List of mammals in Western Sahara

This is a list of the mammal species recorded in Western Sahara. There are 40 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. [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 Institute, or University of Michigan where no Wikipedia article was available.]

The following tags are used to highlight each species' conservation status as assessed by the IUCN:

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:

ubclass: 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
**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
***Subfamily: Gerbillinae
****Genus: Dipodillus
***** North African Gerbil "Dipodillus campestris" LC
****Genus: Gerbillus
***** "Gerbillus gerbillus" LC
***** Pygmy Gerbil "Gerbillus henleyi" LC
****Genus: Meriones
***** Libyan Jird "Meriones libycus" LC
****Genus: Pachyuromys
***** Fat-tailed Gerbil "Pachyuromys duprasi" LC

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 twentieth 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.

*Family: Leporidae (rabbits, hares)
**Genus: Lepus
*** Cape Hare "Lepus capensis" LR/lc

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

Order: Soricomorpha (shrews, moles, and soledons)

----The "shrew-forms" are insectivorous mammals. The shrews and soledons closely resemble mice while the moles are stout bodied burrowers.

*Family: Soricidae (shrews)
**Subfamily: Crocidurinae
***Genus: Crocidura
**** Mauritanian Shrew "Crocidura lusitania" LC
**** Tarfaya Shrew "Crocidura tarfayensis" DD
**** Whitaker's Shrew "Crocidura whitakeri" LC

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

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: Odontoceti
**Superfamily: Platanistoidea
***Family: Phocoenidae
****Genus: Phocoena
***** Harbour Porpoise "Phocoena phocoena" VU
***Family: Kogiidae
****Genus: Kogia
***** Pygmy Sperm Whale "Kogia breviceps" LR/lc
***Family: Ziphidae
****Subfamily: Hyperoodontidae
*****Genus: Mesoplodon
****** Blainville's Beaked Whale "Mesoplodon densirostris" DD
***Family: Delphinidae (marine dolphins)
****Genus: Steno
***** Rough-toothed Dolphin "Steno bredanensis" DD
****Genus: Sousa
***** Humpback dolphin "Sousa teuszii" DD
****Genus: Stenella
***** Atlantic Spotted Dolphin "Stenella frontalis" DD
****Genus: Delphinus
***** Common dolphin "Delphinus capensis" LR/lc
****Genus: Lagenodelphis
***** Fraser's Dolphin "Lagenodelphis hosei" DD
****Genus: Feresa
***** Pygmy Killer Whale "Feresa attenuata" DD
****Genus: Orcinus
***** Orca "Orcinus orca" LR/cd

Order: Carnivora (carnivores)

----The carnivores include over 260 species, the majority of which eat meat as their primary dietary item. Carnivores have a characteristic skull shape and dentition.

*Suborder: Feliformia
**Family: Felidae (cats)
***Subfamily: Felinae
****Genus: Acinonyx
***** Cheetah "Acinonyx jubatus" VU
****Genus: Felis
***** Sand Cat "Felis margarita" NT
***** Wildcat "Felis silvestris" LC
***Subfamily: Pantherinae
****Genus: Panthera
***** Lion "Panthera leo" VU
**Family: Hyaenidae (hyaenas)
***Genus: Hyaena
**** Striped Hyena "Hyaena hyaena" LR/nt
*Suborder: Caniformia
**Family: Canidae (dogs, foxes)
***Genus: Canis
**** Golden Jackal "Canis aureus" LC
**Family: Mustelidae (mustelids)
***Genus: Ictonyx
**** Saharan Striped Polecat "Ictonyx libyca" LR/lc
***Genus: Mellivora
**** Ratel "Mellivora capensis" LR/lc
**Family: Phocidae (earless seals)
***Genus: Monachus
**** Mediterranean Monk Seal "Monachus monachus" CR

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
**Subfamily: Caprinae
***Genus: Ammotragus
**** Barbary Sheep "Ammotragus lervia" VU
**Subfamily: Hippotraginae
***Genus: Addax
**** Addax "Addax nasomaculatus" CR
***Genus: Oryx
**** Scimitar Oryx "Oryx dammah" EW

Notes

References

*cite web
url=http://www.iucnredlist.org/search/search.php?kingname=ANIMALIA&phyname=CHORDATA&claname=MAMMALIA&freetext=&modifier=phrase&criteria=wholedb&taxa_species=1&redlistCategory%5B0%5D=all&redlistAssessyear%5B0%5D=all&country%5B0%5D=EH&aquatic%5B0%5D=all&regions%5B0%5D=all&habitats%5B0%5D=all&threats%5B0%5D=all&Submit_x=34&Submit_y=9&extendedResults=0&terrestrial=0&marine=0&freshwater=0&offset=0&sortorder%5B0%5D=spcscientificname&sortorder%5B1%5D=genname&sortorder%5B2%5D=spcname&sortorder%5B3%5D=spcauthor&sortorder%5B4%5D=spcinfrarank&sortorder%5B5%5D=spcinfraepithet&sortorder%5B6%5D=spcinfrarankauthor&sortorder%5B7%5D=spcstockname&sortorder%5B8%5D=comname_comp&sortorder%5B9%5D=rlcabb&sortorder%5B10%5D=rlscriteria&sortorder%5B11%5D=poptrend_code&sortorder%5B12%5D=rlcatcrit2001&sortorder%5B13%5D=spcrecid&sortorder%5B14%5D=kingname&debug=0&taxa_subspc=0&taxa_stock=0&newsort=Genus
title=The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: Mammals of Western Sahara
publisher=IUCN
date=2001
accessdaymonth = 22 May
accessyear=2007
*cite web
url=http://nmnhgoph.si.edu/msw/
title=Mammal Species of the World
publisher=Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History
date=2005
accessdaymonth = 22 May
accessyear=2007
*cite web
url=http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/index.html
title=Animal Diversity Web
publisher=University of Michigan Museum of Zoology
date=1995-2006
accessdaymonth = 22 May
accessyear=2007

ee also

*List of chordate orders
*List of regional mammals lists
*List of prehistoric mammals
*Mammal classification
*New mammal species