List of mammals of Mauritius
This is a list of the mammal species recorded in Mauritius. These are the mammal species in Mauritius, of which 1 is critically endangered, 0 are endangered, 3 are vulnerable, and 0 are near-threatened. 1 of the species listed for Mauritius is considered to be extinct.[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: Sirenia (manatees and dugongs)
Sirenia is an order of fully aquatic, herbivorous mammals that inhabit rivers, estuaries, coastal marine waters, swamps, and marine wetlands. All four species are endangered.
- Family: Dugongidae
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: Pteropodidae (flying foxes, Old World fruit bats)
- Subfamily: Pteropodinae
- Genus: Pteropus
- Mauritian flying fox Pteropus niger VU
- Rodrigues flying fox Pteropus rodricensis CR
- Small Mauritian flying fox Pteropus subniger EX
- Genus: Pteropus
- Subfamily: Pteropodinae
- Family: Molossidae
- Genus: Mormopterus
- Natal free-tailed bat Mormopterus acetabulosus VU
- Genus: Mormopterus
- Family: Emballonuridae
- Genus: Taphozous
- Mauritian tomb bat Taphozous mauritianus LC
- Genus: Taphozous
- Family: Pteropodidae (flying foxes, Old World fruit bats)
Order: Cetacea (whales)
![](../I/m/Sperm_whale_pod.jpg)
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: Balaenopteridae
- Subfamily: Balaenopterinae
- Genus: Balaenoptera
- Common minke whale Balaenoptera acutorostrata LC
- Antarctic minke whale Balaenoptera bonaerensis DD
- Bryde's whale Balaenoptera edeni DD
- Southern sei whale Balaenoptera borealis schlegelii EN
- Southern fin whale Balaenoptera physalus quoyi EN
- Pygmy blue whale Balaenoptera musculus brevicauda DD
- Southern blue whale Balaenoptera musculus intermedia EN
- Genus: Balaenoptera
- Family: Megapterinae
- Genus: Megaptera
- Humpback whale Megaptera novaeangliae LC
- Genus: Megaptera
- Family: Balaenidae
- Genus: Eubalaena
- Southern right whale Eubalaena australis LC (rarer on today's Mauritius)
- Genus: Eubalaena
- Subfamily: Balaenopterinae
- Family: Balaenopteridae
- Suborder: Odontoceti
- Family: Physeteridae
- Genus: Physeter
- Sperm Whale Physeter macrocephalus VU
- Genus: Physeter
- Family: Kogiidae
- Genus: Kogia
- Pygmy sperm whale Kogia breviceps DD
- Dwarf sperm whale Kogia sima DD
- Genus: Kogia
- Family: Ziphidae
- Genus: Indopacetus
- Tropical bottlenose whale Indopacetus pacificus DD
- Genus: Ziphius
- Cuvier's beaked whale Ziphius cavirostris DD
- Subfamily: Hyperoodontinae
- Genus: Mesoplodon
- Blainville's beaked whale Mesoplodon densirostris DD
- Gray's beaked whale Mesoplodon grayi DD
- Hector's beaked whale Mesoplodon hectori DD
- Layard's beaked whale Mesoplodon layardii DD
- True's beaked whale Mesoplodon mirus DD
- Genus: Mesoplodon
- Genus: Indopacetus
- Superfamily: Delphinoidea
- Family: Delphinidae (marine dolphins)
- Genus: Steno
- Rough-toothed dolphin Steno bredanensis LC
- Genus: Grampus
- Risso's dolphin Grampus griseus DD
- Genus: Globicephala
- Short-finned pilot whale Globicephala macrorhynchus DD
- Genus: Sousa
- Indian humpback dolphin Sousa plumbea NT
- Genus: Tursiops
- Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphin Tursiops aduncus DD
- Common bottlenose dolphin Tursiops truncatus LC
- Genus: Stenella
- Pantropical spotted dolphin Stenella attenuata LC
- Striped dolphin Stenella coeruleoalba LC
- Spinner dolphin Stenella longirostris DD
- Genus: Delphinus
- Long-beaked common dolphin Delphinus capensis DD
- Genus: Lagenodelphis
- Fraser's dolphin Lagenodelphis hosei DD
- Genus: Peponocephala
- Melon-headed whale Peponocephala electra DD
- Genus: Pseudorca
- False killer whale Pseudorca crassidens DD
- Genus: Feresa
- Pygmy killer whale Feresa attenuata DD
- Genus: Orcinus
- Orca Orcinus orca DD
- Genus: Steno
- Family: Delphinidae (marine dolphins)
- Family: Physeteridae
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: Caniformia
- Family: Phocidae (earless seals)
- Genus: Mirounga
- Southern elephant seal Mirounga leonina LR/lc
- Genus: Mirounga
- Family: Phocidae (earless seals)
See also
Notes
- ↑ This list is derived from the IUCN Red List which lists species of mammals and includes those 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.
References
- "The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: Mammals of Mauritius". 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.