Imagine a mammal that weighs less than a dime, or one that runs on water, and another that's venomous! All of these small mammals can be found in Vermont.
Small mammals in Vermont weigh less than 500 grams, about 1.1 pounds. Of 58 species of mammals currently found in Vermont, 35 are considered to be small mammals, including: bats, shrews, squirrels, voles, mice, moles, weasels, rats, lemmings, and jumping mice. Two are non-native, introduced species – House Mouse and Brown Rat.
Eastern Chipmunk in Woodstock, Vermont. © K.P. McFarland
The University of Vermont and the NorthWoods Stewardship Center conducted the first Vermont Small Mammal Atlas from 2008 to 2011, with the goal of learning more about the distribution and habitat requirements of 23 species of terrestrial small mammals (not bats) in Vermont. The atlas pooled data from field surveys conducted at 47 sites across the state from 2008 to 2010, incidental small mammal data collected in 1998 during herptile surveys, records from the UVM Zadock Thomson Natural History Collection and several other museums, and a literature review (including some unpublished sources).
This project builds on that work to unite all past small mammal occurrence data and continue collecting records into the future. You can help!
