List of mammals of the Netherlands

This list shows the IUCN Red List status of the 77 mammal species occurring in the Netherlands. Two are endangered, two are vulnerable, and seven are near threatened.

The following tags are used to highlight each species' status as assessed on the respective IUCN Red List published 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: Sciurognathi
 * Family: Castoridae (beavers)
 * Genus: Castor
 * Eurasian beaver, C. fiber
 * Family: Sciuridae (squirrels)
 * Subfamily: Sciurinae
 * Genus: Sciurus
 * Red squirrel, S. vulgaris
 * Family: Gliridae (dormice)
 * Subfamily: Leithiinae
 * Genus: Eliomys
 * Garden dormouse, E. quercinus
 * Genus: Muscardinus
 * Hazel dormouse, Muscardinus avellanarius LC
 * Family: Cricetidae
 * Subfamily: Cricetinae
 * Genus: Cricetus
 * European hamster, C. cricetus
 * Subfamily: Arvicolinae
 * Genus: Arvicola
 * European water vole, A. amphibius
 * Montane water vole, A. scherman LC
 * Genus: Clethrionomys
 * Bank vole, Myodes glareolus LC
 * Genus: Microtus
 * Field vole, Microtus agrestis LC
 * Common vole, Microtus arvalis LC
 * Tundra vole, Microtus oeconomus arenicola LC
 * European pine vole, Microtus subterraneus LC
 * Family: Muridae (mice, rats, voles, gerbils, hamsters)
 * Subfamily: Murinae
 * Genus: Apodemus
 * Yellow-necked mouse, Apodemus flavicollis LC
 * Wood mouse, Apodemus sylvaticus LC
 * Genus: Micromys
 * Eurasian harvest mouse, Micromys minutus LC
 * Genus: Mus
 * House mouse, M. musculus
 * Genus: Rattus
 * Brown rat, R. norvegicus LC
 * Black rat, R. rattus

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 twentieth 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.


 * Genus: Lepus
 * European hare, L. europaeus
 * Family: Leporidae (rabbits, hares)
 * Genus: Oryctolagus
 * European rabbit, O. cuniculus introduced

Order: Eulipotyphla (shrews, hedgehogs and moles)
Eulipotyphlans are insectivorous mammals. Shrews and solenodons resemble mice, hedgehogs carry spines, gymnures look more like large rats, while moles are stout-bodied burrowers.
 * Family: Erinaceidae (hedgehogs)
 * Subfamily: Erinaceinae
 * Genus: Erinaceus
 * West European hedgehog, E. europaeus
 * Family: Soricidae (shrews)
 * Subfamily: Crocidurinae
 * Genus: Crocidura
 * Bicolored shrew, C. leucodon LC
 * Greater white-toothed shrew, C. russula LC
 * Subfamily: Soricinae
 * Tribe: Nectogalini
 * Genus: Neomys
 * Eurasian water shrew, Neomys fodiens LC
 * Tribe: Soricini
 * Genus: Sorex
 * Common shrew, Sorex araneus LC
 * Crowned shrew, Sorex coronatus LC
 * Eurasian pygmy shrew, Sorex minutus LC
 * Family: Talpidae (moles)
 * Subfamily: Talpinae
 * Tribe: Talpini
 * Genus: Talpa
 * European mole, Talpa europaea 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
 * Bechstein's bat, M. bechsteini
 * Brandt's bat, M. brandti
 * Pond bat, M. dasycneme
 * Daubenton's bat, M. daubentonii
 * Geoffroy's bat, M. emarginatus
 * Greater mouse-eared bat, M. myotis
 * Whiskered bat, M. mystacinus
 * Natterer's bat, M. nattereri
 * Subfamily: Vespertilioninae
 * Genus: Barbastella
 * Western barbastelle, B. barbastellus
 * Genus: Eptesicus
 * Northern bat, E. nilssonii LC
 * Serotine bat, E. serotinus LC
 * Genus: Nyctalus
 * Common noctule, N. noctula
 * Lesser noctule, N. leisleri
 * Genus: Pipistrellus
 * Nathusius' pipistrelle, P. nathusii
 * Common pipistrelle, P. pipistrellus LC
 * Soprano pipistrelle, P. pygmaeus LC
 * Genus: Plecotus
 * Brown long-eared bat, P. auritus
 * Grey long-eared bat, P. austriacus LC
 * Genus: Vespertilio
 * Parti-coloured bat, V. murinus LC

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: Balaenidae
 * Genus: Balaena
 * Bowhead whale, Balaena mysticetus LC (vagrant)
 * Genus: Eubalaena
 * North Atlantic right whale, Eubalaena glacialis EN (functionally extinct in north eastern Atlantic, a possible right whale was sighted off Texel and Schouwen-Duiveland in 2005. )
 * Family: Balaenopteridae
 * Subfamily: Balaenopterinae
 * Genus: Balaenoptera
 * Minke whale, Balaenoptera acutorostrata LC
 * Sei whale, Balaenoptera borealis EN
 * Fin whale, Balaenoptera physalus EN
 * Genus: Megaptera
 * Humpback whale, Megaptera novaeangliae LC
 * Suborder: Odontoceti
 * Superfamily: Platanistoidea
 * Family: Monodontidae
 * Genus: Monodon
 * Narwhal, Monodon monoceros NT
 * Genus: Delphinapterus
 * Beluga, Delphinapterus leucas LC vagrant
 * Family: Phocoenidae
 * Genus: Phocoena
 * Harbour porpoise, Phocoena phocoena LC
 * Family: Physeteridae
 * Genus: Physeter
 * Sperm whale, Physeter macrocephalus VU
 * Family: Kogiidae
 * Genus: Kogia
 * Pygmy sperm whale, K. breviceps
 * Family: Ziphidae
 * Subfamily: Hyperoodontinae
 * Genus: Hyperoodon
 * Northern bottlenose whale, Hyperoodon ampullatus DD
 * Genus: Mesoplodon
 * Sowerby's beaked whale, Mesoplodon bidens DD
 * Blainville's beaked whale, Mesoplodon densirostris DD
 * Gray's beaked whale, Mesoplodon grayi DD
 * Subfamily: Ziphiinae
 * Genus: Ziphius
 * Cuvier's beaked whale, Ziphius cavirostris LC
 * Family: Delphinidae (marine dolphins)
 * Genus: Lagenorhynchus
 * White-beaked dolphin, Lagenorhynchus albirostris LC
 * Genus: Leucopleurus
 * Atlantic white-sided dolphin, Leucopleurus acutus LC
 * Genus: Tursiops
 * Bottlenose dolphin, Tursiops truncatus LC
 * Genus: Stenella
 * Striped dolphin, Stenella coeruleoalba LC
 * Genus: Delphinus
 * Short-beaked common dolphin, Delphinus delphis LC
 * Genus: Grampus
 * Risso's dolphin, Grampus griseus LC
 * Genus: Globicephala
 * Long-finned pilot whale, Globicephala melas DD
 * Genus: Orcinus
 * Orca, O. orca

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: Felis
 * European wildcat, F. silvestris
 * Family: Viverridae
 * Subfamily: Viverrinae
 * Genus: Genetta
 * Common genet, G. genetta introduced, presence uncertain
 * Suborder: Caniformia
 * Family: Canidae (dogs, foxes)
 * Genus: Canis
 * Gray wolf, C. lupus
 * Genus: Vulpes
 * Red fox, V. vulpes
 * Family: Mustelidae (mustelids)
 * Genus: Lutra
 * European otter, L. lutra
 * Genus: Martes
 * Beech marten, M. foina
 * European pine marten, M. martes
 * Genus: Meles
 * European badger, M. meles
 * Genus: Mustela
 * Stoat, M. erminea
 * European mink, M. lutreola
 * Least weasel, M. nivalis
 * European polecat, M. putorius
 * Genus: Neogale
 * American mink, N. vison presence uncertain, introduced
 * Family: Phocidae (earless seals)
 * Genus: Cystophora
 * Hooded seal, Cystophora cristata VU
 * Genus: Halichoerus
 * Grey seal, Halichoerus grypus LC
 * Genus: Pagophilus
 * Harp seal, Pagophilus groenlandicus LC
 * Genus: Phoca
 * Common seal, Phoca vitulina LC
 * Genus: Pusa
 * Ringed seal, Pusa hispida 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: Cervidae (deer)
 * Subfamily: Cervinae
 * Genus: Cervus
 * Red deer, C. elaphus
 * Genus: Dama
 * European fallow deer, D. dama introduced
 * Subfamily: Capreolinae
 * Genus: Capreolus
 * Roe deer, C. capreolus
 * Family: Suidae (pigs)
 * Subfamily: Suinae
 * Genus: Sus
 * Wild boar, S. scrofa

Locally extinct
The following species are locally extinct in the country:
 * European bison, Bison bonasus
 * European wildcat, Felis silvestris
 * Greater horseshoe bat, Rhinolophus ferrumequinum
 * Lesser horseshoe bat, Rhinolophus hipposideros
 * Brown bear, Ursus arctos
 * Moose, Alces alces
 * Eurasian lynx, Lynx lynx