Maine and the adjacent ocean are home to 16 species in 13 genera in 7 families.

If you know which species you have or are interested in learning about, click on the appropriate species link below. Otherwise, to determine which family the animal that you are trying to identify belongs to, refer to the tabular key immediately below the species list.

Family Canidae (3 genera, 3 species)
   Canis (1 species)
      Canis latrans - coyote
   Urocyon (1 species)
      Urocyon cinereoargenteus - gray fox
   Vulpes (1 species)
      Vulpes vulpes - red fox
Family Felidae (1 genus, 2 species)
   Lynx (2 species)
      Lynx canadensis - Canada lynx
      Lynx rufus - bobcat
Family Mephitidae (1 genus, 1 species)
   Mephitis (1 species)
      Mephitis mephitis - striped skunk
Family Mustelidae (4 genera, 6 species)
   Lontra (1 species)
      Lontra canadensis - river otter
   Martes (2 species)
      Martes americana - American marten
      Martes pennanti - fisher
   Mustela (2 species)
      Mustela erminea - short-tailed weasel
      Mustela frenata - long-tailed weasel
   Neovison (1 species)
      Neovison vison - mink
Family Phocidae (2 genera, 2 species)
   Halichoerus (1 species)
      Halichoerus grypus - gray seal
   Phoca (1 species)
      Phoca vitulina - harbor seal
Family Procyonidae (1 genus, 1 species)
   Procyon (1 species)
      Procyon lotor - common raccoon
Family Ursidae (1 genus, 1 species)
   Ursus (1 species)
      Ursus americanus - black bear

Key to the families of Order Carnivora in Maine

	habitat	color(s)	toes on front feet (number)	toes on hind feet (number)	char. 5
Canidae	land		4 (the 5th toe is part way up the canid’s leg)	4
Felidae	land		4	4
Mephitidae	land	black with two dorsal white stripes	5	5
Mustelidae	land, freshwater		5	5
Phocidae	ocean		n/a	n/a
Procyonidae	land	grayish with black “mask” and black bands on tail	5	5
Ursidae	land	black, sometimes brownish	5	5

Family Canidae (dog family)
[information to be added]

Key to the genera of family Canidae in Maine

	color	char. 2	char. 3	char. 4	char. 5
Canis
Urocyon
Vulpes	reddish

Canis ([genus name?])
[information to be added]

Canis latrans (coyote) - [information to be added]

Urocyon ([genus name?])
[information to be added]

Urocyon cinereoargenteus (gray fox) - [information to be added]

Vulpes ([genus name?])
[information to be added]

Vulpes vulpes (red fox) - This red fox was photographed near the shore of Bass Harbor (Tremont). Nearby was a hind leg of a snowshoe hare (Lepus americanus).
   
   (click on image to enlarge)

Felidae (cat family)
Lynx is the only genus in the Felidae in Maine.

Lynx (lynx)
[information to be added]

Key to the species of the genus Lynx in Maine

	ear tufts	tail tip	front feet L x W (inches)	hind feet L x W (inches)	Maine range
L. canadensis	long	black above and below	23/8–41/4 x 23/8–55/8	21/2–41/8 x 21/8–5	extreme north and northwest (Aroostook, Piscataquis, and northern Franklin, Oxford, Penobscot, and Somerset counties)
L. rufus	short	black above, white below	15/8–21/2 x 13/8–25/8	19/16–21/2 x 13/16–25/8	statewide

Foot measurements are from Mammal Tracks & Sign by Mark Elbroch. Important to note is the difference between the two species, the lynx print being somewhat larger than that of the bobcat.

Lynx canadensis (Canada lynx) - [information to be added]

Lynx rufus (bobcat)
      
   (photos by Ed Meadows; click on an image to enlarge)

Mephitidae (skunk family)
Mephitis is the only genus in the Mephitidae in Maine.

Mephitis (skunk)
Mephitis mephitis is the only species in the genus Mephitis in Maine.

Mephitis mephitis (striped skunk) - [information to be added]

Mustelidae (weasel family)
[information to be added]

Key to the genera of family Mustelidae in Maine

	char. 1	char. 2	char. 3	char. 4	char. 5
Lontra
Martes
Mustela
Neovison

Lontra ([genus name?])
Lontra canadensis is the only species in the genus Lontra in Maine.

Lontra canadensis (river otter) - From p. 140 of “Tracking & the Art of Seeing” by Paul Rezendes: “When otters move on snow, they tend to bound a few steps, then get down on their belly and slide, pushing themselves along with their short legs as though they were swimming. ... The slide is usually 6" to 10" wide.” The image of the slide (below left) was taken on 17 January 2008 at the pond that is north of Eagle Lake Road (Bar Harbor) and just east of the Eagle Lake parking lot. The picture of the river otter (below right) was taken by Don Lenahan on 27 March 2008 at the marsh along the west side of Schooner Head Road, from which there is a clear view of the east face of Champlain Mountain.
      
   (click on an image to enlarge)

Martes ([genus name?])
[information to be added]

Key to the species of the genus Martes in Maine

	front feet (L x W in inches)	hind feet (L x W in inches)	char. 3	char. 4	char. 5
M. americana	15/8–23/4 x 15/16–25/8	11/2–23/4 x 13/16–21/4
M. penanti	21/8–37/8 x 17/8 x 41/4	2–31/8 x 11/2–31/2

Foot measurements are from Mammal Tracks & Sign by Mark Elbroch. Important to note is the difference between the two species, the fisher print being somewhat larger than that of the American marten.

Martes americana (American marten) - [information to be added]

Martes pennanti (fisher) - [information to be added]

Mustela ([common name?])
[information to be added]

Key to the species of the genus Mustela in Maine

	tail length	char. 2	char. 3	char. 4	char. 5
M. erminea	shorter than head+body
M. frenata	longer than head+body

Mustela erminea (short-tailed weasel) - [information to be added]

Mustela frenata (long-tailed weasel) - [information to be added]

Neovison ([genus name?])
Neovison vison is the only species in the genus Neovison in Maine.

Neovison vison (mink) - [information to be added]

Phocidae ([family name?])
[information to be added]

Key to the genera of family Phocidae in Maine

	char. 1	char. 2	char. 3	char. 4	char. 5
Halichoerus
Phoca

Halichoerus ([genus name?])
[information to be added]

Halichoerus grypus (gray seal) - [information to be added]

Phoca ([genus name?])
[information to be added]

Phoca vitulina (harbor seal) - [information to be added]

Procyonidae (racoon family)
Procyon is the only genus in the Procyonidae in Maine.

Procyon (raccoon)
Procyon lotor is the only species in the genus Procyon in Maine.

Procyon lotor (raccoon) - The lower left photograph was taken at a “bird” feeder one night in April 2007 at a private residence in Bass Harbor (Tremont). The lower right image shows the raccoon’s track in a natural habitat, the muddy edge of a small pond (9 September 2018).
      
   (click on an image to enlarge)

Ursidae (bear family)
Ursus is the only genus in the Ursidae in Maine.

Ursus (bear)
Ursus americaus is the only species in the genus Ursus in Maine.

Ursus americanus (black bear) - [information to be added]