List of mammals of South Ossetia

This is a list of the mammal species recorded in South Ossetia.

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)



 * Suborder: Sciurognathi
 * Family: Sciuridae (squirrels)
 * Subfamily: Sciurinae
 * Tribe: Sciurini
 * Genus: Sciurus
 * Caucasian squirrel, S. anomalus LC
 * Subfamily: Xerinae
 * Tribe: Marmotini
 * Genus: Spermophilus
 * Caucasian mountain ground squirrel, Spermophilus musicus
 * Little ground squirrel, Spermophilus pygmaeus
 * Family: Gliridae (dormice)
 * Subfamily: Leithiinae
 * Genus: Dryomys
 * Forest dormouse, Dryomys nitedula LR/nt
 * Subfamily: Glirinae
 * Genus: Glis
 * European edible dormouse, Glis glis LR/nt
 * Family: Dipodidae (jerboas)
 * Subfamily: Allactaginae
 * Genus: Allactaga
 * Small five-toed jerboa, Allactaga elater
 * Subfamily: Sicistinae
 * Genus: Sicista
 * Northern birch mouse, Sicista betulina LR/nt
 * Caucasian birch mouse, Sicista caucasica
 * Kazbeg birch mouse, Sicista kazbegica DD
 * Family: Cricetidae
 * Subfamily: Cricetinae
 * Genus: Cricetus
 * European hamster, Cricetus cricetus
 * Ciscaucasian hamster, Mesocricetus raddei
 * Subfamily: Arvicolinae
 * Genus: Chionomys
 * Caucasian snow vole, Chionomys gud LR/nt
 * Robert's snow vole, Chionomys roberti LR/nt
 * Genus: Ellobius
 * Transcaucasian mole vole, Ellobius lutescens
 * Genus: Microtus
 * Altai vole, Microtus obscurus
 * Family: Muridae (mice, rats, voles, gerbils, hamsters, etc.)
 * Subfamily: Murinae
 * Genus: Apodemus
 * Striped field mouse, Apodemus agrarius
 * Yellow-breasted field mouse, Apodemus fulvipectus
 * Black Sea field mouse, Apodemus ponticus
 * Ural field mouse, Apodemus uralensis
 * Genus: Micromys
 * Harvest mouse, Micromys minutus LR/nt

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.


 * Family: Erinaceidae (hedgehogs)
 * Subfamily: Erinaceinae
 * Genus: Erinaceus
 * Southern white-breasted hedgehog, Erinaceus concolor

Order: Soricomorpha (shrews, moles, and solenodons)
The Soricomorpha are insectivorous mammals. The shrews and solenodons resemble mice.
 * Family: Soricidae (shrews)
 * Subfamily: Crocidurinae
 * Genus: Crocidura
 * Gueldenstaedt's shrew, Crocidura gueldenstaedtii
 * Bicolored shrew, Crocidura leucodon
 * Lesser white-toothed shrew, Crocidura suaveolens
 * Tribe: Soricini
 * Genus: Sorex
 * Eurasian pygmy shrew, Sorex minutus
 * Radde's shrew, Sorex raddei
 * Caucasian pygmy shrew, Sorex volnuchini

Order: Chiroptera (bats)
The bats' most distinguishing feature is that their forelimbs are developed as wings, making them the only mammals capable of flight.


 * Family: Vespertilionidae
 * Subfamily: Myotinae
 * Genus: Myotis
 * Bechstein's bat, Myotis bechsteini VU
 * Lesser mouse-eared bat, Myotis blythii
 * Geoffroy's bat, Myotis emarginatus VU
 * Natterer's bat, Myotis nattereri
 * Subfamily: Vespertilioninae
 * Genus: Barbastella
 * Barbastelle, Barbastella barbastellus VU
 * Genus: Eptesicus
 * Northern bat, Eptesicus nilssoni
 * Genus: Nyctalus
 * Greater noctule bat, Nyctalus lasiopterus LR/nt
 * Lesser noctule, Nyctalus leisleri LR/nt
 * Genus: Pipistrellus
 * Nathusius' pipistrelle, Pipistrellus nathusii
 * Genus: Plecotus
 * Brown long-eared bat, Plecotus auritus
 * Subfamily: Miniopterinae
 * Genus: Miniopterus
 * Schreibers' long-fingered bat, Miniopterus schreibersii LC
 * Family: Rhinolophidae
 * Subfamily: Rhinolophinae
 * Genus: Rhinolophus
 * Mediterranean horseshoe bat, Rhinolophus euryale VU
 * Greater horseshoe bat, Rhinolophus ferrumequinum LR/nt
 * Lesser horseshoe bat, Rhinolophus hipposideros LC
 * Mehely's horseshoe bat, Rhinolophus mehelyi VU

Order: Carnivora (carnivorans)


The majority of the species of carnivorans feed primarily on meat. They have a characteristic skull shape and dentition.


 * Suborder: Feliformia
 * Family: Felidae (cats)
 * Subfamily: Felinae
 * Genus: Felis
 * Wildcat, Felis silvestris LC
 * Genus: Lynx
 * Eurasian lynx, Lynx lynx NT
 * Subfamily: Pantherinae
 * Genus: Panthera
 * Leopard, Panthera pardus LC
 * Suborder: Caniformia
 * Family: Canidae (dogs, foxes)
 * Genus: Vulpes
 * Red fox, Vulpes vulpes LC
 * Genus: Canis
 * Gray wolf, Canis lupus LC
 * Family: Ursidae (bears)
 * Genus: Ursus
 * Brown bear, Ursus arctos
 * Family: Mustelidae (mustelids)
 * Genus: Mustela
 * Stoat, Mustela erminea
 * Steppe polecat, Mustela eversmannii
 * European mink, Mustela lutreola EN
 * Least weasel, Mustela nivalis
 * Genus: Vormela
 * Marbled polecat, Vormela peregusna
 * Genus: Martes
 * Beech marten, Martes foina
 * Pine marten, Martes martes
 * Genus: Meles
 * Caucasian badger, M. canescens
 * Genus: Lutra
 * European otter, Lutra lutra NT
 * Family: Phocidae (earless seals)
 * Genus: Monachus
 * Mediterranean monk seal, Monachus monachus CR

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.


 * Family: Cervidae (deer)
 * Subfamily: Cervinae
 * Genus: Cervus
 * Red deer, C. elaphus
 * Subfamily: Capreolinae
 * Genus: Alces
 * Moose, A. alces extirpated
 * Caucasian moose, A. a. caucasicus
 * Family: Bovidae (bovids)
 * Subfamily: Caprinae
 * Genus: Capra
 * Wild goat, C. aegagrus
 * West Caucasian tur, C. caucasica
 * East Caucasian tur, C. cylindricornis
 * Genus: Ovis
 * Argali, O. ammon
 * Genus: Rupicapra
 * Chamois, R. rupicapra