Lists of Pests of Significant Public Health Importance – Revised 2023/Vertebrate Pests
Vertebrate Pests | ||
Pest | Scientific Name | Public Health Importance/ Possible Clinical Significance |
Reptiles | ||
Rattlesnakes | Crotalus spp. | Direct injury, venomous bites |
Copperhead and cottonmouth snakes | Agkistrodon spp. | |
Coral snakes | Micrurus spp. | |
Brown tree snake | Boiga irregularis | |
Fish | ||
Great white shark | Carcharodon carcharias | Direct Injury |
Tiger shark | Galeocerdo cuvier | |
Bull shark | Carcharhinus leucas | |
Asian carps | Cyprinus spp. Ctenopharyngodon spp. Hypophthalmichthys spp. | |
Birds | ||
Geese | Subfamily Anserinae | Histoplasmosis, cryptococcosis, psittacosis, avian influenza, direct injury, bird strike at airports |
Mute swan | Cygus olor | |
Gulls | Subfamily Larinae | |
Coot | Fulica americana | |
Rock dove (domestic pigeon) | Columba livia | |
Cliff swallow | Petrochelidon pyrrhonota | |
Barn swallow | Hirundo rustica | |
House (English) sparrow | Passer domesticus | |
American crow | Corvus brachyrhynchos | |
Fish crow | Corvus ossifragus | |
European starling | Sturnus vulgaris | |
House finch | Cardodacus purpureus | |
Blackbirds | Family Icteridae | |
Common raven | Corvus corax | |
Chihuahuan raven | Corvus cryptoleucus | |
Black vulture | Cathartes aura | |
Turkey vulture | Coragyps atratus | |
Mammals | ||
Bats | ||
Big brown bat | Eptesicus fuscus | Rabies, histoplasmosis, salmonellosis, yersiniosis, Nipah virus, Ebola virus, SARS coronavirus |
Little brown bat | Myotis lucifugus | |
Brazilian (Mexican) free-tailed bat | Tadarida brasiliensis | |
Big eared bat | Corynorhinus townsendii | |
Common vampire bat | Demodus rotundus | |
Mice | ||
House mouse | Mus musculus | Hantavirus, salmonellosis, tularemia, leptospirosis, lymphocytic chorio-meningitis, rat bite fever, other diseases, allergy and asthma triggers from urine/hair/dander |
Deer mouse | Peromyscus maniculatus | |
Cotton mouse | Peromyscus gossypinus | |
White-footed mouse (White-footed deer mouse) | Peromyscus leucopus | |
Eastern harvest mouse | Reithrodontomys humuli | |
Golden mouse | Ochrotomys nuttalli | |
Rats | ||
Norway rat | Rattus norvegicus | Leptospirosis, plague, rat bite fever, salmonellosis, tularemia, lymphocytic chorio-meningitis, direct injury, allergy and asthma triggers from urine/hair/dander |
Roof rat | Rattus rattus | |
Polynesian rat | Rattus exulans | |
Cotton rats | Sigmodon spp. | |
Mexican woodrat | Neotoma mexicana | |
Southern plains woodrat | Neotoma micropus | |
White-throated woodrat | Neotoma albigula | |
Squirrels | ||
Flying squirrels | Glaucomys spp. | Sylvatic typhus, leptospirosis |
Ground squirrels and prairie dogs | Urocitellus spp., Spermophilus spp., Ictidomys spp., Poliocitellus spp., Cynomys spp., Xerospermophilus spp., Callospermophilus spp., Otospermopjilus spp., Ammospermophilus spp. | Plague, tularemia |
Tree squirrels and chipmunks | Sciurus spp., Tamias spp., Eutamias spp., Tamiasciurus spp. | Leptospirosis, salmonellosis, tularemia, rabies, direct injury |
Woodchuck | Marmota monax | |
Yellow-bellied marmot | Marmota flaviventris | |
Other Mammals | ||
Bears | Family Ursidae | Toxoplasmosis, brucellosis, trichinellosis, direct injury |
Coyote | Canis latrans | Rabies, canine distemper virus, leptospirosis, direct injury |
Arctic fox | Alopex lagopus | |
Gray fox | Urocyon cinereoargenteus | |
Red fox | Vulpes vulpes | |
Gray wolf | Canis lupus | |
Wild (feral) dog | Canis lupus familiaris | |
Wild (feral) cat | Felis catus | Toxoplasmosis, rabies, direct injury |
Wild (feral) horse | Equus caballus | Rabies, leptospirosis, salmonellosis, camplyobacterosis, cryptosporidiosis, direct injury |
Wild (feral) swine Javelina (collared peccary) |
Sus scrofa Dicotyles tajacu |
Leptospirosis, brucellosis, E. coli infection, salmonellosis, toxoplasmosis, rabies, swine influenza viruses, trichinosis, giardiasis, cryptosporidiosis, direct injury |
Deer and elk | Family Cervidae | Leptospirosis, salmonellosis, chlamydiosis, campylobacterosis, cryptosporidiosis, giardiasis, direct injury |
American bison | Bison bison | Brucellosis, direct injury |
Mongooses | Family Herpestidae | Leptospirosis, direct injury |
Mountain lion (cougar) | Puma concolor | Toxoplasmosis, plague, rabies, leptospirosis |
Nutria | Myocastor coypus | Tuberculosis, septicemia, rabies, leptospirosis |
Porcupine | Erethizon dorsatum | Rabies, tularemia, direct injury |
North American beaver | Castor canadensis | Giardiasis, leptospirosis, hantavirus, direct injury, waterway impoundment that can lead to life-threatening flooding |
Badger | Taxidea taxus | Rabies, direct injury |
Muskrat | Ondatra zibethicus | Leptospirosis, tularemia |
Striped skunk | Mephitis mephitis | Leptospirosis, tularemia, direct injury |
Spotted skunk | Spilogale putorius | |
Raccoon | Procyon lotor | |
Rabbits | Family Leporidae | Cryptosporidosis, tularemia, rabbit hemorrhagic fever |
Virginia opossum | Didelphis virginiana | Leptospirosis, tularemia, direct injury |
Nine-banded armadillo | Dasypus novemcinctus | Leprosy, Chagas disease |
This work is in the public domain in the United States because it is a work of the United States federal government (see 17 U.S.C. 105).
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