Mammals of Prince Edward Island


Mammals of Prince Edward Island


Introduced or Recent Arrivals


Extinct to PEI

  • Marten (Martes americana) - Wikipedia
      • According to early French and British records, marten's were common in abundance although they were shy, seldom seen animals. Marten fur was prized and by late nineteenth century, they are gone from any records.
  • Lynx (Lynx canadensis)
      • Known as the "wild cat" or "lucifee" by the french, the lynx was viewed negatively as there were reports of lynx attacking farm livestock. A bounty was placed on lynx in the 1820's and by 1890, they were unknown on the Island.
  • Woodland Caribou (Rangifer caribou)
  • Moose (Alces alces)
      • Interesting to note that there are no written records of moose ever occuring on PEI. Considering people were aware of moose in NB and NS, it's absence from the written records we know of so far is interesting.
  • Black Bear (Ursus americanus)
  • River Otter (Lutra canadensis)
      • During the French period, it was believed otters were common in the many bays and harbors around the Island. However, being a prized fur with high monetary value, otters were quickly trapped to expiration on the Island.
  • Fisher (Martes pennanti) - Wikipedia
      • Again, according to the written records so far, there is no mention of fisher occuring on PEI
  • Wolf (Canis lupus)
      • Early french records indicate that wolfs were present on PEI, however in low numbers. The last mention of wolf on PEI is 1721


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Wildlife Enhancement Sheets
ECO-PEI - Macphail Woods Ecological Forestry Project a member of the Island Sustainable Forest Partnership Cooperative with assistance from Natural Resources Canada - Canadian Forest Service and the Model Forest Program have put together a series of Wildlife enhancement sheets on Prince Edward Island.

Mammals in the News

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Nuisance Animals series from PEI Gov. - These are nice little phamplets from the province website that give a good description of each species and the role they play in our island environment. There is a receipe for removing skunk smell which may be useful. Most important is that if you are having problems with nuisance wildlife, read up, or contact Fish and Wildlife Deptartment for assistance. Note that these phamplets are in PDF format.


More Resources:

PEI Forest Policy Notes

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