List of mammals of Malta

This is a list of the mammal species recorded in Malta. There are twenty mammal species in Malta, of which one is critically endangered.[1]

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

EXExtinctNo reasonable doubt that the last individual has died.
EWExtinct in the wildKnown only to survive in captivity or as a naturalized populations well outside its previous range.
CRCritically endangeredThe species is in imminent risk of extinction in the wild.
ENEndangeredThe species is facing an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild.
VUVulnerableThe species is facing a high risk of extinction in the wild.
NTNear threatenedThe species does not meet any of the criteria that would categorise it as risking extinction but it is likely to do so in the future.
LCLeast concernThere are no current identifiable risks to the species.
DDData deficientThere is inadequate information to make an assessment of the risks to this species.

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.

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.

Order: Chiroptera (bats)
Common noctule

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.

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.

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.

See also

Notes
  1. This list is derived from the IUCN Red List which lists species of mammals and includes those mammals that have recently been classified as extinct (since 1500 AD). The taxonomy and naming of the individual species is based on those used in existing Wikipedia articles as of 21 May 2007 and supplemented by the common names and taxonomy from the IUCN, Smithsonian Institution, or University of Michigan where no Wikipedia article was available.
  2. Frantzis A., Alexiadou P., Paximadis G., Politi E., Gannier A., Corsini-Foka M. (2003). "Current knowledge of the cetacean fauna of the Greek Seas" (PDF). Journal of Cetacean Research and Management. International Whaling Commission. 5 (3): 219–232. Retrieved 2016-04-16.CS1 maint: uses authors parameter (link)
  3. Are humpback whales electing the Mediterranean Sea as new residence?
  4. COSEWIC Assessment and Status Report on the North Atlantic Right Whale Eubalaena glacialis in Canada - 2013- Wildlife Species Description and Significance
  5. "WhaleNet Information Archive 1997: Right whale sighting in the Mediterranean Sea (fwd)". Archived from the original on 5 March 2016. Retrieved 14 May 2015.
  6. Monsarrat S., Pennino G. M., Smith D. T., Reeves R.R., Meynard N. C., Kaplan M. D., Rodrigues L. S. A. (2015). "Historical summer distribution of the endangered North Atlantic right whale (Eubalaena glacialis): a hypothesis based on environmental preferences of a congeneric species" (PDF). Diversity and Distributions. 21 (8): 925–937. doi:10.1111/ddi.12314. Retrieved 2016-04-20.CS1 maint: uses authors parameter (link)
  7. Whales in Maltese waters
  8. Video: Nine meter whale supersizes Maltese fishermen
  9. Whale spotted off Gnejna coast

References
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