All three land mammal species once endemic to the Balearic Islands, Spain (the Majorcan giant dormouse, the Balearic shrew and the goat-like ruminant Myotragus balearicus) are currently extinct,[1] while those presently found on the archipelago have been introduced voluntarily or accidentally by humans in colonization waves beginning in the Neolithic.[2][3]
The following tags are used to highlight each species' conservation status as assessed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.
EX | Extinct | No reasonable doubt that the last individual has died. |
EW | Extinct in the wild | Known only to survive in captivity or as a naturalised population well outside its previous range. |
CR | Critically endangered | The species is in imminent risk of extinction in the wild. |
EN | Endangered | The species is facing an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild. |
VU | Vulnerable | The species is facing a high risk of extinction in the wild. |
NT | Near threatened | The species does not meet any of the criteria that would categorise it as risking extinction but it is likely to in the future. |
LC | Least concern | There are no current identifiable risks to the species. |
DD | Data deficient | There is inadequate information to make an assessment of the risks to this species. |
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 45 kg (99 lb).
- Suborder: Sciuromorpha
- Family: Gliridae (dormice)
- Subfamily: Leithiinae
- Genus: Eliomys
- Garden dormouse, E. quercinus LC introduced
- Genus: Hypnomys
- Mallorcan giant dormouse, H. morpheus EX
- Genus: Eliomys
- Subfamily: Leithiinae
- Family: Gliridae (dormice)
- Suborder: Myomorpha
- Family: Muridae (mice and rats)
- Subfamily: Murinae
- Genus: Apodemus
- Wood mouse, A. sylvaticus LC introduced
- Genus: Mus
- House mouse, M. musculus LC introduced
- Algerian mouse, M. spretus LC introduced
- Genus: Rattus
- Genus: Apodemus
- Subfamily: Murinae
- Family: Muridae (mice and rats)
Order: Lagomorpha (lagomorphs)
editThe 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.
- Family: Leporidae (rabbits, hares)
- Genus: Lepus
- Granada hare, L. granatensis LC introduced
- Genus: Oryctolagus
- European rabbit, O. cuniculus EN introduced
- Genus: Lepus
Order: Erinaceomorpha (hedgehogs and gymnures)
editThe 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 (hedgehogs)
- Subfamily: Erinaceinae
- Genus: Atelerix
- North African hedgehog, A. algirus LC introduced
- Genus: Atelerix
- Subfamily: Erinaceinae
Order: Soricomorpha (shrews, moles, and solenodons)
editThe "shrew-forms" are insectivorous mammals. The shrews and solenodons closely resemble mice while the moles are stout bodied burrowers.
- Family: Soricidae (shrews)
- Subfamily: Crocidurinae
- Genus: Crocidura
- North African white-toothed shrew, C. ichnusae DD introduced
- Lesser white-toothed shrew, C. suaveolens LC introduced
- Genus: Crocidura
- Subfamily: Soricinae
- Genus: Nesiotites
- Balearic shrew, N. hidalgo EX
- Genus: Nesiotites
- Subfamily: Crocidurinae
Order: Chiroptera (bats)
editThe 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: Miniopteridae (long-winged bats)
- Subfamily: Miniopterinae
- Genus: Miniopterus
- Common bent-wing bat, M. schreibersi NT
- Genus: Miniopterus
- Subfamily: Miniopterinae
- Family: Molossidae (free-tailed bats)
- Subfamily: Molossinae
- Genus: Tadarida
- European free-tailed bat, T. teniotis LC
- Genus: Tadarida
- Subfamily: Molossinae
- Family: Rhinolophidae (horseshoe bats)
- Subfamily: Rhinolophinae
- Genus: Rhinolophus
- Greater horseshoe bat, R. ferrumequinum NT
- Lesser horseshoe bat, R. hipposideros NT
- Mehely's horseshoe bat, R. mehelyi VU
- Genus: Rhinolophus
- Subfamily: Rhinolophinae
- Family: Vespertilionidae (mouse-eared bats)
- Subfamily: Myotinae
- Genus: Myotis
- Lesser mouse-eared bat, M. blythii NT
- Long-fingered bat, M. capaccinii VU
- Geoffroy's bat, M. emarginatus LC
- Greater mouse-eared bat, M. myotis LC
- Natterer's bat, M. nattereri LC
- Genus: Myotis
- Subfamily: Verpertilioninae
- Genus: Barbastella
- Barbastelle, B. barbastellus NT
- Genus: Eptesicus
- Serotine bat, E. serotinus LC
- Genus: Hypsugo
- Savi's pipistrelle, H. savii LC
- Genus: Plecotus
- Grey long-eared bat, P. austriacus LC
- Genus: Pipistrellus
- Kuhl's pipistrelle, P. kuhlii LC
- Common pipistrelle, P. pipistrellus LC
- Soprano pipistrelle, P. pygmaeus LC
- Genus: Barbastella
- Subfamily: Myotinae
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 (rorquals)
- Genus: Balaenoptera
- Fin whale, B. physalus VU
- Genus: Balaenoptera
- Family: Balaenopteridae (rorquals)
- Suborder: Odontoceti
- Family: Delphinidae (dolphins and pilot whales)
- Genus: Delphinus
- Short-beaked common dolphin, D. delphis EN
- Genus: Globicephala
- Long-finned pilot whale, G. melas DD
- Genus: Grampus
- Risso's dolphin, G. griseus DD
- Genus: Orcinus
- Orca, O. orca DD
- Genus: Pseudorca
- False killer whale, P. crassidens NA
- Genus: Stenella
- Striped dolphin, S. coeruleoalba VU
- Genus: Tursiops
- Common bottlenose dolphin, T. truncatus VU
- Genus: Delphinus
- Family: Physeteridae (sperm whales)
- Genus: Physeter
- Sperm whale, P. macrocephalus EN
- Genus: Physeter
- Family: Ziphiidae (beaked whales)
- Genus: Ziphius
- Cuvier's beaked whale, Z. cavirostris VU
- Genus: Ziphius
- Family: Delphinidae (dolphins and pilot whales)
There are over 260 species of carnivorans, the majority of which feed primarily on meat. They have a characteristic skull shape and dentition.
- Family: Viverridae (civets and genets)
- Genus: Genetta
- Common genet, G. genetta LC introduced
- Genus: Genetta
- Family: Viverridae (civets and genets)
- Suborder: Caniformia
- Family: Mustelidae (weasels)
- Genus: Martes
- European pine marten, M. martes LC introduced
- Genus: Mustela
- Least weasel, M. nivalis LC introduced
- Genus: Martes
- Family: Mustelidae (weasels)
Order: Artiodactyla (even-toed ungulates)
editThe 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: Bovidae (cattle, antelope, sheep, goats)
- Subfamily: Caprinae
- Genus: Capra
- Balearean boc, C. capra var. majorcan introduced
- Genus: Myotragus
- Balearic cave goat, M. balearicus EX
- Genus: Capra
- Subfamily: Caprinae
Locally extinct
editThe following species are locally extinct in the area but continue to exist elsewhere:
- Mediterranean monk seal, Monachus monachus[4]
Notes
edit- ^ Bover, Pere; Alcover, Josep A.; Michaux, Jacques J.; Hautier, Lionel; Hutterer, Rainer (2010). Goswami, Anjali. ed. "Body Shape and Life Style of the Extinct Balearic Dormouse Hypnomys (Rodentia, Gliridae): New Evidence from the Study of Associated Skeletons". PLoS ONE 5 (12): e15817. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0015817. PMC 3013122. PMID 21209820.
- ^ Alcover, Josep Antoni (1980) "Note on the origin of the present mammalian fauna from the Balearic and Pityusic Islands". Misc. Zool., 6: 141-149
- ^ The taxonomy and naming of the individual species is based on those used in existing Wikipedia articles as of 9 January 2013 and supplemented by the common names and taxonomy from the IUCN where no Wikipedia article was available.
- ^ Palomo, L. J., Gisbert, J., & Blanco, J. C. (Eds.). (2007). Atlas y libro rojo de los mamíferos terrestres de España. Madrid: Organismo Autónomo de Parques Nacionales.
References
edit- "Atlas y Libro Rojo de los mamíferos terrestres de España". Gobierno de España - Ministerio de Agricultura, Alimentación y Medio Ambiente. 2012. Retrieved 2 Jan 2013.
- Aulagnier, S. et al. (2008) Guide des mammifères d'Europe, d'Afrique du Nord et de Moyen-Orient. Delachaux et Niestlé, Paris
- Purroy, F.J. and Varela, J.M. (2003) Guía de los Mamíferos de España. Península, Baleares y Canarias. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona.