Mammals

The thirteen-lined ground squirrel
(Spermophilus tridecemlineatus)

Matt and Toomas Hinnosaar

Indiana Dunes National Park has documented 37 species of mammals. Common mammals observed in the park include; northern short-tailed shrew, eastern mole, eastern cottontail, eastern chipmunk, woodchuck, eastern gray squirrel, eastern fox squirrel, red squirrel, white-footed mouse, prairie deer mouse, house mouse, meadow vole, muskrat, red fox, coyote, raccoon, beaver, and white-tailed deer.

Here is the full list as documented by "Mammals of Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore," a study by Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore and Indiana State University published in 1994:

"Thirty-seven species of mammals have been documented at the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore—

• 1 marsupial (Order Didelphimorphia): the Virginia opossum (Didelphis virginiana)
• 4 insectivores (Order lnsectivora): the masked shrew (Sorex cinereus), the northern short-tailed shrew (Blarina brevicauda), the least shrew (Cryptotis parva), and the eastern mole (Scalopus aquaticus)
• 4 bats (Order Chiroptera): the little brown myotis (Myotis lucifugus), the eastern red bat (Lasiurus borealis), the silver-haired bat (Lasionycteris noctivagans), and the big brown bat (Eptesicus fuscus)
• 1 lagomorph (Order Lagomorpha): the eastern cottontail (Sylvilagus floridanus)
• 17 rodents (Order Rodentia): the eastern chipmunk (Tamias striatus), the woodchuck (Mannota monax), the thirteen-lined ground squirrel (Spennophilus tridecemlineatus), the eastern gray squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis), the eastern fox squirrel (S. niger), the red squirrel (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus), the southern flying squirrel (Glaucomys volans), the American beaver (Castor canadensis), the white-footed mouse (Peromyscus leucopus), the prairie deer mouse (Peromyscus maniculatus bairdii), the Norway rat (Rattus norvegicus), the house mouse (Mus musculus), the prairie vole (Microtus ochrogaster), the meadow vole (M. pennsylvanicus), the woodland vole (M. pinetorum), the common muskrat (Ondatra zibethicus), and the meadow jumping mouse (Zapus hudsonius)
• 9 carnivores (Order Camivora): the coyote (Canis latrans), the red fox (Vulpes vulpes), the common gray fox (Urocyon cinereoargenteus), the common raccoon (Procyon lotor), the long-tailed weasel (Mustelafrenata), the least weasel (M. nivalis), the mink (M. vison), the American badger (Taxidea taxus), and the striped skunk (Mephitis mephitis)
• 1 artiodactyl (Order Artiodactyla), the white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus)

Four additional species, the northern myotis (Myotis septentrionalis), the Indiana myotis (M. sodalis), the hoary bat (Lasiurus cinereus), and the southern bog lemming (Synaptomys cooperi) probably are present but have not been documented. Some of the most abundant mammals are the eastern cottontail, the eastern fox squirrel, the white-footed mouse, the white-tailed deer, and the meadow vole.

Extirpated species are the common porcupine (Erethizon dorsatum), the gray wolf (Canis lupus), the red wolf (C. rufus), the black bear (Ursus americanus), the fisher (Martes pennanti), the northern river otter* (Lutra canadensis), the mountain lion (Felis concolor), the lynx (Lynx lynx), the bobcat (L. rufus), the elk (Cervus elaphus), and the bison (Bos bison).

The only threatened or endangered species known to be present is the American badger (state threatened list), but the Indiana myotis (federal endangered list) is likely present."

*In recent years, river otters have been spotted in and around the park.