The white-tailed deer makes its home in every section of Minnesota. Even on the prairie, motorists must exercise caution in the morning and in the evening when white-tail deer are likely to cross the highways. The moose also lives in Minnesota, as well as a few elk. Mule deer from the Dakotas and caribou from Canada occasionally visit Minnesota, according to the Minnesota DNR.
Ursus americanus, the black bear, and canis lupus, the timber wolf, live in the forests of Northern Minnesota. The bear’s range extends as far south as the latitude of Minneapolis. The wolf lives in the forested wilderness of northeast Minnesota, but as the wolf population increases, their range is extending southward into agricultural areas and causing problems, according to USGS. Other Minnesota predators are foxes, coyotes, bobcats and possibly lynx.
The thirteen-lined ground squirrel is the gopher that has given Minnesota the name “Gopher State." The true gopher also lives in the state, as well as the gray squirrel and the red squirrel. In addition, flying squirrels populate many areas in Minnesota, jumping from one tree and gliding through the air to another. Other rodents that make their home in Minnesota are rats, mice, rabbits, porcupines and voles.
Many members of the weasel family Mustelidae live in Minnesota. The weasel itself preys on Minnesota rodents, while the mink and the otter prefer fish. Well-known animals like the badger and the skunk live here. But Minnesota also plays host to such exotic mustelids as the marten and the fisher. The wolverine used to prowl about in Minnesota forests, but it disappeared long ago, according to the Minnesota DNR.
Moles and shrews are insectivores. Moles sometimes become a nuisance, especially if they dig and throw a mound of dirt in the middle of a lawn. Various shrew species also live in Minnesota, including the pygmy shrew, one of the smallest mammals in the world; and the water shrew. The water shrew lives on land but spends considerable time in the water to feed and to escape from predators, according to the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History.
Bats are tiny creatures. The hoary bat, the largest found in Minnesota, weighs only an ounce. The big brown bat, despite its name, is even smaller, while the eastern pipistrelle weighs in at two-tenth of an ounce, according to the Minnesota DNR.
Like other places in the United States, Minnesota farmers raise cows, pigs and sheep, and families enjoy cats and dogs as pets. But some farmers raise unusual livestock: bison, the same animal that once roamed freely on the prairie, according to the University of Minnesota. A herd of bison roams the land of Blue Mound State Park.