List of mammals of the Balearic Islands

All three land mammal species once endemic to the Balearic Islands, Spain (the Majorcan giant dormouse, the Balearic shrew and the goat-like ruminant Myotragus balearicus) are currently extinct, while those presently found on the archipelago have been introduced voluntarily or accidentally by humans in colonization waves beginning in the Neolithic.

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: Sciuromorpha
 * Family: Gliridae (dormice)
 * Subfamily: Leithiinae
 * Genus: Eliomys
 * Garden dormouse, E. quercinus introduced
 * Genus: Hypnomys
 * Mallorcan giant dormouse, H. morpheus
 * Suborder: Myomorpha
 * Family: Muridae (mice and rats)
 * Subfamily: Murinae
 * Genus: Apodemus
 * Wood mouse, A. sylvaticus introduced
 * Genus: Mus
 * House mouse, M. musculus introduced
 * Algerian mouse, M. spretus introduced
 * Genus: Rattus
 * Black rat, R. rattus introduced
 * Brown rat, R. 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 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
 * Granada hare, L. granatensis introduced
 * Genus: Oryctolagus
 * European rabbit, O. cuniculus introduced

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: Atelerix
 * North African hedgehog, A. algirus introduced

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
 * North African white-toothed shrew, C. ichnusae introduced
 * Lesser white-toothed shrew, C. suaveolens introduced
 * Subfamily: Soricinae
 * Genus: Nesiotites
 * Balearic shrew, N. hidalgo

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. schreibersi
 * Family: Molossidae (free-tailed bats)
 * Subfamily: Molossinae
 * Genus: Tadarida
 * European free-tailed bat, T. teniotis
 * Family: Rhinolophidae (horseshoe bats)
 * Subfamily: Rhinolophinae
 * Genus: Rhinolophus
 * 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
 * Lesser mouse-eared bat, M. blythii
 * Long-fingered bat, M. capaccinii
 * Geoffroy's bat, M. emarginatus
 * Greater mouse-eared bat, M. myotis
 * Natterer's bat, M. nattereri
 * Subfamily: Verpertilioninae
 * Genus: Barbastella
 * Barbastelle, B. barbastellus
 * Genus: Eptesicus
 * Serotine bat, E. serotinus
 * Genus: Hypsugo
 * Savi's pipistrelle, H. savii
 * Genus: Plecotus
 * Grey long-eared bat, P. austriacus
 * Genus: Pipistrellus
 * Kuhl's pipistrelle, P. kuhlii
 * Common pipistrelle, P. pipistrellus
 * Soprano pipistrelle, P. pygmaeus

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
 * Fin whale, B. physalus
 * Suborder: Odontoceti
 * Family: Delphinidae (dolphins and pilot whales)
 * Genus: Delphinus
 * Short-beaked common dolphin, D. delphis
 * Genus: Globicephala
 * Long-finned pilot whale, G. melas
 * Genus: Grampus
 * Risso's dolphin, G. griseus
 * Genus: Orcinus
 * Orca, O. orca
 * Genus: Pseudorca
 * False killer whale, P. crassidens
 * Genus: Stenella
 * Striped dolphin, S. coeruleoalba
 * Genus: Tursiops
 * Common bottlenose dolphin, T. truncatus
 * Family: Physeteridae (sperm whales)
 * Genus: Physeter
 * Sperm whale, P. macrocephalus
 * Family: Ziphiidae (beaked whales)
 * Genus: Ziphius
 * Cuvier's beaked whale, Z. 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.


 * Family: Viverridae (civets and genets)
 * Genus: Genetta
 * Common genet, G. genetta introduced
 * Suborder: Caniformia
 * Family: Mustelidae (weasels)
 * Genus: Martes
 * European pine marten, M. martes introduced
 * Genus: Mustela
 * Least weasel, M. nivalis introduced

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: Caprinae
 * Genus: Capra
 * Balearean boc, C. capra var. majorcan introduced
 * Genus: Myotragus
 * Balearic cave goat, M. balearicus

Locally extinct
The following species are locally extinct in the area but continue to exist elsewhere:
 * Mediterranean monk seal, Monachus monachus