List of mammals of Western Sahara
This is a list of the mammal species recorded in Western Sahara. These are the mammal species in Western Sahara, of which 3 are critically endangered, 1 is endangered, 5 are vulnerable, and 1 is near-threatened. 1 of the species listed for Western Sahara can no longer be found in the wild.[1]
The following tags are used to highlight each species' conservation status as assessed by the IUCN:
EX | Extinct | No reasonable doubt that the last individual has died. |
EW | Extinct in the wild | Known only to survive in captivity or as a naturalized populations well outside its previous range. |
CR | Critically Endangered | The species is in imminent risk of extinction in the wild. |
EN | Endangered | The species is facing an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild. |
VU | Vulnerable | The species is facing a high risk of extinction in the wild. |
NT | Near Threatened | The species does not meet any of the criteria that would categorise it as risking extinction but it is likely to do so in the future. |
LC | Least Concern | There are no current identifiable risks to the species. |
DD | Data Deficient | There is inadequate information to make an assessment of the risks to this species. |
Some species were assessed using an earlier set of criteria. Species assessed using this system have the following instead of Near Threatened and Least Concern categories:
LR/cd | Lower Risk/conservation dependent | Species which were the focus of conservation programmes and may have moved into a higher risk category if that programme was discontinued. |
LR/nt | Lower Risk/near threatened | Species which are close to being classified as Vulnerable but are not the subject of conservation programmes. |
LR/lc | Lower Risk/least concern | Species for which there are no identifiable risks. |
Subclass: Theria
Infraclass: Eutheria
Order: Rodentia (rodents)
Rodents make up the largest order of mammals, with over 40 percent of mammalian species. They have two incisors in the upper and lower jaw which grow continually and must be keep short by gnawing. Most rodents are small though the capybara can weigh up to 45 kg (100 lb).
- Suborder: Sciurognathi
- Family: Sciuridae (squirrels)
- Subfamily: Xerinae
- Tribe: Xerini
- Genus: Atlantoxerus
- Barbary ground squirrel Atlantoxerus getulus LC
- Genus: Atlantoxerus
- Tribe: Xerini
- Subfamily: Xerinae
- Family: Muridae (mice, rats, voles, gerbils, hamsters, etc.)
- Subfamily: Deomyinae
- Genus: Acomys
- Western Saharan spiny mouse Acomys airensis LC
- Chudeau's spiny mouse Acomys chudeaui LC
- Genus: Acomys
- Subfamily: Gerbillinae
- Genus: Dipodillus
- North African gerbil Dipodillus campestris LC
- Genus: Gerbillus
- Lesser gerbil Gerbillus gerbillus LC
- Pygmy gerbil Gerbillus henleyi LC
- Genus: Meriones
- Libyan jird Meriones libycus LC
- Genus: Pachyuromys
- Fat-tailed gerbil Pachyuromys duprasi LC
- Genus: Dipodillus
- Subfamily: Deomyinae
- Family: Sciuridae (squirrels)
Order: Lagomorpha (lagomorphs)
The lagomorphs comprise two families, Leporidae (hares and rabbits), and Ochotonidae (pikas). Though they can resemble rodents, and were classified as a superfamily in that order until the early 20th century, they have since been considered a separate order. They differ from rodents in a number of physical characteristics, such as having four incisors in the upper jaw rather than two.
Order: Erinaceomorpha (hedgehogs and gymnures)
The order Erinaceomorpha contains a single family, Erinaceidae, which comprise the hedgehogs and gymnures. The hedgehogs are easily recognised by their spines while gymnures look more like large rats.
- Family: Erinaceidae (hedgehogs)
- Subfamily: Erinaceinae
- Genus: Hemiechinus
- Desert hedgehog Hemiechinus aethiopicus LR/lc
- Genus: Hemiechinus
- Subfamily: Erinaceinae
Order: Soricomorpha (shrews, moles, and solenodons)
The "shrew-forms" are insectivorous mammals. The shrews and solenodons closely resemble mice while the moles are stout-bodied burrowers.
- Family: Soricidae (shrews)
- Subfamily: Crocidurinae
- Genus: Crocidura
- Mauritanian shrew Crocidura lusitania LC
- Saharan shrew Crocidura tarfayensis DD
- Whitaker's shrew Crocidura whitakeri LC
- Genus: Crocidura
- Subfamily: Crocidurinae
Order: Chiroptera (bats)
The bats' most distinguishing feature is that their forelimbs are developed as wings, making them the only mammals in the world naturally capable of flight. Bat species account for about 20% of all mammals.
- Family: Rhinopomatidae
- Genus: Rhinopoma
- Lesser mouse-tailed bat Rhinopoma hardwickei LC
- Greater mouse-tailed bat Rhinopoma microphyllum LC
- Genus: Rhinopoma
Order: Cetacea (whales)
The order Cetacea includes whales, dolphins and porpoises. They are the mammals most fully adapted to aquatic life with a spindle-shaped nearly hairless body, protected by a thick layer of blubber, and forelimbs and tail modified to provide propulsion underwater.
- Suborder: Mysticeti
- Family: Balaenidae (right whales)
- Genus: Eubalaena
- North Atlantic right whale Eubalaena glacialis CR (Seen historically[2])
- Genus: Eubalaena
- Family: Eschrichtiidae
- Genus: Eschrichtius
- Atlantic gray whale Eschrichtius robustus EX
- Genus: Eschrichtius
- Family: Balaenopteridae (rorquals)
- Genus: Balaenoptera
- Northern minke whale Balaenoptera acutorostrata LC
- Sei whale Balaenoptera borealis EN
- Bryde's whale Balaenoptera edeni DD
- Blue whale Balaenoptera musculus EN
- Fin whale Balaenoptera physalus EN
- Genus: Megaptera
- Humpback whale Megaptera novaengliae LC
- Genus: Balaenoptera
- Family: Balaenidae (right whales)
- Suborder: Odontoceti
- Family: Delphinidae (pilot whales and dolphins)
- Genus: Delphinus
- Short-beaked common dolphin Delphinus delphis LC
- Genus: Globicephala
- Short-finned pilot whale Globicephala macrorhynchus DD
- Long-finned pilot whale Globicephala melas DD
- Genus: Grampus
- Risso's dolphin Grampus griseus LC
- Genus: Lagenodelphis
- Fraser's dolphin Lagenodelphis hosei LC
- Genus: Orcinus
- Orca Orcinus orca DD
- Genus: Pseudorca
- False killer whale Pseudorca crassidens DD
- Genus: Feresa
- Pygmy killer whale Feresa attenuata DD
- Genus: Stenella
- Striped dolphin Stenella coeruleoalba LC
- Atlantic spotted dolphin Stenella frontalis DD
- Genus: Steno
- Rough-toothed dolphin Steno bredanensis LC
- Genus: Tursiops
- Common bottlenose dolphin Tursiops truncatus LC
- Genus: Delphinus
- Family: Kogiidae (small sperm whales)
- Genus: Kogia
- Pygmy sperm whale Kogia breviceps DD
- Dwarf sperm whale Kogia sima DD
- Genus: Kogia
- Family: Phocoenidae (porpoises)
- Genus: Phocoena
- Harbour porpoise Phocoena phocoena LC
- Genus: Phocoena
- Family: Physeteridae (sperm whales)
- Genus: Physeter
- Sperm Whale Physeter macrocephalus VU
- Genus: Physeter
- Family: Ziphiidae (beaked whales)
- Genus: Hyperoodon
- Genus: Peponocephala
- Melon-headed whale Peponocephala electra DD**** Northern bottlenose whale Hyperoodon ampullatus LC
- Genus: Peponocephala
- Genus: Mesoplodon
- Sowerby's beaked whale Mesoplodon bidens VU
- Blainville's beaked whale Mesoplodon densirostris DD
- Gervais' beaked whale Mesoplodon europaeus DD
- True's beaked whale Mesoplodon mirus DD
- Genus: Ziphius
- Cuvier's beaked whale Ziphius cavirostris DD
- Genus: Hyperoodon
- Family: Delphinidae (pilot whales and dolphins)
Order: Carnivora (carnivorans)
There are over 260 species of carnivorans, the majority of which feed primarily on meat. They have a characteristic skull shape and dentition.
- Suborder: Feliformia
- Family: Felidae (cats)
- Subfamily: Felinae
- Genus: Acinonyx
- Northwest African cheetah Acinonyx jubatus hecki VU
- Genus: Felis
- Saharan sand cat Felis margarita margarita NT
- African wildcat Felis silvestris lybica LC
- Genus: Acinonyx
- Subfamily: Pantherinae
- Genus: Panthera
- Barbary lion Panthera leo leo VU
- Genus: Panthera
- Subfamily: Felinae
- Family: Hyaenidae (hyaenas)
- Genus: Hyaena
- Striped hyena Hyaena hyaena LR/nt
- Genus: Hyaena
- Family: Felidae (cats)
- Suborder: Caniformia
- Family: Canidae (dogs, foxes)
- Genus: Canis
- Egyptian wolf Canis anthus lupaster NE
- Genus: Canis
- Family: Mustelidae (mustelids)
- Genus: Ictonyx
- Saharan striped polecat Ictonyx libyca LR/lc
- Genus: Mellivora
- Ratel Mellivora capensis LR/lc
- Genus: Ictonyx
- Family: Canidae (dogs, foxes)
- Suborder: Pinnipedia
- Family: Phocidae(earless seals)
- Genus: Monachus
- Mediterranean monk seal Monachus monachus CR [3] (Facing Near-Extinction)
- Genus: Monachus
- Family: Phocidae(earless seals)
Order: Artiodactyla (even-toed ungulates)
The even-toed ungulates are ungulates whose weight is borne about equally by the third and fourth toes, rather than mostly or entirely by the third as in perissodactyls. There are about 220 artiodactyl species, including many that are of great economic importance to humans.
- Family: Bovidae (cattle, antelope, sheep, goats)
- Subfamily: Antilopinae
- Genus: Gazella
- Cuvier's gazelle Gazella cuvieri EN
- Dama gazelle Gazella dama CR
- Dorcas gazelle Gazella dorcas VU
- Genus: Gazella
- Subfamily: Caprinae
- Genus: Ammotragus
- Barbary sheep Ammotragus lervia VU
- Genus: Ammotragus
- Subfamily: Hippotraginae
- Genus: Addax
- Addax Addax nasomaculatus CR
- Genus: Oryx
- Scimitar oryx Oryx dammah EW
- Genus: Addax
- Subfamily: Antilopinae
References
- "The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: Mammals of Western Sahara". IUCN. 2001. Retrieved 22 May 2007.
- "Mammal Species of the World". Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History. 2005. Archived from the original on 27 April 2007. Retrieved 22 May 2007.
- "Animal Diversity Web". University of Michigan Museum of Zoology. 1995–2006. Retrieved 22 May 2007.
Notes
- ↑ This list is derived from the IUCN Red List which lists species of mammals and includes mammals that have recently been classified as extinct (since 1500 AD). The taxonomy and naming of the individual species is based on those used in existing Wikipedia articles as of 21 May 2007 and supplemented by the common names and taxonomy from the IUCN, Smithsonian Institution, or University of Michigan where no Wikipedia article was available.
- ↑ Duke University (2008). "Spatial Ecology of the North Atlantic Right Whale (Eubalaena Glacialis)." (book). The ProQuest. Retrieved 2015-10-24.
- ↑ William L. R. Oliver, IUCN/SSC Pigs and peccaries specialist group, IUCN/SSC Hippo specialist group, eds. (1993). Pigs, peccaries and hippos: status survey and conservation action plan. IUCN. p. 53. ISBN 2-8317-0141-4.
See also
- List of chordate orders
- List of regional mammals lists
- List of prehistoric mammals
- Mammal classification
- New mammal species