List of mammals of Malawi

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is a list of the mammal species recorded in Malawi. There are 192 mammal species in Malawi, of which one is critically endangered, two are endangered, four 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.

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:

LR/cd Lower risk/conservation dependent Species which were the focus of conservation programmes and may have moved into a higher risk category if that programme was discontinued.
LR/nt Lower risk/near threatened Species which are close to being classified as vulnerable but are not the subject of conservation programmes.
LR/lc Lower risk/least concern Species for which there are no identifiable risks.

Order: Macroscelidea (elephant-shrews)[]

Often called sengis, the elephant shrews or jumping shrews are native to southern Africa. Their common English name derives from their elongated flexible snout and their resemblance to the true shrews.

  • Family: Macroscelididae (elephant-shrews)
    • Genus: Elephantulus
      • Short-snouted elephant shrew, Elephantulus brachyrhynchus LC
      • Dusky elephant shrew, Elephantulus fuscus DD
    • Genus: Petrodromus
      • Four-toed elephant shrew, Petrodromus tetradactylus LC
    • Genus: Rhynchocyon
      • Checkered elephant shrew, R. cirnei LC

Order: Tubulidentata (aardvarks)[]

Aardvark

The order Tubulidentata consists of a single species, the aardvark. Tubulidentata are characterised by their teeth which lack a pulp cavity and form thin tubes which are continuously worn down and replaced.

  • Family: Orycteropodidae
    • Genus: Orycteropus
      • Aardvark, O. afer LC

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.

  • Family: Procaviidae (hyraxes)
    • Genus: Heterohyrax
      • Yellow-spotted rock hyrax, Heterohyrax brucei LC

Order: Proboscidea (elephants)[]

African bush elephant

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

  • Family: Elephantidae (elephants)
    • Genus: Loxodonta
      • African bush elephant, L. africana EN[2]

Order: Primates[]

Blue monkey
Chacma baboon
Angola colobus

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
              • Vervet monkey, Chlorocebus pygerythrus LR/lc
            • Genus: Cercopithecus
              • Blue monkey, Cercopithecus mitis LR/lc
            • Genus: Papio
              • Yellow baboon, Papio cynocephalus LR/lc
              • Chacma baboon, Papio ursinus LR/lc
            • Subfamily: Colobinae
              • Genus: Colobus
                • Angola colobus, Colobus angolensis LR/lc

Order: Rodentia (rodents)[]

Typical striped grass mouse

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: 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 20th 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.

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.

  • Family: Erinaceidae (hedgehogs)

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
      • Genus: Crocidura
        • Reddish-gray musk shrew, Crocidura cyanea LC
        • Bicolored musk shrew, Crocidura fuscomurina LC
        • Lesser red musk shrew, Crocidura hirta LC
        • Moonshine shrew, Crocidura luna LC
        • Lesser gray-brown musk shrew, Crocidura silacea LC
        • Turbo shrew, Crocidura turba LC
      • Genus: Suncus
        • Greater dwarf shrew, Suncus lixus LC
        • Lesser dwarf shrew, Suncus varilla LC
      • Genus: Sylvisorex
        • Climbing shrew, Sylvisorex megalura 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.

Order: Pholidota (pangolins)[]

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

  • Family: Manidae
    • Genus: Smutsia
      • Ground pangolin, S. temminckii VU

Order: Carnivora (carnivorans)[]

Lion
African leopard
Honey badger

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: Caracal
          • Caracal, C. caracal LC[4]
        • Genus: Felis
        • Genus: Leptailurus
          • Serval, Leptailurus serval LC
      • Subfamily: Pantherinae
        • Genus: Panthera
          • Lion, Panthera leo VU
          • Leopard, Panthera pardus VU
    • Family: Viverridae
      • Subfamily: Viverrinae
        • Genus: Civettictis
          • African civet, C. civetta LC[5]
        • Genus: Genetta
          • Angolan genet, Genetta angolensis LC
          • Rusty-spotted genet, Genetta maculata LC
    • Family: Nandiniidae
      • Genus: Nandinia
        • African palm civet, Nandinia binotata LC
    • Family: Herpestidae (mongooses)
    • Family: Hyaenidae (hyaenas)
      • Genus: Crocuta
        • Spotted hyena, Crocuta crocuta LC
      • Genus: Parahyaena
  • Suborder: Caniformia
    • Family: Canidae (dogs, foxes)
      • Genus: Lupulella
        • Side-striped jackal, L. adusta LC
      • Genus: Lycaon
        • African wild dog, Lycaon pictus EN
    • Family: Mustelidae (mustelids)
      • Genus: Ictonyx
        • Striped polecat, Ictonyx striatus LC
      • Genus: Poecilogale
        • African striped weasel, Poecilogale albinucha LC
      • Genus: Mellivora
        • Ratel, Mellivora capensis LC
      • Genus: Hydrictis
        • Spotted-necked otter, Hydrictis maculicollis LC
      • Genus: Aonyx
        • African clawless otter, Aonyx capensis LC

Order: Perissodactyla (odd-toed ungulates)[]

Crawshay's zebra

The odd-toed ungulates are browsing and grazing mammals. They are usually large to very large, and have relatively simple stomachs and a large middle toe.

Order: Artiodactyla (even-toed ungulates)[]

Hippopotamus
Oribi
Common eland
Sable antelope
Puku

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
    • Subfamily: Suinae
      • Genus: Potamochoerus
        • Bushpig, Potamochoerus larvatus
  • Family: Hippopotamidae (hippopotamuses)
    • Genus: Hippopotamus
      • Hippopotamus, H. amphibius VU[7]
  • Family: Giraffidae (giraffe, okapi)
    • Genus: Giraffa
      • Giraffe, Giraffa camelopardalis VU extirpated, vagrant
  • Family: Bovidae (cattle, antelope, sheep, goats)
    • Subfamily: Alcelaphinae
    • Subfamily: Antilopinae
      • Genus: Neotragus
        • Suni, Neotragus moschatus
      • Genus: Oreotragus
        • Klipspringer, Oreotragus oreotragus
      • Genus: Ourebia
        • Oribi, Ourebia ourebi
      • Genus: Raphicerus
    • Subfamily: Bovinae
      • Genus: Syncerus
        • African buffalo, S. caffer NT[8]
      • Genus: Tragelaphus
        • Nyala, Tragelaphus angasii
        • Common eland, Tragelaphus oryx
        • Cape bushbuck, Tragelaphus scriptus
        • Greater kudu, Tragelaphus strepsiceros
    • Subfamily: Cephalophinae
      • Genus: Cephalophus
        • Blue duiker, Cephalophus monticola
        • Red forest duiker, Cephalophus natalensis
      • Genus: Sylvicapra
        • Common duiker, Sylvicapra grimmia
    • Subfamily: Hippotraginae
      • Genus: Hippotragus
        • Roan antelope, Hippotragus equinus
        • Sable antelope, Hippotragus niger
    • Subfamily: Aepycerotinae
      • Genus: Aepyceros
        • Impala, Aepyceros melampus
    • Subfamily: Reduncinae
      • Genus: Kobus
        • Waterbuck, Kobus ellipsiprymnus
        • Puku, Kobus vardonii
      • Genus: Redunca
        • Southern reedbuck, Redunca arundinum

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. ^ Gobush, K.S.; Edwards, C.T.T.; Maisels, F.; Wittemyer, G.; Balfour, D.; Taylor, R.D. (2021). "Loxodonta cyclotis". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2021: e.T181007989A204404464. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2021-1.RLTS.T181007989A204404464.en. Retrieved 18 November 2021.
  3. ^ Taylor, P. (2016). "Rhinolophus blasii". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2016: e.T19515A21972073.
  4. ^ Avgan, B.; Henschel, P. & Ghoddousi, A. (2016). "Caracal caracal". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2016: e.T3847A102424310.
  5. ^ Do Linh San, E.; Gaubert, P.; Wondmagegne, D. & Ray, J. (2015). "Civettictis civetta". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2015: e.T41695A45218199.
  6. ^ White, P.A.; Fischer, C.; Hausser, Y.; Foley, C. & Do Linh San, E. (2016). "Bdeogale crassicauda". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2016: e.T41591A97163568.
  7. ^ Lewison, R. & Pluháček, J. (2017). "Hippopotamus amphibius". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2017: e.T10103A18567364.
  8. ^ IUCN SSC Antelope Specialist Group (2019). "Syncerus caffer". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2019: e.T21251A50195031.

References[]

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