The vertebrate fauna in Cantabria presents a wide diversity thanks to the variety of ecological niches existing in the community and its geographical position, equidistant between the Mediterranean region of the peninsular south and the nearby region of Atlantic Europe.
These lists show all the wild vertebrates living in Cantabria, classified according to the genus and family they belong to. In addition to the scientific name of each species, it also includes the common name in the Spanish language, the vernacular names most commonly used in this community, a brief description, a map of distribution in Spain and the conservation status.
Mammals In Cantabria, 73 species of wild mammals can be found, grouped into 20 families.Only continental mammals are included. Some of them, such as the Spanish mole, the desman, the Granada hare and the broom hare, are considered Iberian endemisms, while others, such as the genet, the American mink or the coypu, are exotic species introduced by man.VV.AA. (2002). «Lista preliminar de los vertebrados continentales de Cantabria». Locustella (2).
In terms of distribution, species such as the fox or the hedgehog are abundant throughout Cantabria, unlike the hare or the brown bear, whose distribution is much more scarce and localized. The conservation status of wild mammals in Cantabria is also diverse, with sixteen species near-threatened, fifteen vulnerable and one, the brown bear, in critical danger of extinction.
Lagomorpha order Lagomorphs (Lagomorpha, from the Greek lagōs, hare and morphē, form) are an order belonging to the placental mammals related to rodents, from which they differ by possessing two pairs of upper teeth covered with a layer of enamel. Four species of lagomorphs are found in Cantabria, all of them within the family Leporidae (rabbits and hares). Three of them are endemic to the Iberian Peninsula and some, such as the broom hare, only inhabit the mountainous areas of the northern peninsular, between Galicia, Asturias, León and Cantabria.
Leporidae Fischer von Waldheim, 1817SpeciesCommon and vernacular name (VN)The vernacular name refers to the traditional name of the species in Cantabria. The main references for vernacular names are, unless otherwise indicated in the table, El lenguaje popular de la Cantabria Montañesa and the vocabulary section of the book El dialecto cabuérnigo.DescriptionThe following codes are used:
H: Height at withers For: Length of forearm W: Wingspan L: Length of head and body, excluding tail Lt: Length of the head, body and tail T: Length of tail E: Ear size We: Weight
When there is variability in the measurements, the most common range is indicated separated by a hyphen and in parentheses, the punctual records that are out of that range.DistributionStatusConservation status of the species at the Spanish state level according to the Atlas and Red Books:
: Extinct : Extinct in the wild (only in captivity) : Critically endangered : Endangered : Vulnerable : Near threatened : Least concern : Data deficient.ImageLepus castroviejoiBroom hare VN: Common to all the genus: Liebratu (leveret).L: 49-51 cm; E: 9-9.5 cm; We: 2.6-3.4 kg.
The predominant fur is brown, darker on the back, with the back of the tail, belly, "collar" and a white part of the face up to the eyes. The tips of the ears are black, as well as the dorsal side of the tail.Lepus europaeusEuropean hareL: 49–56 cm; E: 9.7-11.3 cm; We: 3–4.4 kg.
It is the largest hare in the Iberian Peninsula. It has long limbs and ears, the latter with black tips and yellowish-brown fur, except for the whitish belly area and little extension.Lepus granatensisGranada hareL: 44–47 cm; E: 9.6-10.1 cm; We: 2-2.5 kg.
The fur is short and reddish-brown, streaked with black on the back and white on the muzzle, cheeks, belly, part of the legs (feet and upper part, the rest is brown) and tail. The tips of the ears and the back of the tail are black.Oryctolagus cuniculusRabbitL: 34–35 cm; E: >7 cm; We: 1.5–2 kg. Thick, woolly coat, pale brown to gray, oval head and large eyes. Very short tail. Its forelegs are shorter than its hindlegs. It differs from hares because its ears, somewhat shorter, do not end in black tips and has a less elongated and slender body.
Rodentia order
Rodents (Rodentia) are the most versatile and numerous order of mammals, with approximately 2280 living species (42% of all living species) distributed throughout all terrestrial and freshwater habitats. Their main common feature is their two large, continuously growing incisors, with which they gnaw seeds, gnaw wood, cut food or defend themselves against predators.
Although they have developed a great variety of forms as a result of adaptation to different habitats and ecological niches, the species present in Cantabria have in common their relatively small size, thick grayish-brown fur and short legs and neck. The coypu, an invasive species native to South America and cited in the Soba valley, is the one that most deviates from the common pattern, slightly exceeding half a meter in length and six kilograms in weight. Cricetidae Fischer von Waldheim, 1817SpeciesCommon and vernacular name (VN)DescriptionDistributionStatusImageArvicola sapidusSouthern water voleL: 10–15 cm; We: 140-310 g. Arvicoline of medium size. Brown dorsal coat with grayish belly with small eyes and ears, its snout is rounded and its tail is slightly longer than half of the body. It feeds mainly on vegetables found on the banks of rivers and ponds.Arvicola schermanMontane water voleIt is a species of great morphological variability throughout its distribution area. In Cantabria it is represented by small morphotypes, with body dimensions significantly smaller than the southern water vole (Arvicola sapidus) and with a shorter tail. The coloration varies from dark brown or yellowish brown to gray, the flanks from yellowish brown or ocher to light gray; in the ventral area grayish tones predominate and the tail is generally bicolor.Amori, G., Hutterer, R., Kryštufek, B., Yigit, N., Mitsain, G. & Muñoz, L.J.P 2008. Arvicola scherman.. In: IUCN 2009. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2009.2. IUCN Red ListChionomys nivalisEuropean snow voleL: 9–14 cm; We: 35-70 g. It is one of the largest arvicolines. Quite uniform coat, grayish-brown back, white belly, generally whitish feet and tail.Microtus agrestisShort-tailed field voleMedium size and robust in appearance. Fairly blunt snout and relatively short tail. Ears more covered by hair than M. arvalis, very similar. Grayish-brown back with paler flanks, becoming yellowish. Throat, belly and legs gray and darker tail.Microtus arvalisCommon voleLt: 8–13 cm, of which a quarter corresponds to the short tail. Small rodent, of massive constitution, with short ears, not protruding at all, and broad head. The dorsal color is yellowish-brown and the ventral color is grayish-white; the young are grayish and there is no sexual dimorphism in color and carriage.Microtus gerbeiPyrenean pine vole or Gerbe's voleL:9.4-10.4 cm; We: 18-24 g. It is an arvicoline of small size, with elongated body and small limbs and tail. It has a short and blunt snout, relatively small eyes, compared to the other Microtus that do not belong to the subgenus Terricola.Amori, G., Hutterer, R., Krystufek, B., Yigit, N., Mitsani, G. & Muñoz, L. J. P. 2008. Microtus gerbei. In: IUCN 2009. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2009.1. - IUCN Red ListMicrotus lusitanicusLusitanian pine voleIt is a small vole, with short ears and tail, its body shape reflects its subterranean type life: large head, blunt snout, small eyes and cylindrical body. The fur ranges from dark gray to sepia, gray belly, bicolor tail, with darker back.Amori, G., Hutterer, R., Krystufek, B., Yigit, N., Mitsani, G. & Muñoz, L. J. P. 2008. Microtus lusitanicus. In: IUCN 2009. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2009.1. - IUCN Red ListMyodes glareolusBank voleSmall rodent with reddish-brown fur and some gray patches. It lives in wooded areas and measures about 10 cm.
Gliridae Muirhead in Brewster, 1819SpeciesCommon and vernacular name (VN)DescriptionDistributionStatusImageEliomys quercinusGarden dormouseL: 12 cm. It has a characteristic dark stripe over the eyes like a mask, a reddish-brown back and a white belly. Its long tail, completely covered with hair, ends in a tuft of black and white hairs. It is arboreal and hibernating.Glis glisEuropean fat dormouseL: <19 cm. T: 12–17 cm. Uniformly gray with prominent black eyes and a long, bushy, squirrel-like tail. It is a nocturnal arboreal that becomes dormant during the winter.
Muridae Illiger, 1811SpeciesCommon and vernacular name (VN)DescriptionDistributionStatusImageMicromys minutusHarvest mouse NV: Ratu (name for all mice, in general)Lt: 4.8-7.5 cm; L: 3.9-6.5 cm; We: 6-15 g. The smallest of the murids. Short face, blunt snout and round ears, visible among the fur. The most characteristic feature of the species is the prehensile tail, characteristic of a climbing animal. Similar in color to other murids, reddish brown on the dorsal side and white on the ventral side.Apodemus flavicollisYellow-necked Field mouse NV: Ratu (name for all mice, in general)Larger than Apodemus sylvaticus. They have a reddish-brown coloration, clear and bright on the back and white on the ventral area.Apodemus sylvaticusWood mouse NV: Ratu (name for all mice, in general)L: 8–10 cm; Lt: 16–20 cm. Small rodent. Tail hairless, always equal to or larger than the rest of the body. The coloration of the animal is reddish-yellow on the upper part, while the belly is whitish and clearly delimited by color.Rattus norvegicusBrown rat or Norway ratL: 21–27 cm; Lt:38–49 cm; We: 280-520 g. The body is coarse and the tail is covered with ringed scales; the coat is dark gray on the back. The snout is blunter and the ears shorter than those of the black rat (Rattus rattus).Rattus rattusBlack ratL: 16–22 cm; Lt: 33–46 cm; We: 150-230 g. Hairless tail covered with ringed scales. The muzzle is pointed. The coat is black or gray one. They live from 2 to 3 years. It climbs better than the gray and prefers high places.Mus musculusHouse mouse NV: Ratu (name for all mice, in general)Lt: 15–19 cm; We: 12-40 g. The tail is slightly more than half of its length. Its coat is short and of gray tones, which lighten on the belly.Mus apretusAlgerian mouse NV: Ratu (name for all mice, in general)Lt: 7.5-9.35 cm; L: 6.0-7.65 cm. Small-sized murid, with rounded snout, small eyes and ears. They have a chestnut gray dorsal coloration, with a darker stripe from the head to the beginning of the tail, grayish white belly, clearly separated from the dorsum. It is easily differentiated from Mus musculus by its coloration and by the relative length of the tail, which is much shorter than the body.
Myocastoridae Ameghino, 1902SpeciesCommon and vernacular name (VN)DescriptionDistributionStatusImageMyocastor coypusCoypuLt: 59,3-60,3 cm; We: 6-6,5 (10) kg. A large rodent with a shiny brown coat, denser on the back, introduced in the northern peninsula from specimens that escaped from fur farms in France.
It has several adaptations to semi-aquatic life: webbed hindlimbs; small ears; eyes and nostrils located on the dorsal part of the head.
Sciuridae G. Fischer von Waldheim, 1817SpeciesCommon and vernacular name (VN)DescriptionDistributionStatusImageSciurus vulgarisRed squirrel NV: Esquilu, isquilu, risquilu, inguila.L: 19.5-24.7 cm; Lt: 14–19.5 cm; We: 300 g. A medium-sized arboreal squirrel with a long, bushy tail and tufted ear tips. They are generally reddish in color, those of the northern forests darker than the Mediterranean ones.
Eulipotyphla order Erinaceomorpha suborder