Mammals of Bermuda | Watford Studios

Bermuda has no native land mammals that live here all year. The island is far out in the Atlantic, about 1,000 km (650 miles) from the nearest land, and the only mammals that reached it on their own are bats, which turn up now and then on migration. Every other land mammal was brought by people.

Bermuda’s most famous mammals live in the sea: every spring humpback whales pass close to the island, and dolphins and other whales live offshore.

Key: found only in Bermuda endemic native arrived naturally migrant visitor passes through, does not live here introduced brought in by people protected protected by Bermuda law (Bermuda’s protected species: Protected Species Act 2003 and Fisheries (Protected Species) Order 1978) around the cottages you may see it at Watford Studios

Bats: occasional visitors

Four North American bats are seen now and then, mostly on migration in spring (about April to June) and autumn (about August to November). They are not thought to live here: there is too little forest and food to support a resident population, so they are just passing through. They roost in trees rather than caves. Sightings are rare; if you see a bat, the Natural History Museum at the Bermuda Aquarium, Museum & Zoo would like to hear about it.

Hoary bat Lasiurus cinereusmigrant visitorThe largest of the visiting bats, with thick fur frosted white at the tips (“hoary”).Photo: Amelia Tauber (CC BY)

Eastern red bat Lasiurus borealismigrant visitorRusty-red fur; roosts hanging among leaves. Fossil bones suggest red bats have been reaching Bermuda for a very long time.Photo: iNaturalist user (CC0)

Seminole bat Lasiurus seminolusmigrant visitorVery like the red bat but a deeper mahogany colour; from the south-eastern United States.Photo: Michelle Sevcovas (CC BY)

Silver-haired bat Lasionycteris noctivagansmigrant visitorDark fur tipped with silver; recorded in Bermuda since the 1880s.Photo: Kalvin Chan (CC BY)

Brought by people

Rats and mice came ashore from ships soon after the first settlers arrived in the early 1600s. Feral cats, rats and mice are a real threat to Bermuda’s ground-nesting birds and to the endangered Bermuda skink.

Black rat Rattus rattusintroducedThe rat of trees and roofs; a good climber. It probably arrived with the early settlers' ships.Photo: Laura Mae (CC BY)

Brown rat Rattus norvegicusintroducedLarger and heavier than the black rat; lives near the ground and the shore.Photo: Mara Christensen (CC BY)

House mouse Mus musculusintroducedFound all over the island, in buildings and in the countryside.Photo: Carrie Seltzer (CC BY)

Feral cat Felis catusintroducedCats living wild are a serious danger to skinks and nesting birds, so please don’t feed them.Photo: Peter Burka (CC BY-SA)

European rabbit Oryctolagus cuniculusintroducedReleased pet rabbits have formed small wild colonies in a few places.Photo: iNaturalist user (CC0)

In the sea

All whales, dolphins and porpoises are protected in Bermuda’s waters. Humpback whales pass the island in March and April on their way north: see Humpback Whales in Bermuda. Bottlenose dolphins and other dolphins and whales, including sperm whales and beaked whales, live in the deep water offshore. Seals and manatees have turned up only a handful of times, as lost wanderers.

Humpback whale Megaptera novaeangliaenativeprotectedPasses Bermuda every spring, mainly March and April. More »Photo: François Dunoyer (CC BY)

Bottlenose dolphin Tursiops truncatusnativeprotectedThe familiar grey dolphin, sometimes seen from boats offshore.Photo: Punkus (CC BY)

See the complete list of mammals recorded in Bermuda (43 species) »

Photos are from iNaturalist (taken in Bermuda wherever an openly licensed photo exists), used under their Creative Commons or public-domain licences; click a credit to see the original. Facts from the Bermuda Department of Environment and Natural Resources (environment.bm). If you see a Bermuda skink, a terrapin or a bat, the Department would like to hear about it.