kids encyclopedia robot

List of mammals of peninsular Spain facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts
For mammals in extra-peninsular Spanish territories, see List of mammals of the Balearic Islands; List of mammals of the Canary Islands; and List of mammals of Ceuta, Melilla and the Plazas de Soberanía.
Main article: List of mammals of Cantabria

This list shows the IUCN Red List status of 115 mammal species occurring in Spanish territory in the Iberian Peninsula. Seven species are endangered, thirteen are vulnerable, and three are near threatened. If the IUCN Red List status of a species in Spain differs from its global status, the status in Spain is shown next between brackets.

The following tags are used to highlight each species' conservation status as assessed on the respective IUCN Red List:

EX Extinct No reasonable doubt that the last individual has died.
EW Extinct in the wild Known only to survive in captivity or as a naturalized populations well outside its previous range.
CR Critically endangered The species is in imminent risk of extinction in the wild.
EN Endangered The species is facing an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild.
VU Vulnerable The species is facing a high risk of extinction in the wild.
NT Near threatened The species does not meet any of the criteria that would categorise it as risking extinction but it is likely to do so in the future.
LC Least concern There are no current identifiable risks to the species.
DD Data deficient There is inadequate information to make an assessment of the risks to this species.

Order: Rodentia (rodents)

Bevers
Eurasian beavers
Eichhörnchen Düsseldorf Hofgarten Crisco edit
Red squirrel
Eliomys quercinus01
Garden dormouse
Arvicola sapidus 02 by-dpc
Southwestern water vole
Apodemus.flavicollis
Yellow-necked mouse
Ratao do banhado 1 REFON
South American coypu, established in Navarre and Catalonia as a result of escapes from fur farms.

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).

Order: Lagomorpha (lagomorphs)

Oryctolagus cuniculus 1a
European rabbit

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.

Order: Erinaceomorpha (hedgehogs and gymnures)

Igel01
West European hedgehog

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
      • Genus: Erinaceus
        • West European hedgehog, E. europaeus

Order: Soricomorpha (shrews, moles, and solenodons)

Sorex granarius SvMerten
Iberian shrew
Galemys pyrenaicus 01 by-dpc
Pyrenean desman
Talpa europaea MHNT
European mole

The "shrew-forms" are insectivorous mammals. The shrews and solenodons closely resemble mice while the moles are stout bodied burrowers.

Order: Chiroptera (bats)

Myotis alcathoe - Manuel Ruedi - 1 - cropped
Alcathoe bat
Tadarida Teniotis263
European free-tailed bat
Rhinolophus euryale-cropped
Mediterranean horseshoe bat

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.

Order: Cetacea (whales)

Orion harrapatutako azken balea (1901)
Last North Atlantic right whale killed by whalers in Orio, Spain (1901)
CZ Rorcual FinWhale Estrecho Strait Gibraltar
Fin whale watching off Tarifa in strait of Gibraltar
Common Dolphins in Gibraltar Bay
Common dolphins in Gibraltar Bay
Delfines-gijon
Small numbers of striped dolphins around Gijón

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.

Order: Carnivora (carnivorans)

Linces1
Iberian lynx
Genetta genetta felina (Wroclaw zoo)
Common genet
Iberian Wolf
Iberian wolf
Cantabrian brown bears at Cabárceno
Cantabrian brown bears in Cabarceno Natural Park

There are over 260 species of carnivorans, the majority of which feed primarily on meat. They have a characteristic skull shape and dentition.

Order: Artiodactyla (even-toed ungulates)

El Pardo ciervo
Spanish red deer in El Pardo.
Bisontes europeos (30 de abril de 2018, Reserva y Centro de Interpretación del Bisonte Europeo de San Cebrián de Mudá) 02
European bison in San Cebrián de Mudá.
Cabra montés 2
Male Iberian ibex
Isard des pyrenees bigorre 2003
Pyrenean chamois

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.

Locally extinct

Το βλέμμα της φώκιας
Mediterranean monk seal

The following species are locally extinct in the area but continue to exist elsewhere:

See also

  • List of chordate orders
  • Lists of mammals by region
  • Mammal classification
kids search engine
All content from Kiddle encyclopedia articles (including the article images and facts) can be freely used under Attribution-ShareAlike license, unless stated otherwise. Cite this article:
List of mammals of peninsular Spain Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.