Mammals of Chicago, Illinois
The mammals most often spotted near Chicago, ranked by recent research-grade observations.
Naturalists have logged 27,500 research-grade observations across the 45 most-recorded species near Chicago. The most frequently seen is the Eastern Gray Squirrel, with 7,700 recorded sightings.
Rarer finds confirmed near Chicago include Bobcat - uncommon enough that a sighting is worth logging.
Most-observed mammals near Chicago
Built from recent research-grade iNaturalist observations. Identifications are community-sourced and may occasionally be wrong, and the ranking reflects where people record and photograph wildlife, so a species seen often here is not necessarily rare elsewhere. Some plants and animals are only out in certain seasons. Treat this as a lively snapshot of what people are finding, not a formal checklist.
Mammals in nearby places
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