List of mammals of South Korea

This is a list of the mammal species recorded in South Korea. There are eighty-five mammal species in South Korea, of which six are endangered, six are vulnerable, and two are near threatened. One of the species listed for South Korea is considered to be extinct. The national animal of South Korea is the Siberian tiger.

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: 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: Sciuridae (squirrels)
 * Subfamily: Sciurinae
 * Tribe: Sciurini
 * Genus: Sciurus
 * Red squirrel, S. vulgaris
 * Tribe: Pteromyini
 * Genus: Pteromys
 * Siberian flying squirrel, P. volans LR/nt
 * Subfamily: Xerinae
 * Tribe: Marmotini
 * Genus: Eutamias
 * Siberian chipmunk, E. sibiricus LR/lc
 * Family: Cricetidae
 * Subfamily: Cricetinae
 * Genus: Cricetulus
 * Chinese striped hamster, C. barabensis LR/lc
 * Genus: Tscherskia
 * Greater long-tailed hamster, T. triton LR/lc
 * Subfamily: Arvicolinae
 * Genus: Clethrionomys
 * Gray red-backed vole, C. rufocanus LR/lc
 * Northern red-backed vole, C. rutilus LR/lc
 * Genus: Eothenomys
 * Royal vole, E. regulus LR/lc
 * Family: Muridae (mice, rats, voles, gerbils, hamsters, etc.)
 * Subfamily: Murinae
 * Genus: Apodemus
 * Striped field mouse, A. agrarius LR/lc
 * Korean field mouse, A. peninsulae LR/lc
 * Genus: Micromys
 * Harvest mouse, M. minutus LR/nt
 * Genus: Rattus
 * Tanezumi rat, R. tanezumi LR/lc

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
 * Korean hare, L. coreanus LR/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: Erinaceus
 * Amur hedgehog, E. amurensis LR/lc

Order: Soricomorpha (shrews, moles, and solenodons)
The "shrew-forms" are insectivorous mammals. Shrews and solenodons closely resemble mice, while moles are stout-bodied burrowers.


 * Family: Soricidae (shrews)
 * Subfamily: Crocidurinae
 * Genus: Crocidura
 * Dsinezumi shrew, C. dsinezumi LR/lc
 * Ussuri white-toothed shrew, C. lasiura LR/lc
 * Lesser white-toothed shrew, C. suaveolens LR/lc
 * Subfamily: Soricinae
 * Tribe: Soricini
 * Genus: Sorex
 * Laxmann's shrew, S. caecutiens LR/lc
 * Taiga shrew, S. isodon LR/lc
 * Eurasian least shrew, S. minutissimus LR/lc
 * Family: Talpidae (moles)
 * Subfamily: Talpinae
 * Tribe: Talpini
 * Genus: Mogera
 * Large mole, M. robusta LR/lc

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
 * Daubenton's bat, M. daubentonii LR/lc
 * Hodgson's bat, M. formosus LR/lc
 * Fraternal myotis, M. frater LR/nt
 * Whiskered bat, M. mystacinus LR/lc
 * Subfamily: Vespertilioninae
 * Genus: Eptesicus
 * Kobayashi's bat, E. kobayashii DD
 * Northern bat, E. nilssoni LR/lc
 * Genus: Hypsugo
 * Savi's pipistrelle, H. savii LR/lc
 * Genus: Nyctalus
 * Birdlike noctule, N.s aviator LR/nt
 * Genus: Plecotus
 * Brown long-eared bat, P. auritus LR/lc
 * Genus: Vespertilio
 * Asian parti-colored bat, V, superans LR/lc
 * Subfamily: Murininae
 * Genus: Murina
 * Greater tube-nosed bat, M. leucogaster LR/lc
 * Ussuri tube-nosed bat, M. ussuriensis EN
 * Subfamily: Miniopterinae
 * Genus: Miniopterus
 * Schreibers' long-fingered bat, M. schreibersii LC
 * Family: Molossidae
 * Genus: Tadarida
 * European free-tailed bat, T. teniotis LR/lc
 * Family: Rhinolophidae
 * Subfamily: Rhinolophinae
 * Genus: Rhinolophus
 * Greater horseshoe bat, R. ferrumequinum LR/nt

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.


 * Suborder: Mysticeti
 * Family: Balaenidae
 * Genus: Balaena
 * Bowhead whale, Balaena mysticetus (Sea of Okhotsk) EN
 * Genus: Eubalaena
 * North Pacific right whale, Eubalaena japonica CR
 * Family: Eschrichtiidae
 * Genus: Eschrichtius
 * Western gray whale, Eschrichtius robustus CR
 * Family: Balaenopteridae
 * Subfamily: Megapterinae
 * Genus: Megaptera
 * Humpback whale, Megaptera novaeangliae (Sea of Japan and Yellow/Bohai Seas) EN
 * Subfamily: Balaenopterinae
 * Genus: Balaenoptera
 * Common minke whale, Balaenoptera acutorostrata (Sea of Japan and Yellow/Bohai Seas) EN
 * Northern sei whale, Balaenoptera borealis EN
 * Bryde's whale, Balaenoptera brydi DD
 * Eden's whale, Balaenoptera edeni (East China Sea) CR
 * Northern blue whale, Balaenoptera musculus CR
 * Omura's whale, Balaenoptera omurai DD
 * Northern fin whale, Balaenoptera physalus CR
 * Suborder: Odontoceti
 * Superfamily: Platanistoidea
 * Family: Phocoenidae
 * Genus: Neophocaena
 * Sunameri, Neophocaena phocaenoides phocaenoides VU
 * Genus: Phocoena
 * Harbor porpoise, Phocoena phocoena VU
 * Genus: Phocoenoides
 * Dall's porpoise, Phocoenoides dalli LR/cd
 * Family: Physeteridae
 * Genus: Physeter
 * Sperm whale, Physeter macrocephalus VU
 * Family: Kogiidae
 * Genus: Kogia
 * Pygmy sperm whale, Kogia breviceps LR/lc
 * Dwarf sperm whale, Kogia sima LR/lc
 * Family: Ziphidae
 * Subfamily: Ziphiinae
 * Genus: Ziphius
 * Cuvier's beaked whale, Ziphius cavirostris LC
 * Subfamily: Berardiinae
 * Genus: Berardius
 * Baird's beaked whale, Berardius bairdii LR/cd
 * Subfamily: Hyperoodontinae
 * Genus: Mesoplodon
 * Blainville's beaked whale, Mesoplodon densirostris DD
 * Ginkgo-toothed beaked whale, Mesoplodon ginkgodens DD
 * Stejneger's beaked whale, Mesoplodon stejnegeri DD
 * Family: Delphinidae (marine dolphins)
 * Genus: Steno
 * Rough-toothed dolphin, Steno bredanensis DD
 * Genus: Stenella
 * Pantropical spotted dolphin, Stenella attenuata LR/cd
 * Striped dolphin, Stenella coeruleoalba LR/cd
 * Spinner dolphin, Stenella longirostris LR/cd
 * Genus: Delphinus
 * Long-beaked common dolphin, Delphinus capensis LR/lc
 * Short-beaked common dolphin, Delphinus delphis LR/lc
 * Genus: Tursiops
 * Common bottlenose dolphin, Tursiops truncatus LR/lc
 * Genus: Lagenorhynchus
 * Pacific white-sided dolphin, Lagenorhynchus obliquidens LR/lc
 * Genus: Lissodelphis
 * Northern right whale dolphin, Lissodelphis borealis LR/lc
 * Genus: Grampus
 * Risso's dolphin, Grampus griseus DD
 * Genus: Feresa
 * Pygmy killer whale, Feresa attenuata DD
 * Genus: Pseudorca
 * False killer whale, Pseudorca crassidens DD
 * Genus: Orcinus
 * Killer whale, Orcinus orca (Sea of Japan and Yellow/Bohai Seas) EN
 * Genus: Globicephala
 * Short-finned pilot whale, Globicephala macrorhyncus 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: Lynx
 * Eurasian lynx, L. lynx  possibly extirpated
 * Genus: Prionailurus
 * Leopard cat, P. bengalensis
 * Subfamily: Pantherinae
 * Genus: Panthera
 * Leopard, P. pardus extirpated
 * Amur leopard, P. p. orientalis extirpated
 * Tiger, P. tigris extirpated
 * Siberian tiger, P. t. tigris  extirpated
 * Suborder: Caniformia
 * Family: Canidae (dogs, foxes)
 * Genus: Vulpes
 * Red fox, V. vulpes possibly extirpated
 * Korean fox, V. v. peculiosa possibly extirpated
 * Genus: Nyctereutes
 * Raccoon dog, N. procyonoides
 * Genus: Canis (canines)
 * Grey wolf, C. lupus
 * Mongolian wolf, C. l. chanco
 * Genus: Cuon
 * Dhole, C. alpinus extirpated
 * Ussuri dhole, C. a. alpinus extirpated
 * Family: Ursidae (bears)
 * Genus: Ursus
 * Brown bear, U. arctos  extirpated
 * Ussuri brown bear, U. a. lasiotus extirpated
 * Asiatic black bear, U. thibetanus   reintroduced
 * Family: Mustelidae (mustelids)
 * Genus: Lutra
 * European otter, L. lutra
 * Genus: Martes
 * Yellow-throated marten, M. flavigula LR/lc
 * Genus: Meles
 * Asian badger, M. leucurus LR/lc
 * Genus: Mustela
 * Least weasel, M. nivalis LR/lc
 * Siberian weasel, M. sibirica LR/lc
 * Family: Otariidae (eared seals, sealions)
 * Genus: Callorhinus
 * Northern fur seal, C. ursinus, vagrant
 * Genus: Eumetopias
 * Steller sea lion, E. jubatus, vagrant
 * Genus: Zalophus
 * Japanese sea lion, Z. japonicus
 * Family: Phocidae (earless seals)
 * Genus: Phoca
 * Spotted seal, P. largha
 * Common seal, P. vitulina LR/lc
 * Genus: Pusa
 * Ringed seal, P. hispida LR/lc
 * Ringed seal, P. hispida LR/lc

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 LR/lc
 * Family: Moschidae
 * Genus: Moschus
 * Siberian musk deer, M. moschiferus
 * Family: Cervidae (deer)
 * Subfamily: Cervinae
 * Genus: Cervus
 * Elk, C. canadensis
 * Manchurian wapiti, C. c. xanthopygus extirpated
 * Sika deer, C. nippon
 * Manchurian sika deer, C. n. mantchuricus extirpated
 * Formosan sika deer, C. n. taiouanus introduced
 * Subfamily: Hydropotinae
 * Genus: Hydropotes
 * Water deer, H. inermis LR/nt
 * Subfamily: Capreolinae
 * Genus: Capreolus
 * Siberian roe deer, C. pygargus LR/lc
 * Family: Bovidae (cattle, antelope, sheep, goats)
 * Subfamily: Bovinae
 * Genus: Bos
 * Aurochs, B. primigenius
 * Subfamily: Caprinae
 * Genus: Nemorhaedus
 * Long-tailed goral, N. caudatus
 * List of mammals of Korea
 * Wildlife of Korea
 * List of mammals of North Korea
 * List of chordate orders
 * Lists of mammals by region
 * Mammal classification