This is a list of the native wild mammal species recorded in Greenland. There are 26 mammal species native to Greenland, of which none are critically endangered, three are endangered, three are vulnerable, two are near threatened and four are data deficient.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. Only seven of these species are fully terrestrial. Introduced species (e.g., the house mouse and brown rat) are not included.

The following tags are used to highlight each species' conservation status as assessed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature; those on the left are used here, those on the right in some other articles: 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 population well outside its historic range. CR Critically endangered The species is in imminent danger of extinction in the wild. EN Endangered The species is facing a very 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 qualify as being at high risk of extinction but is likely to do so in the future. LC Least concern The species is not currently at risk of extinction in the wild. DD Data deficient There is inadequate information to assess the risk of extinction for this species. NE Not evaluated The conservation status of the species has not been studied.

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 .

Suborder: Myomorpha Family: Cricetidae Subfamily: Arvicolinae Genus: Dicrostonyx Northern collared lemming, Dicrostonyx groenlandicus 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 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.

Family: Leporidae (rabbits, hares) Genus: Lepus Arctic hare, Lepus arcticus LC Greenland Arctic hare, L. a. groenlandicus

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. Except for walruses and harbor seals, the pinnipeds of Greenland breed on pack ice or shore-fast ice. Walruses are the only local pinniped species to commonly consume warm-blooded prey.

Suborder: Caniformia Family: Canidae (dogs, foxes) Genus: Vulpes Arctic fox, Vulpes lagopus LC Greenland Arctic fox, V. l. foragorapusis Genus: Canis Gray wolf, Canis lupus LC Greenland wolf, C. l. orion Family: Ursidae (bears) Genus: Ursus Polar bear, Ursus maritimus VU Family: Mustelidae (weasels and relatives) Genus: Mustela Beringian ermine, Mustela erminea LC Clade Pinnipedia (seals, sea lions and walruses) Family: Odobenidae Genus: Odobenus Walrus, Odobenus rosmarus VU Family: Phocidae (earless seals) Genus: Cystophora Hooded seal, Cystophora cristata VU Genus: Erignathus Bearded seal, Erignathus barbatus LC Genus: Pagophilus Harp seal, Pagophilus groenlandicus LC Genus: Phoca Harbor seal, Phoca vitulina LC Genus: Pusa Ringed seal, Pusa hispida LC

Order: Artiodactyla (even-toed ungulates and cetaceans)

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 noncetacean artiodactyl species, including many that are of great economic importance to humans. Reindeer hunting in Greenland has both cultural and economic significance.

Family: Cervidae (deer) Subfamily: Capreolinae Genus: Rangifer Caribou, Rangifer tarandus VU Barren-ground caribou, R. t. groenlandicus Peary caribou, R. t. pearyi (?) Family: Bovidae (cattle, antelope, sheep, goats) Subfamily: Caprinae Genus: Ovibos Muskox, Ovibos moschatus LC

Order: Cetacea (whales, dolphins and porpoises)

The infraorder 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. Their closest extant relatives are the hippos, which are artiodactyls, from which cetaceans descended; cetaceans are thus also artiodactyls.

Parvorder: Mysticeti Family: Balaenidae Genus: Balaena Bowhead whale, Balaena mysticetus LC Genus: Eubalaena North Atlantic right whale, Eubalaena glacialis CR Family: Balaenopteridae Subfamily: Balaenopterinae Genus: Balaenoptera Northern minke whale, Balaenoptera acutorostrata LC North Atlantic minke whale, B. a. acutorostrata Blue whale, Balaenoptera musculus EN Northern blue whale, B. m. musculus Fin whale, Balaenoptera physalus VU Northern fin whale, B. p. physalus Subfamily: Megapterinae Genus: Megaptera Humpback whale, Megaptera novaeangliae LC Parvorder: Odontoceti Superfamily: Platanistoidea Family: Monodontidae Genus: Monodon Narwhal, Monodon monoceros LC Genus: Delphinapterus Beluga, Delphinapterus leucas LC Family: Phocoenidae Genus: Phocoena Harbour porpoise, Phocoena phocoena LC North Atlantic harbour porpoise, P. p. phocoena Family: Physeteridae Genus: Physeter Sperm whale, Physeter macrocephalus VU Family: Ziphidae Subfamily: Hyperoodontinae Genus: Hyperoodon Northern bottlenose whale, Hyperoodon ampullatus DD Family: Delphinidae (marine dolphins) Genus: Lagenorhynchus White-beaked dolphin, Lagenorhynchus albirostris LC Atlantic white-sided dolphin, Lagenorhynchus acutus LC Genus: Tursiops Common bottlenose dolphin, Tursiops truncatus LC Atlantic bottlenose dolphin, T. t. truncatus Genus: Stenella Striped dolphin, Stenella coeruleoalba LC Genus: Orcinus Orca, Orcinus orca DD Genus: Globicephala Long-finned pilot whale, Globicephala melas LC

See also Flora and fauna of Greenland List of chordate orders Lists of mammals by region List of prehistoric mammals Mammal classification List of mammals described in the 2000s

Notes

References

Lists of Western Hemisphere mammals from north to south