List of mammals of Algeria
This list of the mammal species recorded in Algeria provides information about the status of the 120 mammal species occurring in Algeria. Three are critically endangered, two are endangered, ten are vulnerable, and three are near threatened.
The following tags are used to highlight each species' conservation status as assessed on the IUCN Red List:
Extinct | No reasonable doubt that the last individual has died. | |
Extinct in the wild | Known only to survive in captivity or as a naturalized populations well outside its previous range. | |
Critically endangered | The species is in imminent risk of extinction in the wild. | |
Endangered | The species is facing an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild. | |
Vulnerable | The species is facing a high risk of extinction in the wild. | |
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. | |
Least concern | There are no current identifiable risks to the species. | |
Data deficient | There is inadequate information to make an assessment of the risks to this species. |
Order: [Macroscelidea] (elephant shrews)
----Often called sengis, the elephant shrews or jumping shrews are native to southern Africa. Their common English name derives from their elongated flexible snout and their resemblance to the true shrews.
- Family: Macroscelididae
- *Genus: Elephantulus
- ** North African elephant shrew, Elephantulus rozeti
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.
- Family: Procaviidae
- *Genus: Heterohyrax
- ** Yellow-spotted rock hyrax, Heterohyrax brucei
- *Genus: Procavia
- ** Cape hyrax, Procavia capensis
Order: [Primate]s
The order Primates contains humans and their closest relatives: lemurs, lorisoids, tarsiers, monkeys, and apes.
- Suborder: Haplorhini
- *Infraorder: Simiiformes
- **Parvorder: Catarrhini
- ***Superfamily: Cercopithecoidea
- ****Family: Cercopithecidae
- *****Genus: Macaca
- ****** Barbary macaque, Macaca sylvanus
Order: [Rodent]ia (rodents)
Rodents make up the largest order of mammals, with over 40 percent 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.
- Suborder: Hystricomorpha
- *Family: Hystricidae
- **Genus: Hystrix
- *** Crested porcupine, H. cristata
- *Family: Ctenodactylidae
- **Genus: Ctenodactylus
- *** Common gundi, C. gundi
- *** Val's gundi, C. vali
- **Genus: Massoutiera
- *** Mzab gundi, M. mzabi
- Suborder: Sciurognathi
- *Family: Sciuridae
- **Subfamily: Xerinae
- ***Genus: Atlantoxerus
- **** Barbary ground squirrel, A. getulus
- *Family: Gliridae
- **Subfamily: Leithiinae
- ***Genus: Eliomys
- **** Asian garden dormouse, E. melanurus
- **** Maghreb garden dormouse, E. munbyanus
- *Family: Dipodidae
- **Subfamily: Dipodinae
- ***Genus: Jaculus
- **** Lesser Egyptian jerboa, J. jaculus
- **** Greater Egyptian jerboa, J. orientalis
- *Family: Muridae
- **Subfamily: Deomyinae
- ***Genus: Acomys
- **** Seurat's spiny mouse, A. seurati
- **Subfamily: Gerbillinae
- ***Genus: Dipodillus
- **** North African gerbil, D. campestris
- ***Genus: Gerbillus
- **** Lesser Egyptian gerbil, G. gerbillus]
- **** Pygmy gerbil, G. henleyi
- **** Balochistan gerbil, G. nanus
- **** Lesser short-tailed gerbil, G. simoni
- **** Tarabul's gerbil, G. tarabuli
- ***Genus: Meriones
- **** Sundevall's jird, M. crassus
- **** Libyan jird, M. libycus
- **** Shaw's jird, M. shawi
- ***Genus: Pachyuromys
- **** Fat-tailed gerbil, P. duprasi
- ***Genus: Psammomys
- **** Fat sand rat, P. obesus
- **** Thin sand rat, P. vexillaris
- **Subfamily: Murinae
- ***Genus: Apodemus
- **** Wood mouse, A. sylvaticus
- ***Genus: Lemniscomys
- **** Barbary striped grass mouse, L. barbarus
- ***Genus: Mus
- **** Algerian mouse, M. spretus
Order: [Lagomorpha] (lagomorphs)
The lagomorphs comprise two families, Leporidae, and Ochotonidae. 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.
- Family: Leporidae
- *Genus: Oryctolagus
- ** European rabbit, O. cuniculus
- *Genus: Lepus
- ** Cape hare, L. capensis
- ** African savanna hare, L. victoriae
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
- *Subfamily: Erinaceinae
- **Genus: Atelerix
- *** North African hedgehog, Atelerix algirus
- **Genus: Hemiechinus
- *** Desert hedgehog, Hemiechinus aethiopicus
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.
- Family: Soricidae
- *Subfamily: Crocidurinae
- **Genus: Crocidura
- *** Mauritanian shrew, Crocidura lusitania
- *** Greater white-toothed shrew, Crocidura russula
- *** Lesser white-toothed shrew, Crocidura suaveolens
- *** Whitaker's shrew, Crocidura whitakeri
- **Genus: Suncus
- *** Etruscan shrew, Suncus etruscus
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
- *** Long-fingered bat, M. capaccinii
- *** Geoffroy's bat, M. emarginatus
- *** Felten's myotis, M. punicus
- *Subfamily: Vespertilioninae
- **Genus: Eptesicus
- *** Serotine bat, E. serotinus
- **Genus: Hypsugo
- ***
- **Genus: Nyctalus
- *** Greater noctule bat, N. lasiopterus
- *** Lesser noctule, N. leisleri
- **Genus: Otonycteris
- *** Desert long-eared bat, Otonycteris hemprichii
- **Genus: Pipistrellus
- *** Egyptian pipistrelle, Pipistrellus deserti
- *** Kuhl's pipistrelle, Pipistrellus kuhlii
- *** Common pipistrelle, Pipistrellus pipistrellus
- *** Rüppell's pipistrelle, Pipistrellus rueppelli
- *Subfamily: Miniopterinae
- **Genus: Miniopterus
- *** Common bent-wing bat, Miniopterus schreibersii
- Family: Rhinopomatidae
- *Genus: Rhinopoma
- ** Lesser mouse-tailed bat, Rhinopoma hardwickei
- ** Greater mouse-tailed bat, Rhinopoma microphyllum
- Family: Molossidae
- *Genus: Tadarida
- ** Egyptian free-tailed bat, Tadarida aegyptiaca
- ** European free-tailed bat, Tadarida teniotis
- Family: Emballonuridae
- *Genus: Taphozous
- ** Naked-rumped tomb bat, Taphozous nudiventris
- Family: Nycteridae
- *Genus: Nycteris
- ** Egyptian slit-faced bat, Nycteris thebaica
- Family: Rhinolophidae
- *Subfamily: Rhinolophinae
- **Genus: Rhinolophus
- *** Blasius's horseshoe bat, Rhinolophus blasii
- *** Geoffroy's horseshoe bat, Rhinolophus clivosus
- *** Mediterranean horseshoe bat, Rhinolophus euryale
- *** Greater horseshoe bat, Rhinolophus ferrumequinum
- *** Lesser horseshoe bat, Rhinolophus hipposideros
- *** Mehely's horseshoe bat, Rhinolophus mehelyi
- *Subfamily: Hipposiderinae
- **Genus: Hipposideros
- *** Sundevall's roundleaf bat, H. caffer
- **Genus: Asellia
- ***Trident leaf-nosed bat, A. tridens
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 except for gray whale.
- Suborder: Mysticeti
- *Family: Balaenidae
- Subfamily: Megapterinae
- *Genus: Megaptera
- ** Humpback whale, Megaptera novaeangliae
- *Family: Balaenopteridae
- **Genus: Balaenoptera
- *** Common minke whale, Balaenoptera acutorostrata
- *** Fin whale, Balaenoptera physalus
- *** Blue whale, Balaenoptera m. musculus
- Suborder: Odontoceti
- *Superfamily: Platanistoidea
- **Family: Delphinidae
- ***Genus: Steno
- **** Rough-toothed dolphin, Steno bredanensis
- ***Genus: Delphinus
- **** Short-beaked common dolphin, Delphinus delphis
- ***Genus: Orcinus
- **** Orca, O. orca
- ***Genus: Pseudorca
- **** False killer whale, Pseudorca crassidens
- ***Genus: Globicephala
- **** Long-finned pilot whale, Globicephala melas
- ***Genus: Grampus
- **** Risso's dolphin, Grampus griseus
- ***Genus: Stenella
- **** Striped dolphin, Stenella coeruleoalba
- ***Genus Tursiops
- **** Common bottlenose dolphin, Tursiops truncatus
- **Family Physeteridae
- ***Genus: Physeter
- **** Sperm whale, Physeter macrocephalus
- *Superfamily Ziphioidea
- **Family Ziphidae
- ***Genus: Ziphius
- ****Cuvier's beaked whale, Ziphius cavirostris
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
- **Subfamily: Felinae
- ***Genus: Acinonyx
- **** Cheetah, Acinonyx jubatus, Northwest African cheetah, A. j. hecki
- ***Genus: Caracal
- **** Caracal, C. caracal
- ***Genus: Felis
- **** Sand cat, F. margarita
- **** African wildcat, Felis lybica
- ***Genus: Leptailurus
- **** Serval, Leptailurus serval
- **Subfamily: Pantherinae
- ***Genus: Panthera
- **** Leopard, P. pardus
- *Family: Viverridae
- **Subfamily: Viverrinae
- ***Genus: Genetta
- **** Common genet, G. genetta
- *Family: Herpestidae
- **Genus: Herpestes
- *** Egyptian mongoose, H. ichneumon
- *Family: Hyaenidae
- **Genus: Hyaena
- *** Striped hyena, Hyaena hyaena
- Suborder: Caniformia
- *Family: Canidae
- **Genus: Vulpes
- *** Rüppell's fox, V. rueppelli
- *** Red fox, V. vulpes
- *** Fennec fox, V. zerda
- **Genus: Canis
- ***African golden wolf, C. lupaster
- **Genus: Lycaon
- *** African wild dog, Lycaon pictus
- *Family: Mustelidae
- **Genus: Ictonyx
- *** Saharan striped polecat, I. libyca
- **Genus: Mellivora
- *** Honey badger, M. capensis
- **Genus: Lutra
- *** European otter, L. lutra
- *Family: Phocidae
- **Genus: Monachus
- *** Mediterranean monk seal, M. monachus
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: Suidae
- *Subfamily: Suinae
- **Genus: Sus
- *** Wild boar, S. scrofa
- Family: Cervidae
- *Subfamily: Cervinae
- **Genus: Cervus
- *** Red deer, Cervus elaphus
- **Genus: Dama
- *** Fallow deer, Dama dama, introduced
- Family: Bovidae
- *Subfamily: Antilopinae
- **Genus: Gazella
- *** Rhim gazelle, G. leptoceros
- *** Dorcas gazelle, G. dorcas
- *** Cuvier's gazelle, G. cuvieri
- *** Dama gazelle, G. dama
- *** Red gazelle, G. rufina
- *Subfamily: Caprinae
- **Genus: Ammotragus
- *** Barbary sheep, A. lervia
- *Subfamily: Hippotraginae
- **Genus: Addax
- *** Addax, A. nasomaculatus
- **Genus: Oryx
- *** Scimitar oryx, O. dammah
- Family: Camelidae
- *Genus: Camelus
- **Dromedary, C. dromedarius domesticated