List of mammals of Kuwait

This is a list of the mammal species recorded in Kuwait. There are twenty-five mammal species in Kuwait, of which one is endangered, four are vulnerable, and one is near threatened. One of the species listed for Kuwait 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:

Order: Sirenia (manatees and dugongs)
Sirenia is an order of fully aquatic, herbivorous mammals that inhabit rivers, estuaries, coastal marine waters, swamps, and marine wetlands. All four species are endangered.


 * Family: Dugongidae
 * Genus: Dugong
 * Dugong, D. dugon

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: Myomorpha
 * Family: Dipodidae (jerboas)
 * Subfamily: Allactaginae
 * Genus: Allactaga
 * Euphrates jerboa, A. euphratica
 * Family: Muridae (mice, rats, gerbils, etc.)
 * Subfamily: Gerbillinae
 * Genus: Gerbillus
 * Cheesman's gerbil, Gerbillus cheesmani
 * Wagner's gerbil, Gerbillus dasyurus LC
 * Genus: Meriones
 * Sundevall's jird, Meriones crassus LC
 * Genus: Tatera
 * Indian gerbil, Tatera indica 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: Paraechinus
 * Desert hedgehog, P. aethiopicus

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: Vespertilioninae
 * Genus: Pipistrellus
 * Kuhl's pipistrelle, Pipistrellus kuhlii LC
 * Family: Rhinopomatidae
 * Genus: Rhinopoma
 * Lesser mouse-tailed bat, Rhinopoma hardwickei LC

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
 * Subfamily: Balaenopterinae
 * Genus: Balaenoptera
 * Pygmy blue whale, Balaenoptera musculus brevicauda EN
 * Subfamily: Megapterinae
 * Genus: Megaptera
 * Humpback whale, M. novaeangliae
 * Suborder: Odontoceti
 * Superfamily: Platanistoidea
 * Family: Phocoenidae
 * Genus: Neophocaena
 * Finless porpoise, Neophocaena phocaenoides DD
 * Family: Delphinidae (marine dolphins)
 * Genus: Sousa
 * Indo-Pacific humpbacked dolphin, Sousa chinensis DD
 * Genus: Grampus
 * Risso's dolphin, Grampus griseus 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: Caracal
 * Caracal, C. caracal
 * Genus: Felis
 * African wildcat, F. lybica
 * Sand cat, F. margarita
 * Family: Herpestidae (mongooses)
 * Genus: Urva
 * Indian grey mongoose, U. edwardsii
 * Family: Hyaenidae (hyaenas)
 * Genus: Hyaena
 * Striped hyena, H. hyaena, presence uncertain
 * Suborder: Caniformia
 * Family: Canidae (dogs, foxes)
 * Genus: Vulpes
 * Rüppell's fox, V. rueppellii
 * Red fox, V. vulpes
 * Family: Mustelidae (mustelids)
 * Genus: Mellivora
 * Honey badger, M. capensis

Locally extinct
The following species are locally extinct in the country:
 * Cheetah, Acinonyx jubatus
 * Saudi gazelle, Gazella saudiya
 * Arabian oryx, Oryx leucoryx
 * Leopard, Panthera pardus