This list of mammals of Estonia shows the IUCN Red List status of the mammal fauna occurring in Estonia. It is somewhat impoverished compared to that of southern and central Europe due to the short period since the last ice age. Native species are considered to be those which are today present in the country. There are no endemic mammal species in Estonia. The list follows Moks et al. (2015) with later additions.
The following tags are used to highlight each species' conservation status as assessed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature:
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.
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
- Suborder: Caniformia
- Family: Canidae (dogs, foxes)
- Genus: Canis
- Gray wolf, C. lupus
- European jackal, C. aureus moreoticus (first found in 2013)
- Genus: Nyctereutes
- Raccoon dog, N. procyonoides (introduced)
- Genus: Vulpes
- Red fox, V. vulpes
- Family: Ursidae (bears)
- Genus: Ursus
- Brown bear, U. arctos
- Family: Mustelidae (mustelids)
- Genus: Gulo
- Wolverine, G. gulo (only five proven sightings during the 20th century and none during the 21st)
- Genus: Lutra
- European otter, L. lutra NT
- Genus: Martes
- Pine marten, M. martes
- Beech marten, M. foina
- Genus: Meles
- European badger, M. meles
- Genus: Mustela
- Stoat, M. erminea
- European mink, M. lutreola CR reintroduced
- Least weasel, M. nivalis
- European polecat, M. putorius
- Genus: Neogale
- American mink, N. vison introduced
- Family: Phocidae (pinnipeds especially earless seals)
- Genus: Halichoerus
- Grey seal, H. grypus
- Genus: Pusa
- Ringed seal, P. hispida
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.
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
- Brandt's bat, Myotis brandti
- Pond bat, Myotis dasycneme <span style="color:#bb0000;"></span>
- Daubenton's bat, Myotis daubentonii
- Whiskered bat, Myotis mystacinus
- Natterer's bat, Myotis nattereri
- Subfamily: Vespertilioninae
- Genus: Barbastella
- Western barbastelle, B. barbastellus (unproven)
- Genus: Eptesicus
- Northern bat, Eptesicus nilssoni
- Genus: Nyctalus
- Common noctule, Nyctalus noctula
- Genus: Pipistrellus
- Nathusius' pipistrelle, Pipistrellus nathusii
- Common pipistrelle, Pipistrellus pipistrellus
- Soprano pipistrelle, Pipistrellus pygmaeus
- Genus: Plecotus
- Brown long-eared bat, P. auritus
- Genus: Vespertilio
- Parti-coloured bat, Vespertilio murinus
Order: Eulipotyphla (shrews, hedgehogs, gymnures, moles and solenodons)
Eulipotyphlans are insectivorous mammals. Shrews and solenodons resemble mice, hedgehogs carry spines, gymnures look more like large rats, while moles are stout-bodied burrowers.
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 twentieth 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: 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 .
- Suborder: Sciurognathi
- Family: Castoridae (beavers)
- Genus: Castor
- Eurasian beaver, C. fiber
- Family: Sciuridae (squirrels)
- Subfamily: Sciurinae
- Tribe: Sciurini
- Genus: Sciurus
- Red squirrel, S. vulgaris
- Tribe: Pteromyini
- Genus: Pteromys
- Siberian flying squirrel, P. volans NT
- Family: Gliridae (dormice)
- Subfamily: Leithiinae
- Genus: Eliomys
- Garden dormouse, Eliomys quercinus <span style="color:#bb0000;"></span> (last sighted in 1986)
- Genus: Muscardinus
- Hazel dormouse, Muscardinus avellanarius NT (last sighted in 1986)
- Family: Dipodidae (jerboas)
- Subfamily: Sicistinae
- Genus: Sicista
- Northern birch mouse, Sicista betulina NT
- Family: Cricetidae
- Subfamily: Arvicolinae
- Genus: Arvicola
- European water vole or north-western water vole, Arvicola amphibius LC
- Genus: Clethrionomys
- Bank vole, Myodes glareolus or Clethrionomys glareolus
- Genus: Microtus
- Field vole, Microtus agrestis LC
- Common vole, Microtus arvalis LC
- Root vole, Microtus oeconomus LC (one lower jaw found in 1970)
- Sibling vole, Microtus levis LC
- European pine vole, Microtus subterraneus LC
- Genus: Myopus
- Wood lemming, Myopus schisticolor LC (first found in 2019)
- Genus: Ondatra
- Muskrat, Ondatra zibethicus LC (introduced)
- Family: Muridae (mice, rats, voles, gerbils, hamsters, etc.)
- Subfamily: Murinae
- Genus: Apodemus
- Striped field mouse, Apodemus agrarius LC
- Yellow-necked mouse, Apodemus flavicollis LC
- Ural field mouse, Apodemus uralensis LC
- Genus: Micromys
- Harvest mouse, Micromys minutus NT
- Genus: Rattus
- Brown rat, Rattus norvegicus LC
- Black rat, Rattus rattus LC
- Genus: Mus
- House mouse, Mus musculus LC
See also
External links
References