List of mammals of Liberia

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is a list of the mammal species recorded in Liberia. Of the mammal species in Liberia, nine are endangered, twelve are vulnerable, and eleven are near threatened.[1]

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

EX Extinct No reasonable doubt that the last individual has died.
EW Extinct in the wild Known only to survive in captivity or as a naturalized populations well outside its previous range.
CR Critically endangered The species is in imminent risk of extinction in the wild.
EN Endangered The species is facing an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild.
VU Vulnerable The species is facing a high risk of extinction in the wild.
NT Near threatened The 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.
LC Least concern There are no current identifiable risks to the species.
DD Data deficient There is inadequate information to make an assessment of the risks to this species.

Order: Afrosoricida (tenrecs and golden moles)[]

The order Afrosoricida contains the golden moles of southern Africa and the tenrecs of Madagascar and Africa, two families of small mammals that were traditionally part of the order Insectivora.

  • Family: Tenrecidae (tenrecs)
    • Subfamily: Potamogalinae
      • Genus: Micropotamogale
        • Nimba otter shrew, Micropotamogale lamottei NT

Order: Hyracoidea (hyraxes)[]

The hyraxes are any of four species of fairly small, thickset, herbivorous mammals in the order Hyracoidea. About the size of a domestic cat they are well-furred, with rounded bodies and a stumpy tail. They are native to Africa and the Middle East.

Order: Proboscidea (elephants)[]

The elephants comprise three living species and are the largest living land animals.

  • Family: Elephantidae (elephants)
    • Genus: Loxodonta
      • African forest elephant, L. cyclotis CR[2]

Order: Sirenia (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.

Order: Primates[]

Senegal bushbaby
Diana monkey

The order Primates contains humans and their closest relatives: lemurs, lorisoids, tarsiers, monkeys, and apes.

  • Suborder: Strepsirrhini
  • Suborder: Haplorhini
    • Infraorder: Simiiformes
      • Parvorder: Catarrhini
        • Superfamily: Cercopithecoidea
          • Family: Cercopithecidae (Old World monkeys)
            • Genus: Chlorocebus
              • Green monkey, Chlorocebus sabaeus LC
            • Genus: Cercopithecus
            • Genus: Cercocebus
              • Sooty mangabey, Cercocebus atys NT
            • Subfamily: Colobinae
        • Superfamily: Hominoidea
          • Family: Hominidae (great apes)
            • Subfamily: Homininae
              • Tribe: Panini
                • Genus: Pan
                  • Common chimpanzee, Pan troglodytes CR

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 (99 lb).

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

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.

Order: Pholidota (pangolins)[]

The order Pholidota comprises the eight species of pangolin. Pangolins are anteaters and have the powerful claws, elongated snout and long tongue seen in the other unrelated anteater species.

  • Family: Manidae
    • Genus: Manis
      • Giant pangolin, Manis gigantea VU
      • Long-tailed pangolin, Manis tetradactyla VU
      • Tree pangolin, Manis tricuspis VU

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
      • Subfamily: Balaenopterinae
        • Genus: Balaenoptera
          • Common minke whale, Balaenoptera acutorostrata LC
          • Sei whale, Balaenoptera borealis EN
          • Bryde's whale, Balaenoptera brydei DD
          • Blue whale, Balaenoptera musculus EN
          • Fin whale, Balaenoptera physalus EN
      • Subfamily: Megapterinae
        • Genus: Megaptera
          • Humpback whale, Megaptera novaeangliae LC
  • Suborder: Odontoceti
    • Superfamily: Platanistoidea
      • 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, Kogia breviceps DD
          • Dwarf sperm whale, Kogia sima DD
      • Family: Ziphidae
      • Family: Delphinidae (marine dolphins)
        • Genus: Orcinus
          • Killer whale, Orcinus orca DD
        • Genus: Feresa
          • Pygmy killer whale, Feresa attenuata DD
        • Genus: Pseudorca
          • False killer whale, Pseudorca crassidens DD
        • Genus: Delphinus
          • Short-beaked common dolphin, Delphinus delphis LC
        • Genus: Lagenodelphis
        • Genus: Stenella
          • Pantropical spotted dolphin, Stenella attenuata LC
          • Clymene dolphin, Stenella clymene DD
          • Striped dolphin, Stenella coeruleoalba LC
          • Atlantic spotted dolphin, Stenella frontalis LC
          • Spinner dolphin, Stenella longirostris DD
        • Genus: Steno
          • Rough-toothed dolphin, Steno bredanensis LC
        • Genus: Tursiops
          • Common bottlenose dolphin, Tursiops truncatus LC
        • Genus: Globicephala
        • Genus: Grampus
        • Genus: Peponocephala
          • Melon-headed whale, Peponocephala electra LC

Order: Carnivora (carnivorans)[]

Common genet
Common kusimanse

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
      • Subfamily: Pantherinae
        • Genus: Panthera
          • Leopard, P. pardus VU
    • Family: Viverridae (civets, mongooses, etc.)
    • Family: Nandiniidae
      • Genus: Nandinia
        • African palm civet, Nandinia binotata LC
    • Family: Herpestidae (mongooses)
  • Suborder: Caniformia
    • Family: Mustelidae (mustelids)
      • Genus: Mellivora
        • Honey badger, Mellivora capensis LC
      • Genus: Hydrictis
        • Speckle-throated otter, H. maculicollis NT
      • Genus: Aonyx
        • African clawless otter, Aonyx capensis NT

Order: Artiodactyla (even-toed ungulates)[]

African buffalo
Bushbuck
Yellow-backed duiker

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: Suidae (pigs)
    • Subfamily: Phacochoerinae
      • Genus: Phacochoerus
        • Common warthog, Phacochoerus africanus LC
    • Subfamily: Suinae
      • Genus: Hylochoerus
        • Giant forest hog, Hylochoerus meinertzhageni LC
      • Genus: Potamochoerus
        • Red river hog, Potamochoerus porcus LC
  • Family: Hippopotamidae (hippopotamuses)
    • Genus: Choeropsis
      • Pygmy hippopotamus, Choeropsis liberiensis EN
    • Genus: Hippopotamus
      • Hippopotamus, Hippopotamus amphibius VU extirpated[4]
  • Family: Tragulidae
  • Family: Bovidae (cattle, antelope, sheep, goats)
    • Subfamily: Antilopinae
      • Genus: Neotragus
        • Royal antelope, Neotragus pygmaeus LC
    • Subfamily: Bovinae
      • Genus: Syncerus
        • African buffalo, Syncerus caffer LC
      • Genus: Tragelaphus
        • Bongo, Tragelaphus eurycerus NT
        • Bushbuck, Tragelaphus scriptus LC
    • Subfamily: Cephalophinae

See also[]

  • Wildlife of Liberia

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. ^ Gobush, K.S.; Edwards, C.T.T.; Balfour, D.; Wittemyer, G.; Maisels, F.; Taylor, R.D. (2021). "Loxodonta africana". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2021: e.T181008073A204401095. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2021-2.RLTS.T181008073A204401095.en. Retrieved 18 November 2021.
  3. ^ Bahaa-el-din, L.; Mills, D.; Hunter, L. & Henschel, P. (2015). "Caracal aurata". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2015: e.T18306A50663128.
  4. ^ Lewison, R.; Pluháček, J. (2017). "Hippopotamus amphibius". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2017: e.T10103A18567364. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2017-2.RLTS.T10103A18567364.en. Retrieved 18 November 2021.

References[]

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