List of mammals of Malta explained

This is a list of the mammal species recorded in Malta. There are twenty mammal species in Malta, of which one is critically endangered.^[1]

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

	Extinct	No reasonable doubt that the last individual has died.
	Extinct in the wild	Known only to survive in captivity or as a naturalized populations well outside its previous range.
	Critically endangered	The species is in imminent risk of extinction in the wild.
	Endangered	The species is facing an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild.
	Vulnerable	The species is facing a high risk of extinction in the wild.
	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.
	Least concern	There are no current identifiable risks to the species.
	Data deficient	There is inadequate information to make an assessment of the risks to this species.

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

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
      • Sicilian shrew, Crocidura sicula
    • Genus: Suncus
      • Etruscan shrew, Suncus etruscus

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: Vespertilionidae
  • Subfamily: Myotinae
    • Genus: Myotis
      • Greater mouse-eared bat, Myotis myotis
      • Felten's myotis, Myotis punicus
  • Subfamily: Vespertilioninae
    • Genus: Nyctalus
      • Common noctule, Nyctalus noctula
    • Genus: Pipistrellus
      • Kuhl's pipistrelle, Pipistrellus kuhlii
      • Common pipistrelle, Pipistrellus pipistrellus
    • Genus: Plecotus
      • Grey long-eared bat, Plecotus austriacus
  • Subfamily: Miniopterinae
    • Genus: Miniopterus
      • Common bent-wing bat, M. schreibersii ^[2]
• Family: Rhinolophidae
  • Subfamily: Rhinolophinae
    • Genus: Rhinolophus
      • Greater horseshoe bat, Rhinolophus ferrumequinum possibly extirpated
      • Lesser horseshoe bat, Rhinolophus hipposideros

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
    • Genus: Balaenoptera
      • Blue whale, Balaenoptera m. musculus (possible)^[3]
      • Fin whale, Balaenoptera physalus
  • Subfamily: Megapterinae
    • Genus: Megaptera
      • Humpback whale, Megaptera novaeangliae (possible)^[4]
  • Family: Balaenidae
    • Genus: Eubalaena
      • North Atlantic right whale, Eubalaena glacialis (possible)^{[5] [6] [7]}
• Suborder: Odontoceti
  • Superfamily:Physeteroidea
    • Family: Physeteridae (sperm whales)
      • Genus: Physeter
        • Sperm whale, Physeter macrocephalus ^{[8] [9] [10]}
  • Superfamily: Platanistoidea
    • Family: Delphinidae (oceanic dolphins)
      • Genus: Tursiops
        • Common bottlenose dolphin, Tursiops truncatus
      • Genus: Delphinus
        • Short-beaked common dolphin, Delphinus delphis
      • Genus: Stenella
        • Striped dolphin, Stenella coeruleoalba
      • Genus: Grampus
        • Risso's dolphin, Grampus griseus
      • Genus: Pseudorca
        • False killer whale, Pseudorca crassidens
      • Genus: Globicephala
        • Long-finned pilot whale, Globicephala melas

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: Mustelidae (mustelids)
    • Genus: Mustela
      • Least weasel, M. nivalis possibly introduced
  • Family: Phocidae (earless seals)
    • Genus: Monachus
      • Mediterranean monk seal, M. monachus extirpated^[11]

See also

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

References

• Web site: The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: Mammals of Malta. IUCN. 2001. 22 May 2007.
• Web site: Mammal Species of the World . Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History . 2005 . 22 May 2007 . https://web.archive.org/web/20070427043030/http://nmnhgoph.si.edu/msw/ . 27 April 2007 .
• Web site: Animal Diversity Web. University of Michigan Museum of Zoology. 1995–2006. 22 May 2007.

Notes and References

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. Miniopterus schreibersii . 2021 . Gazaryan, S. . amp . Bücs, S. . Çoraman, E. . 2020 . e.T81633057A19585652.
3. Frantzis A. . Alexiadou P. . Paximadis G. . Politi E. . Gannier A. . Corsini-Foka M. . 2003. Current knowledge of the cetacean fauna of the Greek Seas. Journal of Cetacean Research and Management . 5 . 3. 219–232. International Whaling Commission. 2016-04-16.
4. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/261530754_Are_humpback_whales_electing_the_Mediterranean_Sea_as_new_residence Are humpback whales electing the Mediterranean Sea as new residence?
5. https://www.registrelep-sararegistry.gc.ca/default.asp?lang=En&n=56C3488F-1 COSEWIC Assessment and Status Report on the North Atlantic Right Whale Eubalaena glacialis in Canada - 2013- Wildlife Species Description and Significance
6. Web site: WhaleNet Information Archive 1997: Right whale sighting in the Mediterranean Sea (fwd). 14 May 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20160305142813/http://whale.wheelock.edu/archives/info97/0015.html. 5 March 2016. dmy-all.
7. Monsarrat S. . Pennino G. M. . Smith D. T. . Reeves R.R. . Meynard N. C. . Kaplan M. D. . Rodrigues L. S. A. . 2015. Historical summer distribution of the endangered North Atlantic right whale (Eubalaena glacialis): a hypothesis based on environmental preferences of a congeneric species. 925–937. Diversity and Distributions . 21 . 8. 2016-04-20 . 10.1111/ddi.12314. 2015DivDi..21..925M . 53593157 .
8. http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20100521/local/whales-in-maltese-waters.308292 Whales in Maltese waters
9. http://www.tvm.com.mt/en/news/video-nine-metre-long-whale-surprises-maltese-fishermen/ Video: Nine meter whale supersizes Maltese fishermen
10. http://www.maltatoday.com.mt/lifestyle/environment/59371/whale_spotted_off_gnejna_coast#.VxOYnNSLSUk Whale spotted off Gnejna coast
11. Monachus monachus . Karamanlidis, A. . Dendrinos, P. . amp . e.T13653A45227543 . 2015.