- Source: List of mammals of the Balearic Islands
All three land mammal species once endemic to the Balearic Islands, Spain (the Majorcan giant dormouse, the Balearic shrew and the goat-like ruminant Myotragus balearicus) are currently extinct, while those presently found on the archipelago have been introduced voluntarily or accidentally by humans in colonization waves beginning in the Neolithic.
The following tags are used to highlight each species' conservation status as assessed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.
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 (99 lb).
Suborder: Sciuromorpha
Family: Gliridae (dormice)
Subfamily: Leithiinae
Genus: Eliomys
Garden dormouse, E. quercinus LC introduced
Genus: Hypnomys
Mallorcan giant dormouse, H. morpheus EX
Suborder: Myomorpha
Family: Muridae (mice and rats)
Subfamily: Murinae
Genus: Apodemus
Wood mouse, A. sylvaticus LC introduced
Genus: Mus
House mouse, M. musculus LC introduced
Algerian mouse, M. spretus LC introduced
Genus: Rattus
Black rat, R. rattus LC introduced
Brown rat, R. norvegicus LC introduced
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 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 (rabbits, hares)
Genus: Lepus
Granada hare, L. granatensis LC introduced
Genus: Oryctolagus
European rabbit, O. cuniculus EN introduced
Order: Erinaceomorpha (hedgehogs and gymnures)
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.
Family: Erinaceidae (hedgehogs)
Subfamily: Erinaceinae
Genus: Atelerix
North African hedgehog, A. algirus LC introduced
Order: Soricomorpha (shrews, moles, and solenodons)
The "shrew-forms" are insectivorous mammals. The shrews and solenodons closely resemble mice while the moles are stout bodied burrowers.
Family: Soricidae (shrews)
Subfamily: Crocidurinae
Genus: Crocidura
North African white-toothed shrew, C. ichnusae DD introduced
Lesser white-toothed shrew, C. suaveolens LC introduced
Subfamily: Soricinae
Genus: Nesiotites
Balearic shrew, N. hidalgo EX
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: Miniopteridae (long-winged bats)
Subfamily: Miniopterinae
Genus: Miniopterus
Common bent-wing bat, M. schreibersi NT
Family: Molossidae (free-tailed bats)
Subfamily: Molossinae
Genus: Tadarida
European free-tailed bat, T. teniotis LC
Family: Rhinolophidae (horseshoe bats)
Subfamily: Rhinolophinae
Genus: Rhinolophus
Greater horseshoe bat, R. ferrumequinum NT
Lesser horseshoe bat, R. hipposideros NT
Mehely's horseshoe bat, R. mehelyi VU
Family: Vespertilionidae (mouse-eared bats)
Subfamily: Myotinae
Genus: Myotis
Lesser mouse-eared bat, M. blythii NT
Long-fingered bat, M. capaccinii VU
Geoffroy's bat, M. emarginatus LC
Greater mouse-eared bat, M. myotis LC
Natterer's bat, M. nattereri LC
Subfamily: Verpertilioninae
Genus: Barbastella
Barbastelle, B. barbastellus NT
Genus: Eptesicus
Serotine bat, E. serotinus LC
Genus: Hypsugo
Savi's pipistrelle, H. savii LC
Genus: Plecotus
Grey long-eared bat, P. austriacus LC
Genus: Pipistrellus
Kuhl's pipistrelle, P. kuhlii LC
Common pipistrelle, P. pipistrellus LC
Soprano pipistrelle, P. pygmaeus 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 (rorquals)
Genus: Balaenoptera
Fin whale, B. physalus VU
Suborder: Odontoceti
Family: Delphinidae (dolphins and pilot whales)
Genus: Delphinus
Short-beaked common dolphin, D. delphis EN
Genus: Globicephala
Long-finned pilot whale, G. melas DD
Genus: Grampus
Risso's dolphin, G. griseus DD
Genus: Orcinus
Orca, O. orca DD
Genus: Pseudorca
False killer whale, P. crassidens NA
Genus: Stenella
Striped dolphin, S. coeruleoalba VU
Genus: Tursiops
Common bottlenose dolphin, T. truncatus VU
Family: Physeteridae (sperm whales)
Genus: Physeter
Sperm whale, P. macrocephalus EN
Family: Ziphiidae (beaked whales)
Genus: Ziphius
Cuvier's beaked whale, Z. cavirostris VU
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.
Family: Viverridae (civets and genets)
Genus: Genetta
Common genet, G. genetta LC introduced
Suborder: Caniformia
Family: Mustelidae (weasels)
Genus: Martes
European pine marten, M. martes LC introduced
Genus: Mustela
Least weasel, M. nivalis LC introduced
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: Bovidae (cattle, antelope, sheep, goats)
Subfamily: Caprinae
Genus: Capra
Balearean boc, C. capra var. majorcan introduced
Genus: Myotragus
Balearic cave goat, M. balearicus EX
Locally extinct
The following species are locally extinct in the area but continue to exist elsewhere:
Mediterranean monk seal, Monachus monachus
See also
List of chordate orders
Lists of mammals by region
List of prehistoric mammals
Mammal classification
List of mammals described in the 2000s
Notes
References
"Atlas y Libro Rojo de los mamíferos terrestres de España". Gobierno de España - Ministerio de Agricultura, Alimentación y Medio Ambiente. 2012. Retrieved 2 Jan 2013.
Aulagnier, S. et al. (2008) Guide des mammifères d'Europe, d'Afrique du Nord et de Moyen-Orient. Delachaux et Niestlé, Paris
Purroy, F.J. and Varela, J.M. (2003) Guía de los Mamíferos de España. Península, Baleares y Canarias. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona.