List of mammals of Saudi Arabia explained

This is a list of the mammal species present in Saudi Arabia. There are 78 mammal species in Saudi Arabia, of which three are critically endangered, three are endangered, nine are vulnerable, and two are near threatened.

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

EX ExtinctNo reasonable doubt that the last individual has died.
EW Extinct in the wildKnown only to survive in captivity or as a naturalized populations well outside its previous range.
CR Critically endangeredThe species is in imminent risk of extinction in the wild.
EN EndangeredThe species is facing an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild.
VU VulnerableThe species is facing a high risk of extinction in the wild.
NT Near threatenedThe 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 concernThere are no current identifiable risks to the species.
DD Data deficientThere is inadequate information to make an assessment of the risks to this species.

Order: Hyracoidea (hyraxes)

The hyraxes are any of four species of fairly small, thickset, herbivorous mammals in the order Hyracoidea. About the size of a domestic cat they are well-furred, with rounded bodies and a stumpy tail. They are native to Africa and the Middle East.

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.

Order: Primates

The order Primates contains humans and their closest relatives: lemurs, lorisoids, monkeys, and apes.

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 45kg (99lb).

EN

Order: Lagomorpha (lagomorphs)

Lagomorphs comprise rabbits, hares, and pikas. Unlike rodents, they have four incisors on their upper jaws.

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.

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.

VU

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.

EN[7] EN DD DD DD DD[10] DD DD DD DD

Order: Carnivora (carnivorans)

There are over 260 species of carnivorans, the majority of which eat meat as their primary dietary item. They have a characteristic skull shape and dentition.

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.

Locally extinct

The following species are locally extinct in the country:

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. Myotis emarginatus . Piraccini, R. . e.T14129A22051191 . 2016.
  2. Rhyneptesicus nasutus . Benda, P. . Srinivasulu, C. . Srinivasulu, B. . 2019 . e.T7935A22117147.
  3. Miniopterus schreibersii . amp . Gazaryan, S. . Bücs, S. . Çoraman, E. . 2020 . e.T81633057A151216401.
  4. Benda, P. . 2017 . Rhinopoma cystops . e.T82345555A82345569.
  5. Rhinolophus ferrumequinum . Piraccini, R. . 2016 . e.T19517A21973253.
  6. Rhinolophus hipposideros . Taylor, P. . 2016 . e.T19518A21972794.
  7. Carpenter E. K.. 1997. Living Marine Resources of Kuwait, Eastern Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates - Marine Mammals. pp.255-260. The Food and Agriculture Organization. Retrieved on April 14, 2017
  8. Baldwin R.. Gallagher M.. Waerebeek V. K..A Review of Cetaceans from Waters off the Arabian Peninsula (pdf). Retrieved on April 14, 2017
  9. Minton, G. . Collins, T. . Pomilla, C. . Findlay, K.P. . Rosenbaum, H. . Baldwin, R. . Brownell Jr. . R.L. . 2008 . Megaptera novaeangliae Arabian Sea subpopulation . 2008 . e.T132835A3464679 . 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2008.RLTS.T132835A3464679.en . 11 November 2021.
  10. Babbington J.. 2013. Indo-Pacific Bottlenose Dolphin – Offshore Farasan Islands. Birds of Saudi Arabia. Retrieved on April 14, 2017
  11. Caracal caracal . Avgan, B. . Henschel, P. . Ghoddousi, A. . amp . 2016 . e.T3847A102424310.
  12. Felis lybica . amp . Ghoddousi, A. . Belbachir, F. . Durant, S.M. . Herbst, M. . Rosen, T. . 2022 . e.T131299383A154907281 . 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2022-1.RLTS.T131299383A154907281.en.
  13. Felis margarita . Sliwa, A. . Ghadirian, T. . Appel, A. . Banfield, L. . Sher Shah, M. . Wacher, T. . amp . e.T8541A50651884 . 2016.
  14. Panthera pardus . Stein, A.B. . Athreya, V. . Gerngross, P. . Balme, G. . Henschel, P. . Karanth, U. . Miquelle, D. . Rostro-Garcia, S. . Kamler, J. F. . Laguardia, A. . Khorozyan, I. . Ghoddousi, A. . amp . 2019 . e.T15954A160698029.
  15. Genetta genetta . Gaubert, P. . Carvalho, F. . Camps, D. . Do Linh San, E. . amp . 2015 . e.T41698A45218636.
  16. Herpestes edwardsii . 2016 . Mudappa, D. . Choudhury, A. . amp . e.T41611A45206787.
  17. Ichneumia albicauda . Do Linh San, E. . 2015 . e.T41620A45208640.
  18. Hyaena hyaena . AbiSaid, M. . Dloniak, S.M.D. . amp . 2015 . e.T10274A45195080.
  19. Canis aureus . Hoffmann, M. . Arnold, J. . Duckworth, J. W. . Jhala, Y. . Kamler, J. F. . Krofel, M. . amp . 2018 . e.T118264161A46194820.
  20. Canis lupus . Boitani, L. . Phillips, M. . Jhala, Y. . amp . 2018 . e.T3746A119623865.
  21. Vulpes cana . Hoffmann, M. . Sillero-Zubiri, C. . amp . 2015 . e.T23050A48075169.
  22. Vulpes rueppelli . Mallon, D. . Murdoch, J.D. . Wacher, T. . amp . e.T23053A46197483 . 2015.
  23. Vulpes vulpes . Hoffmann, M. . Sillero-Zubiri, C. . amp . 2016 . e.T23062A46190249.
  24. Mellivora capensis . Do Linh San, E. . Begg, C. . Begg, K. . Abramov, A. V. . amp . 2016 . e.T41629A45210107.
  25. Gazella marica . IUCN SSC Antelope Specialist Group . 2017 . e.T8977A50187738.
  26. Capra nubiana . amp . Ross, S. . Elalqamy, H. . Al Said, T. . Saltz, D. . e.T3796A22143385 . 2020.
  27. Oryx leucoryx . IUCN SSC Antelope Specialist Group . 2017 . e.T15569A50191626.
  28. Acinonyx jubatus . Durant, S. . Mitchell, N. . Ipavec, A. . Groom, R. . amp . 2015 . e.T219A50649567.
  29. Equus hemionus . Kaczensky, P. . Lkhagvasuren, B. . Pereladova, O. . Hemami, M. . Bouskila, A. . amp . e.T7951A166520460 . 2020.
  30. Gazella saudiya . IUCN SSC Antelope Specialist Group . 2016 . e.T8980A50187890.
  31. Panthera leo . amp . Bauer, H. . Packer, C. . Funston, P. F. . Henschel, P. . Nowell, K. . 2016 . e.T15951A115130419.

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