This is a list of the mammal species recorded in the Faroe Islands. There are eleven mammal species in the Faroe Islands, of which two are endangered and two are vulnerable. This list is derived from the IUCN Red List and includes mammals that have recently been classified as extinct (since 1500 AD).
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: Balaenidae Genus: Eubalaena North Atlantic right whale, Eubalaena glacialis Family: Balaenopteridae Subfamily: Balaenopterinae Genus: Balaenoptera Common minke whale, Balaenoptera acutorostrata Sei whale, Balaenoptera borealis Blue whale, Balaenoptera musculus Fin whale, Balaenoptera physalus Genus: Megaptera Humpback whale, Megaptera novaeangliae Suborder: Odontoceti Family Physeteridae Genus Physeter Sperm whale, Physeter macrocephalus Family: Ziphidae Genus: Hyperoodon Northern bottlenose whale, Hyperoodon ampullatus Genus Mesoplodon Sowerby's beaked whale, Mesoplodon bidens Genus Ziphius Cuvier's beaked whale, Ziphius cavirostris Family: Monodontidae Genus: Delphinapterus Beluga, Delphinapterus leucas Family: Phocoenidae Genus: Phocoena Harbour porpoise, Phocoena phocoena Family: Delphinidae (oceanic dolphins) Genus Delphinus Common dolphin, Delphinus delphis Genus: Globicephala Long-finned pilot whale, Globicephala melas Genus Grampus Risso's dolphin, Grampus griseus Genus: Lagenorhynchus White-beaked dolphin, Lagenorhynchus albirostris Genus Leucopleurus Atlantic white-sided dolphin, Leucopleurus acutus Genus: Orcinus Orca, Orcinus orca Genus Tursiops Bottlenose dolphin, Tursiops truncatus
Order: Lagomorpha (lagomorphs) Family: Leporidae (rabbits and hares) Genus: Lepus Mountain hare, L. timidus introduced
Order Rodentia (rodents)
Family Muridae (mice and rats) Genus: Rattus Brown rat, Rattus norvegicus introduced Genus: Mus House mouse, Mus musculus introduced
Order: Carnivora (carnivorans)
There are over 260 species of carnivorans worldwide, the majority of which feed primarily on meat. They have a characteristic skull shape and dentition. Seals are the only representatives of Carnivora on the Faroe Islands. Family: Phocidae (earless seals) Genus: Halichoerus Grey seal, Halichoerus grypus Genus: Phoca Harbor seal, P. vitulina Genus: Cystophora Hooded seal Cystophora cristata Genus: Pagophilus Harp seal, Pagophilus groenlandicus
Order: Chiroptera (bats) Bats have been increasingly recorded where they are thought to be either vagrants or artificially introduced. The bats' most distinguishing feature is that their forelimbs are developed as wings, making them the only mammals capable of flight. Family: Vespertilionidae Subfamily: Vespertilioninae Genus: Eptesicus Northern bat, E. nilsonii vagrant or introduced Serotine bat, E. serotinus vagrant or introduced Genus: Nyctalus Lesser noctule, N. leisleri vagrant or introduced Genus: Pipistrellus Nathusius' pipistrelle, P. nathusii vagrant or introduced Genus: Vespertilio Parti-coloured bat, V. murinus vagrant or introduced
See also List of chordate orders Lists of mammals by region Mammal classification
Notes
References