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:

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 (elephant shrews)
 * Genus: Petrosaltator
 * North African elephant shrew, P. 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 (hyraxes)
 * Genus: Procavia
 * Cape hyrax, P. capensis

Order: Primates
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 (Old World monkeys)
 * Genus: Macaca
 * Barbary macaque, M. sylvanus

Order: Rodentia (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 (100 lb).
 * Suborder: Hystricomorpha
 * Family: Hystricidae (Old World porcupines)
 * Genus: Hystrix
 * Crested porcupine, Hystrix cristata
 * Family: Ctenodactylidae
 * Genus: Ctenodactylus
 * Common gundi, Ctenodactylus gundi
 * Val's gundi, Ctenodactylus vali
 * Genus: Massoutiera
 * Mzab gundi, Massoutiera mzabi
 * Suborder: Sciurognathi
 * Family: Sciuridae (squirrels)
 * Subfamily: Xerinae
 * Genus: Atlantoxerus
 * Barbary ground squirrel, Atlantoxerus getulus
 * Family: Gliridae (dormice)
 * Subfamily: Leithiinae
 * Genus: Eliomys
 * Asian garden dormouse, Eliomys melanurus
 * Maghreb garden dormouse, Eliomys munbyanus
 * Family: Dipodidae (jerboas)
 * Subfamily: Dipodinae
 * Genus: Jaculus
 * Lesser Egyptian jerboa, Jaculus jaculus
 * Greater Egyptian jerboa, Jaculus orientalis
 * Family: Muridae (mice, rats, voles, gerbils, hamsters, etc.)
 * Subfamily: Deomyinae
 * Genus: Acomys
 * Seurat's spiny mouse, Acomys seurati
 * Subfamily: Gerbillinae
 * Genus: Dipodillus
 * North African gerbil, Dipodillus campestris
 * Genus: Gerbillus
 * Lesser Egyptian gerbil, Gerbillus gerbillus
 * Pygmy gerbil, Gerbillus henleyi
 * Balochistan gerbil, Gerbillus nanus
 * Lesser short-tailed gerbil, Gerbillus simoni
 * Tarabul's gerbil, Gerbillus tarabuli
 * Genus: Meriones
 * Sundevall's jird, Meriones crassus
 * 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

Order: Lagomorpha (lagomorphs)
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.


 * Family: Leporidae (rabbits, hares)
 * Genus: Oryctolagus
 * European rabbit, Oyctolagus cuniculus
 * Genus: Lepus
 * Cape hare, Lepus capensis
 * African savanna hare, Lepus 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 (hedgehogs)
 * 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 (shrews)
 * Subfamily: Crocidurinae
 * Genus: Crocidura
 * Mauritanian shrew, Crocidura lusitania
 * Greater white-toothed shrew, Crocidura russula
 * 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: Nyctalus
 * Greater noctule bat, Nyctalus lasiopterus
 * Lesser noctule, Nyctalus 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, M. schreibersii
 * Family: Rhinopomatidae
 * Genus: Rhinopoma
 * Egyptian mouse-tailed bat, R. cystops
 * 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: Rhinolophidae
 * Subfamily: Rhinolophinae
 * Genus: Asellia
 * Trident leaf-nosed bat, A. tridens
 * Genus: Rhinolophus
 * Blasius's horseshoe bat, R. 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

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: Balaenidae (right whales)
 * Genus: Eubalaena
 * North Atlantic right whale, E. glacialis vagrant
 * Family: Balaenopteridae (rorqual)
 * Subfamily: Megapterinae
 * Genus: Megaptera
 * Humpback whale, M. novaeangliae
 * Genus: Balaenoptera
 * Common minke whale, Balaenoptera acutorostrata
 * Fin whale, Balaenoptera physalus
 * Suborder: Odontoceti
 * Superfamily: Platanistoidea
 * Family: Delphinidae (marine dolphins)
 * Genus: Steno
 * Rough-toothed dolphin, S. bredanensis
 * Genus: Delphinus
 * Short-beaked common dolphin, D. 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 (sperm whales)
 * Genus: Physeter
 * Sperm whale, Physeter macrocephalus
 * Superfamily Ziphioidea (beaked whales)
 * Family Ziphidae
 * Genus: Ziphius
 * Cuvier's beaked whale, Ziphius cavirostris

Order: Carnivora (carnivorans)
There are over 260 species of carnivorans, the majority of which eat meat. They have a characteristic skull shape and dentition.
 * Suborder: Feliformia
 * Family: Felidae (cats)
 * Subfamily: Felinae
 * Genus: Acinonyx
 * Cheetah, A. jubatus
 * Northwest African cheetah, A. j. hecki
 * Genus: Caracal
 * Caracal, C. caracal
 * Genus: Felis
 * African wildcat, F. lybica
 * Sand cat, F. margarita
 * Genus: Leptailurus
 * Serval, L. serval possibly extirpated
 * Subfamily: Pantherinae
 * Genus: Panthera
 * Leopard, P. pardus
 * African leopard, P. p. pardus
 * Family: Viverridae
 * Subfamily: Viverrinae
 * Genus: Genetta
 * Common genet, G. genetta
 * Family: Herpestidae (mongooses)
 * Genus: Herpestes
 * Egyptian mongoose, H. ichneumon
 * Family: Hyaenidae (hyaenas)
 * Genus: Crocuta
 * Spotted hyena, C. crocuta possibly extirpated
 * Genus: Hyaena
 * Striped hyena, H. hyaena
 * Suborder: Caniformia
 * Family: Canidae (dogs, foxes)
 * Genus: Canis
 * African golden wolf, C. lupaster
 * Genus: Lycaon
 * African wild dog, L. pictus presence uncertain
 * Genus: Vulpes
 * Rüppell's fox, V. rueppelli
 * Red fox, V. vulpes
 * Fennec fox, V. zerda
 * Family: Mustelidae (mustelids)
 * Genus: Ictonyx
 * Saharan striped polecat, I. libyca
 * Genus: Lutra
 * European otter, L. lutra
 * Genus: Mellivora
 * Honey badger, M. capensis
 * Genus: Mustela
 * Least weasel, M. nivalis
 * Family: Phocidae (earless seals)
 * Genus: Monachus
 * Mediterranean monk seal, M. monachus presence uncertain

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 (pigs)
 * Subfamily: Suinae
 * Genus: Sus
 * Wild boar, S. scrofa
 * Family: Cervidae (deer)
 * Subfamily: Cervinae
 * Genus: Cervus
 * Red deer, C. elaphus
 * Barbary stag, C. e. barbarus
 * Genus: Dama
 * Fallow deer, D. dama introduced
 * Family: Bovidae (cattle, antelope, sheep, goats)
 * Subfamily: Antilopinae
 * Genus: Gazella
 * Cuvier's gazelle, G. cuvieri
 * Dorcas gazelle, G. dorcas
 * Rhim gazelle, G. leptoceros
 * Genus: Nanger
 * Dama gazelle, N. dama possibly extirpated
 * Subfamily: Caprinae
 * Genus: Ammotragus
 * Barbary sheep, A. lervia

Extinct
The following species are locally extinct in the country:
 * Addax, Addax nasomaculatus
 * Hartebeest, Alcelaphus buselaphus
 * Aurochs, Bos primigenius
 * North African elephant, Loxodonta africana pharaohensis
 * Red gazelle, Eudorcas rufina
 * Hippopotamus, Hippopotamus amphibius
 * Scimitar oryx, Oryx dammah
 * Lion, Panthera leo
 * Brown bear, Ursus arctos