This is a list of the mammal species recorded in South Ossetia.This list is derived from the IUCN Red List which lists species of mammals and includes those mammals that have been classified as recently 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. The following tags are used to highlight each species' conservation status as assessed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature: Some species were assessed using an earlier set of criteria. Species assessed using this system have the following instead of near threatened and least concern categories:

Order: Rodentia (rodents)

*Suborder: Sciurognathi ***Family: Sciuridae (squirrels) ****Subfamily:

Sciurinae Sciurinae is a subfamily of squirrels (in the family Sciuridae), uniting the flying squirrels with certain related tree squirrels. Older sources place the flying squirrels in a separate subfamily (Pteromyinae) and unite all remaining sciurids into ...

*****Tribe: Sciurini ******Genus: '' Sciurus'' ******* Caucasian squirrel, ''S. anomalus'' LC ****Subfamily: Xerinae *****Tribe: Marmotini ******Genus: ''

Spermophilus ''Spermophilus'' is a genus of ground squirrels in the Sciuridae, squirrel family. As traditionally defined the genus was very species-rich, ranging through Europe, Asia and North America, but this arrangement was found to be paraphyletic to ...

'' ******* Caucasian mountain ground squirrel, ''Spermophilus musicus'' *******

Little ground squirrel The little ground squirrel or little souslik, (''Spermophilus pygmaeus'') is a species of rodent in the family Sciuridae. It is found from Eastern Europe to Central Asia. Its subspecies include ''Spermophilus pygmaeus pygmaeus'', ''Spermophilus ...

, ''Spermophilus pygmaeus'' ***Family: Gliridae (dormice) ****Subfamily: Leithiinae *****Genus: '' Dryomys'' ****** Forest dormouse, ''Dryomys nitedula'' LR/nt ****Subfamily: Glirinae *****Genus: '' Glis'' ****** European edible dormouse, ''Glis glis'' LR/nt ***Family: Dipodidae (jerboas) ****Subfamily: Allactaginae *****Genus: ''

Allactaga The genus ''Allactaga'' contains the four and five-toed jerboas of Asia. They are small mammals belonging to the order of rodents. They are characteristically known as the hopping rodents of the desert and semi-arid regions. They have long hind f ...

'' ******

Small five-toed jerboa The small five-toed jerboa (''Allactaga elater'') is a rodent of the family Dipodidae and genus ''Allactaga'', that has five digits. They are hopping rodents of the rocky deserts in Asia. They have been found in Afghanistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, ...

, ''Allactaga elater'' ****Subfamily: Sicistinae *****Genus: ''

Sicista Birch mice (genus ''Sicista'') are small jumping rodents that resemble mice with long, tufted tails and very long hind legs, allowing for remarkable leaps. They are the only extant members of the family Sminthidae. They are native to Eurasian for ...

'' ******

Northern birch mouse The northern birch mouse (''Sicista betulina'') is a small rodent about 5 to 8 cm long (without the tail), weighing 5 to 13 g. It lives in northern Europe and Asia in forest and marsh zones. It hibernates in burrows. It eats shoots, grai ...

, ''Sicista betulina'' LR/nt ******

Caucasian birch mouse The Caucasian birch mouse (''Sicista caucasica'') is a species of rodent in the family Sminthidae, that is endemic to Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern ...

, ''Sicista caucasica'' ****** Kazbeg birch mouse, ''Sicista kazbegica'' DD ***Family: Cricetidae ****Subfamily: Cricetinae *****Genus: '' Cricetus'' ******

European hamster The European hamster (''Cricetus cricetus''), also known as the Eurasian hamster, black-bellied hamster or common hamster, is the only species of hamster in the genus ''Cricetus''. It is native to grassland and similar habitats in a large part ...

, ''Cricetus cricetus'' ******

Ciscaucasian hamster The Ciscaucasian hamster (''Mesocricetus raddei'') is a species of rodent in the family Cricetidae. It is also known as the Georgian hamster and is found only in Georgia and Russia. Distribution and habitat This hamster occurs on the northern ...

, ''Mesocricetus raddei'' ****Subfamily: Arvicolinae *****Genus: '' Chionomys'' ******

Caucasian snow vole The Caucasian snow vole (''Chionomys gud'') is a species of rodent in the family Cricetidae. It is found in Georgia, Russian Federation, and Turkey. Its natural habitats are temperate forests and temperate grassland A grassland is an area ...

, ''Chionomys gud'' LR/nt ****** Robert's snow vole, ''Chionomys roberti'' LR/nt *****Genus: ''

Ellobius ''Ellobius'' is a genus of rodents in the family Cricetidae. It is the only member of the tribe Ellobiusini. It contains two ('' E. lutescens'' and '' E. tancrei'') of the handful of examples of mammal species that have lost the Y chromosome. Th ...

'' ******

Transcaucasian mole vole The Transcaucasian mole vole (''Ellobius lutescens'') is a species of rodent in the family Cricetidae. It is found in Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Iran, and Turkey. Chromosomes The karyotype has a low, odd, diploid number, 2n = 17,X. Transc ...

, ''Ellobius lutescens'' *****Genus: '' Microtus'' ******

Altai vole The common vole (''Microtus arvalis'') is a European rodent. Distribution and habitat The common vole is hardly restricted in means of distribution and habitat and inhabits large areas of Eurasia but, apart from the Orkney vole, not the Bri ...

, ''Microtus obscurus'' ***Family:

Muridae The Muridae, or murids, are the largest family of rodents and of mammals, containing approximately 1,383 species, including many species of mice, rats, and gerbils found naturally throughout Eurasia, Africa, and Australia. The name Muridae come ...

(mice, rats, voles, gerbils, hamsters, etc.) ****Subfamily: Murinae *****Genus: '' Apodemus'' ******

Striped field mouse The striped field mouse (''Apodemus agrarius'') is a rodent in the family Muridae. The range of this species stretches from Eastern Europe to Eastern Asia. Synonyms Accepted synonyms include ''Apodemus albostriatus'' (Bechstein, 1801), ''Apode ...

, ''Apodemus agrarius'' ****** Yellow-breasted field mouse, ''Apodemus fulvipectus'' ******

Black Sea field mouse The Black Sea field mouse (''Apodemus ponticus'') is a species of rodent in the family Muridae. It is found in Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, possibly Iran, Iraq, Russian Federation, and Turkey Turkey ( tr, Türkiye ), officially the Re ...

, ''Apodemus ponticus'' ******

Ural field mouse The Ural field mouse (''Apodemus uralensis'') is a species of rodent in the family Muridae. It is also known as the pygmy field mouse. It is found in Armenia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bulgaria, China, Croatia, Czech Republic, Estonia, Georgi ...

, ''Apodemus uralensis'' *****Genus: ''

Micromys ''Micromys'' is a genus of small rodents in the subfamily Murinae. The genus contains two living species: the widespread Eurasian harvest mouse (''Micromys minutus'') of much of Europe and Asia; and the more restricted Indochinese harvest mouse ...

'' ****** Harvest mouse, ''Micromys minutus'' LR/nt

Order: Erinaceomorpha (hedgehogs and gymnures)

The order Erinaceomorpha contains a single family, Erinaceidae, which comprise the hedgehogs and

gymnure Gymnures, also called hairy hedgehogs or moonrats, are mammals belonging to the subfamily Galericinae, in the family Erinaceidae and the order Eulipotyphla. Gymnures resemble rats but are not closely related as they are not rodents; they are ...

s. The hedgehogs are easily recognised by their spines. **Family:

Erinaceidae Erinaceidae is a family in the order Eulipotyphla, consisting of the hedgehogs and moonrats. Until recently, it was assigned to the order Erinaceomorpha, which has been subsumed with the paraphyletic Soricomorpha into Eulipotyphla. Eulipotyphla ...

(hedgehogs) ***Subfamily: Erinaceinae ****Genus: '' Erinaceus'' ***** Southern white-breasted hedgehog, ''Erinaceus concolor''

Order: Soricomorpha (shrews, moles, and solenodons)

The Soricomorpha are insectivorous mammals. The shrews and solenodons resemble mice. **Family: Soricidae (shrews) ***Subfamily: Crocidurinae ****Genus: '' Crocidura'' ***** Gueldenstaedt's shrew, ''Crocidura gueldenstaedtii'' ***** Bicolored shrew, ''Crocidura leucodon'' *****

Lesser white-toothed shrew The lesser white-toothed shrew (''Crocidura suaveolens'') is a tiny shrew with a widespread distribution in Africa, Asia and Europe. Its preferred habitat is scrub and gardens and it feeds on insects, arachnids, worms, gastropods, newts and sm ...

, ''Crocidura suaveolens'' ****Tribe: Soricini *****Genus: '' Sorex'' ******

Eurasian pygmy shrew The Eurasian pygmy shrew (''Sorex minutus''), often known simply as the pygmy shrew, is a widespread shrew of the northern Palearctic. Description It measures about in length, not including the tail, and has an average weight of .The hair on t ...

, ''Sorex minutus'' ******

Radde's shrew Radde's shrew (''Sorex raddei'') is a species of mammal Mammals () are a group of vertebrate animals constituting the class Mammalia (), characterized by the presence of mammary glands which in females produce milk for feeding (nursing) ...

, ''Sorex raddei'' ******

Caucasian pygmy shrew The Caucasian pygmy shrew or Ukrainian shrew (''Sorex volnuchini'') is a species of mammal in the family Soricidae. It is found in Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Russia, Ukraine, East Azerbaijan Province in Iran, and Turkey Turkey ( tr, ...

, ''Sorex volnuchini''

Order: Chiroptera (bats)

The bats' most distinguishing feature is that their forelimbs are developed as wings, making them the only mammals capable of flight. **Family: Vespertilionidae ***Subfamily:

Myotinae Myotinae is a subfamily of vesper bats. It contains three genera: ''Eudiscopus'', '' Myotis'', and ''Submyotodon''. Before the description of ''Submyotodon'' and analysis of its phylogenetics, as well as a phylogenetic analysis of ''Eudiscopus'', ...

****Genus: '' Myotis'' ***** Bechstein's bat, ''Myotis bechsteini'' VU *****

Lesser mouse-eared bat The lesser mouse-eared bat or lesser mouse-eared myotis (''Myotis blythii'') is a species of insectivorous bat in the family Vespertilionidae. Distribution Lesser mouse-eared bats can be found in the following countries: Afghanistan, Albania, A ...

, ''Myotis blythii'' *****

Geoffroy's bat Geoffroy's bat (''Myotis emarginatus'') is a species of vesper bat. Description ''M. emarginatus'' is a medium-sized bat with long and woolly fur. The dorsal side of the torso is rust-brown to fox-red and the ventral side is a poorly delineat ...

, ''Myotis emarginatus'' VU ***** Natterer's bat, ''Myotis nattereri'' ***Subfamily:

Vespertilioninae The Vespertilioninae are a subfamily of vesper bats from the family Vespertilionidae. Classification Subfamily Vespertilioninae *Tribe Antrozoini **Genus '' Antrozous'' *** Pallid bat, ''Antrozous pallidus'' **Genus '' Bauerus'' *** Van Geld ...

****Genus: ''

Barbastella ''Barbastella'' is a genus of vespertilionid bats. There are seven extant species in this genus and one only known from fossil remains. Species The genus consists of the following species: * ''Barbastella barbastellus'' – western barbastelle ...

'' ***** Barbastelle, ''Barbastella barbastellus'' VU ****Genus: '' Eptesicus'' ***** Northern bat, ''Eptesicus nilssoni'' ****Genus: '' Nyctalus'' ***** Greater noctule bat, ''Nyctalus lasiopterus'' LR/nt *****

Lesser noctule The lesser noctule, Leisler's bat or the Irish bat (''Nyctalus leisleri''), is a species of insectivorous bat belonging to the vesper bat family, Vespertilionidae. The species was named to honour the naturalist Johann Philipp Achilles Leisler ...

, ''Nyctalus leisleri'' LR/nt ****Genus: ''

Pipistrellus ''Pipistrellus'' is a genus of bats in the family Vespertilionidae and subfamily Vespertilioninae. The name of the genus is derived from the Italian language, Italian word , meaning "bat" (from Latin "bird of evening, bat"). The size of the ge ...

'' *****

Nathusius' pipistrelle Nathusius' pipistrelle (''Pipistrellus nathusii'') is a small bat in the genus ''Pipistrellus''. It is very similar to the common pipistrelle and has been overlooked in many areas until recently but it is widely distributed across Europe. It was ...

, ''Pipistrellus nathusii'' ****Genus: ''

Plecotus ''Plecotus'' is a genus of vesper bat, commonly called long-eared bats. They are found throughout Eurasia and northern Africa. Many species in the genus have only been described and recognized in recent years. Species Genus ''Plecotus'' – lon ...

'' *****

Brown long-eared bat The brown long-eared bat or common long-eared bat (''Plecotus auritus'') is a small Eurasian insectivorous bat. It has distinctive ears, long and with a distinctive fold. It is extremely similar to the much rarer grey long-eared bat which was on ...

, ''Plecotus auritus'' ***Subfamily:

Miniopterinae ''Miniopterus'', known as the bent-winged or long winged bats, is the sole genus of the family Miniopteridae. They are small flying insectivorous mammals, micro-bats of the order Chiroptera, with wings over twice the length of the body. The genus ...

****Genus: '' Miniopterus'' *****

Schreibers' long-fingered bat The common bent-wing bat (''Miniopterus schreibersii''), also known as the Schreibers's long-fingered bat or Schreibers's bat, is a species of insectivorous bat. They appear to have dispersed from a subtropical origin and distributed throughout ...

, ''Miniopterus schreibersii'' LC **Family: Rhinolophidae ***Subfamily: Rhinolophinae ****Genus: '' Rhinolophus'' ***** Mediterranean horseshoe bat, ''Rhinolophus euryale'' VU ***** Greater horseshoe bat, ''Rhinolophus ferrumequinum'' LR/nt ***** Lesser horseshoe bat, ''Rhinolophus hipposideros'' LC ***** Mehely's horseshoe bat, ''Rhinolophus mehelyi'' VU

Order: Carnivora (carnivorans)

The majority of the species of carnivorans feed primarily on meat. They have a characteristic skull shape and dentition. *Suborder: Feliformia **Family:

Felidae Felidae () is the family of mammals in the order Carnivora colloquially referred to as cats, and constitutes a clade. A member of this family is also called a felid (). The term "cat" refers both to felids in general and specifically to the ...

(cats) ***Subfamily: Felinae ****Genus: '' Felis'' ***** Wildcat, ''Felis silvestris'' LC ****Genus: ''

Lynx A lynx is a type of wild cat. Lynx may also refer to: Astronomy * Lynx (constellation) * Lynx (Chinese astronomy) * Lynx X-ray Observatory, a NASA-funded mission concept for a next-generation X-ray space observatory Places Canada * Lynx, Ontar ...

'' ***** Eurasian lynx, ''Lynx lynx'' NT ***Subfamily: Pantherinae ****Genus: ''

Panthera ''Panthera'' is a genus within the family (biology), family Felidae that was named and described by Lorenz Oken in 1816 who placed all the spotted cats in this group. Reginald Innes Pocock revised the classification of this genus in 1916 as co ...

'' *****

Leopard The leopard (''Panthera pardus'') is one of the five extant species in the genus '' Panthera'', a member of the cat family, Felidae. It occurs in a wide range in sub-Saharan Africa, in some parts of Western and Central Asia, Southern Russia, a ...

, ''Panthera pardus'' LC *Suborder:

Caniformia Caniformia is a suborder within the order Carnivora consisting of "dog-like" carnivorans. They include dogs (wolves, foxes, etc.), bears, raccoons, and mustelids. The Pinnipedia (seals, walruses and sea lions) are also assigned to this group. ...

**Family:

Canidae Canidae (; from Latin, ''canis'', "dog") is a biological family of dog-like carnivorans, colloquially referred to as dogs, and constitutes a clade. A member of this family is also called a canid (). There are three subfamilies found within th ...

(dogs, foxes) ***Genus: '' Vulpes'' ****

Red fox The red fox (''Vulpes vulpes'') is the largest of the true foxes and one of the most widely distributed members of the Order (biology), order Carnivora, being present across the entire Northern Hemisphere including most of North America, Europe ...

, ''Vulpes vulpes'' LC ***Genus: '' Canis'' ****

Gray wolf The wolf (''Canis lupus''; : wolves), also known as the gray wolf or grey wolf, is a large canine native to Eurasia and North America. More than thirty subspecies of ''Canis lupus'' have been recognized, and gray wolves, as popularly ...

, ''Canis lupus'' LC **Family: Ursidae (bears) ***Genus: ''

Ursus Ursus is Latin for bear. It may also refer to: Animals * ''Ursus'' (mammal), a genus of bears People * Ursus of Aosta, 6th-century evangelist * Ursus of Auxerre, 6th-century bishop * Ursus of Solothurn, 3rd-century martyr * Ursus (''praefectus ...

'' **** Brown bear, ''Ursus arctos'' **Family: Mustelidae (mustelids) ***Genus: '' Mustela'' **** Stoat, ''Mustela erminea'' ****

Steppe polecat The steppe polecat (''Mustela eversmanii''), also known as the white or masked polecat, is a species of mustelid native to Central and Eastern Europe and Central Asia. It is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List because of its wide distrib ...

, ''Mustela eversmannii'' **** European mink, ''Mustela lutreola'' EN ****

Least weasel The least weasel (''Mustela nivalis''), little weasel, common weasel, or simply weasel is the smallest member of the genus '' Mustela,'' family Mustelidae and order Carnivora. It is native to Eurasia, North America and North Africa, and has bee ...

, ''Mustela nivalis'' ***Genus: ''

Vormela ''Vormela'' is a genus of mustelid which contains the marbled polecat ''(Vormela peregusna)'', and at least one extinct species. The oldest record of the genus dates to the Villafranchian of Bulgaria, where fossils of '' Vormela petenyii'' have b ...

'' **** Marbled polecat, ''Vormela peregusna'' ***Genus: '' Martes'' **** Beech marten, ''Martes foina'' **** Pine marten, ''Martes martes'' ***Genus: '' Meles'' ****

Caucasian badger The Caucasian badger (''Meles canescens'') or Southwest Asian badger is a species of badger native to Western Asia and some islands in the Mediterranean Sea. Taxonomy The Caucasian badger was formerly thought to be a subspecies of the European ...

, ''M. canescens'' ***Genus: '' Lutra'' **** European otter, ''Lutra lutra'' NT **Family: Phocidae (earless seals) ***Genus: ''

Monachus The Mediterranean monk seal (''Monachus monachus'') is a monk seal belonging to the family Phocidae. , it is estimated that fewer than 700 individuals survive in three or four isolated subpopulations in the Mediterranean, (especially) in the Ae ...

'' **** Mediterranean monk seal, ''Monachus monachus'' CR

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. *Family: Cervidae (deer) **Subfamily: Cervinae ***Genus: '' Cervus'' **** Red deer, ''C. elaphus'' **Subfamily: Capreolinae ***Genus: ''

Alces The moose (in North America) or elk (in Eurasia) (''Alces alces'') is a member of the New World deer subfamily and is the only species in the genus ''Alces''. It is the largest and heaviest extant species in the deer family. Most adult male ...

'' **** Moose, ''A. alces'' extirpated *****

Caucasian moose The Caucasian moose, also known as the Caucasian elk (''Alces alces caucasicus'') is an extinct subspecies of moose found in the Caucasus Mountains of Eastern Europe and Asia Minor, in modern-day European Russia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, ...

, ''A. a. caucasicus'' *Family: Bovidae (bovids) **Subfamily: Caprinae ***Genus: ''

Capra Capra may refer to: * ''Capra'' (genus), comprising the goats * Capra (goat dance), a Romanian custom * Capra (titular see), a titular see in the Catholic Church * Capra (car), a pick-up brand from the Iranian Bahman Group People * Buzz Capra (bo ...

'' **** Wild goat, ''C. aegagrus'' **** West Caucasian tur, ''C. caucasica'' ****

East Caucasian tur The East Caucasian tur (''Capra cylindricornis''), also known as the Daghestani tur, is a mountain-dwelling caprine living in the eastern half of the Greater Caucasus mountains, in Azerbaijan, Georgia, and European Russia. It inhabits rough ...

, ''C. cylindricornis'' ***Genus: '' Ovis'' **** Argali, ''O. ammon'' ***Genus: ''

Rupicapra ''Rupicapra'' is a genus of goat-antelope called the chamois. They belong to the bovine family of hoofed mammals, the Bovidae. Two extant species are recognized. The Apennine chamois (Rupicapra pyrenaica ornata) is a subspecies of the Pyrene ...

'' ****

Chamois The chamois (''Rupicapra rupicapra'') or Alpine chamois is a species of goat-antelope native to mountains in Europe, from west to east, including the Alps, the Dinarides, the Tatra and the Carpathian Mountains, the Balkan Mountains, the Ril ...

, ''R. rupicapra''

Notes

References

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:List Of Mammals Of South Ossetia South Ossetia M Mammals South Ossetia South Ossetia

Order: Rodentia (rodents)

Order: Erinaceomorpha (hedgehogs and gymnures)

Order: Soricomorpha (shrews, moles, and solenodons)

Order: Chiroptera (bats)

Order: Carnivora (carnivorans)

Order: Artiodactyla (even-toed ungulates)

See also

Notes

References