List of mammals of Corsica

This is a list of the mammal species recorded in Corsica, France.

The following tags are used to highlight each species' conservation status as assessed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

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.


 * Suborder: Sciuromorpha
 * Family: Gliridae (dormice)
 * Subfamily: Glirinae
 * Genus: Glis
 * Edible dormouse, G. glis
 * Subfamily: Leithiinae
 * Genus: Eliomys
 * Garden dormouse, E. quercinus
 * Suborder: Myomorpha
 * Family: Muridae (mice and rats)
 * Subfamily: Murinae
 * Genus: Apodemus
 * Wood mouse, A. sylvaticus
 * Genus: Mus
 * House mouse, M. musculus introduced
 * Genus: Rattus
 * Brown rat, R. norvegicus introduced
 * Black rat, R. rattus introduced

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 introduced
 * Genus: Lepus
 * Corsican hare, L. corsicanus
 * European hare, L. europaeus introduced
 * Family: Ochotonidae (pikas)
 * Genus: Prolagus
 * Sardinian pika, P. sardus

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
 * European hedgehog, Erinaceus europaeus

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, Crocidura suaveolens
 * 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: Miniopteridae (long-winged bats)
 * Subfamily: Miniopterinae
 * Genus: Miniopterus
 * Common bent-wing bat, Minioterus schreibersii
 * Family: Molossidae (free-tailed bats)
 * Subfamily: Molossinae
 * Genus: Tadarida
 * European free-tailed bat, Tadarida teniotis
 * Family: Rhinolophidae (horseshoe bats)
 * Subfamily: Rhinolophinae
 * Genus: Rhinolophus
 * Mediterranean horseshoe bat, Rhinolophus euryale
 * Greater horseshoe bat, Rhinolophus ferrumequinum
 * Lesser horseshoe bat, Rhinolophus hipposideros
 * Family: Vespertilionidae (mouse-eared bats)
 * Subfamily: Myotinae
 * Genus: Myotis
 * Bechstein's bat, Myotis bechsteinii
 * Long-fingered bat, Myotis capaccinii
 * Daubenton's bat, Myotis daubentonii
 * Geoffroy's bat, Myotis emarginatus
 * Whiskered bat, Myotis mystacinus
 * Natterer's bat, Myotis nattereri
 * Felten's myotis, Myotis punicus
 * Subfamily: Verpertilioninae
 * Genus: Barbastella
 * Barbastelle, Barbastella barbastellus
 * Genus: Eptesicus
 * Serotine bat, Eptesicus serotinus
 * Genus: Hypsugo
 * Savi's pipistrelle, Hypsugo savii
 * Genus: Nyctalus
 * Lesser noctule, Nyctalus leisleri
 * Genus: Plecotus
 * Grey long-eared bat, Plecotus austriacus
 * Genus: Pipistrellus
 * Kuhl's pipistrelle, Pipistrellus kuhlii
 * Nathusius's pipistrelle, Pipistrellus nathusii
 * Common pipistrelle, Pipistrellus pipistrellus
 * Soprano pipistrelle, Pipistrellus pygmaeus

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
 * Common minke whale, Balaenoptera acutorostrata
 * Fin whale, Balaenoptera physalus
 * Suborder: Odontoceti
 * Family: Delphinidae (dolphins and pilot whales)
 * Genus: Delphinus
 * Short-beaked common dolphin, Delphinus delphis
 * Genus: Grampus
 * Risso's dolphin, Grampus griseus
 * Genus: Globicephala
 * Long-finned pilot whale, Globicephala melas
 * Genus: Orcinus
 * Killer whale, Orcinus orca
 * Genus: Stenella
 * Striped dolphin, Stenella coeruleoalba
 * Genus: Steno
 * Rough-toothed dolphin, Steno bredanensis
 * Genus: Tursiops
 * Common bottlenose dolphin, Tursiops truncatus
 * Family: Physeteridae (sperm whales)
 * Genus: Physeter
 * Sperm whale, Physeter macrocephalus
 * Family: Ziphiidae (beaked whales)
 * 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 (cats)
 * Genus: Felis
 * Wildcat, Felis silvestris
 * Suborder: Caniformia
 * Family: Canidae (dogs, foxes, wolves)
 * Genus: Vulpes
 * Red fox, Vulpes vulpes
 * Family: Mustelidae (weasels)
 * Genus: Mustela
 * Least weasel, Mustela nivalis
 * Genus: Martes
 * European pine marten, Martes martes
 * Family: Phocidae (earless seals)
 * Genus: Monachus
 * Mediterranean monk seal, M. monachus possibly extirpated

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: Bovidae (cattle, antelope, sheep, goats)
 * Subfamily: Caprinae
 * Genus: Ovis
 * European mouflon, Ovis aries musimon
 * Family: Cervidae (deer)
 * Subfamily: Cervinae
 * Genus: Cervus
 * Red deer, C. elaphus
 * Corsican red deer, C. e. corsicanus