page_title: List of mammals of Central America
section_title: Infraorder: Cetacea (whales, dolphins and porpoises)
hierarchical_section_title: List of mammals of Central America / Subclass: Theria / Infraclass: Eutheria / Superorder Laurasiatheria / Order: Artiodactyla (even-toed ungulates and cetaceans) / Infraorder: Cetacea (whales, dolphins and porpoises)
caption_attribution_description: English: Atlantic spotted dolphin (Stenella frontalis) The original NOAA image has been modified by adjusting tone and brightness.
context_page_description: This is a list of the native wild mammal species recorded in Central America. Central America is usually defined as the southernmost extension of North America; however, from a biological standpoint it is useful to view it as a separate region of the Americas. Central America is distinct from the remainder of North America in being a tropical region, part of the Neotropical realm, whose flora and fauna display a strong South American influence. The rest of North America is mostly subtropical or temperate, belongs to the Nearctic realm, and has far fewer species of South American origin.
  At present Central America bridges North and South America, facilitating migrations in both directions, but this phenomenon is relatively recent from a geological perspective. The formation of this land bridge through volcanic activity three million years ago precipitated the Great American Interchange, an important biogeographical event. In part because of this history, Central America is extremely biodiverse; it comprises most of the Mesoamerican biodiversity hotspot.
context_section_description: The infraorder 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. Their closest extant relatives are the hippos, which are artiodactyls, from which cetaceans descended; cetaceans are thus also artiodactyls.
  Parvorder: Mysticeti
  Family: Balaenopteridae (rorquals)
  Subfamily: Balaenopterinae
  Genus: Balaenoptera
  Bryde's whale, Balaenoptera edeni DD
  Blue whale, Balaenoptera musculus EN
  Fin whale, Balaenoptera physalus VU
  Subfamily: Megapterinae
  Genus: Megaptera
  Humpback whale, Megaptera novaeangliae LC
  Parvorder: Odontoceti
  Family: Physeteridae (sperm whales)
  Genus: Physeter
  Sperm whale, Physeter macrocephalus VU
  Family: Kogiidae (pygmy and dwarf sperm whales)
  Genus: Kogia
  Pygmy sperm whale, Kogia breviceps DD
  Dwarf sperm whale, Kogia sima DD
  Family: Ziphidae (beaked whales)
  Genus: Ziphius
  Cuvier's beaked whale, Ziphius cavirostris LC
  Genus: Mesoplodon
  Blainville's beaked whale, Mesoplodon densirostris DD
  Ginkgo-toothed beaked whale, Mesoplodon ginkgodens DD
  Pygmy beaked whale, Mesoplodon peruvianus DD
  Family: Delphinidae (marine dolphins)
  Genus: Steno
  Rough-toothed dolphin, Steno bredanensis LC
  Genus: Sotalia
  Guiana dolphin, Sotalia guianensis NT
  Genus: Tursiops
  Bottlenose dolphin, Tursiops truncatus LC
  Genus: Stenella
  Pantropical spotted dolphin, Stenella attenuata LC
  Clymene dolphin, Stenella clymene LC
  Striped dolphin, Stenella coeruleoalba LC
  Atlantic spotted dolphin, Stenella frontalis LC
  Spinner dolphin, Stenella longirostris LC
  Genus: Delphinus
  Long-beaked common dolphin, Delphinus capensis DD
  Short-beaked common dolphin, Delphinus delphis LC
  Genus: Lagenodelphis
  Fraser's dolphin, Lagenodelphis hosei LC
  Genus: Grampus
  Risso's dolphin, Grampus griseus LC
  Genus: Peponocephala
  Melon-headed whale, Peponocephala electra LC
  Genus: FeresaLC
  Pygmy killer whale, Feresa attenuata LC
  Genus: Orcinus
  Orca, Orcinus orca DD
  Genus: Pseudorca
  False killer whale, Pseudorca crassidens NT
  Genus: Globicephala
  Short-finned pilot whale, Globicephala macrorhynchus LC
caption: Atlantic spotted dolphin
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