This is a list of the mammal species recorded in Cyprus. There are seventeen mammal species native to Cyprus, excluding feral species.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. Most of the land mammals have been introduced. The other mammal species present on the islands during the Late Pleistocene, including the Cyprus dwarf hippopotamus, the Cyprus dwarf elephant, and Cyprus genet, are extinct.
Order: Lagomorpha (rabbits and hares) Despite their appearance, lagomorphs are not rodents, and fall in their own order. They consist of rabbits, hares, and pikas. Family: Leporidae Genus: Lepus Cape hare, L. capensis
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: Sciurognathi Family: Muridae (mice, rats, voles, gerbils, hamsters, etc.) Subfamily: Deomyinae Genus: Acomys Cyprus spiny mouse, A. nesiotes Subfamily: Murinae Genus: Mus Cypriot mouse, M. cypriacus House mouse, M. musculus introduced Genus: Rattus Brown rat, R. norvegicus introduced Black rat, R. rattus introduced
Order: Eulipotyphla (hedgehogs, shrews and moles)
Hedgehogs are easily recognised by their spines, shrews closely resemble mice, and moles are stout-bodied burrowers.
Family: Erinaceidae (hedgehogs) Subfamily: Erinaceinae Genus: Hemiechinus Long-eared hedgehog, H. auritus Family: Soricidae (shrews) Subfamily: Crocidurinae Genus: Crocidura Lesser white-toothed shrew, C. suaveolens introduced Güldenstädt's shrew, C. gueldenstaedtii Genus: Suncus Etruscan shrew, S. etruscus
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: Pteropodidae (flying foxes, Old World fruit bats) Subfamily: Pteropodinae Genus: Rousettus Egyptian fruit bat, R. aegyptiacus Family: Vespertilionidae Subfamily: Miniopterinae Genus: Miniopterus Common bent-wing bat, M. schreibersii Subfamily: Myotinae Genus: Myotis Greater mouse-eared bat, M. myotis Subfamily: Vespertilioninae Genus: Pipistrellus Common pipistrelle, P. pipistrellus Genus: Plecotus Grey long-eared bat, P. austriacus Family: Rhinolophidae Subfamily: Rhinolophinae Genus: Rhinolophus Blasius's horseshoe bat, R. blasii Mediterranean horseshoe bat, R. euryale Greater horseshoe bat, R. ferrumequinum
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.
Species listed below also includes species being recorded in Levantine Sea. Suborder: Mysticeti Family: Balaenopteridae Genus: Balaenoptera Common minke whale, B. acutorostrata Update on the Cetacean Fauna of the Mediterranean Levantine Basin Fin whale, B. physalus Subfamily: Megapterinae Genus: Megaptera Humpback whale, M. novaeangliae Are humpback whales electing the Mediterranean Sea as new residence? Suborder: Odontoceti Family: Physeteridae Genus: Physeter Sperm whale, P. macrocephalus Whale spotted off Larnaca Family: Ziphidae Genus: Mesoplodon Gervais' beaked whale, M. europaeus Genus: Ziphius Cuvier's beaked whale, Z. cavirostris Superfamily: Platanistoidea Family: Delphinidae (marine dolphins) Genus: Delphinus Short-beaked common dolphin, D. delphis Genus: Globicephala Long-finned pilot whale, G. melas Genus: Grampus Risso's dolphin, G. griseus Genus: Orcinus Orca, O. orca Genus: Pseudorca False killer whale, P. crassidens Genus: Stenella Striped dolphin, S. coeruleoalba Genus: Steno Rough-toothed dolphin, S. bredanensis Genus: Tursiops Common bottlenose dolphin, T. truncatus
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: Canidae (dogs, foxes) Genus: Vulpes Red fox, V. vulpes Cypriot red fox, V. v. indutus Family: Phocidae (earless seals) Genus: Monachus Mediterranean monk seal, M. monachus
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: Caprinae Genus: Ovis Mouflon, O. gmelini Cyprus mouflon, O. g. ophion
See also List of chordate orders Lists of mammals by region Mammal classification
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