This list shows the IUCN Red List status of the 112 mammal species occurring in Poland which have been recorded in historic times. Of these, two are endangered, three are vulnerable, and five are near threatened. Three of the species listed for Poland are nationally extinct.
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. Suborder: Sciurognathi Family: Castoridae (beavers) Genus: Castor American beaver, C. canadensis introduced Eurasian beaver, C. fiber Family: Sciuridae (squirrels) Subfamily: Sciurinae Tribe: Sciurini Genus: Sciurus Red squirrel, S. vulgaris Subfamily: Xerinae Tribe: Marmotini Genus: Marmota Alpine marmot, M. marmota Tatra marmot, M. marmota latirostris Genus: Spermophilus European ground squirrel, Spermophilus citellus Speckled ground squirrel, Spermophilus suslicus Family: Gliridae (dormice) Subfamily: Leithiinae Genus: Dryomys Forest dormouse, Dryomys nitedula LC Genus: Eliomys Garden dormouse, E. quercinus Genus: Muscardinus Hazel dormouse, Muscardinus avellanarius Subfamily: Glirinae Genus: Glis European edible dormouse, Glis glis LC Family: Dipodidae (jerboas) Subfamily: Sicistinae Genus: Sicista Northern birch mouse, Sicista betulina LC Southern birch mouse, Sicista subtilis LC Family: Cricetidae Subfamily: Cricetinae Genus: Cricetus European hamster, C. cricetus Subfamily: Arvicolinae Genus: Ondatra Muskrat, Ondatra zibethicus introduced Genus: Arvicola European water vole, A. amphibius Genus: Chionomys European snow vole, Chionomys nivalis Genus: Clethrionomys Bank vole, Myodes glareolus Genus: Microtus Field vole, Microtus agrestis Common vole, Microtus arvalis Tundra vole, Microtus oeconomus European pine vole, Microtus subterraneus Tatra vole, Microtus tatricus Family: Muridae (mice, rats, voles, gerbils, hamsters, etc.) Subfamily: Murinae Genus: Apodemus Striped field mouse, Apodemus agrarius Yellow-necked mouse, Apodemus flavicollis Wood mouse, Apodemus sylvaticus Ural field mouse, Apodemus uralensis Genus: Micromys Eurasian harvest mouse, Micromys minutus Genus: Mus House mouse, M. musculus Genus: Rattus Black rat, R. rattus Brown rat, R. norvegicus
Order: Lagomorpha (lagomorphs)
The lagomorphs comprise two families, Leporidae (hares and rabbits), and Ochotonidae (pikas). Though members of both families share several key traits with rodents, and were classified as a superfamily in that order until the early twentieth century, they have since been considered a distinct 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 European hare, L. europaeus Mountain hare, L. timidus Genus: Oryctolagus European rabbit, O. cuniculus introduced
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: Erinaceus West European hedgehog, E. europaeus Northern white-breasted hedgehog, E. roumanicus
Order: Soricomorpha (shrews, moles, and solenodons)
The Soricomorpha are insectivorous mammals. The shrews and solenodons resemble mice while the moles are stout-bodied burrowers. Family: Soricidae (shrews) Subfamily: Crocidurinae Genus: Crocidura Bicolored shrew, C. leucodon Lesser white-toothed shrew, C. suaveolens Subfamily: Soricinae Tribe: Nectogalini Genus: Neomys Southern water shrew, N. anomalus Eurasian water shrew, N. fodiens Tribe: Soricini Genus: Sorex Alpine shrew, S. alpinus Common shrew, S. araneus Laxmann's shrew, S. caecutiens Eurasian pygmy shrew, S. minutus Family: Talpidae (moles) Subfamily: Talpinae Tribe: Talpini Genus: Talpa European mole, T. europaea
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: Myotinae Genus: Myotis Bechstein's bat, M. bechsteini Lesser mouse-eared bat, M. blythii Brandt's bat, M. brandti Pond bat, M. dasycneme Daubenton's bat, M. daubentonii Geoffroy's bat, M. emarginatus Greater mouse-eared bat, M. myotis Whiskered bat, M. mystacinus Natterer's bat, M. nattereri Subfamily: Vespertilioninae Genus: Barbastella Western barbastelle, B. barbastellus Genus: Eptesicus Northern bat, E. nilssonii Serotine bat, E. serotinus Genus: Nyctalus Greater noctule bat, N. lasiopterus Lesser noctule, N. leisleri Common noctule, N. noctula Genus: Pipistrellus Kuhl's pipistrelle, P. kuhlii Nathusius' pipistrelle, P. nathusii Common pipistrelle, P. pipistrellus Soprano pipistrelle, P. pygmaeus Genus: Plecotus Brown long-eared bat, P. auritus Grey long-eared bat, P. austriacus Genus: Vespertilio Parti-coloured bat, V. murinus Family: Rhinolophidae Subfamily: Rhinolophinae Genus: Rhinolophus Greater horseshoe bat, R. ferrumequinum Lesser horseshoe bat, R. hipposideros
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 Common minke whale, B. acutorostrata Sei whale, B. borealis Fin whale, B. physalus Subfamily: Megapterinae Genus: Megaptera Humpback whale, M. novaeangliae Suborder: Odontoceti Family: Phocoenidae Genus: Phocoena Harbour porpoise, Phocoena phocoena Family: Monodontidae Genus: Delphinapterus Beluga, Delphinapterus leucas Family: Ziphidae Genus: Hyperoodon Northern bottlenose whale, Hyperoodon ampullatus Genus: Mesoplodon Sowerby's beaked whale, Mesoplodon bidens Family: Delphinidae (marine dolphins) Genus: Delphinus Short-beaked common dolphin, Delphinus delphis Genus: Lagenorhynchus White-beaked dolphin, Lagenorhynchus albirostris Genus: Tursiops Bottlenose dolphin, Genus: Orcinus Orca, O. orca
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: Felis European wildcat, F. silvestris Genus: Lynx Eurasian lynx, L. lynx Suborder: Caniformia Family: Canidae (dogs, foxes) Genus: Canis Golden jackal, C. aureus , vagrant European jackal, C. a. moreoticus Gray wolf, C. lupus Eurasian wolf, C. l. lupus Genus: Nyctereutes Raccoon dog, N. procyonoides introduced Genus: Vulpes Red fox, V. vulpes Family: Procyonidae (raccoons) Genus: Procyon Raccoon, P. lotor introduced Family: Ursidae (bears) Genus: Ursus Brown bear, U. arctos Eurasian brown bear, U. a. arctos Family: Mustelidae (mustelids) Genus: Lutra Eurasian otter, L. lutra Genus: Martes Beech marten, M. foina European pine marten, M. martes Genus: Meles European badger, M. meles Genus: Mustela Stoat, M. erminea Steppe polecat, M. eversmannii Least weasel, M. nivalis European polecat, M. putorius Genus: Neogale American mink, N. vison introduced Family: Phocidae (earless seals) Genus: Halichoerus Grey seal, H. grypus Genus: Phoca Common seal, P. vitulina Genus: Pusa Ringed seal, P. hispida
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: Suidae (pigs) Subfamily: Suinae Genus: Sus Wild boar, S. scrofa Family: Cervidae (deer) Subfamily: Capreolinae Genus: Alces Moose, A. alces Genus: Capreolus Roe deer, C. capreolus Subfamily: Cervinae Genus: Cervus Red deer, C. elaphus Sika deer, C. nippon introduced Genus: Dama European fallow deer, D. dama introduced Family: Bovidae (cattle, antelope, sheep, goats) Subfamily: Bovinae Genus: Bison European bison, B. bonasus reintroduced Genus: Bos Aurochs, B. primigenius Subfamily: Caprinae Genus: Rupicapra Chamois, R. rupicapra
Locally extinct The following species are locally extinct in the country: European mink, Mustela lutreola
See also List of chordate orders List of prehistoric mammals Lists of mammals by region Mammal classification List of mammals described in the 2000s
References
Further reading Baraniak E., Kubasik W., Pałka K. (1998). "Smużka stepowa Sicista subtilis (Pallas, 1773) (Rodentia: Zapodidae) – nowy gatunek ssaka w faunie Polski". Przegląd Zoologiczny. 42 (2): 241–243. Bogdanowicz W., Ruprecht A. L. (1987). "Przypadki stwierdzeń szopa pracza Procoyon lotor (Linnaeus, 1758) w Polsce". Przegląd Zoologiczny. 31 (3): 375–383 Carleton M., Musser G., Pavlinov I. (2003). "Myodes Pallas, 1811, is the valid name for the genus of red-backed voles. W: A. O. Averianov, N. I. Abramson (red.) Systematics, Phylogeny and Paleontology of Small Mammals. An International Conference Devoted to the 90th Anniversary of Prof. I. M. Gromov". Proceedings of the Zoological Institute, Saint Petersburg: 96–98. Mitchell-Jones A. J., Amori G., Bogdanowicz W., Kryštufek B., Reinjders P. J. H., Spitzenberger F., Stubbe M., Thissen J. B. M., Vohralik V., Zima J. (1999). The Atlas of European Mammals. Academic Press, London. Niermann I., Biedermann M., Bogdanowicz W., Brinkmann R., Le Bris Y., Ciechanowski M., Dietz C., Dietz I., Estók P., Helversen O. v., Le Houédec A., Paksuz S., Petrov B. P., Özkan B., Piksa K., Rachwald A., Roué S. Y., Sachanowicz K., Schorcht W., Tereba A., Mayer F. (2007). "Biogeography of the recently described Myotis alcathoe von Helversen and Heller, 2001". Acta Chiropterologica. 9: 361–378. Pucek Z. (1981). Key to Vertebrates of Poland: Mammals. Polish Scientific Publishers, Warszawa. Sachanowicz, K., Ciechanowski M., Piksa K. (2006). "Distribution patterns, species richness and status of bats in Poland". Vespertilio. 9-10: 151–173.
External links Atlas Ssaków Polski