List of mammals of Cyprus
This is a list of the mammal species recorded in Cyprus. There are seventeen mammal species in Cyprus, of which one is critically endangered, three are vulnerable, and one is near threatened.[1]
The following tags are used to highlight each species' conservation status as assessed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature:
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 populations well outside its previous range. |
CR | Critically endangered | The species is in imminent risk of extinction in the wild. |
EN | Endangered | The species is facing an extremely 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 meet any of the criteria that would categorise it as risking extinction but it is likely to do so in the future. |
LC | Least concern | There are no current identifiable risks to the species. |
DD | Data deficient | There is inadequate information to make an assessment of the risks to this species. |
Some species were assessed using an earlier set of criteria. Species assessed using this system have the following instead of near threatened and least concern categories:
LR/cd | Lower risk/conservation dependent | Species which were the focus of conservation programmes and may have moved into a higher risk category if that programme was discontinued. |
LR/nt | Lower risk/near threatened | Species which are close to being classified as vulnerable but are not the subject of conservation programmes. |
LR/lc | Lower risk/least concern | Species for which there are no identifiable risks. |
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.
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 45 kg (99 lb).
- Suborder: Sciurognathi
- Family: Muridae (mice, rats, voles, gerbils, hamsters, etc.)
- Subfamily: Deomyinae
- Genus: Acomys
- Cyprus spiny mouse, A. nesiotes DD
- Genus: Acomys
- Subfamily: Murinae
- Genus: Mus
- Cypriot mouse, M. cypriacus LC
- House mouse, M. musculus LC introduced
- Genus: Rattus
- Genus: Mus
- Subfamily: Deomyinae
- Family: Muridae (mice, rats, voles, gerbils, hamsters, etc.)
Order: Erinaceomorpha (hedgehogs and gymnures)
The order Erinaceomorpha contains a single family, Erinaceidae, which comprise the hedgehogs and gymnures. The hedgehogs are easily recognised by their spines while gymnures look more like large rats.
- Family: Erinaceidae (hedgehogs)
- Subfamily: Erinaceinae
- Genus: Hemiechinus
- Long-eared hedgehog, H. auritus LC
- Genus: Hemiechinus
- Subfamily: Erinaceinae
Order: Soricomorpha (shrews, moles, and solenodons)
The "shrew-forms" are insectivorous mammals. The shrews and solenodons closely resemble mice while the moles are stout-bodied burrowers.
- Family: Soricidae (shrews)
- Subfamily: Crocidurinae
- Genus: Crocidura
- Lesser white-toothed shrew, C. suaveolens LC introduced[2]
- Genus: Suncus
- Etruscan shrew, S. etruscus LC
- Genus: Crocidura
- Subfamily: Crocidurinae
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 NT
- Genus: Rousettus
- Subfamily: Pteropodinae
- Family: Vespertilionidae
- Subfamily: Myotinae
- Genus: Myotis
- Greater mouse-eared bat, M. myotis LC
- Genus: Myotis
- Subfamily: Vespertilioninae
- Genus: Pipistrellus
- Common pipistrelle, P. pipistrellus LC
- Genus: Plecotus
- Grey long-eared bat, P. austriacus LC
- Genus: Pipistrellus
- Subfamily: Myotinae
- Family: Rhinolophidae
- Subfamily: Rhinolophinae
- Genus: Rhinolophus
- Blasius's horseshoe bat, R. blasii NT
- Mediterranean horseshoe bat, R. euryale VU
- Greater horseshoe bat, R. ferrumequinum NT
- Genus: Rhinolophus
- Subfamily: Rhinolophinae
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 except for gray whale.
- Suborder: Mysticeti
- Family: Balaenopteridae
- Genus: Balaenoptera
- Common minke whale, B. acutorostrata LC [3]
- Fin whale, B. physalus EN
- Genus: Balaenoptera
- Family: Balaenopteridae
- Subfamily: Megapterinae
- Genus: Megaptera
- Humpback whale, M. novaeangliae LC [4]
- Genus: Megaptera
- Suborder: Odontoceti
- Family: Physeteridae
- Genus: Physeter
- Sperm whale, P. macrocephalus VU [5]
- Genus: Physeter
- Family: Ziphidae
- Genus: Mesoplodon
- Gervais' beaked whale, M. europaeus DD
- Genus: Ziphius
- Cuvier's beaked whale, Z. cavirostris LC
- Genus: Mesoplodon
- Superfamily: Platanistoidea
- Family: Delphinidae (marine dolphins)
- Genus: Delphinus
- Short-beaked common dolphin, D. delphis DD
- Genus: Globicephala
- Long-finned pilot whale, G. melas DD
- Genus: Grampus
- Risso's dolphin, G. griseus DD
- Genus: Orcinus
- Orca, O. orca DD
- Genus: Pseudorca
- False killer whale, P. crassidens DD
- Genus: Stenella
- Striped dolphin, S. coeruleoalba VU
- Genus: Steno
- Rough-toothed dolphin, S. bredanensis LC (once being considered as vagrants, but later confirmed as residential[6])
- Genus: Tursiops
- Common bottlenose dolphin, T. truncatus LC
- Genus: Delphinus
- Family: Delphinidae (marine dolphins)
- Family: Physeteridae
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
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.
Notes
- 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.
- Hutterer, R.; Amori, G.; Krystufek, B.; Yigit, N.; Mitsain, G. & Palomo, L.J. (2010). "Crocidura suaveolens". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2010: e.T29656A9511068.
- Update on the Cetacean Fauna of the Mediterranean Levantine Basin
- Are humpback whales electing the Mediterranean Sea as new residence?
- Whale spotted off Larnaca
- "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2016-05-13. Retrieved 2016-04-19.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
References
- "The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: Mammals of Cyprus". IUCN. 2001. Retrieved 22 May 2007.
- "Mammal Species of the World". Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History. 2005. Archived from the original on 27 April 2007. Retrieved 22 May 2007.
- "Animal Diversity Web". University of Michigan Museum of Zoology. 1995–2006. Retrieved 22 May 2007.