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List of mammals of Singapore

There are currently about 65 species of mammals in Singapore. Since the founding years of modern Singapore in 1819, over 90 species have been recorded, including megafauna such as tigers, leopards and sambar deer. Most of these have since become locally extinct largely due to rapid urban development, with occasional large mammals such as Asian elephants swimming across the Straits of Johor from Johor, Malaysia.

Many surviving species have critically low population numbers, the most seriously endangered being the cream-coloured giant squirrel, last sighted in 1995 and now possibly extirpated. The Raffles' banded langur is also down to around 60 individuals. However, some species have been rediscovered in more remote parts of the country, such as the Malayan porcupine which was detected on Pulau Tekong in 2005, and the greater mouse-deer on Pulau Ubin in 2009.

The most commonly seen native mammals are the crab-eating macaque and plantain squirrel. The largest terrestrial mammal is the sambar deer, however, its population still remains extremely small. The wild boar is far more common, found in relatively large numbers throughout the main island, and also on the offshore islands of Pulau Ubin and Pulau Tekong. The largest marine mammals are species like the dugong and dolphins.

Order Artiodactyla (even-toed ungulates)

Family Suidae (pigs)

Family Cervidae (deer)

  • Sambar deer (Rusa unicolor) – Bukit Brown, Bukit Timah, Central Catchment
  • Southern red muntjac (Muntiacus muntjak) – Central Catchment (possibly extirpated, recent sightings may be escapees from captivity), Pulau Tekong, unverified sighting

Family Tragulidae (mousedeer)

Order Carnivora (carnivores)

Family Herpestidae (mongooses)

  • Short-tailed mongoose (Urva brachyura) historical record is based on a specimen that is likely to have been an escapee

Family Viverridae (civets)

  • Small-toothed palm civet (Arctogalidia trivirgata) – Bukit Timah, Central Catchment
  • Otter civet (Cynogale bennettii) doubtful, based on old specimen without precise collection data
  • Masked palm civet (Paguma larvata) indeterminate – Central Catchment Pulau Tekong, possible escapee (unverified sightings), Adam Road (roadkill in 2021)
  • Asian palm civet (Paradoxurus hermaphroditus) – widespread across mainland Singapore in forests, woodlands, parks, and urban areas with trees, Pulau Ubin
  • Large-spotted civet (Viverra megaspila) presence doubtful, historical record is likely based on misidentified Malay civet
  • Malayan civet (Viverra tangalunga) – Central Catchment, possibly Pulau Tekong but has been confused with large Indian civet
  • Large Indian civet (Viverra zibetha) indeterminate, Jalan Bahar, possibly Pulau Tekong but has been confused with Malay civet, unverified sightings from Central Catchment
  • Small Indian civet (Viverricula indica) doubtful

Family Mustelidae (weasels, otters and relatives)

  • Asian small-clawed otter (Aonyx cinereus) – Pulau Ubin, Pulau Tekong, sightings of lone individuals in mainland Singapore might be escapees from captivity
  • Smooth-coated otter (Lutrogale perspicillata) – mangroves and coasts, rivers, canals, reservoirs, and lakes in many locations on mainland Singapore, also often seen travelling overland or hunting in ornamental fish ponds, Pulau Ubin, Sentosa, St. John's Island, Pulau Semakau

Family Felidae (cats)

  • Sunda clouded leopard (Neofelis diardi) doubtful, based on single specimen claimed to have been killed in Changi in 1898
  • Leopard cat (Prionailurus bengalensis) – Pulau Ubin, Pulau Tekong, Western Catchment, Central Catchment, Sungei Buloh
  • Flat-headed cat (Prionailurus planiceps) presence doubtful, based on single specimen from former Raffles Museum collection that has since been lost

Order Cetacea (cetaceans)

Family Delphinidae (marine dolphins)

Family Phocoenidae (porpoises)

Family Physeteridae (sperm whale)

Order Chiroptera (bats)

Family Pteropodidae (Old World fruit bats)

Family Emballonuridae (sheath-tailed bats)

Family Nycteridae (hollow-faced bats)

  • Southeast Asian hollow-faced bat (Nycteris tragata) – Central Catchment

Family Megadermatidae (false vampires)

Family Rhinolophidae (horseshoe bats)

Family Hipposideridae (Old World leaf-nosed bats)

Family Vespertilionidae (evening bats)

Family Molossidae (free-tailed bats)

Order Dermoptera (colugo)

Family Cynocephalidae (colugo)

  • Malayan colugo or Malayan flying lemur (Galeopterus variegatus) – Bukit Timah, Bukit Batok, Central Catchment, Bukit Brown, Gallop Road, Portsdown, Changi

Order Eulipotyphla (insectivores)

Family Soricidae (shrews)

Family Erinaceidae (hedgehogs and gymnures)

  • Moonrat (Echinosorex gymnura) (doubtful - based on single specimen from former Raffles Museum collection that has since been lost)

Order Perissodactyla (odd-toed ungulates)

Family Tapiridae (tapirs)

  • Malayan tapir (Tapirus indicus) (vagrant) – Pulau Ubin, Changi, Punggol

Order Pholidota (pangolins)

Family Manidae (pangolins)

  • Sunda pangolin (Manis javanica) – ; occurs in Bukit Timah, Bukit Batok, Bukit Panjang, Central Catchment, Pulau Ubin, Pulau Tekong, Western Catchment, Labrador, may wander into built-up areas

Order Primates (primates)

Family Lorisidae (lorises)

  • Sunda slow loris (Nycticebus coucang) – Bukit Timah, Central Catchment, Pulau Tekong

Family Cercopithecidae (Old World monkeys)

  • Crab-eating macaque (Macaca fascicularis) – Bukit Timah, Central Catchment, Sungei Buloh, Western Catchment, Bukit Batok, Woodlands Waterfront, Admiralty Park, Punggol, Coney Island, Pulau Ubin, Pulau Tekong, Sentosa, Sisters Islands; lone individuals and small groups occasionally seen in parks and urban areas elsewhere in Singapore
  • Southern pig-tailed macaque (Macaca nemestrina) (doubtful, historical records in Singapore are likely to be based on escapees from captivity), Tengeh Reservoir, individual seen in 2020
  • Raffles' banded langur (Presbytis femoralis) – (endemic) around 70 left in Central Catchment, Upper Thomson
  • Dusky leaf monkey (Trachypithecus obscurus) – Kent Ridge, likely escapee in 2008; Central Catchment, colonisation in 2019 with the appearance of a trio which likely originated from Johor.

Order Proboscidea (elephants)

Family Elephantidae (elephants)

  • Asian elephant (Elephas maximus) (vagrant) Pulau Tekong (1990), Pulau Ubin (1991)

Order Rodentia (rodents)

Family Muridae (mice and rats)

Family Spalacidae (mole-rats)

  • Large bamboo rat (Rhizomys sumatrensis) doubtful, historical records are likely escapees

Family Sciuridae (squirrels)

Family Hystricidae (Old World porcupines)

  • Malayan porcupine (Hystrix brachyura) – Pulau Tekong, Pulau Ubin, Bukit Timah, Central Catchment, Western Catchment

Order Scandentia (treeshrews)

Family Tupaiidae (treeshrews)

  • Common treeshrew (Tupaia glis) – Bukit Timah, Central Catchment, Singapore Botanic Gardens, Portsdown, Bidadari, Bedok, Bukit Batok, Jurong Hill, Kent Ridge, Sungei Buloh, Western Catchment, Pulau Ubin

Order Sirenia (sea cows)

Family Dugongidae (dugong)

  • Dugong (Dugong dugon) – Straits of Johor, Singapore Strait

Extirpated species

See also

References