Rare Mammal Conservation

Several species of mammals are listed under the Massachusetts Endangered Species Act.

There are several species of mammals protected under MESA. This includes whales, bats, shrews, and rodents. These species face a variety of different threats. The conservation challenges vary greatly between the groups. While the shrews and rodents occupy appropriate habitat patches in Massachusetts, some of the rare bats leave for the winter to hibernate in nearby states. Additionally, the whales move over hundreds, and even thousands, of miles of the Western Atlantic Ocean.

Image credits:  Breaching Humpback Whale, Megaptera novaeangliae (Bill Byrne, MassWildlife)

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