List of mammals of New Zealand

This is a list of the native living mammals of New Zealand. It does not include introduced species, nor extinct Saint Bathans fauna. There are around 51 native mammal species in New Zealand, of which three are critically endangered, three are endangered, three are vulnerable, and one is near threatened.

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

Order: Chiroptera (bats)
The most distinguishing feature of bats 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. Three species are found in New Zealand.


 * Family: Mystacinidae
 * Genus: Mystacina
 * New Zealand greater short-tailed bat, M. robusta, possibly
 * New Zealand lesser short-tailed bat, M. tuberculata
 * Family: Vespertilionidae
 * Subfamily: Vespertilioninae
 * Genus: Chalinolobus
 * New Zealand long-tailed bat, Chalinolobus tuberculatus

Order: Cetacea (whales, dolphins and porpoises)
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. New Zealand is the first country in the world to protect marine mammals by law.


 * Suborder: Mysticeti
 * Family: Balaenidae
 * Genus: Eubalaena
 * Southern right whale, Eubalaena australis
 * Family: Balaenopteridae
 * Subfamily: Balaenopterinae
 * Genus: Balaenoptera
 * Southern minke whale, Balaenoptera bonaerensis
 * Dwarf minke whale, Balaenoptera sp.
 * Bryde's whale, Balaenoptera edeni
 * Sei whale, Balaenoptera borealis
 * Fin whale, Balaenoptera physalus
 * Blue whale, Balaenoptera musculus
 * Subfamily: Megapterinae
 * Genus: Megaptera
 * Humpback whale, Megaptera novaeangliae
 * Family: Neobalaenidae
 * Genus: Caperea
 * Pygmy right whale, Caperea marginata
 * Suborder: Odontoceti
 * Superfamily: Platanistoidea
 * Family: Phocoenidae
 * Genus: Phocoena
 * Spectacled porpoise, Phocoena dioptrica
 * Family: Physeteridae
 * Genus: Physeter
 * Sperm whale, Physeter macrocephalus
 * Family: Kogiidae
 * Genus: Kogia
 * Pygmy sperm whale, Kogia breviceps
 * Dwarf sperm whale, Kogia sima
 * Family: Ziphidae
 * Genus: Ziphius
 * Cuvier's beaked whale, Ziphius cavirostris
 * Genus: Berardius
 * Arnoux's beaked whale, Berardius arnuxii
 * Genus: Tasmacetus
 * Shepherd's beaked whale, Tasmacetus shepherdi
 * Subfamily: Hyperoodontinae
 * Genus: Hyperoodon
 * Southern bottlenose whale, Hyperoodon planifrons
 * Genus: Mesoplodon
 * Andrews' beaked whale, Mesoplodon bowdoini
 * Blainville's beaked whale, Mesoplodon densirostris
 * Ginkgo-toothed beaked whale, Mesoplodon ginkgodens
 * Gray's beaked whale, Mesoplodon grayi
 * Hector's beaked whale, Mesoplodon hectori
 * Layard's beaked whale, Mesoplodon layardii
 * Family: Delphinidae (marine dolphins)
 * Genus: Cephalorhynchus
 * Hector's dolphin, Cephalorhynchus hectori
 * Maui's dolphin, Cephalorhynchus hectori maui
 * Family: Phocoenidae (marine dolphins)
 * Genus: Phocoena
 * Spectacled porpoise, Phocoena dioptrica
 * Genus: Steno
 * Rough-toothed dolphin, Steno bredanensis vagrant
 * Genus: Tursiops
 * Common bottlenose dolphin, Tursiops truncatus
 * Genus: Stenella
 * Pantropical spotted dolphin, Stenella attenuata vagrant
 * Striped dolphin, Stenella coeruleoalba (southernmost record of the species occurred in 2017)
 * Spinner dolphin, Stenella longirostris vagrant
 * Genus: Delphinus
 * Long-beaked common dolphin, Delphinus capensis
 * Short-beaked common dolphin, Delphinus delphis
 * Genus: Lagenorhynchus
 * Hourglass dolphin, Lagenorhynchus cruciger
 * Dusky dolphin, Lagenorhynchus obscurus
 * Genus: Lissodelphis
 * Southern right whale dolphin, Lissodelphis peronii
 * Genus: Grampus
 * Risso's dolphin, Grampus griseus
 * Genus: Pseudorca
 * False killer whale, Pseudorca crassidens
 * Genus: Orcinus
 * Orca, Orcinus orca
 * Genus: Globicephala
 * Short-finned pilot whale, Globicephala macrorhynchus
 * Long-finned pilot whale, Globicephala melas

Order: Carnivora (carnivorans)
Most carnivorans feed primarily on meat. They have distinctive skull shape and teeth. Seven species are found in New Zealand, all of which are pinnipeds.
 * Suborder: Caniformia
 * Family: Otariidae (eared seals, sealions)
 * Genus: Arctocephalus
 * New Zealand fur seal, A. forsteri
 * Subantarctic fur seal, A. tropicalis vagrant
 * Genus: Phocarctos
 * New Zealand sea lion, P. hookeri
 * Family: Phocidae (earless seals)
 * Genus: Hydrurga
 * Leopard seal, H. leptonyx
 * Genus: Leptonychotes
 * Weddell seal, L. weddellii vagrant
 * Genus: Lobodon
 * Crabeater seal, L. carcinophaga vagrant
 * Genus: Mirounga
 * Southern elephant seal, M. leonina