List of mammals of the Bahamas

North American animals Wiki list articleTemplate:SHORTDESC:North American animals Wiki list article
This is a list of the **mammal species recorded in the Bahamas**. Of the mammal species in the Bahamas, two are endangered, three are vulnerable, and one is considered to be extinct.

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

## 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: 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 45 kg (100 lb).

* Suborder: Hystricomorpha
	+ Family: Capromyidae
		- Subfamily: Capromyinae
			* Genus: *Geocapromys*
				+ Bahamian hutia, *G. ingrahami* **VU**
	+ Family: Muridae
		- Subfamily: Murinae
			* Genus: *Rattus*
				+ Black rat, *R. rattus* **LC** introduced

## 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: Noctilionidae
	+ Genus: *Noctilio*
		- Greater bulldog bat, *N. leporinus* **LC**
* Family: Vespertilionidae
	+ Subfamily: Vespertilioninae
		- Genus: *Eptesicus*
			* Big brown bat, *E. fuscus* **LC**
		- Genus: *Lasiurus*
			* Minor red bat, *L. minor* **VU**
* Family: Molossidae
	+ Genus: *Tadarida*
		- Mexican free-tailed bat, *T. brasiliensis* **LC**
* Family: Phyllostomidae
	+ Subfamily: Phyllostominae
		- Genus: *Macrotus*
			* Waterhouse's leaf-nosed bat, *M. waterhousii* **LC**
	+ Subfamily: Brachyphyllinae
		- Genus: *Brachyphylla*
			* Cuban fruit-eating bat, *B. nana* **LC** extirpated
	+ Subfamily: Phyllonycterinae
		- Genus: *Erophylla*
			* Buffy flower bat, *E. sezekorni* **LC**
	+ Subfamily: Glossophaginae
		- Genus: *Monophyllus*
			* Leach's single leaf bat, *M. redmani* **LC**
	+ Subfamily: Stenodermatinae
		- Genus: *Artibeus*
			* Jamaican fruit bat, *A. jamaicensis* **LC**
* Family: Natalidae
	+ Genus: *Chilonatalus*
		- Bahaman funnel-eared bat, *C. tumidifrons* **NT**
	+ Genus: *Nyctiellus*
		- Gervais's funnel-eared bat, *N. lepidus* **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: *Eubalaena*
			* North Atlantic right whale, *E. glacialis* **EN**
		- Genus: *Balaenoptera*
			* Common minke whale, *Balaenoptera acutorostrata*
			* Sei whale, *Balaenoptera borealis*
			* Bryde's whale, *Balaenoptera brydei*
			* Blue whale, *Balaenoptera musculus*
			* Fin whale, *Balaenoptera physalus*
		- 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
				+ Blainville's beaked whale, *Mesoplodon densirostris* DD
				+ True's beaked whale, *Mesoplodon mirus* 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: Caniformia
	+ Family: Procyonidae (raccoons)
		- Genus: *Procyon*
			* Raccoon, *P. lotor* introduced
				+ Bahamian raccoon, *P. l. maynardi*
	+ Family: Phocidae (earless seals)
		- Genus: *Cystophora*
			* Hooded seal, *C. cristata* **VU** vagrant
		- Genus: *Neomonachus*
			* Caribbean monk seal, *N. 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. ↑ Kovacs, K.M. (2016). "*Cystophora cristata*". *IUCN Red List of Threatened Species*. **2016**: e.T6204A45225150. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-1.RLTS.T6204A45225150.en . Retrieved 10 January 2020.

## References

* "The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: Mammals of Bahamas". 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

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