List of mammals of Lithuania explained

A list of mammals of Lithuania published in 1997 contains 68 species that are present in the country, including 14 bat species, 21 rodents, four shrews, two lagomorphs, one hedgehog, 13 carnivores, five whales and eight ungulates.^[1]

The following tags are used to highlight each species' conservation status as assessed on the 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 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.

Some species were assessed using an earlier set of criteria. Species assessed using this system have the following instead of near threatened and least concern categories:

LR/cd	Lower risk/conservation dependent	Species which were the focus of conservation programmes and may have moved into a higher risk category if that programme was discontinued.
LR/nt	Lower risk/near threatened	Species which are close to being classified as vulnerable but are not the subject of conservation programmes.
LR/lc	Lower risk/least concern	Species for which there are no identifiable risks.

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: Sciurognathi
  • Family: Castoridae (beavers)
    • Genus: Castor
      • Eurasian beaver, C. fiber ^[2]
  • Family: Sciuridae (squirrels)
    • Subfamily: Sciurinae
  • Family: Gliridae (dormice)
    • Subfamily: Leithiinae
      • Genus: Dryomys
        • Forest dormouse, D. nitedula LC
      • Genus: Eliomys
        • Garden dormouse, Eliomys quercinus VU
      • Genus: Muscardinus
        • Hazel dormouse, Muscardinus avellanarius LR/nt
    • Subfamily: Glirinae
      • Genus: Glis
        • European edible dormouse, Glis glis LR/nt
  • Family: Cricetidae
    • Subfamily: Arvicolinae
      • Genus: Arvicola
        • Water vole, Arvicola terrestris LR/lc
      • Genus: Clethrionomys
        • Bank vole, Clethrionomys glareolus LR/lc
      • Genus: Microtus
        • Field vole, Microtus agrestis LR/lc
        • Common vole, Microtus arvalis LR/lc
  • Family: Muridae (mice, rats, voles, gerbils, hamsters, etc.)
    • Subfamily: Murinae
      • Genus: Apodemus
        • Striped field mouse, Apodemus agrarius LR/lc
        • Yellow-necked mouse, Apodemus flavicollis LR/lc
        • Wood mouse, Apodemus sylvaticus LC
      • Genus: Micromys
        • Harvest mouse, Micromys minutus LR/nt

Order: Lagomorpha (lagomorphs)

The following two lagomorphs are present in the country:^[1]

• Family: Leporidae (rabbits, hares)
  • Genus: Lepus
    • European hare, L. europaeus ^[3]
    • Mountain hare, L. timidus ^[4]

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: Erinaceus
      • Southern white-breasted hedgehog, Erinaceus concolor LR/lc
      • West European hedgehog, Erinaceus europaeus LR/lc

Order: Soricomorpha (shrews, moles, and solenodons)

The following four shrew species are present in the country:^[1]

• Family: Soricidae (shrews)
  • Subfamily: Soricinae
    • Tribe: Soricini
      • Genus: Sorex
        • Common shrew, S. araneus ^[5]
        • Eurasian pygmy shrew, S. minutus ^[6]
      • Genus: Neomys
        • Eurasian water shrew, N. fodiens
• Family: Talpidae (moles)
  • Subfamily: Talpinae
    • Tribe: Talpini
      • Genus: Talpa
        • European mole, T. europaea

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
      • Pond bat, Myotis dasycneme VU
  • Subfamily: Vespertilioninae
    • Genus: Barbastella
      • Western barbastelle, B. barbastellus ^[7]
    • Genus: Nyctalus
      • Lesser noctule, Nyctalus leisleri LR/nt
    • Genus: Pipistrellus
      • Common pipistrelle, Pipistrellus pipistrellus 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: Balaenidae (right whales)
    • Genus: Balaena
      • North Atlantic right whale, Eubalaena glacialis CR or functionally extinct in the eastern Atlantic'^[8]
  • Family: Balaenopteridae
    • Subfamily: Balaenopterinae
      • Genus: Balaenoptera
        • Fin whale, Balaenoptera physalus

EN^{[9] [10] [11]}

• • • • • Common minke whale, Balaenoptera acutorostrata LC^[12]
    • Subfamily: Megapterinae
      • Genus: Megaptera
        • Humpback whale, Megaptera novaeangliae LC^{[13] [14] [15]}
• Suborder: Odontoceti
  • Family: Phocoenidae
    • Genus: Phocoena
      • Harbour porpoise, Phocoena phocoena

VU

• • Family: Monodontidae
    • Genus: Delphinapterus
      • Beluga, Delphinapterus leucas

VU^[16]

• • Family: Ziphidae
    • Genus: Mesoplodon
      • Sowerby's beaked whale, Mesoplodon bidens

DD^[17]

• • Family: Delphinidae (marine dolphins)
    • Genus: Lagenorhynchus
      • White-beaked dolphin, Lagenorhynchus albirostris LR/lc
    • Genus: Tursiops
      • Bottlenose dolphin, Tursiops truncatus

DD^[18]

• • • • Genus: Grampus
        • Risso's dolphin, Grampus griseus

DD

• • • • Genus: Orcinus
        • Orca, Orcinus orca

DD^[19]

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: Feliformia
  • Family: Felidae (cats)
    • Subfamily: Felinae
      • Genus: Lynx
        • Eurasian lynx, L. lynx ^[20]
• Suborder: Caniformia
  • Family: Canidae (dogs, foxes)
    • Genus: Canis
      • Gray wolf, C. lupus ^[21]
    • Genus: Vulpes
      • Red fox, V. vulpes ^[22]
  • Family: Mustelidae (mustelids)
    • Genus: Lutra
      • European otter, L. lutra ^[23]
    • Genus: Martes
      • European pine marten, M. martes
    • Genus: Meles
      • European badger, M. meles ^[24]
    • Genus: Mustela
      • Least weasel, M. nivalis ^[25]
      • Stoat, M. erminea ^[26]
      • European polecat, M. putorius
    • Genus: Neogale
      • American mink, N. vison introduced^[27]
  • Family: Phocidae (earless seals)
    • Genus: Halichoerus
      • Gray seal, Halichoerus grypus

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: Cervidae (deer)
  • Subfamily: Capreolinae
    • Genus: Alces
      • Moose, A. alces
    • Genus: Capreolus
      • Roe deer, C. capreolus ^[28]
  • Subfamily: Cervinae
    • Genus: Cervus
      • Red deer, C. elaphus ^[29]
    • Genus: Dama
      • European fallow deer, D. dama introduced^[30]
• Family: Bovidae (cattle, antelope, sheep, goats)
  • Subfamily: Bovinae
    • Genus: Bison
      • European bison, B. bonasus reintroduced^[1]
    • Genus: Bos
      • Aurochs, B. primigenius ^[31]
• Family: Suidae (pigs)
  • Subfamily: Suinae
    • Genus: Sus
      • Wild boar, S. scrofa ^[32]

Locally extinct

The following species are locally extinct in the country:

• European mink, Mustela lutreola^{[1] [33]}
• Siberian flying squirrel, Pteromys volans^{[1] [34]}
• Brown bear, Ursus arctos^{[1] [35]}

See also

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

External links

• Web site: Animal Diversity Web . University of Michigan Museum of Zoology . 1995–2006 . 22 May 2007.

Notes and References

1. Balciauska, L. . amp . Ulevicius, A. . Juskaiti, R. . 1997 . Mammals of Lithuania: status and protection . Zeitschrift für Theriophylaxe (Delligsen) . 27 . 4–8 .
2. Castor fiber . Batbold, J. . Batsaikhan, N. . Shar, S. . Hutterer, R. . Kryštufek, B. . Yigit, N. . Mitsain, G. . Palomo, L. . 2016 . 2016 . e.T4007A115067136 .
3. Lepus europaeus . amp . Hacklande, K. . Schai-Braun, S. . 2019 . e.T41280A45187424.
4. Lepus timidus . amp . Smith, A.T. . Johnston, C.H. . 2019 . e.T11791A45177198.
5. Sorex araneus . 2017 . Hutterer, R.. Kryštufek, B. . 2016 . e.T29661A115170489.
6. Sorex minutus . 2017 . amp . Hutterer, R. . Kryštufek, B. . Fernandes, M. . Meinig, H. . 2016 . e.T29667A115171222.
7. Barbastella barbastellus . Piraccini, R. . e.T2553A22029285 . 2016.
8. http://www.fmap.ca/ramweb/media/biodiversity_loss/downloads/RegionalExtinctionExamples.pdf Regional Species Extinctions - Examples of regional species extinctions over the last 1000 years and more.
9. http://www.cetacea.de/news/archiv/2005/10/arch051001.shtml Wieder Finnwal in der Ostsee
10. http://www.ostsee-zeitung.de/Region-Rostock/Rostock/Finnwal-in-der-Ostsee-gesichtet Finnwal in der Ostsee gesichtet
11. http://www.augsburger-allgemeine.de/panorama/Angler-filmt-Wal-in-Ostsee-Bucht-id34821572.html Angler filmt Wal in Ostsee-Bucht
12. http://www.marlin.ac.uk/species/detail/1994 Minke whale (Balaenoptera acutorostrata)
13. http://www.cetacea.de/news/archiv/2005/10/arch051001.shtml Wieder Finnwal in der Ostsee
14. http://www.ostsee-zeitung.de/Region-Rostock/Rostock/Finnwal-in-der-Ostsee-gesichtet Finnwal in der Ostsee gesichtet
15. http://www.augsburger-allgemeine.de/panorama/Angler-filmt-Wal-in-Ostsee-Bucht-id34821572.html Angler filmt Wal in Ostsee-Bucht
16. https://www.rgo.ru/en/projects/protection-endangered-species-beluga-white-whale/about-beluga About the beluga
17. http://us.whales.org/news/2015/10/rare-sowerbys-beaked-whale-spotted-in-baltic-sea Rare Sowerby's beaked whale spotted in the Baltic Sea - WDC
18. http://www.thenews.pl/1/9/Artykul/217965,Baltic-dolphin-sightings-confirmed Baltic dolphin sightings confirmed – National
19. Reeves, R. . Pitman, R.L. . Ford, J.K.B. . 2017 . Orcinus orca . 2017 . e.T15421A50368125 . 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2017-3.RLTS.T15421A50368125.en . 11 November 2021.
20. Lynx lynx . Breitenmoser, U. . Breitenmoser-Würsten, C. . Lanz, T. . von Arx, M. . Antonevich, A. . Bao, W. . Avgan, B. . amp . 2015 . e.T12519A121707666.
21. Canis lupus . Boitani, L. . Phillips, M. & Jhala, Y. . 2018 . e.T3746A119623865.
22. Vulpes vulpes . Hoffmann, M. . Sillero-Zubiri, C. . amp . 2016 . e.T23062A46190249.
23. Lutra lutra . amp . Roos, A. . Loy, A. . de Silva, P. . Hajkova, P. . Zemanová, B. . 2015 . e.T12419A21935287.
24. Meles meles . Kranz, A. . Abramov, A. V. . Herrero, J. . Maran, T. . amp . 2016 . e.T29673A45203002.
25. Mustela nivalis . amp . McDonald, R. A. . Abramov, A. V. . Stubbe, M. . Herrero, J. . Maran, T. . Tikhonov, A. . Cavallini, P. . Kranz, A. . Giannatos, G. . Kryštufek, B. . Reid, F. . 2019 . e.T70207409A147993366.
26. Mustela erminea . Reid, F. . Helgen, K. . Kranz, A. . amp . 2016 . e.T29674A45203335.
27. Neovison vison . Reid, F. . Schiaffini, M. . Schipper, J. . e.T41661A45214988 . 2016.
28. Capreolus capreolus . Lovari, S. . Herrero, J. . Masseti, M. . Ambarli, H. . Lorenzini, R. . Giannatos, G. . amp . 2016 . e.T42395A22161386.
29. Cervus elaphus . Lovari, S. . Lorenzini, R. . Masseti, M. . Pereladova, O. . Carden, R.F. . Brook, S.M. . Mattioli, S. . amp . e.T55997072A142404453 . 2018.
30. Masseti, M. . Mertzanidou, D. . 2008 . Dama dama . 2008 . e.T42188A10656554 . 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2008.RLTS.T42188A10656554.en . 19 November 2021.
31. Tikhonov, A. . Bos primigenius . 2008 . e.T136721A4332142 . 2008 . 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2008.RLTS.T136721A4332142.en . 11 January 2018.
32. Sus scrofa . amp . Keuling, O. . Leus, K. . e.T41775A44141833 . 2019.
33. Mustela lutreola . Maran, T. . Aulagnier, S. . Libois, R. . Kranz, A. . Abramov, A. . Wozencraft, C. . amp . 2010 . e.T14018A4381596.
34. Pteromys volans . 2017 . Shar, S. . Lkhagvasuren, D. . Henttonen, H. . Maran, T. . Hanski, I. . amp . 2016 . e.T18702A115144995.
35. Ursus arctos . McLellan, B. N. . Proctor, M. F. . Huber, D. . Michel, S. . amp . 2017 . e.T41688A121229971.