These Are the Rarest Animals in Michigan

You don't have to stay in Michigan for long to recognize the most common animals in the state.

There are tons of deer, and not all of them are on the side of the road. You'll see plenty of geese, raccoons and skunks too. But you're also bound to see all sorts of types of rodents, birds and bugs.

There are some elusive animals that only show their face in particular areas, such as bears and moose. Those two are much more common throughout the Upper Peninsula than the mitten portion of the state.

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But believe it or not, there are a few animal species that call Michigan home that are incredibly rare, and it's not because they are endangered, though humanity does play a role in how obscure these animals have become in the Mitten State.

Good Luck Spotting These Animals in Michigan

According to A-Z Animals, these three animals are rare due to habitat destruction or other human interference. As such, seeing any of these three animals is quite a fortunate encounter.

Red-Shouldered Hawk

The Red-Shouldered Hawk is an average-sized hawk weighing approximately 1.3 lbs at adulthood with a wingspan greater than three feet. They primarily eat small mammals, lizards, snakes and amphibians but have been known to eat smaller birds too. They are most commonly found in woodland areas near rivers and swamps - a recurring theme among these three animals.

Thankfully, the population of the species is thriving as more of the population heads westward to Washington state. Still, there isn't much left for them in Michigan, so stumbling across this hawk would be quite a surprise for both of you.

Northern Bog Lemming

Many sources don't even seem to include Michigan as a habitat for Northern Bog Lemmings, though it is clear that the species has made a home all along the United States-Canada border. Like the Red-Shouldered Hawk, the Northern Bog Lemming appreciates swampy conditions where they can mix slugs and snails into their otherwise vegetarian diet of grasses and moss.

Seeing a Northern Bog Lemming would be difficult even if a larger portion of the species population called Michigan home. These microtine rodents are tiny at only 5.1 inches long, weighing 1.1 oz.

The species is moving further north, it appears, though states like Washington, Maine and Minnesota, which is taking extra steps to help the species, are where they are more commonly found in the US.

River Otter

River Otters can, theoretically, be found along the rivers and streams near the Great Lakes. But they are incredibly rare. For example, in 2022, a River Otter was spotted in the Detroit River for the first time in over 100 years.

The rivers throughout Michigan are, frankly, well documented to not be kind to the wildlife because of factory pollutants. The River Otter population, just as the two animals mentioned before, suffered as a result.

That said, you're more likely to spot a River Otter in the Upper Peninsula or in more rural areas of the Lower Peninsula near the Great Lakes.

River Otters have a varied diet - from fish to bird eggs (or the birds themselves) to muskrats and rabbits. They have to eat quite a lot, so they are on the move quite a bit to gather resources. As such, spotting one can be a bit of a chore, though not quite as impossible as the otters may like.