List of mammals of the United Arab Emirates
This is a list of the mammal species recorded in the United Arab Emirates. There are thirty-five mammal species in the United Arab Emirates, of which five are endangered, five are vulnerable, and one is near threatened.[1]
The following tags are used to highlight each species' conservation status as assessed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature:
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. |
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: Rodentia (rodents)
Rodents make up the largest order of mammals, with over 40% of mammalian species. They have two incisors in the upper and lower jaw which grow continually and must be kept short by gnawing. Most rodents are small though the capybara can weigh up to 45 kg (99 lb).
- Suborder: Myomorpha
- Family: Muridae (mice, rats, voles, gerbils, hamsters)
- Subfamily: Gerbillinae
- Genus: Gerbillus
- Wagner's gerbil, Gerbillus dasyurus LC
- Balochistan gerbil, Gerbillus nanus LC
- Genus: Gerbillus
- Subfamily: Gerbillinae
- Family: Muridae (mice, rats, voles, gerbils, hamsters)
Order: Lagomorpha (lagomorphs)
Lagomorphs comprise rabbits, hares, and pikas. Unlike rodents; they have four incisors on their upper jaws.
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 LC
- Genus: Hemiechinus
- Subfamily: Erinaceinae
Order: Chiroptera (bats)
The bats' most distinguishing feature is that their forelimbs are developed as wings, making them the only mammals capable of flight. Bat species account for about 20% of all mammals.
- Family: Vespertilionidae
- Subfamily: Vespertilioninae
- Genus: Pipistrellus
- Kuhl's pipistrelle, Pipistrellus kuhlii LC
- Genus: Pipistrellus
- Subfamily: Vespertilioninae
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: Balaenopteridae
- Subfamily: Balaenopterinae
- Genus: Balaenoptera
- Blue whale, Balaenoptera musculus EN[2]
- Fin whale, Balaenoptera physalus EN
- Bryde's whale, Balaenoptera brydei DD[3]
- Minke whale, Balaenoptera acutorostrata nt
- Genus: Balaenoptera
- Subfamily: Balaenopterinae
- Subfamily: Megapterinae
- Genus: Megaptera
- Humpback whale, Megaptera novaeangliae CR (Arabian Sea population)
- Genus: Megaptera
- Family: Balaenopteridae
- Suborder: Odontoceti
- Family Physeteridae (sperm whales)
- Genus: Physeter
- Sperm whale, Physeter catodon
- Genus: Physeter
- Superfamily: Platanistoidea
- Family: Phocoenidae
- Genus: Neophocaena
- Finless porpoise, Neophocaena phocaenoides DD
- Genus: Neophocaena
- Family: Delphinidae (marine dolphins)
- Genus: Delphinus
- Long-beaked common dolphin, Delphinus capensis LR/lc
- Genus: Sousa
- Genus: Tursiops
- Bottlenose dolphin, Tursiops aduncus DD
- Genus: Stenella
- Spinner dolphin, Stenella longirostris LC
- Genus: Grampus
- Risso's dolphin, Grampus griseus DD
- Genus: Pseudorca
- False killer whale, Pseudorca crassidens DD
- Genus: Orcinus
- Killer whale, Orcinus orca DD[7]
- Genus: Delphinus
- Family: Phocoenidae
- Family Physeteridae (sperm whales)
Order: Carnivora (carnivorans)
There are over 260 species of carnivorans, the majority of which eat meat as their primary dietary item. They have a characteristic skull shape and dentition.
- Suborder: Feliformia
- Family: Felidae (cats)
- Subfamily: Felinae
- Genus: Caracal
- Caracal, Caracal caracal LC
- Genus: Felis
- Sand cat, Felis margarita NT
- African wildcat, Felis lybica LC
- Genus: Caracal
- Subfamily: Pantherinae
- Genus: Panthera
- Arabian leopard, Panthera pardus nimr CR
- Genus: Panthera
- Subfamily: Felinae
- Family: Hyaenidae (hyaenas)
- Genus: Hyaena
- Striped hyena, Hyaena hyaena NT
- Genus: Hyaena
- Family: Felidae (cats)
- Suborder: Caniformia
- Family: Canidae (dogs, foxes)
- Genus: Vulpes
- Blanford's fox, Vulpes cana LC
- Genus: Canis
- Golden jackal, Canis aureus LC
- Genus: Vulpes
- Family: Mustelidae (mustelids)
- Genus: Mellivora
- Honey badger, Mellivora capensis LC
- Genus: Mellivora
- Family: Canidae (dogs, foxes)
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
- Arabian sand gazelle, Gazella marica VU
- Genus: Gazella
- Subfamily: Caprinae
- Genus: Hemitragus
- Arabian tahr, Hemitragus jayakari EN
- Genus: Hemitragus
- Subfamily: Hippotraginae
- Genus: Oryx
- Arabian oryx, Oryx leucoryx EN
- Genus: Oryx
- Subfamily: Antilopinae
- Family: Camelidae
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.
- Rare sighting of whales off the UAE coast
- Other Species - UAE Dolphin Project
- WAM. 2017. Abu Dhabi has world’s largest population of humpback dolphins. Emirates 24/7. Retrieved on September 21, 2017
- Gulf News. 2017. Abu Dhabi proves a haven for humpback dolphins. Retrieved on September 21, 2017
- Sanker A.. 2017. Abu Dhabi leads world in humpback dolphin numbers. Khaleej Times. Retrieved on September 21, 2017
- Rarely sighted killer whales spotted in Abu Dhabi waters
References
- "The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: Mammals of the United Arab Emirates". 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.