This list of mammals of Syria is derived from IUCN Red Lists. The following tags are used to highlight each species' conservation status:
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: Caracal
- Caracal, C. caracal
- Genus: Felis
- Jungle cat, F. chaus
- African wildcat, F. lybica
- Asiatic wildcat, F. l. ornata
- Sand cat, F. margarita
- Family: Herpestidae (mongooses)
- Genus: Herpestes
- Egyptian mongoose, H. ichneumon
- Family: Hyaenidae (hyaenas)
- Genus: Hyaena
- Striped hyena, H. hyaena
- Suborder: Caniformia
- Family: Canidae (dogs, foxes)
- Genus: Canis
- Golden jackal, C. aureus
- Gray wolf, C. lupus
- Arabian wolf, C. l. arabs
- Indian wolf, C. l. pallipes
- Genus: Vulpes
- Rüppell's fox, V. rueppellii
- Red fox, V. vulpes
- Family: Ursidae (bears)
- Genus: Ursus
- Brown bear, U. arctos
- Syrian brown bear, U. a. syriacus
- Family: Mustelidae (mustelids)
- Genus: Lutra
- European otter, L. lutra
- Genus: Martes
- European pine marten, M. martes
- Genus: Meles
- Caucasian badger, M. canescens
- Genus: Mustela
- Least weasel, M. nivalis
- Genus: Vormela
- Marbled polecat, V. peregusna
- Family: Phocidae (earless seals)
- Genus: Monachus
- Mediterranean monk seal, M. monachus possibly extirpated
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.
Species listed below also includes species being recorded in Levantine Sea.
- Suborder: Mysticeti
- Family: Balaenopteridae
- Genus: Balaenoptera
- Blue whale, Balaenoptera musculus <span style="color:red;">EN</span> (possible)
- Fin whale, Balaenoptera physalus <span style="color:red;">EN</span>
- Common minke whale, Balaenoptera acutorostrata LC
- Subfamily: Megapterinae
- Genus: Megaptera
- Humpback whale, M. novaeangliae
- Family: Balaenidae
- Genus: Eubalaena
- North Atlantic right whale, Eubalaena glacialis CR possibly present
- Suborder: Odontoceti
- Family: Physeteridae
- Genus: Physeter
- Sperm whale, Physeter macrocephalus <span style="color:#bb0000;">VU</span>
- Family: Ziphidae
- Genus: Ziphius
- Cuvier's beaked whale, Ziphius cavirostris LC
- Genus: Mesoplodon
- Gervais' beaked whale, Ziphius cavirostris <span style="color:#cccccc;">DD</span>
- Superfamily: Platanistoidea
- Family: Delphinidae (marine dolphins)
- Genus: Tursiops
- Common bottlenose dolphin, Tursiops truncatus LC
- Genus: Steno
- Rough-toothed dolphin, S. bredanensis , presence uncertain
- Genus: Stenella
- Striped dolphin, Stenella coeruleoalba <span style="color:#cccccc;">DD</span>
- Pantropical spotted dolphin, Stenella attenuata LR/cd (possible)
- Genus: Sousa
- Sousa chinensis <span style="color:#cccccc;">DD</span>
- Genus: Delphinus
- Short-beaked common dolphin, Delphinus delphis LC
- Genus: Grampus
- Risso's dolphin, Grampus griseus LC
- Genus: Orcinus
- Orca, Orcinus orca <span style="color:#cccccc;">DD</span>
- Genus: Pseudorca
- False killer whale, Pseudorca crassidens <span style="color:#cccccc;">DD</span>
- Genus: Globicephala
- Long-finned pilot whale, Globicephala melas <span style="color:#cccccc;">DD</span>
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: Pteropodidae (flying foxes, Old World fruit bats)
- Subfamily: Pteropodinae
- Genus: Rousettus
- Egyptian fruit bat, R. aegyptiacus
- Family: Vespertilionidae
- Subfamily: Myotinae
- Genus: Myotis
- Lesser mouse-eared bat, M. blythii
- Greater mouse-eared bat, M. myotis
- Subfamily: Vespertilioninae
- Genus: Eptesicus
- Botta's serotine, Eptesicus bottae LC
- Genus: Otonycteris
- Desert long-eared bat, Otonycteris hemprichii
- Genus: Pipistrellus
- Kuhl's pipistrelle, Pipistrellus kuhlii LC
- Genus: Plecotus
- Grey long-eared bat, Plecotus austriacus
- Subfamily: Miniopterinae
- Genus: Miniopterus
- Common bent-wing bat, M. schreibersii
- Family: Rhinopomatidae
- Genus: Rhinopoma
- Egyptian mouse-tailed bat, R. cystops
- Family: Rhinolophidae
- Subfamily: Rhinolophinae
- Genus: Rhinolophus
- Blasius's horseshoe bat, R. blasii
- Mediterranean horseshoe bat, R. euryale
- Greater horseshoe bat, R. ferrumequinum
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.
The hyraxes are 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.
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 20th 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: Hystricognathi
- Family: Hystricidae (Old World porcupines)
- Genus: Hystrix
- Indian crested porcupine, H. indica
- Suborder: Sciurognathi
- Family: Sciuridae (squirrels)
- Subfamily: Sciurinae
- Tribe: Sciurini
- Genus: Sciurus
- Caucasian squirrel, S. anomalus LC
- Subfamily: Xerinae
- Tribe: Marmotini
- Genus: Spermophilus
- Asia Minor ground squirrel, Spermophilus xanthoprymnus
- Family: Gliridae (dormice)
- Subfamily: Leithiinae
- Genus: Dryomys
- Forest dormouse, Dryomys nitedula
- Genus: Eliomys
- Asian garden dormouse, Eliomys melanurus LC
- Family: Dipodidae (jerboas)
- Subfamily: Allactaginae
- Genus: Allactaga
- Euphrates jerboa, Allactaga euphratica
- Family: Spalacidae
- Subfamily: Spalacinae
- Genus: Nannospalax
- Palestine mole rat, Nannospalax ehrenbergi
- Family: Calomyscidae
- Genus: Calomyscus
- Tsolov's mouse-like hamster, Calomyscus tsolovi
- Family: Cricetidae
- Subfamily: Cricetinae
- Genus: Mesocricetus
- Golden hamster, Mesocricetus auratus EN
- Turkish hamster, Mesocricetus brandti
- Subfamily: Arvicolinae
- Genus: Chionomys
- Snow vole, Chionomys nivalis
- Genus: Microtus
- Günther's vole, Microtus guentheri
- Persian vole, Microtus irani
- Social vole, Microtus socialis
- Family: Muridae (mice, rats, voles, gerbils, hamsters, etc.)
- Subfamily: Deomyinae
- Genus: Acomys
- Cairo spiny mouse, Acomys cahirinus LC
- Subfamily: Gerbillinae
- Genus: Gerbillus
- Wagner's gerbil, Gerbillus dasyurus
- Genus: Meriones
- Sundevall's jird, Meriones crassus LC
- Libyan jird, Meriones libycus LC
- Tristram's jird, Meriones tristrami
- Vinogradov's jird, Meriones vinogradovi
- Genus: Psammomys
- Sand rat, Psammomys obesus LC
- Genus: Tatera
- Indian gerbil, Tatera indica
- Subfamily: Murinae
- Genus: Apodemus
- Yellow-necked mouse, Apodemus flavicollis
- Genus: Mus
- Macedonian mouse, Mus macedonicus
- Genus: Nesokia
- Short-tailed bandicoot rat, Nesokia indica LC
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.
Locally extinct
The following species are locally extinct in the country:
See also
References
External links