nocturnal; sprays musk as defense |
LONG-TAIL WEASEL
| Long tail with black tip. Brown in summer, white in winter. |
L 11-21 ” T 3-6″ 3-10 oz |
Forest edge, brushland, near water |
Mice, rabbits birds, chipmunks, shrews and rats | 4-9 | April – May | Nocturnal; tree climber |
SHORT-TAIL WEASEL
| Small, short, brown fur, white in winter, black tipped tail year round. |
L 7-13″ T 2-3″ 1-6 oz |
Brushland, open fields, wetlands | Mainly mice but also shrews, baby rabbits and birds | 4-9 | May – June | Nocturnal; tree climber, investigates holes when hunting |
WHITE-TAILED DEER
| Summer: reddish-brown,, winter: grayish – brown | H 3-3½ ft L 4½-6¾ft M: 2-300 lbs. F: 150-250 |
Forest edges, swamp borders |
Woody vegetation, green plants, nuts, corn |
1-3 | May – June | When alarmed it raises its tail to alert others |