List of mammals of Qatar

This is a list of the mammal species recorded in Qatar. There are seven mammal species in Qatar, one of which is 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:

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: 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. Most rodents are small though the capybara can weigh up to 45 kg.


 * Suborder: Myomorpha
 * Family: Dipodidae (jerboas)
 * Genus: Jaculus
 * Lesser Egyptian jerboa, Jaculus jaculus
 * Cheesman's gerbil, Gerbilus cheesmani
 * Family: Muridae (mice, rats, gerbils, etc.)
 * Subfamily: Gerbillinae
 * Genus: Gerbillus
 * Wagner's gerbil, Gerbillus dasyurus
 * Dwarf gerbil, Gerbillus nanus
 * Genus: Meriones
 * Libyan jird, Meriones libycus
 * Sundevall's jird, Meriones crassus
 * Subfamily: Murinae
 * Genus: Mus
 * House mouse, Mus musculus introduced
 * Genus: Rattus
 * Black rat, Rattus rattus introduced
 * Brown rat, Rattus norvegicus 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 twentieth 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
 * Genus: Lepus
 * Cape hare, Lepus capensis

Order: Eulipotyphla (shrews and hedgehogs)
Eulipotyphla comprises the hedgehogs and gymnures (family Erinaceidae, formerly also the order Erinaceomorpha) and true shrews (family Soricidae).


 * Family: Erinaceidae (hedgehogs)
 * Subfamily: Erinaceinae
 * Genus: Paraechinus
 * Desert hedgehog, Paraechinus 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: Myotinae
 * Genus: Otonycteris
 * Desert long-eared bat, Otonycteris hemprichii
 * Subfamily: Vespertilioninae
 * Genus: Rhyneptesicus
 * Sind bat, Rhyneptesicus nasutus
 * Family: Emballonuridae
 * Genus: Taphozous
 * Naked-rumped tomb bat, Taphozous nudiventris
 * Subfamily: Hipposiderinae
 * Genus: Asellia
 * Trident leaf-nosed bat, Asellia tridens

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 (baleen whales)
 * Genus: Balaenoptera
 * Bryde's whale, Balaenoptera brydei
 * Genus: Megaptera
 * Humpback whale, M. novaeangliae
 * Suborder: Odontoceti
 * Superfamily: Platanistoidea
 * Family: Phocoenidae
 * Genus: Neophocaena
 * Finless porpoise, Neophocaena phocaenoides
 * Family: Physeteridae
 * Genus: Physeter
 * Sperm whale, Physeter macrocephalus
 * Family: Ziphiidae
 * Subfamily: Hyperoodontinae
 * Genus: Ziphius
 * Cuvier's beaked whale, Ziphius cavirostris
 * Family: Delphinidae (marine dolphins)
 * Genus: Delphinus
 * Common dolphin, Delphinus capensis
 * Genus: Grampus
 * Risso's dolphin, Grampus griseus
 * Genus: Lagenodelphis
 * Fraser's dolphin, Lagenodelphis hosei
 * Genus: Stenella
 * Striped dolphin, Stenella coeruleoalba
 * Genus: Steno
 * Rough-toothed dolphin, Steno bredanensis
 * Genus: Sousa
 * Indo-Pacific humpbacked dolphin, Sousa chinensis
 * Genus: Orcinus
 * Orca, O. orca
 * Genus: Pseudorca
 * False killer whale, Pseudorca crassidens
 * Genus: Tursiops
 * Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphin, Tursiops aduncus
 * Common bottlenose dolphin, Tursiops truncatus

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
 * Sand cat, F. margarita presence uncertain
 * Family: Herpestidae (mongooses)
 * Genus: Urva
 * Indian gray mongoose, U. edwardsii
 * Family: Hyaenidae (hyaenas)
 * Genus: Hyaena
 * Striped hyena, H. hyaena presence uncertain
 * Suborder: Caniformia
 * Family: Canidae (dogs, foxes)
 * Genus: Canis
 * Golden jackal, C. aureus
 * Genus: Vulpes
 * Rüppell's fox, V. rueppellii
 * Red fox, V. vulpes
 * Family: Mustelidae (mustelids)
 * Genus: Mellivora
 * Honey badger, M. capensis

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: Bovidae (cattle, antelope, sheep, goats)
 * Subfamily: Antilopinae
 * Genus: Gazella
 * Arabian sand gazelle, Gazella marica
 * Subfamily: Hippotraginae
 * Genus: Oryx
 * Arabian oryx, Oryx leucoryx reintroduced