List of mammals of Great Britain

This is a **list of mammals of Great Britain**. 

The Great Britain mammal fauna is impoverished compared with that of continental Europe. This is because there was only a short time between the last ice age and the flooding of the land bridge between Britain and the rest of Europe. The list only has land species which crossed before the creation of the English Channel, and those later brought in by humans.

 (indigenous) species have three possible definitions:
* a species which colonised the islands during the glacial retreat at the end of the last ice age (c.9500 years ago);
* a species that was present when the English Channel was created (c.8000 years ago);
* or, a species that was present in prehistory.

This list includes mammals from the small islands around Great Britain and the Channel Islands. There are no endemic mammal species in Great Britain, although four distinct subspecies of rodents have arisen on small islands.

## Rodentia 
Rodents make up the largest order of mammals, with over 40 percent of mammalian species. They have two incisors in the upper and lower jaw which grow continuously and must be kept short by gnawing. Most rodents are small, though the coypu (once introduced to Great Britain, but subsequently eradicated) can weigh up to 9&nbsp;kg (15.5&nbsp;lb).

**Family: Castoridae (beavers)**

*Eurasian beaver  *Castor fiber* – Reintroduced

**Family: Cricetidae (voles)**

*Bank vole  *Myodes glareolus*
**Skomer vole  *M. g. skomerensis*
*Field vole  *Microtus agrestis*
*Common vole  *M. arvalis*
**Orkney vole or Cuttick  *M. a. orcadensis*
*Water vole  *Arvicola terrestris*

**Family: Muridae (rats, mice and relatives)**

*Harvest mouse  *Micromys minutus*
*Wood mouse  *Apodemus sylvaticus*
**St Kilda field mouse  *A. s. hirtensis*
*Yellow-necked mouse  *A. flavicollis*
*House mouse  *Mus musculus*
**St Kilda house mouse   *M. m. muralis*

**Family: Gliridae (dormice)**

*Hazel dormouse  *Muscardinus avellanarius*

**Family: Sciuridae (squirrels)**

*Red squirrel  *Sciurus vulgaris*

## Lagomorpha 
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 (hares and rabbits)**

*Mountain hare  *Lepus timidus*
**Scottish mountain hare *L. t. scoticus*

## Hedgehogs 
**Superorder**: Laurasiatheria
**Order**: Erinaceomorpha

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.
*European hedgehog  *Erinaceus europaeus*

## Shrews and moles 
**Superorder**: Laurasiatheria
**Order**: Soricomorpha

The "shrew-forms" are insectivorous mammals. The shrews and soledons closely resemble mice while the moles are stout-bodied burrowers. 
*European mole  *Talpa europaea*
*Common shrew  *Sorex araneus*
*Pygmy shrew  *S. minutus*
*Water shrew  *Neomys fodiens*

## Bats 
**Superorder**: Laurasiatheria
**Order**: Chiroptera

The bats' most distinguishing feature is that their forelimbs are developed as wings, making them the only mammals in the world naturally capable of flight. Bat species account for about 20% of all mammals.

*Greater horseshoe bat  *Rhinolophus ferrumequinum*
*Lesser horseshoe bat  *R. hipposideros*
*Greater mouse-eared bat  *Myotis myotis* – Vagrant
*Whiskered bat  *M. mystacinus*
*Brandt's bat  *M. brandti*
*Natterer's bat  *M. nattereri*
*Bechstein's bat  *M. bechsteini*
*Daubenton's bat  *M. daubentoni*
*Geoffroy's bat *M. emarginatus*
*Alcathoe bat *M. alcathoe*
*Parti-coloured bat  *Vespertilio murinus* – Vagrant
*Serotine  *Eptesicus serotinus*
*Northern bat  *E. nilssoni* – Vagrant
*Common noctule  *Nyctalus noctula*
*Leisler's bat or lesser noctule  *N. leisleri*
*Hoary bat  *Lasiurus cinereus* – Vagrant
*Common pipistrelle  *Pipistrellus pipistrellus*
*Soprano pipistrelle  *P. pygmaeus*
*Nathusius pipistrelle  *P. nathusii*
*Kuhl's pipistrelle  *P. kuhlii*
*Barbastelle  *Barbastella barbastellus*
*Brown long-eared bat  *Plecotus auritus*
*Grey long-eared bat  *P. austriacus*

## Even-toed ungulates 
**Superorder**: Laurasiatheria
**Order**: Artiodactyla

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.

*Wild boar  *Sus scrofa* - Reintroduced
*Feral goat  *Capra aegagrus hircus* - Bilberry goat
*Sheep  *Ovis orientalis aries* - Soay sheep
*Cattle  *Bos primigenius taurus* - Chillingham wild cattle
*Scottish red deer  *Cervus elaphus scoticus*
*Roe deer  *Capreolus capreolus*

## Odd-toed ungulates 
**Superorder**: Laurasiatheria
**Order**: Perissodactyla

The odd-toed ungulates are browsing and grazing mammals. They are usually large to very large, and have relatively simple stomachs and a large middle toe.
*Feral horse  *Equus ferus caballus* - Exmoor pony, Dartmoor pony

## Carnivora 
**Superorder**: Laurasiatheria
**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. 

*Domesticated dog *Canis lupus familiaris*
*Red fox  *Vulpes vulpes*
*Grey seal  *Halichoerus grypus*
*Common seal  *Phoca vitulina*
*Ringed seal  *P. hispida* – Vagrant
*Bearded seal  *Erignathus barbatus* – Vagrant
*Hooded seal  *Cystophora cristatus* – Vagrant
*Harp seal  *Pagophilus groenlandicus* – Vagrant
*Walrus  *Odobenus rosmarus* – Vagrant
*Pine marten  *Martes martes*
*Stoat (Ermine)  *Mustela erminea*
*Least weasel  *M. nivalis*
*European polecat  *M. putorius*
*European otter  *Lutra lutra*
*European badger  *Meles meles*
*European wildcat  *Felis silvestris silvestris*
*Domesticated cat *Felis silvestris catus*

## Order: Cetacea
### Whales 
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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: Balaenidae
***Genus: Eubalaena
**** **North Atlantic right whale** *Eubalaena glacialis* EN
**Family: Balaenopteridae
***Subfamily: Balaenopterinae
****Genus: Balaenoptera
***** **Fin whale** *Balaenoptera physalis*
***** **Minke whale** *Balaenoptera acutorostrata* LR/NT
***** **Sei whale** *Balaenoptera borealis*
***** **Blue whale** *Balaenoptera musculus* 
****Genus: Megaptera
***** **Humpback whale** *Megaptera novaeangliae*
*Suborder: Odontoceti
**Superfamily: Platanistoidea
***Family: Monodontidae
****Genus: Delphinapterus
***** **Beluga** *Delphinapterus leucas* VU
***Family: Phocoenidae
****Genus: Phocoena
***** **Harbour porpoise** *Phocoena phocoena* VU
***Family: Physeteridae
****Genus: Physeter
***** **Sperm whale** *Physeter macrocephalus* VU
***Family: Kogiidae
****Genus: Kogia
***** **Pygmy sperm whale** *Kogia breviceps* LR/LC
***Family: Ziphidae
****Genus: Ziphius
***** '''Cuvier's beaked whale'* *Ziphius cavirostris* DD
***Subfamily: Hyperoodontidae
****Genus: Hyperoodon
***** **Northern bottlenose whale** *Hyperoodon ampullatus* LR/CD
****Genus: Mesoplodon
***** *'Sowerby's beaked whale'* *Mesoplodon bidens* DD
***** *'Gervais' beaked whale'* *Mesoplodon europaeus* DD
***** *'True's beaked whale'* *Mesoplodon mirus* DD
****Genus: Pseudorca
***** **False killer whale** *Pseudorca crassidens*

### Dolphins 
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***Family: Delphinidae (marine dolphins)
****Genus: Delphis
*******Short-beaked common dolphin** *Delphinus delphis*
****Genus: Tursiops
***** **Common bottlenose dolphin** *Tursiops truncatus* DD
****Genus: Stenella
***** **Striped dolphin** *Stenella coeruleoalba* LR/cd
****Genus: Lagenorhynchus
***** **Atlantic white-sided dolphin** *Lagenorhynchus acutus* LR/LC
***** **White-beaked dolphin** *Lagenorhynchus albirostris* LR/LC
****Genus: Grampus
***** *'Risso's dolphin'* *Grampus griseus* DD

## Introduced animals 
### Diprotodontia 
Though most marsupials make up a great part of the fauna in the Australian region, the red-necked wallaby has been introduced and a feral population is currently breeding on the island of Inchconnachan, and at Loch Lomond in Argyll and Bute, Scotland. A smaller group is present on the Isle of Man, and the species is locally extinct in the Peak District, in Cumbria, and at Ashdown Forest in East Sussex.

**Family: Macropodidae (kangaroos, wallabies, and kin)**

*Red-necked wallaby *Macropus rufogriseus* - Introduced

### Rodentia 
Rodents make up the largest order of mammals, with over 40 percent of mammalian species. They have two incisors in the upper and lower jaw which grow continuously and must be kept short by gnawing. Most rodents are small though the coypu (once introduced to Great Britain, but subsequently eradicated) can weigh up to 9&nbsp;kg (15.5&nbsp;lb).

**Family: Muridae (rats, mice and relatives)**

*Black rat  *Rattus rattus* - Introduced
*Brown rat  *R. norvegicus* - Introduced

**Family: Gliridae (dormice)**

*Edible dormouse  *Glis glis* – Introduced

**Family: Sciuridae (squirrels)**

*Grey squirrel  *Sciurus carolinensis* – Introduced

### Lagomorpha 
The lagomorphs comprise two families, Leporidae (hares and rabbits), and Ochotonidae (pikas). Though they resemble rodents, and were classified as a superfamily in that order until the early 20th century, they have since been put in 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 (hares and rabbits)**

*Mountain hare  *Lepus timidus*
**Irish hare *L. t. hibernicus* – Introduced Isle of Mull
*European hare  *L. europaeus* – Possibly introduced
*European rabbit  *Oryctolagus cuniculus* – Introduced

### Shrews and moles 
**Superorder**: Laurasiatheria
**Order**: Soricomorpha

The "shrew-forms" are insectivorous mammals. The shrews and soledons closely resemble mice while the moles are stout-bodied burrowers.
*Greater white-toothed shrew  *Crocidura russula* – Likely introduced, Channel Islands only
*Lesser white-toothed shrew  *C. suaveolens* – Likely introduced, Isles of Scilly and Channel Islands only

### Even-toed ungulates 
**Superorder**: Laurasiatheria
**Order**: Artiodactyla

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.
*Sika deer  *C. nippon* – Introduced
*Fallow deer  *Dama dama'' - Introduced
*Reeves's muntjac  *Muntiacus reevesi* – Introduced
*Water deer  *Hydropotes inermis* – Introduced

### Carnivora 
**Superorder**: Laurasiatheria
**Order**: Carnivora

*American mink  *M. vison* – Introduced

## References 
## Other websites
*A Review of British Mammals, 1995  (PDF format)
*The Mammal Society: Mammals of the British Isles 
*Discuss UK wildlife