List of mammals of Turkmenistan

This is a list of the mammal species recorded in Turkmenistan. There are eighty-three mammal species in Turkmenistan, of which one is critically endangered, three are endangered, twelve are vulnerable, and five are near threatened.

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

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: Cervidae (deer)
 * Subfamily: Cervinae
 * Genus: Cervus
 * Central Asian red deer C. hanglu
 * Bactrian deer, C. h. bactrianus
 * Family: Bovidae (cattle, antelope, sheep, goats)
 * Subfamily: Antilopinae
 * Genus: Gazella
 * Goitered gazelle, G. subgutturosa
 * Genus: Saiga
 * Saiga antelope, S. tatarica
 * Subfamily: Caprinae
 * Genus: Capra
 * Wild goat, C. aegagrus
 * Markhor, C. falconeri
 * Genus: Ovis
 * Urial, O. vignei
 * Family: Suidae (pigs)
 * Subfamily: Suinae
 * Genus: Sus
 * Wild boar, S. scrofa

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: Caracal
 * Caracal, C. caracal
 * Genus: Felis
 * Jungle cat, F. chaus
 * African wildcat, F. lybica
 * Asiatic wildcat, F. l. ornata
 * Sand cat, F. margarita
 * Turkestan sand cat, F. m. thinobia
 * Genus: Lynx
 * Eurasian lynx, L. lynx
 * Genus: Otocolobus
 * Pallas's cat, O. manul
 * Subfamily: Pantherinae
 * Genus: Panthera
 * Leopard, P. pardus
 * Persian leopard, P. p. tulliana
 * Family: Hyaenidae (hyaenas)
 * Genus: Hyaena
 * Striped hyena, H. hyaena
 * Suborder: Caniformia
 * Family: Canidae (dogs, foxes)
 * Genus: Canis
 * Golden jackal, C. aureus
 * Gray wolf, C. lupus
 * Genus: Vulpes
 * Blanford's fox, V. cana
 * Corsac fox, V. corsac
 * Red fox, V. vulpes
 * Family: Ursidae (bears)
 * Genus: Ursus
 * Brown bear, U. arctos presence uncertain
 * Syrian brown bear, U. a. syriacus presence uncertain
 * Family: Mustelidae (mustelids)
 * Genus: Lutra
 * Eurasian otter, L. lutra
 * Genus: Martes
 * Beech marten, M. foina
 * Genus: Meles
 * Caucasian badger, M. canescens
 * Genus: Mellivora
 * Honey badger, M. capensis
 * Genus: Mustela
 * Steppe polecat, M. eversmannii
 * Least weasel, M. nivalis
 * Genus: Vormela
 * Marbled polecat, V. peregusna
 * Family: Phocidae (earless seals)
 * Genus: Pusa
 * Caspian seal, P. caspica

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
 * Lesser mouse-eared bat, M. blythii
 * Geoffroy's bat, M. emarginatus
 * Natterer's bat, M. nattereri
 * Subfamily: Vespertilioninae
 * Genus: Eptesicus
 * Bobrinski's serotine, E. bobrinskoi
 * Botta's serotine, E. bottae
 * Subfamily: Miniopterinae
 * Genus: Miniopterus
 * Common bent-wing bat, M. schreibersii
 * Family: Molossidae
 * Genus: Tadarida
 * European free-tailed bat, T. teniotis
 * Family: Rhinolophidae
 * Subfamily: Rhinolophinae
 * Genus: Rhinolophus
 * Blasius's horseshoe bat, R. blasii
 * Bokhara horseshoe bat, R. bocharicus
 * Mediterranean horseshoe bat, R. euryale
 * Greater horseshoe bat, R. ferrumequinum
 * Lesser horseshoe bat, R. hipposideros

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: Hemiechinus
 * Long-eared hedgehog, H. auritus
 * Genus: Paraechinus
 * Brandt's hedgehog, P. hypomelas

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 (hares etc.)
 * Genus: Lepus
 * Tolai hare, L. tolai
 * Family: Ochotonidae (pikas)
 * Genus: Ochotona
 * Afghan pika, O. rufescens

Order: Perissodactyla (odd-toed ungulates)
The odd-toed ungulates are browsing and grazing mammals. They are usually large to very large, and have relatively simple stomachs and a large middle toe.
 * Family: Equidae (horses etc.)
 * Genus: Equus
 * Onager, E. hemionus
 * Turkmenian kulan, E. h. kulan

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: Xerinae
 * Tribe: Xerini
 * Genus: Spermophilopsis
 * Long-clawed ground squirrel, S. leptodactylus
 * Tribe: Marmotini
 * Genus: Marmota
 * Menzbier's marmot, M. menzbieri
 * Genus: Spermophilus
 * Yellow ground squirrel, Spermophilus fulvus
 * Family: Gliridae (dormice)
 * Subfamily: Leithiinae
 * Genus: Dryomys
 * Forest dormouse, Dryomys nitedula
 * Genus: Myomimus
 * Masked mouse-tailed dormouse, Myomimus personatus VU
 * Subfamily: Glirinae
 * Genus: Glis
 * Iranian edible dormouse, Glis persicus
 * Family: Dipodidae (jerboas)
 * Subfamily: Allactaginae
 * Genus: Allactaga
 * Small five-toed jerboa, Allactaga elater
 * Great jerboa, Allactaga major
 * Severtzov's jerboa, Allactaga severtzovi
 * Mongolian five-toed jerboa, Allactaga sibirica
 * Genus: Allactodipus
 * Bobrinski's jerboa, Allactodipus bobrinskii
 * Subfamily: Dipodinae
 * Genus: Dipus
 * Northern three-toed jerboa, Dipus sagitta
 * Genus: Eremodipus
 * Lichtenstein's jerboa, Eremodipus lichtensteini
 * Genus: Jaculus
 * Turkmen jerboa, Jaculus turcmenicus
 * Genus: Paradipus
 * Comb-toed jerboa, Paradipus ctenodactylus
 * Genus: Stylodipus
 * Thick-tailed three-toed jerboa, Stylodipus telum
 * Family: Calomyscidae
 * Genus: Calomyscus
 * Great Balkhan mouse-like hamster, Calomyscus mystax
 * Family: Cricetidae
 * Subfamily: Arvicolinae
 * Genus: Blanfordimys
 * Afghan vole, Blanfordimys afghanus
 * Genus: Ellobius
 * Southern mole vole, Ellobius fuscocapillus
 * Northern mole vole, Ellobius talpinus
 * Zaisan mole vole, Ellobius tancrei
 * Genus: Microtus
 * Persian vole, Microtus irani
 * Tien Shan vole, Microtus kirgisorum
 * Transcaspian vole, Microtus transcaspicus
 * Family: Muridae (mice, rats, voles, gerbils, hamsters)
 * Subfamily: Gerbillinae
 * Genus: Meriones
 * Libyan jird, Meriones libycus LC
 * Midday jird, Meriones meridianus
 * Persian jird, Meriones persicus
 * Tamarisk jird, Meriones tamariscinus
 * Zarudny's jird, Meriones zarudnyi EN
 * Genus: Rhombomys
 * Great gerbil, Rhombomys opimus LC
 * Subfamily: Murinae
 * Genus: Nesokia
 * Short-tailed bandicoot rat, Nesokia indica LC

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


 * Family: Soricidae (shrews)
 * Subfamily: Crocidurinae
 * Genus: Crocidura
 * Lesser white-toothed shrew, C. suaveolens
 * Genus: Diplomesodon
 * Piebald shrew, D. pulchellum
 * Subfamily: Soricinae
 * Tribe: Soricini
 * Genus: Sorex
 * Eurasian pygmy shrew, S. minutus

Locally extinct
The following species are locally extinct in the country:
 * Cheetah, Acinonyx jubatus
 * Tiger, Panthera tigris