List of mammals of Iraq

List of mammals of Iraq
The list of mammals of Iraq comprises seventy-eight mammal species, of which one is endangered, eleven are vulnerable, and three are near threatened. One of the species is probably locally extinct in the wild.
The following tags are used to highlight each species' conservation status as assessed on the IUCN Red List:
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: Antilopinae
Genus: Gazella
Arabian sand gazelle, G. marica
Goitered gazelle, G. subgutturosa presence uncertain
Subfamily: Caprinae
Genus: Capra
Wild goat, C. aegagrus
Genus: Ovis
Mouflon, O. gmelini
Family: Cervidae (deer)
Subfamily: Capreolinae
Genus: Capreolus
Roe deer, C. capreolus
Subfamily: Cervinae
Genus: Cervus
Red deer, C. elaphus
Family: Suidae (pigs)
Genus: Sus
Wild boar, S. scrofa
Order: Carnivora
There are over 260 species of carnivorans, the majority of which feed primarily on meat. They have a characteristic skull shape and dentition.
Suborder: Feliformia
Family: Felidae (cats)
Subfamily: Felinae
Genus: Caracal
Caracal, C. caracal
Genus: Felis
Jungle cat, F. chaus
African wildcat, F. lybica
Sand cat, F. margarita
Genus: Lynx
Eurasian lynx, L. lynx
Subfamily: Pantherinae
Genus: Panthera
Leopard, P. pardus
Panthera pardus tulliana
Family: Hyaenidae
Genus: Hyaena
Striped hyena, H. hyaena
Family: Herpestidae (mongooses)
Genus: Urva
Small Indian mongoose, U. auropunctata
Suborder: Caniformia
Family: Canidae
Genus: Canis
Golden jackal, C. aureus
Persian jackal, C. a. aureus
Syrian jackal, C. a. syriacus
Gray wolf, C. lupus
Arabian wolf, C. l. arabs
Genus: Vulpes
Rüppell's fox, V. rueppellii
Red fox, V. vulpes
Family: Ursidae (bears)
Genus: Ursus
Brown bear, U. arctos
Syrian brown bear, U. a. syriacus
Family: Mustelidae
Genus: Lutra
Eurasian otter, L. lutra
Genus: Lutrogale
Smooth-coated otter, L. perspicillata
Genus: Martes
European pine marten, M. martes
Genus: Meles
Caucasian badger, M. canescens
Genus: Mellivora
Honey badger, M. capensis
Genus: Vormela
Marbled polecat, V. peregusna
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
Subfamily: Balaenopterinae
Genus: Balaenoptera
Bryde's whale, B. edeni
Subfamily: Megapterinae
Genus: Megaptera
Humpback whale, M. novaeangliae
Suborder: Odontoceti
Superfamily: Platanistoidea
Family: Phocoenidae
Genus: Neophocaena
Finless porpoise, N. phocaenoides
Family: Delphinidae (marine dolphins)
Genus: Grampus
Risso's dolphin, G. griseus
Genus: Pseudorca
False killer whale, P. crassidens
Genus: Sousa
Indo-Pacific humpback dolphin, S. chinensis
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: Vespertilionidae
Subfamily: Myotinae
Genus: Myotis
Lesser mouse-eared bat, M. blythii
Long-fingered bat, M. capaccinii
Natterer's bat, M. nattereri
Subfamily: Vespertilioninae
Genus: Eptesicus
Botta's serotine, E. bottae
Northern bat, E. nilssoni
Genus: Otonycteris
Desert long-eared bat, O. hemprichii
Genus: Pipistrellus
Kuhl's pipistrelle, P. kuhlii
Rüppell's pipistrelle, P. rueppelli
Genus: Rhyneptesicus
Sind bat, R. nasutus
Subfamily: Miniopterinae
Genus: Miniopterus
Common bent-wing bat, M. schreibersii
Family: Rhinopomatidae
Genus: Rhinopoma
Lesser mouse-tailed bat, R. hardwickei
Greater mouse-tailed bat, R. microphyllum
Family: Molossidae
Genus: Tadarida
European free-tailed bat, T. teniotis
Family: Rhinolophidae
Subfamily: Rhinolophinae
Genus: Rhinolophus
Mediterranean horseshoe bat, R. euryale
Greater horseshoe bat, R. ferrumequinum
Lesser horseshoe bat, R. hipposideros
Mehely's horseshoe bat, R. mehelyi
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
Genus: Paraechinus
Desert hedgehog, P. aethiopicus
Order: Lagomorpha (lagomorphs)
The lagomorphs comprise two families, Leporidae (hares and rabbits), and Ochotonidae (pikas). Though they can resemble rodents, and were classified as a superfamily in that order until the early 20th century, they have since been considered a separate order. They differ from rodents in a number of physical characteristics, such as having four incisors in the upper jaw rather than two.
Family: Leporidae (rabbits, hares)
Genus: Lepus
Cape hare, L. capensis
European hare, L. europaeus
Order: Rodentia
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: Sciuridae (squirrels)
Subfamily: Sciurinae
Tribe: Sciurini
Genus: Sciurus
Caucasian squirrel, S. anomalus
Family: Gliridae (dormice)
Subfamily: Leithiinae
Genus: Dryomys
Forest dormouse, Dryomys nitedula
Genus: Eliomys
Asian garden dormouse, E. melanurus
Family: Dipodidae (jerboas)
Subfamily: Allactaginae
Genus: Allactaga
Euphrates jerboa, Allactaga euphratica
Family: Spalacidae
Subfamily: Spalacinae
Genus: Nannospalax
Palestine mole rat, Nannospalax ehrenbergi LC
Family: Cricetidae
Subfamily: Cricetinae
Genus: Cricetulus
Grey dwarf hamster, Cricetulus migratorius
Genus: Mesocricetus
Turkish hamster, Mesocricetus brandti
Subfamily: Arvicolinae
Genus: Microtus
Günther's vole, Microtus guentheri
Persian vole, Microtus irani
Family: Muridae (mice, rats, voles, gerbils, hamsters)
Subfamily: Deomyinae
Genus: Acomys
Cairo spiny mouse, Acomys cahirinus LC
Subfamily: Gerbillinae
Genus: Gerbillus
Cheesman's gerbil, Gerbillus cheesmani
Wagner's gerbil, Gerbillus dasyurus
Gerbillus mesopotamiae
Gerbillus nanus LC
Genus: Meriones
Sundevall's jird, Meriones crassus LC
Libyan jird, Meriones libycus LC
Persian jird, Meriones persicus
Tristram's jird, Meriones tristrami
Genus: Tatera
Indian gerbil, Tatera indica
Subfamily: Murinae
Genus: Apodemus
Persian field mouse, Apodemus arianus
Broad-toothed field mouse, Apodemus mystacinus
Black Sea field mouse, Apodemus ponticus
Genus: Nesokia
Bunn's short-tailed bandicoot rat, Nesokia bunnii
Short-tailed bandicoot rat, Nesokia indica LC
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: Dugongidae
Genus: Dugong
Dugong, D. dugon
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
Bicolored shrew, C. leucodon
Lesser white-toothed shrew, C. suaveolens
Locally extinct
The following species are locally extinct in the country:
Cheetah, Acinonyx jubatus
European bison, Bison bonasus
Eurasian beaver, Castor fiber
Persian fallow deer, Dama mesopotamica
Onager, Equus hemionus
Arabian oryx, Oryx leucoryx
Lion, Panthera leo
Tiger, Panthera tigris
See also
List of chordate orders
Lists of mammals by region
Mammal classification
Wildlife of Iraq
References
External links
Iraq
Iraq
Mammals
Mammals