List of mammals of Sardinia

This is a list of the mammal species recorded in Sardinia, Italy. Almost all terrestrial mammals found on the island today have been introduced by humans, replacing a highly endemic fauna present on the island during the Late Pleistocene

The following tags are used to highlight each species' conservation status as assessed 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: Hystricomorpha
 * Family: Hystricidae
 * Genus: Hystrix
 * Crested porcupine, H. cristata introduced
 * Suborder: Sciuromorpha
 * Family: Gliridae (dormice)
 * Subfamily: Glirinae
 * Genus: Glis
 * Edible dormouse, G. glis introduced
 * Subfamily: Leithiinae
 * Genus: Eliomys
 * Garden dormouse, E. quercinus introduced
 * Family: Muridae (mice and rats)
 * Subfamily: Murinae
 * Genus: Apodemus
 * Wood mouse, A. sylvaticus
 * Genus: Mus
 * House mouse, M. musculus introduced
 * Genus: Rattus
 * Brown rat, R. norvegicus introduced
 * Black rat, R. rattus introduced

Order: Lagomorpha (lagomorphs)
The lagomorphs comprise two families, Leporidae and 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
 * European hare, L. europaeus introduced
 * Cape hare, L. capensis  introduced

Order: Eulipotyphla
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: Erinaceus
 * West European hedgehog, E. europaeus introduced
 * Family: Soricidae (shrews)
 * Subfamily: Crocidurinae
 * Genus: Crocidura
 * North African white-toothed shrew, Crocidura ichnusae introduced
 * Genus: Suncus
 * Etruscan shrew, Suncus etruscus

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: Miniopteridae (long-winged bats)
 * Subfamily: Miniopterinae
 * Genus: Miniopterus
 * Common bent-wing bat, M. schreibersii
 * Family: Molossidae (free-tailed bats)
 * Subfamily: Molossinae
 * Genus: Tadarida
 * European free-tailed bat, T. teniotis
 * Family: Rhinolophidae (horseshoe bats)
 * 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
 * Family: Vespertilionidae (mouse-eared bats)
 * Subfamily: Myotinae
 * Genus: Myotis
 * Long-fingered bat, Myotis capaccinii
 * Daubenton's bat, Myotis daubentonii
 * Geoffroy's bat, Myotis emarginatus
 * Felten's myotis, Myotis punicus
 * Subfamily: Verpertilioninae
 * Genus: Barbastella
 * Barbastelle, Barbastella barbastellus
 * Genus: Hypsugo
 * Savi's pipistrelle, Hypsugo savii
 * Genus: Plecotus
 * Brown long-eared bat, Plecotus auritus
 * Grey long-eared bat, Plecotus austriacus
 * Sardinian long-eared bat, Plecotus sardus
 * Genus: Pipistrellus
 * Kuhl's pipistrelle, Pipistrellus kuhlii
 * Nathusius's pipistrelle, Pipistrellus nathusii
 * Common pipistrelle, Pipistrellus pipistrellus

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 (rorquals)
 * Genus: Balaenoptera
 * Common minke whale, Balaenoptera acutorostrata
 * Fin whale, Balaenoptera physalus
 * Suborder: Odontoceti
 * Family: Delphinidae (dolphins and pilot whales)
 * Genus: Delphinus
 * Short-beaked common dolphin, Delphinus delphis
 * Genus: Tursiops
 * Common bottlenose dolphin, Tursiops truncatus
 * Genus: Stenella
 * Striped dolphin, Stenella coeruleoalba
 * Genus: Steno
 * Rough-toothed dolphin, Steno bredanensis
 * Genus: Grampus
 * Risso's dolphin, Grampus griseus
 * Genus: Globicephala
 * Long-finned pilot whale, Globicephala melas
 * Genus: Orcinus
 * Killer whale, Orcinus orca
 * Family: Physeteridae (sperm whales)
 * Genus: Physeter
 * Sperm whale, Physeter macrocephalus
 * Family: Ziphiidae (beaked whales)
 * Genus: Ziphius
 * Cuvier's beaked whale, Ziphius cavirostris

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: Caniformia
 * Family: Canidae (dogs, foxes, wolves)
 * Genus: Vulpes
 * Red fox, V. vulpes
 * Family: Mustelidae (weasels)
 * Genus: Martes
 * European pine marten, M. martes
 * Genus: Mustela
 * Least weasel, M. nivalis
 * Family: Phocidae (earless seals)
 * Genus: Monachus
 * Mediterranean monk seal, M. monachus possibly extirpated

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: Suidae (pigs)
 * Subfamily: Suinae
 * Genus: Sus
 * Wild boar, S. scrofa introduced
 * Family: Cervidae (deer)
 * Subfamily: Cervinae
 * Genus: Cervus
 * Red deer, C. elaphus
 * Corsican red deer, C. e. corsicanus introduced
 * Genus: Dama
 * Fallow deer, D. dama introduced

Order: Proboscidea (elephants and kin)

 * Family: Elephantidae
 * Genus: Mammuthus (mammoths)
 * Species: Mammuthus lamarmorai Mammuthus lamarmorai

Order: Rodentia (rodents)

 * Suborder: Sciuromorpha
 * Family: Muridae (mice and rats)
 * Subfamily: Murinae
 * Genus Rhagamys
 * Tyrrhenian field rat, R. orthodon
 * Familly: Cricetidae
 * Subfamily: Arvicolinae
 * Genus: Microtus
 * Tyrrhenian vole, M. henseli

Order: Lagomorpha (lagomorphs)

 * Family: Ochotonidae (pikas)
 * Genus: Prolagus
 * Sardinian pika, P. sardus

Order: Eulipotyphla

 * Family: Soricidae (shrews)
 * Subfamily: Soricinae
 * Genus: Asoriculus
 * Asoriculus similis
 * Family: Talpidae (moles)
 * Genus: Talpa
 * Tyrrhenian mole, T. tyrrhenica

Order: Carnivora (carnivorans)

 * Family: Canidae (dogs, foxes, wolves)
 * Genus Cynotherium
 * Sardinian dhole, C. sardous
 * Family: Mustelidae
 * Subfamily: Galictinae
 * Genus: Enhydrictis
 * Enhydrictis galictoides
 * Subfamily:Lutrinae (otters)
 * Genus: Sardolutra
 * Genus: Algarolutra
 * Genus: Megalenhydris

Order: Artiodactyla (even-toed ungulates)

 * Family: Cervidae (deer)
 * Subfamily: Cervinae
 * Genus: Praemegaceros
 * Praemegaceros cazioti Extinct after 5700 BC