List of mammals of the U.S. Virgin Islands
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This is a list of the mammal species recorded in the U.S. Virgin Islands. Of the native mammal species in the U.S. Virgin Islands, two are vulnerable and one species has been classified as extinct. The following tags are used to highlight each species' conservation status as assessed by the
International Union for Conservation of Nature The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN; officially International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources) is an international organization working in the field of nature conservation and sustainable use of natu ...
: 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:


Subclass:

Theria Theria (; Greek: , wild beast) is a subclass of mammals amongst the Theriiformes. Theria includes the eutherians (including the placental mammals) and the metatherians (including the marsupials) but excludes the egg-laying monotremes. ...


Infraclass:

Eutheria Eutheria (; from Greek , 'good, right' and , 'beast'; ) is the clade consisting of all therian mammals that are more closely related to placentals than to marsupials. Eutherians are distinguished from noneutherians by various phenotypic tra ...


Order:

Sirenia The Sirenia (), commonly referred to as sea-cows or sirenians, are an order of fully aquatic, herbivorous mammals that inhabit swamps, rivers, estuaries, marine wetlands, and coastal marine waters. The Sirenia currently comprise two distinct ...
(manatees and dugongs)

---- Sirenia is an order of fully aquatic, herbivorous mammals that inhabit rivers, estuaries, coastal marine waters, swamps, and marine wetlands. All four species are endangered. *Family:
Trichechidae Trichechidae is a family of sirenians that includes all living manatees and several extinct genera. Systematics TRICHECHIDAE *MiosireninaeM. Voss. 2014. On the invalidity of Halitherium schinzii Kaup, 1838 (Mammalia, Sirenia), with comments o ...
**Genus: ''
Trichechus Manatees (family Trichechidae, genus ''Trichechus'') are large, fully aquatic, mostly herbivorous marine mammals sometimes known as sea cows. There are three accepted living species of Trichechidae, representing three of the four living species ...
'' ***
West Indian manatee The West Indian manatee (''Trichechus manatus''), also known as the North American manatee, is a large, aquatic mammal native to warm coastal areas of the Caribbean, from the eastern US to northern Brazil. Living alone or in herds, it feeds on un ...
, ''Trichechus manatus'' VU


Order:

Rodent Rodents (from Latin , 'to gnaw') are mammals of the order Rodentia (), which are characterized by a single pair of continuously growing incisors in each of the upper and lower jaws. About 40% of all mammal species are rodents. They are n ...
ia (Rodents)

---- Rodentia is an
order Order, ORDER or Orders may refer to: * Categorization, the process in which ideas and objects are recognized, differentiated, and understood * Heterarchy, a system of organization wherein the elements have the potential to be ranked a number of ...
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) their young, a neocortex (a region of the brain), fur ...
s characterised by two continuously growing
incisors Incisors (from Latin ''incidere'', "to cut") are the front teeth present in most mammals. They are located in the premaxilla above and on the mandible below. Humans have a total of eight (two on each side, top and bottom). Opossums have 18, wher ...
in the upper and lower jaws which must be kept short by gnawing. *Family:
Dasyproctidae Dasyproctidae is a family of large South American rodents, comprising the agoutis and acouchis. Their fur is a reddish or dark colour above, with a paler underside. They are herbivorous, often feeding on ripe fruit that falls from trees. They liv ...
**Genus: '' Dasyprocta'' ***
Red-rumped agouti The red-rumped agouti (''Dasyprocta leporina''), also known as the golden-rumped agouti, orange-rumped agouti or Brazilian agouti, is a species of agouti from the family Dasyproctidae. Distribution It is native to northeastern South America, wh ...
, ''Dasyprocta leporina'' LC introduced *Suborder: Hystricomorpha **Family: Capromyidae ***Subfamily:
Isolobodontinae ''Isolobodon'' is an extinct genus of rodent in the subfamily Capromyinae. It contains the following species: * Montane hutia (''Isolobodon montanus'') * Puerto Rican hutia The Puerto Rican hutia (''Isolobodon portoricensis'') is an extin ...
****Genus: '' Isolobodon'' *****
Puerto Rican hutia The Puerto Rican hutia (''Isolobodon portoricensis'') is an extinct species of rodent in the family Capromyidae. It was found on Hispaniola (today the Dominican Republic and Haiti) and Gonâve Island; it was introduced to the Virgin Islan ...
, ''I. portoricensis'' introduced


Order:

Chiroptera Bats are mammals of the order Chiroptera.''cheir'', "hand" and πτερόν''pteron'', "wing". With their forelimbs adapted as wings, they are the only mammals capable of true and sustained flight. Bats are more agile in flight than most bir ...
(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: Noctilionidae **Genus: '' Noctilio'' ***
Greater bulldog bat The greater bulldog bat or fisherman bat (''Noctilio leporinus'') is a species of fishing bat native to Latin America (Spanish: ''murciélago pescador''; Portuguese: ''morcego-pescador''). The bat uses echolocation to detect water ripples made ...
, ''Noctilio leporinus'' LR/lc *Family: Phyllostomidae **Subfamily: Brachyphyllinae ***Genus: '' Brachyphylla'' ****
Antillean fruit-eating bat The Antillean fruit-eating bat (''Brachyphylla cavernarum'') is one of two leaf-nosed bat species belonging to the genus ''Brachyphylla''. The species occurs in the Caribbean from Puerto Rico to St. Vincent and Barbados. Fossil specimens have a ...
, ''Brachyphylla cavernarum'' LR/lc **Subfamily:
Glossophaginae Glossophaginae is a subfamily of leaf-nosed bats. List of species Subfamily: Glossophaginae * Tribe Glossophagini **Genus: '' Anoura'' - Geoffroy's long-nosed bats ***''Anoura aequatoris'' ***Cadena's tailless bat, ''Anoura cadenai'' ***Tailed ...
***Genus: ''
Glossophaga ''Glossophaga'' (long-tongued bat) is a genus of bats in the leaf-nosed bat family, Phyllostomidae. Members of the genus are native to the American Neotropics. Species *''G. antillarum'' (Rehn, 1902): Jamaican long-tongued bat, Jamaica. *'' ...
'' **** Miller's long-tongued bat, ''Glossophaga longirostris'' LR/lc **Subfamily:
Stenodermatinae Stenodermatinae is a large subfamily of bats in the family Phyllostomidae. List of species Subfamily Stenodermatinae *Genus: '' Ametrida'' ** Little white-shouldered bat, ''Ametrida centurio'' *Genus: '' Ardops'' ** Tree bat, ''Ardops nichollsi ...
***Genus: ''
Artibeus The Neotropical fruit bats (''Artibeus'') are a genus of bats within the subfamily Stenodermatinae. The genus consists of 12 species, which are native to Central and South America, as well as parts of the Caribbean. Description These bats grow ...
'' ****
Jamaican fruit bat The Jamaican, common or Mexican fruit bat (''Artibeus jamaicensis'') is a fruit-eating bat native to Mexico, through Central America to northwestern South America, as well as the Greater and many of the Lesser Antilles. It is also an uncommon re ...
, ''Artibeus jamaicensis'' LR/lc ***Genus: '' Stenoderma'' ****
Red fruit bat The red fruit bat or red fig-eating bat (''Stenoderma rufum'') is a species of bat in the family Phyllostomidae, in the monotypic genus ''Stenoderma''.Gannon, M.R., Rodríguez-Durán, M., Kurta, A., and Willig, M.R. Stenoderma rufum Desmarest, R ...
, ''Stenoderma rufum'' VU


Order:

Cetacea Cetacea (; , ) is an infraorder of aquatic mammals that includes whales, dolphins, and porpoises. Key characteristics are their fully aquatic lifestyle, streamlined body shape, often large size and exclusively carnivorous diet. They propel th ...
(whales)

---- The order Cetacea includes
whale Whales are a widely distributed and diverse group of fully aquatic placental marine mammals. As an informal and colloquial grouping, they correspond to large members of the infraorder Cetacea, i.e. all cetaceans apart from dolphins and ...
s,
dolphin A dolphin is an aquatic mammal within the infraorder Cetacea. Dolphin species belong to the families Delphinidae (the oceanic dolphins), Platanistidae (the Indian river dolphins), Iniidae (the New World river dolphins), Pontoporiidae (the b ...
s and
porpoise Porpoises are a group of fully aquatic marine mammals, all of which are classified under the family Phocoenidae, parvorder Odontoceti (toothed whales). Although similar in appearance to dolphins, they are more closely related to narwhals a ...
s. 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. The order Cetacea includes
whale Whales are a widely distributed and diverse group of fully aquatic placental marine mammals. As an informal and colloquial grouping, they correspond to large members of the infraorder Cetacea, i.e. all cetaceans apart from dolphins and ...
s,
dolphin A dolphin is an aquatic mammal within the infraorder Cetacea. Dolphin species belong to the families Delphinidae (the oceanic dolphins), Platanistidae (the Indian river dolphins), Iniidae (the New World river dolphins), Pontoporiidae (the b ...
s and
porpoise Porpoises are a group of fully aquatic marine mammals, all of which are classified under the family Phocoenidae, parvorder Odontoceti (toothed whales). Although similar in appearance to dolphins, they are more closely related to narwhals a ...
s. 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 Baleen whales ( systematic name Mysticeti), also known as whalebone whales, are a parvorder of carnivorous marine mammals of the infraorder Cetacea (whales, dolphins and porpoises) which use keratinaceous baleen plates (or "whalebone") in the ...
**Family:
Balaenopteridae Rorquals () are the largest group of baleen whales, which comprise the family Balaenopteridae, containing ten extant species in three genera. They include the largest animal that has ever lived, the blue whale, which can reach , and the fin wha ...
(baleen whales) ***Genus: ''
Balaenoptera ''Balaenoptera'' () is a genus of rorquals containing eight extant species. ''Balaenoptera'' comprises all but two of the extant species in its family (the humpback whale and gray whale); the genus is currently polyphyletic, with the two afore ...
'' ****
Common minke whale The common minke whale or northern minke whale (''Balaenoptera acutorostrata'') is a species of minke whale within the suborder of baleen whales. It is the smallest species of the rorquals and the second smallest species of baleen whale. Althoug ...
, ''Balaenoptera acutorostrata'' ****
Sei whale The sei whale ( , ; ''Balaenoptera borealis'') is a baleen whale, the third-largest rorqual after the blue whale and the fin whale. It inhabits most oceans and adjoining seas, and prefers deep offshore waters. It avoids polar and tropical w ...
, ''Balaenoptera borealis'' ****
Bryde's whale Bryde's whale ( Brooder's), or the Bryde's whale complex, putatively comprises three species of rorqual and maybe four. The "complex" means the number and classification remains unclear because of a lack of definitive information and research. ...
, ''Balaenoptera brydei'' ****
Blue whale The blue whale (''Balaenoptera musculus'') is a marine mammal and a baleen whale. Reaching a maximum confirmed length of and weighing up to , it is the largest animal known to have ever existed. The blue whale's long and slender body can ...
, ''Balaenoptera musculus'' ***Genus: ''
Megaptera The humpback whale (''Megaptera novaeangliae'') is a species of baleen whale. It is a rorqual (a member of the family Balaenopteridae) and is the only species in the genus ''Megaptera''. Adults range in length from and weigh up to . The humpb ...
'' ****
Humpback whale The humpback whale (''Megaptera novaeangliae'') is a species of baleen whale. It is a rorqual (a member of the family Balaenopteridae) and is the only species in the genus ''Megaptera''. Adults range in length from and weigh up to . The hu ...
, ''Megaptera novaeangliae'' *Suborder:
Odontoceti The toothed whales (also called odontocetes, systematic name Odontoceti) are a parvorder of cetaceans that includes dolphins, porpoises, and all other whales possessing teeth, such as the beaked whales and sperm whales. Seventy-three species ...
**Superfamily:
Platanistoidea River dolphins are a polyphyletic group of fully aquatic mammals that reside exclusively in freshwater or brackish water. They are an informal grouping of dolphins, which itself is a paraphyletic group within the infraorder Cetacea. Extant riv ...
***Family:
Delphinidae Oceanic dolphins or Delphinidae are a widely distributed family of dolphins that live in the sea. Close to forty extant species are recognised. They include several big species whose common names contain "whale" rather than "dolphin", such as the ...
(marine dolphins) ****Genus: ''
Delphinus Delphinus (Pronounced or ) is a small constellation in the Northern Celestial Hemisphere, close to the celestial equator. Its name is the Latin version for the Greek word for dolphin (). It is one of the 48 constellations listed by the 2n ...
'' ***** Short-beaked common dolphin, ''Delphinus delphis'' DD ****Genus: '' Feresa'' ***** Pygmy killer whale, ''Feresa attenuata'' DD ****Genus: '' Globicephala'' *****
Short-finned pilot whale The short-finned pilot whale (''Globicephala macrorhynchus'') is one of the two species of cetaceans in the genus '' Globicephala'', which it shares with the long-finned pilot whale (''G. melas''). It is part of the oceanic dolphin family (Del ...
, ''Globicephala macrorhynchus'' DD ****Genus: '' Lagenodelphis'' *****
Fraser's dolphin Fraser's dolphin or the Sarawak dolphin (''Lagenodelphis hosei'') is a cetacean in the family Delphinidae found in deep waters in the Pacific Ocean and to a lesser extent in the Indian and Atlantic Oceans. Taxonomy ''Lagenodelphis hosei'' is sp ...
, ''Lagenodelphis hosei'' DD ****Genus: ''
Grampus Grampus may refer to: Animals *''Grampus'', the genus and another name for Risso's dolphin, ''Grampus griseus'' *A synonym of the genus ''Orcinus'' *Another name for ''Orcinus orca'', the killer whale or orca *Another name for the hellbender, a sp ...
'' *****
Risso's dolphin Risso's dolphin (''Grampus griseus'') is a dolphin, the only species of the genus ''Grampus''. Some of the closest related species to these dolphins include: pilot whales (''Globicephala'' spp.), pygmy killer whales (''Feresa attenuata''), melon ...
, ''Grampus griseus'' DD ****Genus: ''
Orcinus ''Orcinus'' is a genus of Delphinidae, the family of carnivorous marine mammals known as dolphins. It includes the largest delphinid species, '' Orcinus orca'', known as the orca or killer whale. Two extinct species are recognised, ''Orcinus pa ...
'' *****
Killer whale The orca or killer whale (''Orcinus orca'') is a toothed whale belonging to the oceanic dolphin family, of which it is the largest member. It is the only extant species in the genus ''Orcinus'' and is recognizable by its black-and-white pat ...
, ''Orcinus orca'' DD ****Genus: '' Peponocephala'' ***** Melon-headed whale, ''Peponocephala electra'' DD ****Genus: '' Pseudorca'' *****
False killer whale The false killer whale (''Pseudorca crassidens'') is a species of oceanic dolphin that is the only extant representative of the genus '' Pseudorca''. It is found in oceans worldwide but mainly in tropical regions. It was first described in 184 ...
, ''Pseudorca crassidens'' DD ****Genus: ''
Stenella ''Stenella'' is a genus of marine mammals in Delphinidae, the family informally known as the oceanic dolphins. Species Currently, five species are recognised in this genus: The common name for species in this genus is the "spotted dolphins" o ...
'' *****
Pantropical spotted dolphin The pantropical spotted dolphin (''Stenella attenuata'') is a species of dolphin found in all the world's temperate and tropical oceans. The species was beginning to come under threat due to the killing of millions of individuals in tuna purse s ...
, ''Stenella attenuata'' DD *****
Clymene dolphin The Clymene dolphin (''Stenella clymene''), in older texts known as the short-snouted spinner dolphin, is a dolphin endemic to the Atlantic Ocean. It is the only confirmed case of hybrid speciation in marine mammals, descending from the spinner ...
, ''Stenella clymene'' DD ***** Striped dolphin, ''Stenella coeruleoalba'' DD *****
Atlantic spotted dolphin The Atlantic spotted dolphin (''Stenella frontalis'') is a dolphin found in warm temperate and tropical waters of the Atlantic Ocean. Older members of the species have a very distinctive spotted coloration all over their bodies. Taxonomy The Atl ...
, ''Stenella frontalis'' DD *****
Spinner dolphin The spinner dolphin (''Stenella longirostris'') is a small dolphin found in off-shore tropical waters around the world. It is famous for its acrobatic displays in which it rotates around its longitudinal axis as it leaps through the air. It is a ...
, ''Stenella longirostris'' DD ****Genus: '' Steno'' *****
Rough-toothed dolphin The rough-toothed dolphin (''Steno bredanensis'') is a species of dolphin that can be found in deep warm and tropical waters around the world. The species was first described by Georges Cuvier in 1823. The genus name ''Steno'', of which this spe ...
, ''Steno bredanensis'' DD ****Genus: ''
Tursiops Bottlenose dolphins are aquatic mammals in the genus ''Tursiops.'' They are common, cosmopolitan members of the family Delphinidae, the family of oceanic dolphins. Molecular studies show the genus definitively contains two species: the commo ...
'' *****
Common bottlenose dolphin The common bottlenose dolphin or Atlantic bottlenose dolphin (''Tursiops truncatus'') is a wide-ranging marine mammal of the family Delphinidae. The common bottlenose dolphin is a very familiar dolphin due to the wide exposure it gets in captiv ...
, ''Tursiops truncatus'' ***Family: Physeteridae (sperm whales) ****Genus: ''
Physeter ''Physeter'' is a genus of toothed whales. There is only one living species in this genus: the sperm whale (''Physeter macrocephalus''). Some extremely poorly known fossil species have also been assigned to the same genus including ''Physeter ant ...
'' *****
Sperm whale The sperm whale or cachalot (''Physeter macrocephalus'') is the largest of the toothed whales and the largest toothed predator. It is the only living member of the genus ''Physeter'' and one of three extant species in the sperm whale famil ...
, ''Physeter catodon'' DD ***Family:
Kogiidae Kogiidae is a family comprising at least two extant species of Cetacea, the pygmy (''Kogia breviceps)'' and dwarf (''K. sima)'' sperm whales. As their common names suggest, they somewhat resemble sperm whales, with squared heads and small lowe ...
(dwarf sperm whales) ****Genus: '' Kogia'' *****
Pygmy sperm whale The pygmy sperm whale (''Kogia breviceps'') is one of two extant species in the family Kogiidae in the sperm whale superfamily. They are not often sighted at sea, and most of what is known about them comes from the examination of stranded speci ...
, ''Kogia breviceps'' DD ***** Dwarf sperm whale, ''Kogia sima'' DD **Superfamily Ziphioidea ***Family:
Ziphidae Beaked whales (systematic name Ziphiidae) are a family of cetaceans noted as being one of the least known groups of mammals because of their deep-sea habitat and apparent low abundance. Only three or four of the 24 species are reasonably well-kn ...
(beaked whales) ****Genus: ''
Mesoplodon Mesoplodont whales are 16 species of toothed whale in the genus ''Mesoplodon'', making it the largest genus in the cetacean order. Two species were described as recently as 1991 (pygmy beaked whale) and 2002 (Perrin's beaked whale), and marine ...
'' ***** Gervais' beaked whale, ''Mesoplodon europaeus'' DD ****Genus: '' Ziphius'' *****
Cuvier's beaked whale The Cuvier's beaked whale, goose-beaked whale, or ziphius (''Ziphius cavirostris'') is the most widely distributed of all beaked whales in the family Ziphiidae. It is smaller than most baleen whales yet large among beaked whales. Cuvier's beaked ...
, ''Ziphius cavirostris'' DD


Order:

Carnivora Carnivora is a Clade, monophyletic order of Placentalia, placental mammals consisting of the most recent common ancestor of all felidae, cat-like and canidae, dog-like animals, and all descendants of that ancestor. Members of this group are f ...
(carnivorans)

---- There are over 260 species of carnivorans, the majority of which feed primarily on meat. They have a characteristic skull shape and dentition. The order Carnivora is represented in the U.S. Virgin Islands by an introduced species, the
small Indian mongoose The small Indian mongoose (''Urva auropunctata'') is a mongoose species native to Iraq and northern South Asia; it has also been introduced to many regions of the world, such as several Caribbean and Pacific islands. Taxonomy ''Mangusta auro ...
(''Herpestes auropunctatus''), which is a species of
mongoose A mongoose is a small terrestrial carnivorous mammal belonging to the family Herpestidae. This family is currently split into two subfamilies, the Herpestinae and the Mungotinae. The Herpestinae comprises 23 living species that are native to so ...
found in the wild in South and Southeast Asia. It has been introduced to various parts of the world, including the
Caribbean The Caribbean (, ) ( es, El Caribe; french: la Caraïbe; ht, Karayib; nl, De Caraïben) is a region of the Americas that consists of the Caribbean Sea, its islands (some surrounded by the Caribbean Sea and some bordering both the Caribbean ...
. In addition, the Caribbean monk seal frequently visited many of the islands, but is now classified as extinct. *Family: Herpestidae **Subfamily: Herpestinae ***Genus: ''
Urva Urva (also, Urvan, lez, Вурвар) is a village and municipality in the Qusar Rayon of Azerbaijan. It has a population of 2,472. The municipality consists of the villages of Urva and Urvaoba Urvaoba is a village in the municipality of Urva ...
'' ****
Small Indian mongoose The small Indian mongoose (''Urva auropunctata'') is a mongoose species native to Iraq and northern South Asia; it has also been introduced to many regions of the world, such as several Caribbean and Pacific islands. Taxonomy ''Mangusta auro ...
, ''U. auropunctata'' introduced *Suborder:
Pinnipedia Pinnipeds (pronounced ), commonly known as seals, are a widely distributed and diverse clade of carnivorous, fin-footed, semiaquatic, mostly marine mammals. They comprise the extant families Odobenidae (whose only living member is the walrus ...
**Family: Phocidae (earless seals) ***Genus: '' Neomonachus'' **** Caribbean monk seal, ''N. tropicalis''


See also

* List of chordate orders *
Lists of mammals by region Lists of mammals by region cover mammals found in different parts of the world. They are organized by continent, region, and country, and in some places by sub-national region. Most are full species lists, while those for Australia and the Caribbea ...
* List of prehistoric mammals *
Mammal classification Mammalia is a class of animal within the phylum Chordata. Mammal classification has been through several iterations since Carl Linnaeus initially defined the class. No classification system is universally accepted; McKenna & Bell (1997) and Wilso ...
* List of mammals described in the 2000s


Notes


References

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:List Of Mammals Of The U.S. Virgin Islands U.S. Virgin Islands U.S. Virgin Islands