List of mammals of Tunisia
This is a list of the mammal species recorded in Tunisia. Of the mammal species in Tunisia, three are critically endangered, three are endangered, nine are vulnerable, and two are near threatened. One of the species listed for Tunisia can no longer be found in the wild.
The following tags are used to highlight each species' conservation status as assessed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature:
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. |
Subclass: [Theria]
Infraclass: [Eutheria]
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: [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
- *****Subfamily: Cercopithecinae
- ******Genus: Macaca
- ******* Barbary macaque, Macaca sylvanus
Order: [Rodent]ia (rodents-rats, mice etc)
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
- **Genus: Hystrix
- ***Crested porcupine, Hystrix cristata
- Suborder: Sciurognathi
- *Family: Gliridae
- **Subfamily: Leithiinae
- ***Genus: Eliomys
- **** Asian garden dormouse, Eliomys melanurus
- *Family: Dipodidae
- **Subfamily: Dipodinae
- ***Genus: Jaculus
- **** Lesser Egyptian jerboa, Jaculus jaculus
- **** Greater Egyptian jerboa, Jaculus orientalis
- *Family: Muridae
- **Subfamily: Gerbillinae
- ***Genus: Dipodillus
- **** North African gerbil, Dipodillus campestris
- ***Genus: Gerbillus
- **** Anderson's gerbil, Gerbillus andersoni
- **** Lesser Egyptian gerbil, Gerbillus gerbillus
- **** Pygmy gerbil, Gerbillus henleyi
- **** James's gerbil, Gerbillus jamesi
- **** Lataste's gerbil, Gerbillus latastei
- **** Balochistan gerbil, Gerbillus nanus
- **** Lesser short-tailed gerbil, Gerbillus simoni
- **** Tarabul's Gerbil, Gerbillus tarabuli
- ***Genus: Meriones
- **** Libyan jird, Meriones libycus
- **** Shaw's jird, Meriones shawi
- ***Genus: Pachyuromys
- **** Fat-tailed gerbil, Pachyuromys duprasi
- ***Genus: Psammomys
- **** Fat sand rat, Psammomys obesus
- **** Thin sand rat, Psammomys vexillaris
- **Subfamily: Murinae
- ***Genus: Apodemus
- **** Wood mouse, Apodemus sylvaticus
- ***Genus: Lemniscomys
- **** Barbary striped grass mouse, Lemniscomys barbarus
- ***Genus: Mus
- **** Algerian mouse, Mus spretus
- *Family: Ctenodactylidae
- **Genus: Ctenodactylus
- *** Common gundi, Ctenodactylus gundi
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: Lepus
- ** Cape hare, Lepus capensis
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
- *** 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, Myotis capaccinii
- **** Geoffroy's bat, Myotis emarginatus
- **** Felten's myotis, Myotis punicus
- *Subfamily: Vespertilioninae
- **Genus: Eptesicus
- *** Serotine bat, Eptesicus serotinus
- **Genus: Hypsugo
- *** Savi's pipistrelle, Hypsugo savii
- **Genus: Otonycteris
- *** Desert long-eared bat, Otonycteris hemprichii
- **Genus: Pipistrellus
- *** 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
- Family: Rhinolophidae
- *Subfamily: Rhinolophinae
- **Genus: Rhinolophus
- *** Blasius's horseshoe bat, Rhinolophus blasii
- *** Mediterranean horseshoe bat, Rhinolophus euryale
- *** Greater horseshoe bat, Rhinolophus ferrumequinum
- *** Lesser horseshoe bat, Rhinolophus hipposideros
- *** Mehely's horseshoe bat, Rhinolophus mehelyi
- *Subfamily: Hipposiderinae
- **Genus: Asellia
- *** Trident leaf-nosed bat, Asellia 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.
- Suborder: Mysticeti
- *Family: Balaenopteridae
- **Genus: Balaenoptera
- *** Common minke whale, Balaenoptera acutorostrata
- *** Fin whale, Balaenoptera physalus
- **Subfamily: Megapterinae
- ***Genus: Megaptera
- **** Humpback whale, Megaptera novaeangliae
- *Family: Balaenidae
- **Genus: Eubalaena
- *** North Atlantic right whale, Eubalaena glacialis
- Suborder: Odontoceti
- *Superfamily: Platanistoidea
- **Family: Delphinidae
- ***Genus: Steno
- **** Rough-toothed dolphin, Steno bredanensis
- ***Genus: Delphinus
- **** Short-beaked common dolphin, Delphinus delphis
- ***Genus: Orcinus
- **** Orca, Orcinus 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 catodon
- *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: Caracal
- **** Caracal, Caracal caracal
- ***Genus: Felis
- **** African wildcat, Felis lybica
- ***Genus: Leptailurus
- **** Serval, Leptailurus serval
- **Subfamily: Pantherinae
- *Family: Viverridae
- **Subfamily: Viverrinae
- ***Genus: Genetta
- **** Common genet, Genetta genetta
- *Family: Herpestidae
- **Genus: Herpestes
- *** Egyptian mongoose, Herpestes ichneumon
- *Family: Hyaenidae
- **Genus: Hyaena
- *** Striped hyena, Hyaena hyaena
- Suborder: Caniformia
- *Family: Canidae
- **Genus: Vulpes
- *** Rüppell's fox, Vulpes rueppelli
- *** Red fox, Vulpes vulpes
- *** Fennec, Vulpes zerda
- **Genus: Canis
- *** African golden wolf, Canis anthus
- *Family: Mustelidae
- **Genus: Ictonyx
- *** Saharan striped polecat, Ictonyx libyca
- **Genus: Lutra
- *** European otter, Lutra lutra
- *Family: Phocidae
- **Genus: Monachus
- *** Mediterranean monk seal, Monachus 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
- *** Boar, Sus scrofa
- Family: Cervidae
- *Subfamily: Cervinae
- **Genus: Cervus
- *** Red deer, Cervus elaphus
- Family: Bovidae
- *Subfamily: Alcelaphinae
- **Genus: Alcelaphus
- *** Hartebeest, Alcelaphus buselaphus
- *Subfamily: Antilopinae
- **Genus: Gazella
- *** Cuvier's gazelle, Gazella cuvieri
- *** Dama gazelle, Gazella dama
- *** Dorcas gazelle, Gazella dorcas
- *** Rhim gazelle, Gazella leptoceros
- *Subfamily: Caprinae
- **Genus: Ammotragus
- *** Barbary sheep, Ammotragus lervia
- *Subfamily: Hippotraginae
- **Genus: Addax
- *** Addax, Addax nasomaculatus
- **Genus: Oryx
- *** Scimitar oryx, Oryx dammah