Content tagged with "Mammals"

Momo, Swamp Ape

hairy, ape-like creature walking in green forest

Homo cryptis

Reports of this large, foul-smelling, manlike creature have come from along the Mississippi River in Missouri since 1971.

Mountain lions used to be a native resident of our state, but after 1927 none were seen--until 1994, when conclusive physical evidence proved they are reappearing in Missouri. These few animals probably are individuals dispersing from other states, and no breeding population seems to have been reestablished.

Muskrat

Ondatra zibethicus

One of the most abundant commercial furbearers in Missouri, this semiaquatic rodent has benefited from the construction of thousands of farm ponds throughout the state.

Nine-Banded Armadillo

Dasypus novemcinctus

There’s no other animal in Missouri that can be mistaken for an armadillo! Fifty years ago, they were not considered residents, but now they are regularly found in the southern half of the state.

North American Elk (Wapiti)

Cervus canadensis

A very large member of the deer family, elk are brown or tan above with darker underparts, with a thick neck and yellowish-brown rump patch and tail. Elk are being restored in three Ozark counties.

Nutria (Coypu)

Myocastor coypus

Native to South America, this large aquatic rodent was brought to the U.S. and other countries for the fur market. In Missouri, the nutria has been occasionally trapped in the southeastern part of the state.

Opossum

Didelphis virginiana

North America's only marsupial might look something like a large rat, but its life history, biology and habits make this nocturnal mammal worthy of appreciation. What other mammal in our state can hang by its tail, “play dead” and carry its young in a pouch?