List of mammals of Metropolitan France

This list shows the IUCN Red List status of the 120 mammal species occurring in Metropolitan France. One of them is critically endangered, two are endangered, thirteen are vulnerable, and four are near threatened. One of the species listed for France is considered to be extinct.

The following tags are used to highlight each species' conservation status as assessed on the respective IUCN Red Lists published 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. Most rodents are small though the capybara can weigh up to 45 kg.
 * Suborder: Sciurognathi
 * Family: Castoridae (beavers)
 * Genus: Castor
 * Eurasian beaver, C. fiber
 * North American beaver, C. canadensis introduced, extirpated
 * Family: Sciuridae (squirrels)
 * Subfamily: Sciurinae
 * Genus: Sciurus
 * Red squirrel, S. vulgaris
 * Subfamily: Xerinae
 * Genus: Marmota
 * Alpine marmot, M. marmota
 * Family: Gliridae (dormice)
 * Subfamily: Leithiinae
 * Genus: Eliomys
 * Garden dormouse, E. quercinus
 * Genus: Muscardinus
 * Hazel dormouse, M. avellanarius
 * Subfamily: Glirinae
 * Genus: Glis
 * European edible dormouse, G. glis
 * Family: Cricetidae
 * Subfamily: Cricetinae
 * Genus: Cricetus
 * European hamster, C. cricetus
 * Subfamily: Arvicolinae
 * Genus: Arvicola
 * European water vole, A. amphibius
 * Southwestern water vole, A. sapidus
 * Genus: Chionomys
 * Snow vole, C. nivalis
 * Genus: Clethrionomys
 * Bank vole, C. glareolus
 * Genus: Microtus
 * Field vole, M. agrestis
 * Common vole, M. arvalis
 * Cabrera's vole, M. cabrerae
 * Mediterranean pine vole, M. duodecimcostatus
 * Gerbe's vole, M. gerbei
 * Lusitanian pine vole, M. lusitanicus
 * Alpine pine vole, M. multiplex
 * Savi's pine vole, M. savii
 * European pine vole, M. subterraneus
 * Family: Muridae (mice, rats, voles, gerbils, hamsters, etc.)
 * Subfamily: Murinae
 * Genus: Mus
 * House mouse, M. musculus
 * Algerian mouse, M. spretus
 * Genus: Apodemus
 * Alpine field mouse, A. alpicola
 * Yellow-necked mouse, A. flavicollis
 * Wood mouse, A. sylvaticus
 * Genus: Micromys
 * Eurasian harvest mouse, M. minutus
 * 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: Lepus
 * Corsican hare, L. corsicanus
 * European hare, L. europaeus
 * Mountain hare, L. timidus
 * Genus: Oryctolagus
 * European rabbit, O. cuniculus
 * Family: Ochotonidae (pikas)
 * Genus: Prolagus
 * Sardinian pika, P. sardus

Order: Eulipotyphla (shrews, hedgehogs, gymnures, moles and solenodons)
Eulipotyphlans are insectivorous mammals. Shrews and solenodons resemble mice, hedgehogs carry spines, gymnures look more like large rats, while moles are stout-bodied burrowers.
 * Family: Erinaceidae (hedgehogs and gymnures)
 * Subfamily: Erinaceinae
 * Genus: Atelerix
 * North African hedgehog, A. algirus extirpated
 * Genus: Erinaceus
 * West European hedgehog, E. europaeus


 * Family: Soricidae (shrews)
 * Subfamily: Crocidurinae
 * Genus: Crocidura
 * Bicolored shrew, C. leucodon
 * Greater white-toothed shrew, C. russula
 * Lesser white-toothed shrew, C. suaveolens
 * Genus: Suncus
 * Etruscan shrew, S. etruscus
 * Subfamily: Soricinae
 * Tribe: Nectogalini
 * Genus: Neomys
 * Southern water shrew, N. anomalus
 * Eurasian water shrew, N. fodiens
 * Tribe: Soricini
 * Genus: Sorex
 * Alpine shrew, S. alpinus
 * Common shrew, S. araneus
 * Crowned shrew, S. coronatus
 * Eurasian pygmy shrew, S. minutus
 * Family: Talpidae (moles)
 * Subfamily: Talpinae
 * Tribe: Desmanini
 * Genus: Galemys
 * Pyrenean desman, G. pyrenaicus
 * Tribe: Talpini
 * Genus: Talpa
 * Mediterranean mole, T. caeca
 * European mole, T. europaea
 * Roman mole, T. romana

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
 * Lesser mouse-eared bat, M. blythii
 * Brandt's bat, M. brandti
 * Long-fingered bat, M. capaccinii
 * Cryptic myotis, M. crypticus
 * Pond bat, M. dasycneme
 * Daubenton's bat, M. daubentonii
 * Geoffroy's bat, M. emarginatus
 * Escalera's bat, M. escalerai
 * Greater mouse-eared bat, M. myotis
 * Whiskered bat, M. mystacinus
 * Natterer's bat, M. nattereri
 * Subfamily: Vespertilioninae
 * Genus: Barbastella
 * Western barbastelle, B. barbastellus
 * Genus: Eptesicus
 * Northern bat, E. nilssoni
 * Serotine bat, E. serotinus
 * Genus: Hypsugo
 * Savi's pipistrelle, H. savii
 * Genus: Nyctalus
 * Greater noctule bat, N. lasiopterus
 * Lesser noctule, N. leisleri
 * Common noctule, N. noctula
 * Genus: Pipistrellus
 * Kuhl's pipistrelle, P. kuhlii
 * Nathusius' pipistrelle, P. nathusii
 * Common pipistrelle, P. pipistrellus
 * Genus: Plecotus
 * Brown long-eared bat, P. auritus
 * Grey long-eared bat, P. austriacus
 * Genus: Vespertilio
 * Parti-coloured bat, V. murinus
 * Subfamily: Miniopterinae
 * Genus: Miniopterus
 * Common bent-wing bat, M. schreibersii
 * Family: Molossidae
 * Genus: Tadarida
 * European free-tailed bat, T. teniotis
 * Family: Rhinolophidae
 * Subfamily: Rhinolophinae
 * Genus: Rhinolophus
 * Mediterranean horseshoe bat, R. euryale
 * Greater horseshoe bat, R. ferrumequinum
 * Lesser horseshoe bat, R. hipposideros
 * Mehely's horseshoe bat, R. mehelyi

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 (right whales)
 * Genus: Balaena
 * Bowhead whale, Balaena mysticetus LC vagrant
 * Genus: Eubalaena
 * North Atlantic right whale, Eubalaena glacialis CR or functionally extinct in European waters
 * Family: Balaenopteridae (rorquals)
 * Subfamily: Megapterinae
 * Genus: Megaptera
 * Humpback whale, Megaptera novaeangliae LC
 * Subfamily: Balaenopterinae
 * Genus: Balaenoptera
 * Fin whale, Balaenoptera physalus EN
 * Minke whale, Balaenoptera acutorostrata NT
 * Suborder: Odontoceti
 * Family: Kogiidae
 * Genus: Kogia
 * Pygmy sperm whale, Kogia breviceps LC
 * Family: Ziphidae (beaked whales)
 * Genus: Ziphius
 * Cuvier's beaked whale, Ziphius cavirostris DD
 * Subfamily: Hyperoodontidae
 * Genus: Hyperoodon
 * Northern bottlenose whale, Hyperoodon ampullatus DD
 * Genus: Mesoplodon
 * Sowerby's beaked whale, Mesoplodon bidens DD
 * True's beaked whale, Mesoplodon mirus DD
 * Family: Phocoenidae (porpoises)
 * Genus: Phocoena
 * Harbour porpoise, Phocoena phocoena VU
 * Family: Delphinidae (marine dolphins)
 * Genus: Lagenorhynchus
 * White-beaked dolphin, Lagenorhynchus albirostris LC
 * Genus: Leucopleurus
 * Atlantic white-sided dolphin, Leucopleurus acutus LC
 * Genus: Steno
 * Rough-toothed dolphin, Steno bredanensis DD
 * Genus: Tursiops
 * Bottlenose dolphin, Tursiops truncatus DD
 * Genus: Stenella
 * Striped dolphin, Stenella coeruleoalba LC
 * Genus: Delphinus
 * Short-beaked common dolphin, Delphinus delphis LC
 * Genus: Grampus
 * Risso's dolphin, Grampus griseus DD
 * Genus: Feresa
 * Pygmy killer whale, Feresa attenuata DD
 * Genus: Pseudorca
 * False killer whale, Pseudorca crassidens LC
 * Genus: Globicephala
 * Pilot whale, Globicephala melas LC
 * Genus: Orcinus
 * Orca, Orcinus orca DD
 * Superfamily: Platanistoidea
 * Family: Monodontidae
 * Genus: Delphinapterus
 * Beluga, Delphinapterus leucas VU

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
 * Iberian lynx, L. pardinus extirpated
 * Family: Viverridae
 * Subfamily: Viverrinae
 * Genus: Genetta
 * Common genet, G. genetta introduced
 * Suborder: Caniformia
 * Family: Canidae (dogs, foxes)
 * Genus: Canis
 * Golden jackal, C. aureus  vagrant
 * Gray wolf, C. lupus
 * Italian wolf, C. l. italicus
 * Eurasian wolf, C. l. lupus
 * Genus: Nyctereutes
 * Raccoon dog, N. procyonoides introduced
 * Genus: Vulpes
 * Red fox, V. vulpes
 * Family: Ursidae (bears)
 * Genus: Ursus
 * Brown bear, U. arctos
 * Eurasian brown bear, U. a. arctos
 * Family: Mustelidae (mustelids)
 * Genus: Lutra
 * European otter, L. lutra
 * Genus: Martes
 * Beech marten, M. foina
 * European pine marten, M. martes
 * Genus: Meles
 * European badger, M. meles
 * Genus: Mustela
 * Stoat, M. erminea
 * European mink, M. lutreola
 * Least weasel, M. nivalis
 * European polecat, M. putorius
 * Genus: Neogale
 * American mink, N. vison introduced
 * Family: Phocidae (earless seals)
 * Genus: Erignathus
 * Bearded seal, E. barbatus
 * Genus: Halichoerus
 * Grey seal, H. grypus
 * Genus: Monachus
 * Mediterranean monk seal, M. monachus extirpated
 * Genus: Phoca
 * Common seal, P. vitulina

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 (deer)
 * Subfamily: Cervinae
 * Genus: Cervus
 * Red deer, C. elaphus
 * Genus: Dama
 * European fallow deer, D. dama introduced
 * Subfamily: Capreolinae
 * Genus: Alces
 * Eurasian elk, A. alces extirpated
 * Genus: Capreolus
 * Roe deer, C. capreolus
 * Family: Bovidae (cattle, antelope, sheep, goats)
 * Subfamily: Bovidae
 * Genus: Bison
 * European bison, B. bonasus reintroduced
 * Subfamily: Caprinae
 * Genus: Capra
 * Alpine ibex, C. ibex reintroduced
 * Iberian ibex, C. pyrenaica reintroduced
 * Pyrenean ibex, C. p. pyrenaica
 * Western Spanish ibex, C. p. victoriae introduced
 * Genus: Rupicapra
 * Pyrenean chamois, R. pyrenaica
 * Chamois, R. rupicapra
 * Family: Suidae (pigs)
 * Subfamily: Suinae
 * Genus: Sus
 * Wild boar, S. scrofa