List of mammals of Hong Kong

This is a list of the mammal species recorded in Hong Kong. There are 68 mammal species in Hong Kong.

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: Primates
The order Primates contains humans and their closest relatives: lemurs, lorisoids, monkeys, and apes.


 * Suborder: Haplorhini
 * Infraorder: Simiiformes
 * Parvorder: Catarrhini
 * Superfamily: Cercopithecoidea
 * Family: Cercopithecidae (Old World monkeys)
 * Genus: Macaca
 * Rhesus macaque, Macaca mulatta reintroduced
 * Crab-eating macaque, Macaca fascicularis  introduced

Order: Rodentia (mice, squirrel, etc)
The order Rodentia is a large group of mammals. They have two incisors in the upper as well as in the lower jaw which grow continuously and must be kept worn down by gnawing.
 * Muridae
 * Subfamily: Murinae
 * Genus: Bandicota
 * Greater bandicoot rat, Bandicota bengalensis
 * Chestnut spiny rat, Niviventer fulvescens
 * House mouse, Mus musculus  introduced
 * Brown rat, Rattus norvegicus  introduced
 * Ryukyu mouse, Mus caroli
 * Sikkim rat, Rattus andamanensis
 * Asiatic house rat, Rattus tanezumi
 * Roof rat, Rattus rattus  introduced
 * Family:Sciuridae
 * Pallas's squirrel, Callosciurus erythraeus  introduced
 * Family: Hystricidae (porcupine)
 * Genus: Hystrix
 * Malayan porcupine, Hystrix brachyura

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 50% of all mammals.


 * Family: Pteropodidae
 * Genus: Rousettus
 * Leschenault's rousette, Rousettus leschenaultia
 * Genus: Cynopterus
 * Greater short-nosed fruit bat, Cynopterus sphinx (common)
 * Family: Emballonuridae
 * Genus: Taphozous
 * Black-bearded tomb bat,  Taphozous melanopogon
 * Family: Rhinolophidae
 * Genus: Rhinolophus
 * Rufous horseshoe bat, Rhinolophus rouxi (common)
 * Intermediate horseshoe bat, Rhinolophus affinus (common)
 * Least horseshoe bat, Rhinolophus pusillus (common)
 * Family: Hipposideridae
 * Genus: Hipposideros
 * Pomona roundleaf bat, Hipposideros pomona  (common)
 * Himalayan roundleaf bat, Hipposideros armiger
 * Family: Vespertilionidae
 * Genus: Myotis
 * Large myotis, Myotis chinensis
 * Rickett's big-footed bat, Myotis ricketti
 * Myotis fimbriatus
 * Horsfield's bat, Myotis horsfieldii (rare in the region)
 * Daubenton's bat, Myotis daubentonii rare)
 * Genus: Pipistrellus
 * Japanese pipistrelle, Pipistrellus abramus  (abundant
 * Chinese pipistrelle, Pipistrellus pulveratus (rare)
 * Genus: Nyctalus
 * Common noctule, Nyctalus noctula
 * Genus: Tylonycteris
 * Lesser bamboo bat, Tylonycteris pachypus (rare in the region)
 * Greater bamboo bat, Tylonycteris robustula
 * Genus: Scotophilus
 * Lesser yellow bat, Scotophilus kuhlii (rare)
 * Genus: Miniopterus
 * Western bent-winged bat, Miniopterus magnater (common)
 * Common bent-wing bat, Miniopterus schreibersii (rare)
 * Small bent-winged bat, Miniopterus pusillus
 * Family:Molossidae
 * Genus: Chaerephon
 * Wrinkle-lipped free-tailed bat, Chaerephon plicata

Order: Pholidota (pangolins)
The order Pholidota comprises the eight species of pangolin. Pangolins are anteaters and have the powerful claws, elongated snout and long tongue seen in the other unrelated anteater species.


 * Family: Manidae
 * Genus: Manis
 * Chinese pangolin, Manis pentadactyla

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
 * Genus: Eubalaena
 * North Pacific right whale, Eubalaena japonica
 * Family: Balaenopteridae
 * Subfamily: Megapterinae
 * Genus: Megaptera
 * Humpback whale, Megaptera novaeangliae (very rare today)
 * Subfamily: Balaenopterinae
 * Genus: Balaenoptera
 * Common minke whale, Balaenoptera acutorostrata (unconfirmed)
 * Omura's whale, Balaenoptera brydei (possible)
 * Bryde's whale, Balaenoptera brydei
 * Fin whale, Balaenoptera physalus (unconfirmed)
 * Suborder: Odontoceti
 * Superfamily: Platanistoidea
 * Genus: Physeter
 * Family: Physeteridae
 * Sperm whale, Physeter macrocephalus
 * Family: Kogiidae
 * Genus: Kogia
 * Pygmy sperm whale, Kogia breviceps
 * Family: Delphinidae (marine dolphins)
 * Family: Phocoenidae
 * Genus: Neophocaena
 * Indo-Pacific finless porpoise, Neophocaena phocaenoides
 * Genus: Sousa
 * Chinese white dolphin, Sousa chinensis (Locally )
 * Genus: Tursiops
 * Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphin, Tursiops aduncus
 * Common bottlenose dolphin, Tursiops truncatus
 * Genus: Delphinus
 * Long-beaked common dolphin, Delphinus capensis
 * Genus: Stenella
 * Pantropical spotted dolphin, Stenella attenuata
 * Spinner dolphin, Stenella longirostris
 * Striped dolphin, Stenella coeruleoalba
 * Genus: Steno
 * Rough-toothed dolphin, Steno bredanensis
 * Genus: Lagenodelphis
 * Fraser's dolphin, Lagenodelphis hosei
 * Genus: Grampus
 * Risso's dolphin, Grampus griseus
 * Genus: Pseudorca
 * False killer whale, Pseudorca crassidens

Order: Artiodactyla (even-toed ungulates)
The order Artiodactyla in Hong Kong are mainly herbivore which feed only on plant material, except wild boar.
 * Family: Bovidae
 * Genus: Bubalus
 * Water buffalo, Bubalus bubalis introduced
 * Family: Bovidae
 * Genus: Bos
 * Zebu, Bos indicus introduced
 * Family: Cervidae
 * Genus: Muntiacus
 * Reeves's muntjac, Muntiacus reevesi
 * Family: Suidae
 * Genus: Sus
 * Wild boar, Sus scrofa

Order: Carnivora (carnivorans)


There are over 260 species of carnivorans, the majority of which eat meat as their primary dietary item. They have a characteristic skull shape and dentition.


 * Suborder: Feliformia
 * Family: Felidae (cats)
 * Subfamily: Felinae
 * Genus: Prionailurus
 * Leopard cat, Prionailurus bengalensis
 * Genus: Felis
 * Domestic cat, Felis catus introduced
 * Subfamily: Pantherinae
 * Genus: Panthera
 * Tiger, Panthera tigris extirpated
 * Clouded leopard, Neofelis nebulosa extirpated
 * Leopard, Panthera pardus extirpated
 * Family: Canidae (dog, wolf etc.)
 * Subfamily: Caninae
 * Genus: Cuon
 * Dhole, Cuon alpinus extirpated
 * Genus: Vulpes
 * Red fox, Vulpes vulpes extirpated
 * Genus: Canis
 * Domestic dog, Canis familiaris introduced
 * Family: Viverridae (civets, etc.)
 * Subfamily: Viverrinae
 * Genus: Viverricula
 * Large Indian civet, Viverra zibetha extirpated
 * Small Indian civet, Viverricula indica
 * Masked palm civet, Paguma larvata
 * Family:Herpestidae (mongoose)
 * Subfamily:Herpestinae
 * Genus: Urva
 * Javan mongoose, Urva javanica
 * Crab-eating mongoose, Urva urva
 * Suborder: Caniformia
 * Family: Mustelidae (mustelids)
 * Genus: Mustela
 * Yellow-bellied weasel, Mustela kathiah
 * Genus: Lutra
 * European otter, Lutra lutra
 * Genus: Melogale
 * Chinese ferret badger, Melogale moschata