This is a list of the mammal species recorded in Cuba. Of the mammal species in Cuba, twelve of the species listed are considered to be extinct. This list is derived from the IUCN Red List which lists species of mammals and includes those mammals that have recently been extinct since the early Holocene. The taxonomy and naming of the individual species is based on those used in existing Wikipedia articles as of May 21, 2007 and supplemented by the common names and taxonomy from the IUCN, Smithsonian Institution, or University of Michigan where no Wikipedia article was available.
The following tags are used to highlight each species' conservation status as assessed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature: Extinct No reasonable doubt that the last individual has died. Extinct in the wild Known only to survive in captivity or as a naturalized populations well outside its previous range. Critically endangered The species is in imminent risk of extinction in the wild. Endangered The species is facing an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild. Vulnerable The species is facing a high risk of extinction in the wild. 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. Least concern There are no current identifiable risks to the species. Data deficient There is inadequate information to make an assessment of the risks to this species.
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: Trichechidae Genus: Trichechus West Indian manatee, T. manatus
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: Hystricomorpha Family: Dasyproctidae Genus: Dasyprocta Mexican agouti, D. mexicana introduced Central American agouti, D. punctata introduced Family: Cuniculidae Genus: Cuniculus Lowland paca, C. paca introduced Family: Capromyidae Subfamily: Capromyinae Genus: Capromys Desmarest's hutia, C. pilorides Genus: Mesocapromys Cabrera's hutia, M. angelcabrerai Eared hutia, M. auritus Dwarf hutia, M. nanus , possibly San Felipe hutia, M. sanfelipensis , possibly Genus: Mysateles Garrido's hutia, M. garridoi , possibly Gundlach's hutia, M. gundlachi Black-tailed hutia, M. melanurus Southern hutia, M. meridionalis Prehensile-tailed hutia, M. prehensilis Suborder: Muridae Family: Muridae Genus: Mus House mouse, M. musculus introduced Genus: Rattus Brown rat, R. norvegicus introduced Black rat, R. rattus introduced
Order: Primates (Monkeys, apes and lemurs) There are 190 – 448 species of living primates, depending on which classification is used. They have an opposable thumb for grasping objects.
Family: Cercopithecidae Genus: Macaca Long tailed macaque, M.fascicularis introduced Genus: Chlorocebus Green monkey, C. sabaeus introduced
Order: Lagomorpha (rabbits, hares and pikas)
They differ from rodents in a number of physical characteristics, such as having four incisors in the upper jaw rather than two.
Family: Leporidae Genus: Sylvilagus Eastern cottontail, S. floridanus introduced
Order: Eulipotyphla (shrews, hedgehogs, moles, and solenodons)
Eulipotyphlans are insectivorous mammals. Shrews and solenodons closely resemble mice, hedgehogs carry spines, while moles are stout-bodied burrowers.
Family: Solenodontidae Genus: Atopogale Cuban solenodon, A. cubana
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: Noctilionidae Genus: Noctilio Greater bulldog bat, N. leporinus Family: Vespertilionidae Subfamily: Vespertilioninae Genus: Antrozous Pallid bat, A. pallidus Genus: Eptesicus Big brown bat, E. fuscus Genus: Lasiurus Eastern red bat, L. borealis Family: Molossidae Genus: Eumops Wagner's bonneted bat, E. glaucinus Genus: Mormopterus Little goblin bat, M. minutus Genus: Nyctinomops Broad-eared bat, N. laticaudatus Big free-tailed bat, N. macrotis Genus: Tadarida Mexican free-tailed bat, T. brasiliensis Family: Mormoopidae Genus: Mormoops Antillean ghost-faced bat, M. blainvillii Ghost-faced bat, M. megalophylla extirpated Genus: Pteronotus Macleay's mustached bat, P. macleayii Parnell's mustached bat, P. parnellii Sooty mustached bat, P. quadridens Family: Phyllostomidae Subfamily: Phyllostominae Genus: Macrotus Waterhouse's leaf-nosed bat, M. waterhousii Subfamily: Brachyphyllinae Genus: Brachyphylla Cuban fruit-eating bat, B. nana Subfamily: Phyllonycterinae Genus: Erophylla Buffy flower bat, E. sezekorni Genus: Phyllonycteris Cuban flower bat, P. poeyi Subfamily: Glossophaginae Genus: Monophyllus Leach's single leaf bat, M. redmani Subfamily: Stenodermatinae Genus: Artibeus Jamaican fruit bat, A. jamaicensis Genus: Phyllops Cuban fig-eating bat, P. falcatus Subfamily: Desmodontinae Genus: Desmodus Common vampire bat, D. rotundus extirpatedOrihuela, J. (2010). Late Holocene fauna from a cave deposit in Western Cuba: post-Columbian occurrence of the vampire bat Desmodus rotundus (Phyllostomidae: Desmodontinae). Caribbean Journal of Science, 46(2–3), 297–312. Family: Natalidae Genus: Chilonatalus Cuban funnel-eared bat, C. micropus Genus: Nyctiellus Gervais's funnel-eared bat, N. lepidus
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 (baleen whales) Family: Balaenidae Genus: Eubalaena North Atlantic right whale, Eubalaena glacialis Genus: Balaenoptera Common minke whale, B. acutorostrata Sei whale, B. borealis Bryde's whale, B. brydei Blue whale, B. musculus Genus: Megaptera Humpback whale, M. novaeangliae Suborder: Odontoceti Superfamily: Platanistoidea Family: Delphinidae (marine dolphins) Genus: Delphinus Short-beaked common dolphin, D. delphis Genus: Feresa Pygmy killer whale, F. attenuata Genus: Globicephala Short-finned pilot whale, G. macrorhyncus Genus: Lagenodelphis Fraser's dolphin, L. hosei Genus: Grampus Risso's dolphin, G. griseus Genus: Orcinus Killer whale, O. orca Genus: Peponocephala Melon-headed whale, P. electra Genus: Pseudorca False killer whale, P. crassidens Genus: Stenella Pantropical spotted dolphin, Stenella attenuata Clymene dolphin, S. clymene Striped dolphin, S. coeruleoalba Atlantic spotted dolphin, S. frontalis Spinner dolphin, S. longirostris Genus: Steno Rough-toothed dolphin, S. bredanensis Genus: Tursiops Common bottlenose dolphin, T. truncatus Family: Physeteridae (sperm whales) Genus: Physeter Sperm whale, P. macrocephalus Family: Kogiidae (dwarf sperm whales) Genus: Kogia Pygmy sperm whale, K. breviceps Dwarf sperm whale, K. sima Superfamily Ziphioidea Family: Ziphidae (beaked whales) Genus: Mesoplodon Gervais' beaked whale, M. europaeus Blainville's beaked whale, M. densirostris True's beaked whale, M. mirus Genus: Ziphius Cuvier's beaked whale, Z. cavirostris
Order: Carnivora (carnivorans)
There are over 260 species of carnivores, the majority of which eat meat as their primary dietary item. They have a characteristic skull shape and dentition.
Family: Canidae Genus: Canis Feral dog, C. familiaris introduced Family: Procyonidae Genus: Procyon Raccoon, P. lotor possibly introduced, extirpated Family: Phocidae Genus: Neomonachus Caribbean monk seal, Neomonachus tropicalis Family: Felidae Genus: Felis Feral cat, F. catus introduced Family: Herpestidae Genus: Urva Small Indian mongoose, U. auropunctata introduced
Order: Artiodactyla (even-toed ungulates)
The even-toed ungulates are ungulates – hoofed animals – which bear weight equally on two (an even number) of their five toes: the third and fourth. The other three toes are either present, absent, vestigial, or pointing posteriorly. Family: Cervidae Subfamily: Capreolinae Genus: Odocoileus White-tailed deer, O. virginianus introduced Family Suidae (pigs) Genus: Sus Wild boar, S. scrofa introduced Family: Tayassuidae (peccaries) Genus: Tayassu White-lipped peccary, T. pecari introduced, extirpated Family Bovidae (Bovines) Genus: Bos Feral cattle, B. taurus introduced Genus: Bubalus Feral water buffalo, B.bubalis introduced Genus: Capra Feral goat, C. hircus introduced
Human arrival extinctions The following species went extinct when humans arrived to Cuba: Oriente cave rat, Boromys offella Torre's cave rat, Boromys torrei Cuban coney, Geocapromys columbianus Western Cuban nesophontes, Nesophontes micrus Giant solenodon, Atopogale arredondoi Cuban sloth, Acratocnus antillensis Borroto-Páez, R., Mancina, C. A., Woods, C. A., & Kilpatrick, C. W. (2012) Updated checklist of endemic terrestrial mammals of the West Indies. In: Borroto-Páez, R., Woods, C.A., Sergile, F.E. (eds) Terrestrial mammals of the West Indies: Contributions. Wacahoota Press/ University of Vermont, Burlington. Cuban giant sloth, Megalocnus rodens Matthew's ground sloth, Parocnus brownii MacPhee, R. D. E. (2009). Insulae infortunatae: establishing a chronology for Late Quaternary mammal extinctions in the West Indies. In American megafaunal extinctions at the end of the Pleistocene (pp. 169–193). Springer, Dordrecht. Giant ghost-faced bat, Mormoops magna Anthony's fruit-eating bat, Artibeus anthonyi Lesser falcate-winged bat, Phyllops vetus
See also List of chordate orders List of prehistoric mammals Lists of mammals by region Mammal classification List of mammals described in the 2000s
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