List of mammals of Belarus

There are forty-eight mammal species in Belarus, of which two are endangered, four are vulnerable, and three are near threatened. One of the species listed for Belarus 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:

Some species were assessed using an earlier set of criteria. Species assessed using this system have the following instead of near threatened and least concern categories:

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 45 kg (100 lb).
 * Suborder: Sciurognathi
 * Family: Castoridae (beavers)
 * Genus: Castor
 * Eurasian beaver, C. fiber
 * Family: Sciuridae (squirrels)
 * Subfamily: Sciurinae
 * Tribe: Pteromyini
 * Genus: Pteromys
 * Siberian flying squirrel, P. volans possibly extirpated
 * Family: Gliridae (dormice)
 * Subfamily: Leithiinae
 * Genus: Dryomys
 * Forest dormouse, D. nitedula
 * Genus: Muscardinus
 * Hazel dormouse, M. avellanarius
 * Subfamily: Glirinae
 * Genus: Glis
 * European edible dormouse, G. glis
 * Family: Cricetidae
 * Subfamily: Arvicolinae
 * Genus: Arvicola
 * European water vole, A. amphibius
 * Genus: Clethrionomys
 * Bank vole, C. glareolus
 * Genus: Microtus
 * Field vole, M. agrestis
 * Common vole, M. arvalis
 * Tundra vole, M. oeconomus LC
 * Family: Muridae (mice, rats, voles, gerbils, hamsters, etc.)
 * Subfamily: Murinae
 * Genus: Apodemus
 * Striped field mouse, A. agrarius
 * Yellow-necked mouse, A. flavicollis
 * Wood mouse, A. sylvaticus LC
 * Ural field mouse, A. uralensis
 * Genus: Micromys
 * Eurasian harvest mouse, M. minutus

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 twentieth 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
 * European hare, L. europaeus
 * Mountain hare, L. timidus

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: Erinaceus
 * Southern white-breasted hedgehog, E. concolor
 * Northern White-breasted Hedgehog, E. roumanicus

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
 * Lesser white-toothed shrew, C. suaveolens
 * Subfamily: Soricinae
 * Tribe: Nectogalini
 * Genus: Neomys
 * Eurasian water shrew, Neomys fodiens
 * Tribe: Soricini
 * Genus: Sorex
 * Laxmann's shrew, Sorex caecutiens
 * Eurasian pygmy shrew, Sorex minutus
 * Family: Talpidae (moles)
 * Subfamily: Talpinae
 * Tribe: Desmanini
 * Genus: Desmana
 * Russian desman, D. moschata extirpated

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
 * Bechstein's bat, M. bechsteini
 * Pond bat, M. dasycneme
 * Greater mouse-eared bat, M. myotis
 * Natterer's bat, Myotis nattereri
 * Subfamily: Vespertilioninae
 * Genus: Barbastella
 * Western barbastelle, B. barbastellus
 * Genus: Nyctalus
 * Greater noctule bat, N. lasiopterus
 * Lesser noctule, N. leisleri

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: Felis
 * European wildcat, F. silvestris
 * Genus: Lynx
 * Eurasian lynx, L. lynx
 * Suborder: Caniformia
 * Family: Canidae (dogs, foxes)
 * Genus: Vulpes
 * Red fox, V. vulpes
 * Genus: Canis
 * Gray wolf, C. lupus
 * Eurasian wolf, C. l. lupus
 * Family: Ursidae (bears)
 * Genus: Ursus
 * Brown bear, U. arctos
 * Eurasian brown bear, U. a. arctos
 * Family: Mustelidae (mustelids)
 * Genus: Lutra
 * Eurasian otter, L. lutra
 * Genus: Martes
 * Beech marten, M. foina
 * Genus: Meles
 * European badger, M. meles
 * Genus: Mustela
 * Stoat, M. erminea
 * Steppe polecat, M. eversmannii
 * European mink, M. lutreola extirpated
 * Least weasel, M. nivalis
 * European polecat, M. putorius
 * Genus: Neogale
 * American mink, N. vison introduced

Order: Perissodactyla (odd-toed ungulates)
The odd-toed ungulates are browsing and grazing mammals. They are usually large to very large, and have relatively simple stomachs and a large middle toe.


 * Family: Equidae (horses etc.)
 * Genus: Equus
 * Wild horse, E. ferus reintroduced
 * Przewalski's horse, E. f. przewalskii reintroduced

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: Cervidae
 * Subfamily: Capreolinae
 * Genus: Alces
 * Moose, A. alces
 * Genus: Capreolus
 * Roe deer, C. capreolus
 * Subfamily: Cervinae
 * Genus: Cervus
 * Red deer, C. elaphus
 * Genus: Dama
 * European fallow deer, D. dama LC introduced
 * Family: Bovidae
 * Genus: Bison
 * European bison, B. bonasus reintroduced
 * Genus: Bos
 * Aurochs, B. primigenius
 * Family: Suidae
 * Genus: Sus
 * Wild boar, S. scrofa