List of mammals of Estonia

List of mammals of Estonia
This list of mammals of Estonia shows the IUCN Red List status of the mammal fauna occurring in Estonia. It is somewhat impoverished compared to that of southern and central Europe due to the short period since the last ice age. Native species are considered to be those which are today present in the country. There are no endemic mammal species in Estonia. The list follows Moks et al. (2015) with later additions.
The following tags are used to highlight each species' conservation status as assessed on the IUCN Red List published by the International Union for Conservation of Nature:
Order: Eulipotyphla (shrews, hedgehogs, gymnures, moles and solenodons)
Eulipotyphlans are insectivorous mammals. Shrews and solenodons resemble mice, hedgehogs carry spines, gymnures look more like large rats, while moles are stout-bodied burrowers.
Family: Erinaceidae (hedgehogs)
Subfamily: Erinaceinae
Genus: Erinaceus
West European hedgehog, E. europaeus LC
Northern white-breasted hedgehog, E. roumanicus LC
Family: Soricidae (shrews)
Subfamily: Soricinae
Tribe: Nectogalini
Genus: Neomys
Eurasian water shrew, Neomys fodiens LC
Mediterranean water shrew, Neomys anomalus LC
Tribe: Soricini
Genus: Sorex
Common shrew, Sorex araneus LC
Laxmann's shrew, Sorex caecutiens LC
Eurasian pygmy shrew, Sorex minutus LC
Eurasian least shrew, Sorex minutissimus LC (one uncertain finding from 1971)
Family: Talpidae (moles)
Subfamily: Talpinae
Tribe: Talpini
Genus: Talpa
European mole, Talpa europaea LC
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
Brandt's bat, Myotis brandti LC
Pond bat, Myotis dasycneme VU
Daubenton's bat, Myotis daubentonii LC
Whiskered bat, Myotis mystacinus LC
Natterer's bat, Myotis nattereri LC
Subfamily: Vespertilioninae
Genus: Barbastella
Western barbastelle, B. barbastellus (unproven)
Genus: Eptesicus
Northern bat, Eptesicus nilssoni LC
Genus: Nyctalus
Common noctule, Nyctalus noctula LC
Genus: Pipistrellus
Nathusius' pipistrelle, Pipistrellus nathusii LC
Common pipistrelle, Pipistrellus pipistrellus LC
Soprano pipistrelle, Pipistrellus pygmaeus LC
Genus: Plecotus
Brown long-eared bat, P. auritus
Genus: Vespertilio
Parti-coloured bat, Vespertilio murinus LC
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 twentieth 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
European hare, L. europaeus
Mountain hare, L. timidus
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: Castoridae (beavers)
Genus: Castor
Eurasian beaver, C. fiber
Family: Sciuridae (squirrels)
Subfamily: Sciurinae
Tribe: Sciurini
Genus: Sciurus
Red squirrel, S. vulgaris LC
Tribe: Pteromyini
Genus: Pteromys
Siberian flying squirrel, P. volans NT
Family: Gliridae (dormice)
Subfamily: Leithiinae
Genus: Eliomys
Garden dormouse, Eliomys quercinus VU (last sighted in 1986)
Genus: Muscardinus
Hazel dormouse, Muscardinus avellanarius NT (last sighted in 1986)
Family: Dipodidae (jerboas)
Subfamily: Sicistinae
Genus: Sicista
Northern birch mouse, Sicista betulina NT
Family: Cricetidae
Subfamily: Arvicolinae
Genus: Arvicola
European water vole or north-western water vole, Arvicola amphibius LC
Genus: Clethrionomys
Bank vole, Myodes glareolus or Clethrionomys glareolus LC
Genus: Microtus
Field vole, Microtus agrestis LC
Common vole, Microtus arvalis LC
Root vole, Microtus oeconomus LC (one lower jaw found in 1970)
Sibling vole, Microtus levis LC
European pine vole, Microtus subterraneus LC
Genus: Myopus
Wood lemming, Myopus schisticolor LC (first found in 2019)
Genus: Ondatra
Muskrat, Ondatra zibethicus LC (introduced)
Family: Muridae (mice, rats, voles, gerbils, hamsters, etc.)
Subfamily: Murinae
Genus: Apodemus
Striped field mouse, Apodemus agrarius LC
Yellow-necked mouse, Apodemus flavicollis LC
Ural field mouse, Apodemus uralensis LC
Genus: Micromys
Harvest mouse, Micromys minutus NT
Genus: Rattus
Brown rat, Rattus norvegicus LC
Black rat, Rattus rattus LC
Genus: Mus
House mouse, Mus musculus LC
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: Feliformia
Family: Felidae (cats)
Subfamily: Felinae
Genus: Lynx
Eurasian lynx, L. lynx LC
Suborder: Caniformia
Family: Canidae (dogs, foxes)
Genus: Canis
Gray wolf, C. lupus LC
European jackal, C. aureus moreoticus LC (first found in 2013)
Genus: Nyctereutes
Raccoon dog, N. procyonoides LC (introduced)
Genus: Vulpes
Red fox, V. vulpes LC
Family: Ursidae (bears)
Genus: Ursus
Brown bear, U. arctos LC
Family: Mustelidae (mustelids)
Genus: Gulo
Wolverine, G. gulo LC (only five proven sightings during the 20th century and none during the 21st)
Genus: Lutra
European otter, L. lutra NT
Genus: Martes
Pine marten, M. martes LC
Beech marten, M. foina LC
Genus: Meles
European badger, M. meles LC
Genus: Mustela
Stoat, M. erminea LC
European mink, M. lutreola CR reintroduced
Least weasel, M. nivalis LC
European polecat, M. putorius LC
Genus: Neogale
American mink, N. vison introduced
Family: Phocidae (pinnipeds especially earless seals)
Genus: Halichoerus
Grey seal, H. grypus LC
Genus: Pusa
Ringed seal, P. hispida LC
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: Odontoceti
Family: Phocoenidae (porpoises)
Genus: Phocoena
Harbour porpoise, Phocoena phocoena VU (last proven sighting in 1988)
Family: Monodontidae (narwhals)
Genus: Delphinapterus
Beluga, Delphinapterus leucas VU (last sighted in 1985)
Family: Delphinidae (marine dolphins)
Genus: Lagenorhynchus
White-beaked dolphin, Lagenorhynchus albirostris LC (sighted once in 2008)
Genus: Tursiops
Bottlenose dolphin, Tursiops truncatus <span style="color:#cccccc;">DD </span style">(sighted once in 2020 and maybe also in 2015)
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: Suidae (pigs)
Subfamily: Suinae
Genus: Sus
Wild boar, S. scrofa LC
Family: Cervidae (deer)
Subfamily: Cervinae
Genus: Cervus
Red deer, C. elaphus LC
Sika deer, C. nippon LC (introduced, few sightings in 1980s and more often since 2013)
Genus: Dama
European fallow deer, D. dama LC (introduced, few sightings since 2012)
Subfamily: Capreolinae
Genus: Alces
Moose, A. alces LC
Genus: Capreolus
Roe deer, C. capreolus LC
See also
Fauna of Estonia
List of chordate orders
Lists of mammals by region
List of prehistoric mammals
Mammal classification
List of mammals described in the 2000s
External links
Eesti imetajate levikuatlas
References
Mammals
Estonia
Mammals
Estonia