List of mammals of the Cayman Islands

North American animals Wiki list articleTemplate:SHORTDESC:North American animals Wiki list article
This is a list of the **mammal species recorded in the Cayman Islands**. There are the mammal species in the Cayman Islands, of which one is believed to be threatened.

The following tags are used to highlight each species' conservation status as assessed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature:

## Subclass: Theria

### Infraclass: Eutheria

#### 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: Trichechidae
	+ Genus: *Trichechus*
		- West Indian manatee, *T. manatus* **VU**

#### 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: Molossidae
	+ Genus: *Molossus*
		- Velvety free-tailed bat, *Molossus molossus* LC
	+ Genus: *Tadarida*
		- Mexican free-tailed bat, *Tadarida brasiliensis* LC
* Family: Phyllostomidae
	+ Subfamily: Phyllostominae
		- Genus: *Macrotus*
			* Waterhouse's leaf-nosed bat, *Macrotus waterhousii* LC
	+ Subfamily: Brachyphyllinae
		- Genus: *Brachyphylla*
			* Cuban fruit-eating bat, *Brachyphylla nana* NT
	+ Subfamily: Phyllonycterinae
		- Genus: *Erophylla*
			* Buffy flower bat, *Erophylla sezekorni* LC
	+ Subfamily: Stenodermatinae
		- Genus: *Artibeus*
			* Jamaican fruit bat, *Artibeus jamaicensis* LC
		- Genus: *Phyllops*
			* Cuban fig-eating bat, *Phyllops falcatus* LC
	+ Family: Vespertilionidae
		- Genus: *Eptesicus*
			* Big brown bat, *Eptesicus fuscus* LC

#### Order: Rodentia (Rodents)

**Rodentia** is an order of mammals characterised by two continuously growing incisors in the upper and lower jaws which must be kept short by gnawing. Rodents make up 40% of mammal species, and they are found in vast numbers on all continents other than Antarctica. Rodents have sharp incisors that they use to gnaw wood, break into food, and bite predators. Most eat seeds or plants, though some have more varied diets. Some species have historically been pests, eating seeds stored by people and spreading disease.

The name comes from the Latin word *rodens*, "gnawing one" (from the verb *rodere*, "gnaw").

In terms of number of species—although not necessarily in terms of number of organisms (population) or biomass—rodents make up the largest order of mammals. There are about 2,277 species of rodents (Wilson and Reeder, 2005), with over 40% of mammalian species belonging to the order.

The Central American agouti has been introduced to the Cayman Islands, and are found in forests, thick brush, savannas, and cultivated areas.

* Family: Dasyproctidae
	+ Genus: *Dasyprocta*
		- Central American agouti, *Dasyprocta punctata* (I) 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: Mysticeti
	+ Family: Balaenopteridae (baleen whales)
		- Genus: *Balaenoptera*
			* Common minke whale, *Balaenoptera acutorostrata*
			* Sei whale, *Balaenoptera borealis*
			* Bryde's whale, *Balaenoptera brydei*
			* Blue whale, *Balaenoptera musculus*
		- Genus: *Megaptera*
			* Humpback whale, *Megaptera novaeangliae*
* Suborder: Odontoceti
	+ Superfamily: Platanistoidea
		- Family: Delphinidae (marine dolphins)
			* Genus: *Delphinus*
				+ Short-beaked common dolphin, *Delphinus delphis* DD
			* Genus: *Feresa*
				+ Pygmy killer whale, *Feresa attenuata* DD
			* Genus: *Globicephala*
				+ Short-finned pilot whale, *Globicephala macrorhyncus* DD
			* Genus: *Lagenodelphis*
				+ Fraser's dolphin, *Lagenodelphis hosei* DD
			* Genus: *Grampus*
				+ Risso's dolphin, *Grampus griseus* DD
			* Genus: *Orcinus*
				+ Killer whale, *Orcinus orca* DD
			* Genus: *Peponocephala*
				+ Melon-headed whale, *Peponocephala electra* DD
			* Genus: *Pseudorca*
				+ False killer whale, *Pseudorca crassidens* DD
			* Genus: *Stenella*
				+ Pantropical spotted dolphin, *Stenella attenuata* DD
				+ Clymene dolphin, *Stenella clymene* DD
				+ Striped dolphin, *Stenella coeruleoalba* DD
				+ Atlantic spotted dolphin, *Stenella frontalis* DD
				+ Spinner dolphin, *Stenella longirostris* DD
			* Genus: *Steno*
				+ Rough-toothed dolphin, *Steno bredanensis* DD
			* Genus: *Tursiops*
				+ Common bottlenose dolphin, *Tursiops truncatus*
		- Family: Physeteridae (sperm whales)
			* Genus: *Physeter*
				+ Sperm whale, *Physeter catodon* DD
		- Family: Kogiidae (dwarf sperm whales)
			* Genus: *Kogia*
				+ Pygmy sperm whale, *Kogia breviceps* DD
				+ Dwarf sperm whale, *Kogia sima* DD
	+ Superfamily Ziphioidea
		- Family: Ziphidae (beaked whales)
			* Genus: *Mesoplodon*
				+ Gervais' beaked whale, *Mesoplodon europaeus* DD
			* Genus: *Ziphius*
				+ Cuvier's beaked whale, *Ziphius cavirostris* DD

#### 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: Pinnipedia
	+ Family: Phocidae (earless seals)
		- Genus: *Neomonachus*
			* Caribbean monk seal, *Neomonachus tropicalis* EX

## Notes

1. ↑ 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.
2. ↑ "rodent - Encyclopedia.com". Retrieved 2007-11-03.
3. ↑ "Rodents: Gnawing Animals". Retrieved 2007-11-03.
4. ↑ Meerburg BG, Singleton GR, Leirs H (2009). "The Year of the Rat ends: time to fight hunger!". *Pest Manag Sci*. **65** (4): 351–2. doi:10.1002/ps.1718. PMID 19206089. Archived from the original on 2012-12-17.
5. ↑ Meerburg BG, Singleton GR, Kijlstra A (2009). "Rodent-borne diseases and their risks for public health". *Crit Rev Microbiol*. **35** (3): 221–70. doi:10.1080/10408410902989837. PMID 19548807.
6. ↑ Myers, Phil (2000). "Rodentia". *Animal Diversity Web*. University of Michigan Museum of Zoology. Retrieved 2006-05-25.

## References

* "The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: Mammals of the Cayman Islands". IUCN. 2001. Retrieved 22 May 2007. [*dead link*]
* "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.

## See also

* List of chordate orders
* Lists of mammals by region
* List of prehistoric mammals
* Mammal classification
* List of mammals described in the 2000s