American Badger
Lewis and Clark described the badger as "an animal of the Civit genus" inhabiting the…
Species Type
Mammal
Wildlife (49)
View all American beaver
American Bison
While the American bison was already known to science, Lewis and Clark documented the vast…
American Mink
Lewis and Clark described the mink at Fort Clatsop, noting it was identical to eastern…
American red squirrel
Bighorn Sheep
Joseph Field became the first expedition member to see a live bighorn sheep on April…
Black-tailed Prairie Dog
The prairie dog was among the most celebrated discoveries of the expedition. Clark described a…
Bushy-tailed Woodrat
Lewis described the bushy-tailed woodrat in detail at Fort Clatsop on February 27, 1806, noting…
Columbian black-tailed deer
Columbian ground squirrel
Coyote
Lewis and Clark provided the first detailed descriptions of the coyote for Western science, calling…
Desert cottontail
Douglas’s squirrel
Eastern woodrat
Elk
While elk were known to Eastern Americans, Lewis and Clark encountered the Rocky Mountain subspecies…
Ermine
Fox Squirrel
Seaman the Newfoundland caught squirrels swimming across the Ohio River in a mass migration -…
Gray Wolf
The gray wolf followed bison herds across the Great Plains and was a constant presence…
Grizzly Bear
The grizzly bear was one of the most dramatic discoveries of the expedition. Lewis and…
Long-tailed Weasel
Lewis identified the weasel as the "genuine ermine" prized in the fur trade, and its…
Moose
Mountain Beaver
Lewis described this unusual rodent in 1806 at Fort Clatsop, noting that it was "about…
Mountain Goat
Lewis and Clark never saw a live mountain goat during their expedition, despite hearing numerous…
Mountain Lion
Lewis noted the "Panther" was found throughout the western territories, and its skins were prized…
Mule Deer
Lewis and Clark were the first to recognize the mule deer as distinct from the…
North American Porcupine
Porcupines were encountered in the northern forests, and their quills were prized by Native tribes…
Northern bobcat
Northern raccoon
Oregon Bobcat
Lewis described the Oregon subspecies of the bobcat while at Fort Clatsop during the winter…
Oregon pronghorn
Pacific harbor seal
Plains gray wolf
Pocket gopher
Pronghorn
Lewis and Clark provided the first scientific description of the pronghorn, which they variously called…
Raccoon
Lewis noted that Pacific Northwest tribes used deadfalls and snares to trap raccoons, whose skins…
Red fox
Roosevelt elk
Sea Otter
Lewis and Clark encountered sea otters through their interactions with Clatsop and Chinook peoples at…
Short-tailed shrew
Striped skunk (Great Plains subspecies)
Striped skunk (western subspecies)
Swift Fox
Lewis described the swift fox on July 8, 1805, near the Marias River in Montana.…
Thirteen-lined ground squirrel
Townsend’s chipmunk
Townsend’s mole
Western gray squirrel
White-tailed deer
White-tailed Jackrabbit
Lewis and Clark encountered the white-tailed jackrabbit in September 1804 in present-day South Dakota, providing…
