List of mammals of the Canary Islands

This is a list of the mammal species recorded in the Canary Islands, Spain. Since the Osorian shrew (Crocidura osorio) was proven to be actually a population of introduced European greater white-toothed shrew (C. russula) the Canarian shrew, C. canariensis is believed to be the only surviving native terrestrial mammal of the archipelago, every other species now present having been voluntarily or accidentally introduced by humans.

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: Sciuridae (squirrels)
 * Subfamily: Xerinae
 * Genus: Atlantoxerus
 * Barbary ground squirrel, A. getulus introduced
 * Suborder: Myomorpha
 * Family: Muridae (mice and rats)
 * Genus: Canariomys
 * Tenerife giant rat, C. bravoi
 * Gran Canaria giant rat, C. tamarani
 * Genus: Malpaisomys
 * Lava mouse, M. insularis
 * Subfamily: Murinae
 * Genus: Mus
 * House mouse, M. musculus introduced
 * Genus: Rattus
 * Black rat, R. rattus introduced
 * Brown rat, R. norvegicus introduced

Order: Lagomorphs (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: 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
 * Canarian shrew, Crocidura canariensis
 * Greater white-toothed shrew, Crocidura russula introduced
 * Genus: Suncus
 * Etruscan shrew, Suncus etruscus introduced

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.


 * Suborder: Megachiroptera
 * Family: Pteropodidae (flying foxes, Old World fruit bats)
 * Genus: Rousettus
 * Egyptian fruit bat, Rousettus aegyptiacus introduced
 * Suborder: Microchiroptera
 * Family: Molossidae (free-tailed bats)
 * Subfamily: Molossinae
 * Genus: Tadarida
 * European free-tailed bat, Tadarida teniotis
 * Family: Vespertilionidae (vesper bats)
 * Subfamily: Vespertilioninae
 * Genus: Barbastella
 * Barbastelle, Barbastella barbastellus
 * Genus: Hypsugo
 * Savi's pipistrelle, Hypsugo savii
 * Genus: Nyctalus
 * Lesser noctule, Nyctalus leisleri
 * Genus: Pipistrellus
 * Kuhl's pipistrelle, Pipistrellus kuhlii
 * Madeira pipistrelle, Pipistrellus maderensis
 * Genus: Plecotus
 * Canary big-eared bat, Plecotus teneriffae

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
 * Bryde's whale, Balaenoptera edeni
 * Blue whale, Balaenoptera musculus
 * Fin whale, Balaenoptera physalus vagrant
 * Genus: Megaptera
 * Humpback whale, Megaptera novaeangliae
 * Family: Balaenidae
 * Genus: Eubalaena
 * North Atlantic right whale, Eubalaena glacialis
 * Suborder: Odontoceti
 * Family: Delphinidae (dolphins and pilot whales)
 * Genus: Delphinus
 * Short-beaked common dolphin, Delphinus delphis
 * Genus: Globicephala
 * Short-finned pilot whale, Globicephala macrorhynchus
 * Long-finned pilot whale, Globicephala melas
 * Genus: Grampus
 * Risso's dolphin, Grampus griseus
 * Genus: Lagenodelphis
 * Fraser's dolphin, Lagenodelphis hosei
 * Genus: Orcinus
 * Orca, Orcinus orca
 * Genus: Pseudorca
 * False killer whale, Pseudorca crassidens
 * Genus: Stenella
 * Striped dolphin, Stenella coeruleoalba
 * Atlantic spotted dolphin, Stenella frontalis
 * Genus: Steno
 * Rough-toothed dolphin, Steno bredanensis
 * Genus: Tursiops
 * Common bottlenose dolphin, Tursiops truncatus
 * Family: Kogiidae (small sperm whales)
 * Genus: Kogia
 * Pygmy sperm whale, Kogia breviceps
 * Dwarf sperm whale, Kogia sima
 * Family: Physeteridae (sperm whales)
 * Genus: Physeter
 * Sperm whale, Physeter macrocephalus
 * Family: Ziphiidae (beaked whales)
 * Genus: Hyperoodon
 * Northern bottlenose whale, Hyperoodon ampullatus
 * Genus: Mesoplodon
 * Blainville's beaked whale, Mesoplodon densirostris
 * Gervais' beaked whale, Mesoplodon europaeus
 * True's beaked whale, Mesoplodon mirus
 * Genus: Ziphius
 * Cuvier's beaked whale, Ziphius cavirostris

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: Ammotragus
 * Barbary sheep, Ammotragus lervia introduced
 * Genus: Ovis
 * European mouflon, Ovis aries introduced

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