List of mammals of Ceuta, Melilla and the Plazas de Soberanía

Ceuta, Melilla and the Plazas de Soberanía are territories under Spanish sovereignty in or off the coast of Northern Africa. Mammals recorded in these territories and their conservation status are listed below. The taxonomy and naming of the individual species is based on those used in existing Wikipedia articles as of 21 May 2007 and supplemented by the common names and taxonomy from the IUCN, Smithsonian Institution, or University of Michigan where no Wikipedia article was available.

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: Macroscelidea (elephant shrews)
Elephant shrews are small insectivorous mammals native to Africa and members of the superorder Afrotheria. Their name derives from their elongated noses resembling the trunks of elephants, to whom they are distantly related.


 * Family: Macroscelididae
 * Genus: Elephantulus
 * North African elephant shrew, E. rozeti LC

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.


 * Suborder: Hystricomorpha
 * Infraorder: Hystricognathi
 * Family: Hystricidae (Old World porcupines)
 * Subfamily: Hystricinae
 * Genus: Hystrix
 * Crested porcupine, H. cristata LC
 * Suborder: Sciurognathi
 * Family: Gliridae (dormice)
 * Subfamily: Leithiinae
 * Genus: Eliomys
 * Maghreb garden dormouse, Eliomys munbyanus LC
 * Suborder: Myomorpha
 * Family: Cricetidae (hamsters, voles, lemmings)
 * Family: Muridae (mice and rats)
 * Subfamily: Gerbillinae
 * Genus: Dipodillus
 * North African gerbil, Dipodillus campestris LC
 * Subfamily: Murinae
 * Genus: Apodemus
 * Wood mouse, Apodemus sylvaticus LC
 * Genus: Lemniscomys
 * Barbary striped grass mouse, Lemniscomys barbarus LC
 * Genus: Mus
 * House mouse, Mus musculus LR/lc
 * Algerian mouse, Mus spretus LC
 * Genus: Rattus
 * Black rat, Rattus rattus LR/lc
 * Brown rat, Rattus norvegicus LR/lc

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, Oryctolagus cuniculus LR/lc VU
 * Genus: Lepus
 * Cape hare, Lepus capensis LR/lc LC

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 LR/lc

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
 * Greater white-toothed shrew, Crocidura russula LC
 * Whitaker's shrew, Crocidura whitakeri LC

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.


 * Suborder: Microchiroptera
 * Family: Vespertilionidae
 * Subfamily: Myotinae
 * Genus: Myotis
 * Long-fingered bat, Myotis capaccinii VU
 * Geoffroy's bat, Myotis emarginatus VU
 * Felten's myotis, Myotis punicus DD
 * Subfamily: Vespertilioninae
 * Genus: Barbastella
 * Barbastelle, Barbastella barbastellus VU
 * Genus: Eptesicus
 * Mediterranean serotine bat Eptesicus isabellinus DD
 * Serotine bat, Eptesicus serotinus LR/lc
 * Genus: Hypsugo
 * Savi's pipistrelle, Hypsugo savii LR/lc
 * Genus: Nyctalus
 * Greater noctule bat, Nyctalus lasiopterus LR/nt
 * Lesser noctule, Nyctalus leisleri LR/nt
 * Genus: Pipistrellus
 * Kuhl's pipistrelle, Pipistrellus kuhlii LC
 * Common pipistrelle, Pipistrellus pipistrellus LC
 * Subfamily: Miniopterinae
 * Genus: Miniopterus
 * Schreibers' long-fingered bat, Miniopterus schreibersii LC VU
 * Family: Molossidae
 * Genus: Tadarida
 * European free-tailed bat, Tadarida teniotis LR/lc NT
 * Family: Rhinolophidae
 * Subfamily: Rhinolophinae
 * Genus: Rhinolophus
 * Mediterranean horseshoe bat, Rhinolophus euryale VU
 * Greater horseshoe bat, Rhinolophus ferrumequinum NT
 * Lesser horseshoe bat, Rhinolophus hipposideros LC NT
 * Mehely's horseshoe bat, Rhinolophus mehelyi VU EN

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 (rorquals)
 * Genus: Balaenoptera
 * Fin whale, Balaenoptera physalus EN
 * Suborder: Odontoceti
 * Family: Delphinidae (marine dolphins)
 * Genus: Delphinus
 * Short-beaked common dolphin, Delphinus delphis LR/l
 * Genus: Feresa
 * Pygmy killer whale, Feresa attenuata DD
 * Genus: Globicephala
 * Pilot whale, Globicephala melas LR/lc
 * Genus: Grampus
 * Risso's dolphin, Grampus griseus DD
 * Genus: Orcinus
 * Orca, Orcinus orca LR/cd
 * Genus: Pseudorca
 * False killer whale, Pseudorca crassidens LR/lc
 * Genus: Stenella
 * Striped dolphin, Stenella coeruleoalba LR/cd
 * Genus: Tursiops
 * Common bottlenose dolphin, Tursiops truncatus LR/lc
 * Family: Phocoenidae (porpoises)
 * Genus: Phocoena
 * Harbour porpoise, Phocoena phocoena VU
 * Family: Physeteridae (sperm whales)
 * Genus: Physeter
 * Sperm whale, Physeter macrocephalus VU
 * Family: Ziphiidae (beaked whales)
 * Genus: Ziphius
 * Cuvier's beaked whale, Ziphius cavirostris DD

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
 * African wildcat, Felis lybica LC
 * Family: Viverridae (civets)
 * Subfamily: Viverrinae
 * Genus: Genetta
 * Common genet, Genetta genetta LR/lc
 * Family: Herpestidae (mongooses)
 * Genus: Herpestes
 * Egyptian mongoose, Herpestes ichneumon LR/lc
 * Suborder: Caniformia
 * Family: Canidae (dogs, foxes)
 * Genus: Vulpes
 * Red fox, Vulpes vulpes LC
 * Family: Mustelidae (mustelids)
 * Genus: Mustela
 * Least weasel, Mustela nivalis LR/lc
 * Family: Phocidae (earless seals)
 * Genus: Monachus
 * Mediterranean monk seal, Monachus monachus CR

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, Sus scrofa LR/lc
 * North African boar, Sus scrofa algira

Locally extinct
The following species are locally extinct in the area but continue to exist elsewhere:
 * African golden wolf, Canis lupaster