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(NOTE: Illinois specific lists are marked with )

CURATOR & STAFF

Dr. Joyce E. Hofmann, Mammal Curator
Christine A. Mayer, Database Manager

ABOUT THE MAMMAL COLLECTION

Mammalogy is the branch of zoology that deals with animals belonging to the class Mammalia. Two of the characteristics that distinguish mammals from the other vertebrates are the presence of hair on at least part of their bodies and the fact that females nourish their young with milk secreted by their mammary glands. About 4600 species of living mammals, divided into 26 orders and 135 families, are currently recognized. The larger mammals, such as carnivores and ungulates, are among the most familiar and charismatic of animals, although the majority of mammal species are small rodents or bats that go largely unnoticed by most people. Mammals possess morphological, physiological, and behavioral adaptations for an amazing variety of habitats and lifestyles. Some mammals spend most of their time underground or in trees, some are completely aquatic, some live in extremely arid deserts, and some can even fly. Mammalogists tend to specialize in the study of the systematics, anatomy, physiology, ecology, or behavior of a particular taxonomic group or assemblage of mammals, such as bats, canids, or desert rodents.

The Illinois Natural History Survey Mammal Collection is essentially a collection of Illinois species. The 1087 catalogued specimens (skins and skulls combined) of 91 species from 21 families are used as comparative material to identify specimens brought to the Survey. Eighty-four percent of the collection is from Illinois. Most of the specimens were collected between 1930 and 1950 in Illinois and surrounding states.

SPECIES LISTS, DATABASES & DISTRIBUTIONS

•  Mammals of Illinois
• Search the INHS Mammal Collection
• Search the University of Illinois Museum of Natural History Collection

OUTREACH

Please phone Mike Jeffords (217) 333-5986 for more information.

LINKS

• Threatened & Endangered Species in IL