As with the number of bird species recorded in Beijing, the number of mammals recorded in the Chinese capital is surprisingly high. For example, even in the city centre, it’s possible to see species such as Siberian Chipmunk, Siberian Weasel and Amur Hedgehog. And, roaming in the mountains to the north and west are (Amur) Leopard Cats, Siberian Roe Deer, Hog Badgers, Raccoon Dogs, Masked Palm Civet and Wild Boar.
The guide below is not comprehensive. There are gaps in terms of species covered and, for those species included, there are significant knowledge gaps about their status. This guide should, therefore, be considered a work in progress and I very much welcome any information that can improve the contents. I am particularly interested in records from visitors and residents – please do submit any sightings using the form below.
Thank you.
Title image: Amur Leopard Cat, Mentougou District, February 2025.
A Guide to the Mammals of Beijing
Introduction
This guide has been collated to help residents and visitors to Beijing interested in specifically looking for mammals and/or identifying any species they record through casual observations. Given the lack of English-language resources and data this guide is certainly not comprehensive. As information is discovered or made available, the guide will be updated to rectify as many of these omissions as possible. Please contact Wild Beijing if you can help improve the information contained in this guide in any way.
Format
The list of mammals follows the order of “A Guide to the Mammals of China” by Andrew T Smith and Yan Xie, the best reference guide to mammals in China. The format includes English name, scientific name, Chinese name and ʻpinyinʼ (the Romanisation of Chinese characters based on their pronunciation). Photos are included where available together with a short paragraph about the status in Beijing.
The Mammals
Rhesus Macaque Macaca mulatta 猕猴 Míhóu
Apparently, historically, the range of this species reached as far north as Beijing but today is not thought to occur in a truly wild state. Occasionally individuals are encountered in the mountains to the west of Beijing (e.g. Fangshan and Mentougou Districts) but these are thought to relate to deliberate releases or escapes from captivity. Vocalisations thought to be by this species were recorded in September 2024 during a bioacoustic survey.
Eurasian Red Squirrel Sciurus vulgaris 北松鼠 Běi sōngshǔ
Found in some of the larger parks, especially the Botanical Gardens, and also in some mountainous areas to the north and west of the city.
Sound recording: a Red Squirrel vocalising from a tree in the Botanical Gardens on 1 December 2025 (Terry Townshend)
Pere Davidʼs Rock Squirrel Sciurotamias davidianus 岩松鼠 Yán sōng shǔ
Common in mountainous areas such as Fangshan, Huairou, Mentougou and Yanqing Districts.
Pallas’s (Red-bellied) Squirrel Callosciurus erythraeus 赤腹松鼠 Chìfù sōngshǔ
Can be found in the Botanical Gardens and some other parks inside the sixth ring road. Also recorded in Miyun District. Note lack of pale eyelids compared with Pere David’s Rock Squirrel.
Siberian Chipmunk Tamias sibiricus 花鼠 Huā shǔ
Common. Can be found in any wooded areas from mountains to parks, including many of the parks in the city (e.g. Ritan Park, Temple of Heaven Park).
Swinhoe’s Striped Squirrel Tamiops swinhoei 隐纹松鼠 Yǐn wén sōng shǔ
Common in hilly and mountainous areas on the outskirts of the city. Told from the similar Siberian Chipmunk by the duller face pattern, white above the eye only, white tufts behind the ears and overall less contrasting pattern.
Daurian Ground Squirrel Citellus dauricus
Historically recorded in Tongzhou, Chaoyang, Fengtai, Daxing, Yanqing, Pinggu, Miyun and Shunyi Districts but not aware of any recent records. Likely suffered due to urban expansion and land use change in lowland Beijing.
Groove-toothed Flying Squirrel Aeretes melanopterus
Recorded in Miyun District.
Complex-toothed Flying Squirrel Trogopterus xanthipes
Recorded in Fangshan, Huairou, Mentougou, Pinggu and Miyun Districts.
Siberian Flying Squirrel Pteromys volans
Recorded in Fangshan, Huairou and Miyun Districts.
Greater Long-tailed Hamster Tscherskia triton
Recorded in Yanqing, Fangshan, Changping, Haidian, Mentougou, Chaoyang, Shunyi, Tongzhou, Daxing and Miyun Districts.
Striped Dwarf Hamster Cricetulus barabensis
Recorded Haidian, Chaoyang, Tongzhou, Changping, Fengtai, Miyun and Pinggu Districts.
Long-tailed Dwarf Hamster Cricetulus longicaudatus
Recorded in Fangshan and Yanqing Districts at least.
Grey Dwarf Hamster Nothocricetulus migratorius
Recorded in Yanqing District.
Mid-day Jird Meriones meridianus
Recorded in Yanqing District.
Mongolian Jird Meriones unguiculatus
Recorded in Yanqing District.
Chinese Zokor Eospalax fontanierii 中华鼢鼠
Inhabits steppe grasslands. Has been recorded in Beijing (Yanqing and Mentougou at least) but notoriously hard to see due to underground and nocturnal lifestyles.
Daurian/Steppe Zokor Myospalax aspalax 草原鼢鼠
Found in open steppe and farmland. Has been recorded in Mentougou District. Probably still present in Beijing but as with Chinese Zokor above, notoriously hard to see due to underground and nocturnal lifestyles.
Manchurian Zokor Myospalax psilurus
A lowland zokor. Has historically been recorded in Yanqing, Daxing, Haidian, Fengtai, Tongzhou and Chaoyang Districts but not aware of any recent records. Has probably suffered due to land use change in lowland Beijing and urban expansion.
This zokor sp. skull found at c1,700m asl in Mentougou is most likely of one of the three species listed above.
Mandarin Vole Lasiopodomys mandarinus
Recorded in Fangshan, Mentougou and Yanqing Districts.
Northern Molevole Ellobius talpinus
Recorded in Yanqing District.
Muskrat Ondatra zibethicus (non-native)
Recorded in Changping, Daxing and Tongzhou Districts.
Grey Red-backed Vole Clethrionomys rufocanus
Recorded in Fangshan, Mentougou and Yanqing Districts.
Brown Rat Rattus norvegicus
Black Rat Rattus rattus
Chinese White-bellied Rat Niviventer confucianus
Recorded in Fangshan, Mentougou, Yanqing, Miyun and Huairou Districts.
House Mouse Mus musculus
Striped Field Mouse Apodemus agrarius
Korean Field Mouse Apodemus peninsulae
South China Field Mouse Apodemus draco
Recorded in Mentougou and Fangshan Districts.
Tolai Hare Lepus tolai 托氏兔 Tuō shì tù
Fairly common in open areas, even in the city suburbs. Can be seen in the Olympic Forest Park and birding sites such as Lingshan, Ma Chang, Yeyahu and Miyun Reservoir.
Amur Hedgehog Erinaceus amurensis 东北刺猬 Dōngběi cìwèi
Common in parks and scrubby areas but due to its nocturnal habits, not easy to see. Has been recorded widely across the city, including in the diplomatic district of Sanlitun, in many parks, and several visiting mammal watchers have seen it in the grounds of the Citic Hotel, close to Beijing Capital International Airport.
Daurian Hedgehog Mesechinus dauuricus 大乌尔猬 Dà wū ěr wèi
Status uncertain. Has been reported from the Old Summer Palace (Yuanmingyuan) and in coastal Hebei.
Asian Lesser White-Toothed Shrew Crocidura shantungensis 山东小麝鼩 Shāndōng xiǎo shè qú
Probably common but rarely seen. Most records relate to deceased individuals.
A live Asian Lesser White-Toothed Shrew at Guanting Reservoir, just over the border in Hebei Province, 21 April 2025 (Terry Townshend)
De Winton’s Shrew Chodsigoa hypsibia 川西缺齿鼩 Chuānxī quē chǐ qú
Status uncertain. Only a handful of records.
Short-faced Mole Scaptochirus moschatus 麝鼹 Shè yǎn
According to “A Guide to the Mammals of China”, the only mole species to occur in the capital. Itʼs a species of mole adapted to arid conditions. Recorded at Shahe Reservoir, and evidence of presumably this species also recorded along the Wenyu River and many other sites.
Large Mole Mogera robusta 大缺⻮鼹 Dà quē chǐyǎn
Status in Beijing uncertain. By far the largest mole in China. Smith and Xie give its distribution as NE China, extending into Russia and Korea. Records from Heilongjiang, Liaoning, Jilin, Henan and Anhui. Inhabits montane woodland, forest, farmland and grassland.
(Amur) Leopard Cat Prionailurus bengalensis euptilura 豹猫 Bàomāo
Fairly common in the mountains and wetlands of Beijing, predominantly outside the 6th ring road. Primarily nocturnal, so encounters in daytime are rare. Has been recorded in Changping, Fangshan, Huairou, Mentougou, Miyun, Shijingshan and Yanqing Districts at least.
Leopard Panthera pardus japonensis 豹 Bào
Formerly present, possibly until as recently as the 1990s but no recent records. However, the population in the Shanxi part of the Taihang Mountains is increasing, thanks to improved protection and reduced persecution, so it is likely that the Leopard could return to Beijing within the next few years. One individual was caught on a camera trap at Xiaowutaishan (Hebei) in 2012, close to the Beijing boundary. Back in 2001 Professor Gao Wu (高武) of Capital Normal University told Xinhua news agency that he believed there were about 10 leopards in the Beijing area. Gao said that as recently as the 1950s local farmers had reported leopards frequently attacking livestock in Huairou, Mentougou and Fangshan counties but there had been no such reports since the 1990s. However he added: “In fact leopards continue to survive against the odds in Beijing. They feed on roe deer, goats and rabbits, etc in broadleaved forest.” There is no doubt that the first 21st century photograph of a wild leopard in Beijing will be a big news story.
Masked Palm Civet Paguma larvata 花面狸 Huā miàn lí
Uncommon resident of wooded areas. A family, including a juvenile just a few months old, was captured on an infrared camera in Yanqing District in November and December 2020.
Wolf Canis lupus 狼 Láng
No records since the 1980s and almost certainly now extinct in Beijing due to historic persecution and hunting for its fur. In June 2007, Michael Rank wrote: “a 1956 Peking University study recorded “a certain number” of wolves which attacked livestock and humans. Records from the 80s of furs bought [by the state] showed 74 wolf skins in the period 1974-79 in Miyun county and 195 in Changping [both in northern outer suburbs] in 1979-81, but very few after this. A national survey 1995-2000 found signs of wolves in Yanqing, Huairou and Pinggu counties but no live specimens.”
Raccoon Dog Nyctereutes procyonoides 貉 Háo
Fairly common. Recorded from mountainous areas such as Huairou, Miyun, Mentougou and Yanqing Districts. Status clouded somewhat by the escape/release of animals from fur farms.
Red Fox Vulpes vulpes 赤狐 Chi Hu
Rare. Appears to be resident in small numbers in the mountains. Individuals of the “Silver Fox”, a distinctive form with black and silver fur, have been recorded in Beijing but as this form is rare in the wild and common in fur farms, they are likely to be escapes or deliberate releases. The image below is from Mentougou District in March 2024 and the sound recording from November 2024.
Northern Hog Badger Arctonyx albogularis 猪獾 Zhū huān
Reasonably common resident, typically in wooded areas. Has been recorded from Yeyahu/Ma Chang and many of the mountainous areas in Fangshan, Huairou, Miyun, Mentougou and Yanqing Districts.
Asian Badger Meles leucurus 狗獾 Gǒu huān
Reasonably widespread resident in the hills. Has been caught on infrared cameras in Huairou. Mentougou and Miyun Districts at least.
Mountain Weasel Mustela altaica 香鼬 Xiang You
Rare and local resident with the first record an individual photographed at Lingshan on 9 November 2015 (Terry Townshend). Has since been recorded at Haituoshan in Yanqing District (Peking University).
Siberian Weasel Mustela sibirica 黄鼬 Huáng yòu
The Siberian Weasel, known as “Huang Shu Lang” is common in Beijing and can even be found in the city centre. Due to superstition (this animal is believed to have the ability to possess peopleʼs souls), they are not persecuted.
Wild Boar Sus scrofa 野猪 Yězhū
Resident in mountainous areas in Fangshan, Huairou, Mentougou, Miyun and Yanqing Districts at least.
Siberian Roe Deer Capreolus pygargus 西伯利亚狍 Xībólìyǎ páo
Scarce, but increasing, resident of wooded hillsides of Huairou, Miyun and Mentougou Districts at least. Formerly thought to be the same species as Eurasian Roe Deer but is considerably larger with different shaped antlers; now treated as a separate species.
Chinese Goral Naemorhedus griseus 中华斑羚 Zhōnghuá bān líng
Scarce. Has been recorded in Huairou, Mentougou and Fangshan Districts at least.
Bats
There are thought to be around 20 species of bat in Beijing. The following have certainly been recorded. Others will be added, as well as status information, in due course.
English name Scientific Name
Beijing Barbastrelle Barbastrella beijingensis
Oriental Serotene Eptesicus pachyomus
Eastern Bent-winged Bat Miniopterus fuliginosus
Greater Tube-nosed Bat Murina leucogaster
Chinese Noctule Nyctalus plancyi
Japanese Pipistrelle Pipistrellus abramus
Greater Horseshoe Bat Rhinolophus ferrumequinum
Japanese Greater Horseshoe Bat Rhinolophus nippon
Big-eared Horseshoe Bat Rhinolophus macrotis
Least Horseshoe Bat Rhinolophus pusillus
Asian Particoloured Bat Vespertilio sinensis
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References:
Jia Yanki, Gao Yongrong, Chen Changan et al, “Survey of Rodent Species and Their Zoogeographical Distributions in the Beijing Area”, 2019
Xie and Smith, “A Guide to the Mammals of China”, 2008