List of mammals of Saudi Arabia
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This is a list of the mammal species present in Saudi Arabia. There are 78 mammal species in
Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia, officially the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), is a country in Western Asia. It covers the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and has a land area of about , making it the fifth-largest country in Asia, the second-largest in the A ...
, of which three are critically endangered, three are endangered, nine are vulnerable, and two are near threatened. 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 nat ...
:


Order:

Hyracoidea Hyraxes (), also called dassies, are small, thickset, herbivorous mammals in the order Hyracoidea. Hyraxes are well-furred, rotund animals with short tails. Typically, they measure between long and weigh between . They are superficially simila ...
(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 (), also called dassies, are small, thickset, herbivorous mammals in the order Hyracoidea. Hyraxes are well-furred, rotund animals with short tails. Typically, they measure between long and weigh between . They are superficially simi ...
(hyraxes) **Genus: ''
Procavia ''Procavia'' is a genus of hyraxes. The rock hyrax ''(P. capensis)'' is currently the only extant species belonging to this genus, though other species were recognized in the past, including ''P. habessinica'' and ''P. ruficeps'', both now relegat ...
'' ***
Cape hyrax The rock hyrax (; ''Procavia capensis''), also called dassie, Cape hyrax, rock rabbit, and (in the King James Bible) coney, is a medium-sized terrestrial mammal native to Africa and the Middle East. Commonly referred to in South Africa as the das ...
, ''P. capensis''


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:
Dugongidae Dugongidae is a family in the order of Sirenia. The family has one surviving species, the dugong (''Dugong dugon''), one recently extinct species, Steller's sea cow (''Hydrodamalis gigas''), and a number of extinct genera known from fossil r ...
**Genus: ''
Dugong The dugong (; ''Dugong dugon'') is a marine mammal. It is one of four living species of the order Sirenia, which also includes three species of manatees. It is the only living representative of the once-diverse family Dugongidae; its closest m ...
'' ***
Dugong The dugong (; ''Dugong dugon'') is a marine mammal. It is one of four living species of the order Sirenia, which also includes three species of manatees. It is the only living representative of the once-diverse family Dugongidae; its closest m ...
, ''D. dugon''


Order:

Primate Primates are a diverse order of mammals. They are divided into the strepsirrhines, which include the lemurs, galagos, and lorisids, and the haplorhines, which include the tarsiers and the simians ( monkeys and apes, the latter including ...
s

---- The order Primates contains
human Humans (''Homo sapiens'') are the most abundant and widespread species of primate, characterized by bipedalism and exceptional cognitive skills due to a large and complex brain. This has enabled the development of advanced tools, cultu ...
s and their closest relatives:
lemur Lemurs ( ) (from Latin ''lemures'' – ghosts or spirits) are wet-nosed primates of the superfamily Lemuroidea (), divided into 8 families and consisting of 15 genera and around 100 existing species. They are endemic to the island of Madagas ...
s, lorisoids, monkeys, and
ape Apes (collectively Hominoidea ) are a clade of Old World simians native to sub-Saharan Africa and Southeast Asia (though they were more widespread in Africa, most of Asia, and as well as Europe in prehistory), which together with its sister g ...
s. *Suborder: Haplorhini **Infraorder:
Simiiformes The simians, anthropoids, or higher primates are an infraorder (Simiiformes ) of primates containing all animals traditionally called monkeys and apes. More precisely, they consist of the parvorders New World monkeys (Platyrrhini) and Cata ...
***Parvorder:
Catarrhini The parvorder Catarrhini , catarrhine monkeys, Old World anthropoids, or Old World monkeys, consisting of the Cercopithecoidea and apes (Hominoidea). In 1812, Geoffroy grouped those two groups together and established the name Catarrhini, "Old ...
****Superfamily:
Cercopithecoidea Old World monkey is the common English name for a family of primates known taxonomically as the Cercopithecidae (). Twenty-four genera and 138 species are recognized, making it the largest primate family. Old World monkey genera include baboons ...
*****Family: Cercopithecidae (Old World monkeys) ******Genus: '' Papio'' ******* Hamadryas baboon, ''P. hamadryas''


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)

---- Rodents make up the largest order of mammals, with over 40% of mammalian species. They have two
incisor 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 ...
s 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 . *Suborder:
Hystricognathi The Hystricognathi are an infraorder of rodents, distinguished from other rodents by the bone structure of their skull The skull is a bone protective cavity for the brain. The skull is composed of four types of bone i.e., cranial bones, fa ...
**Family: Hystricidae (Old World porcupines) ***Genus: '' Hystrix'' ****
Indian porcupine The Indian crested porcupine (''Hystrix indica'') is a hystricomorph rodent species native to southern Asia and the Middle East. It is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. It belongs to the Old World porcupine family, Hystricidae. De ...
, ''H. indica'' *Suborder:
Sciurognathi Sciurognathi is a suborder of rodents that includes squirrels, chipmunks, beavers, and many types of mice. The group is characterized by a specific shape to the lower jaw. In sciurognaths, the angular process of the jaw is in the same plane as ...
**Family: Gliridae (dormice) ***Subfamily:
Leithiinae Leithiinae is a subfamily of dormice. It is named after the '' Leithia'', an extinct genus of giant dormouse from the Pleistocene of Sicily. Classification Subfamily Leithiinae *Genus '' Chaetocauda'' **Chinese dormouse, ''Chaetocauda sichuanens ...
****Genus: ''
Eliomys ''Eliomys'' ( grc-gre, Ἡλίομυς ''Hēlíomus'') is a genus of rodent in the family Gliridae. It contains the following extant species: * Asian garden dormouse, ''Eliomys melanurus'' * Maghreb garden dormouse, ''Eliomys munbyanus'' * Ga ...
'' *****
Asian garden dormouse The Asian garden dormouse or large-eared garden dormouse, (''Eliomys melanurus'') is a species of rodent in the family Gliridae. It is found in Egypt, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Saudi Arabia, Syria and Turkey. Its natural h ...
, ''E. melanurus'' **Family:
Dipodidae Jerboas (from ar, جربوع ') are hopping desert rodents found throughout North Africa and Asia, and are members of the family Dipodidae. They tend to live in hot deserts. When chased, jerboas can run at up to . Some species are preyed on b ...
(jerboas) ***Subfamily:
Allactaginae Allactaginae is a subfamily of rodents. Classification Subfamily Allactaginae *Genus ''Allactaga'' **''incertae sedis'' ***''Allactaga toussi'' **Subgenus ''Allactaga'' ***Small five-toed jerboa, ''Allactaga elater'' *** Iranian jerboa, ''Alla ...
****Genus: '' Allactaga'' ***** Euphrates jerboa, ''Allactaga euphratica'' LC ***Subfamily:
Dipodinae Dipodinae is a subfamily of Dipodidae. Classification Subfamily Dipodinae *Tribe Dipodini **Genus '' Dipus'' *** Northern three-toed jerboa, ''Dipus sagitta'' **Genus '' Eremodipus'' *** Lichtenstein's jerboa, ''Eremodipus lichtensteini'' **Gen ...
****Genus: '' Jaculus'' *****
Lesser Egyptian jerboa The lesser jerboa (''Jaculus jaculus'') is a small rodent of Africa and the Middle East. Its diet consists mainly of seeds and grasses. Description A small rodent, it is sometimes likened to a tiny kangaroo due to its incredibly large hind legs ...
, ''Jaculus jaculus'' LC *****
Greater Egyptian jerboa The greater Egyptian jerboa (''Jaculus orientalis'') is a species of rodent in the family Dipodidae. It is found in Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, Saudi Arabia, Tunisia, and is possibly extinct in the Negev Desert of Israel. Its natural habitat ...
, ''Jaculus orientalis'' LC **Family: Muridae (mice, rats, voles, gerbils, hamsters, etc.) ***Subfamily: Deomyinae ****Genus: '' Acomys'' ***** Cairo spiny mouse, ''Acomys cahirinus'' LC *****
Golden spiny mouse The golden spiny mouse (''Acomys russatus'') gets its name from the reddish-orange spiny fur that covers its body from head to tail. This coarse, inflexible fur is thought to protect it from predation.
, ''Acomys russatus'' LC ***Subfamily:
Gerbillinae Gerbillinae is one of the subfamilies of the rodent family Muridae and includes the gerbils, jirds, and sand rats. Once known as desert rats, the subfamily includes about 110 species of African, Indian, and Asian rodents, including sand rats a ...
****Genus: ''
Gerbillus ''Gerbillus'' is a genus that contains most common and the most diverse gerbils. In 2010, after morphological and molecular studies '' Dipodillus'' was ranged as a subgenus of ''Gerbillus'', however some taxonomic authorities continue to separate ...
'' ***** Cheesman's gerbil, ''Gerbillus cheesmani'' LC ***** Wagner's gerbil, ''Gerbillus dasyurus'' LC ***** Pygmy gerbil, ''Gerbillus henleyi'' LC ***** Balochistan gerbil, ''Gerbillus nanus'' LC ***** Large Aden gerbil, ''Gerbillus poecilops'' LC ****Genus: '' Meriones'' ***** Arabian jird, ''Meriones arimalius'' EN *****
Sundevall's jird Sundevall's jird (''Meriones crassus'') is a species of rodent in the family of Muridae. It is found in Afghanistan, Algeria, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Libya, Pakistan, Morocco, Niger, Palestine, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Syria, ...
, ''Meriones crassus'' LC ***** Libyan jird, ''Meriones libycus'' LC ***** King jird, ''Meriones rex'' LC ****Genus: '' Psammomys'' *****
Sand rat ''Psammomys'' is a genus of rodents in the family Muridae. The etymology of the genus name derives from the two Ancient Greek Ancient Greek includes the forms of the Greek language used in ancient Greece and the ancient world from aro ...
, ''Psammomys obesus'' LC ****Genus: ''
Sekeetamys The bushy-tailed jird or bushy-tailed dipodil (''Sekeetamys calurus'') is a species of rodent in the family Muridae. It is the only species in the genus ''Sekeetamys''. It is found in Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, and Sudan. Its natural ha ...
'' *****
Bushy-tailed jird The bushy-tailed jird or bushy-tailed dipodil (''Sekeetamys calurus'') is a species of rodent in the family Muridae. It is the only species in the genus ''Sekeetamys''. It is found in Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, and Sudan. Its natural ha ...
, ''Sekeetamys calurus'' LC ***Subfamily:
Murinae The Old World rats and mice, part of the subfamily Murinae in the family Muridae, comprise at least 519 species. Members of this subfamily are called murines. In terms of species richness, this subfamily is larger than all mammal families excep ...
****Genus: ''
Apodemus ''Apodemus'' is a genus of Muridae (true mice and rats). The name is unrelated to that of the ''Mus'' genus, instead being derived from the Greek ἀπό-δημος (literally ''away from home''). Taxonomy Related to the Ryūkyū spiny rats ...
'' *****
Broad-toothed field mouse The eastern broad-toothed field mouse (''Apodemus mystacinus'') is a species of rodent in the family Muridae. Distribution Following the classification of the Balkan population as a separate species western broad-toothed field mouse, the east ...
, ''Apodemus mystacinus'' LC ****Genus: ''
Arvicanthis ''Arvicanthis'' is a genus of rodent from Africa. They are commonly referred to as unstriped grass mice, unstriped grass rats, and kusu rats. Species Genus ''Arvicanthis'' - unstriped grass mice *Abyssinian grass rat, ''Arvicanthis abyssinicus' ...
'' ***** African grass rat, ''Arvicanthis niloticus'' LC ****Genus: ''
Myomyscus Verreaux's mouse or Verreaux's white-footed rat (''Myomyscus verreauxii'') is a species of rodent in the family Muridae. It is the only member of the genus ''Myomyscus''. Other species that had been previously assigned to ''Myomyscus'' are now co ...
'' *****
Yemeni mouse The Yemeni mouse (''Ochromyscus yemeni'') is a species of rodent in the family Muridae. It is found in Saudi Arabia and Yemen. It is the only modern member of the tribe Praomyini to be found outside of Africa. It was initially described as a sub ...
, ''Myomys yemeni'' LC ****Genus: '' Nesokia'' ***** Short-tailed bandicoot rat, ''Nesokia indica'' LC


Order:

Erinaceomorpha 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. Eulipotyph ...
(hedgehogs and gymnures)

---- The order Erinaceomorpha contains a single family, Erinaceidae, which comprise the
hedgehog A hedgehog is a spiny mammal of the subfamily Erinaceinae, in the eulipotyphlan family Erinaceidae. There are seventeen species of hedgehog in five genera found throughout parts of Europe, Asia, and Africa, and in New Zealand by introductio ...
s and gymnures. The hedgehogs are easily recognised by their spines, while gymnures look more like large rats. *Family: Erinaceidae (hedgehogs) **Subfamily:
Erinaceinae A hedgehog is a spiny mammal of the subfamily Erinaceinae, in the eulipotyphlan family Erinaceidae. There are seventeen species of hedgehog in five genera found throughout parts of Europe, Asia, and Africa, and in New Zealand by introduc ...
***Genus: ''
Paraechinus ''Paraechinus'' is a genus of hedgehogs. Members are small and nocturnal. The genus contains four species from North Africa, the Middle East and South Asia: * Desert hedgehog (''Paraechinus aethiopicus'') * Brandt's hedgehog (''Paraechinus hy ...
'' ****
Desert hedgehog The desert hedgehog (''Paraechinus aethiopicus'') is a species of mammal in the family Erinaceidae. Basic facts The desert hedgehog is one of the smallest of hedgehogs. It is long and weighs about . The quills (or spines to give their corre ...
, ''P. aethiopicus''


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: Pteropodidae (flying foxes, Old World fruit bats) **Subfamily:
Pteropodinae The Pteropodinae are a subfamily of megabats. Taxa within this subfamily are: * Genus ''Acerodon'' ** Sulawesi flying fox, ''A. celebensis'' ** Talaud flying fox, ''A. humilis'' ** Giant golden-crowned flying fox, ''A. jubatus'' ** Palawan fruit ...
***Genus: ''
Eidolon In ancient Greek literature, an eidolon (; grc, εἴδωλον 'image, idol, double, apparition, phantom, ghost'; plural: eidola or eidolons) is a spirit-image of a living or dead person; a shade or phantom look-alike of the human form. Liter ...
'' ****
Straw-coloured fruit bat The straw-coloured fruit bat (''Eidolon helvum'') is a large fruit bat that is the most widely distributed of all the African megabats. It is quite common throughout its area ranging from the southwestern Arabian Peninsula, across forest and sava ...
, ''E. helvum'' NT ***Genus: ''
Rousettus ''Rousettus'' is a genus of Old World fruit bats or megabats, referred to as rousette bats. The genus is a member of the family Pteropodidae. The genus consists of seven species that range over most of Africa to southeast Asia, and the islands ...
'' ****
Egyptian fruit bat The Egyptian fruit bat or Egyptian rousette (''Rousettus aegyptiacus'') is a species of megabat that is found in Africa, the Middle East, the Mediterranean, and the Indian subcontinent. It is one of three '' Rousettus'' species with an African-M ...
, ''Rousettus aegyptiacus'' LC *Family:
Vespertilionidae Vespertilionidae is a family of microbats, of the order Chiroptera, flying, insect-eating mammals variously described as the common, vesper, or simple nosed bats. The vespertilionid family is the most diverse and widely distributed of bat famili ...
**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 The mouse-eared bats or myotises are a diverse and widespread genus (''Myotis'') of bats within the family Vespertilionidae. The noun "''myotis''" itself is a New Latin construction, from the Greek "''muós'' (meaning "mouse") and "''oûs''" (me ...
'' **** Geoffroy's bat, ''M. emarginatus'' **Subfamily: Vespertilioninae ***Genus: ''
Eptesicus ''Eptesicus'' is a genus of bats, commonly called house bats or serotine bats, in the family Vespertilionidae. The genus name is likely derived from the Greek words ''ptetikos'' 'able to fly' or ''petomai'' 'house flier', although this is not ce ...
'' **** Botta's serotine, ''Eptesicus bottae'' LC ***Genus: ''
Hypsugo The genus ''Hypsugo'' contains many bats referred to as pipistrelles or pipistrelle bats (not to be confused with the genus ''Pipistrellus''). They belong to the family Vespertilionidae or vesper bats. They are primarily found throughout Asia, t ...
'' **** Bodenheimer's pipistrelle, ''Hypsugo bodenheimeri'' LC ***Genus: '' Nycticeinops'' **** Schlieffen's twilight bat, ''Nycticeinops schlieffeni'' LC ***Genus: '' Otonycteris'' **** Desert long-eared bat, ''Otonycteris hemprichii'' LC ***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 word , meaning "bat" (from Latin "bird of evening, bat"). The size of the genus has been cons ...
'' **** Kuhl's pipistrelle, ''Pipistrellus kuhlii'' LC ***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 ...
'' ****
Grey long-eared bat The grey long-eared bat (''Plecotus austriacus'') is a fairly large European bat. It has distinctive ears, long and with a distinctive fold. It hunts above woodland, often by day, and mostly for moths. In captivity, it has also been recorded t ...
, ''Plecotus austriacus'' LC ***Genus: ''Rhyneptesicus'' **** Sind bat, ''R. nasutus'' **Subfamily: Miniopterinae ***Genus: ''
Miniopterus ''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 ...
'' **** Common bent-wing bat, ''M. schreibersii'' *Family: Rhinopomatidae **Genus: '' Rhinopoma'' *** Egyptian mouse-tailed bat, ''R. cystops'' *** Lesser mouse-tailed bat, ''Rhinopoma hardwickei'' LC ***
Greater mouse-tailed bat The greater mouse-tailed bat (''Rhinopoma microphyllum'') is a species of bat in the Rhinopomatidae family. Range and habitat It is found in Algeria, Bangladesh, Burkina Faso, the Central African Republic, Chad, Djibouti, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiop ...
, ''Rhinopoma microphyllum'' LC *Family: Molossidae **Genus: ''
Chaerephon Chaerephon (; grc-gre, Χαιρεφῶν, ''Chairephōn''; c. 470/460 – 403/399 BCE), of the Athenian deme Sphettus, was an ancient Greek best remembered as a loyal friend and follower of Socrates. He is known only through brief descriptions ...
'' *** Nigerian free-tailed bat, ''Chaerephon nigeriae'' LC **Genus: ''
Mops MOPS (3-(''N''-morpholino)propanesulfonic acid) is a buffer introduced in the 1960s, one of the twenty Good's buffers. It is a structural analog to MES, and like MES, its structure contains a morpholine ring. HEPES is a similar pH buffering ...
'' *** Midas free-tailed bat, ''Mops midas'' LC **Genus: ''
Tadarida The genus ''Tadarida'' has 9 or more species of free-tailed bats divided into two subgenera, with the first of these containing seven species spread across the Old World (including southern Europe and North Africa, large parts of southern Asia, ...
'' ***
Egyptian free-tailed bat The Egyptian free-tailed bat, also known as Egyptian guano bat or Egyptian nyctinome, (''Tadarida aegyptiaca'') is a species of bat in the family Molossidae. Description The Egyptian free-tailed bat has fine, dense fur which is greyish brown, s ...
, ''Tadarida aegyptiaca'' LC *** European free-tailed bat, ''Tadarida teniotis'' LC *Family:
Emballonuridae Emballonuridae is a family of microbats, many of which are referred to as sac-winged or sheath-tailed bats. They are widely distributed in tropical and subtropical regions around the world. The earliest fossil records are from the Eocene. Descr ...
**Genus: ''
Taphozous ''Taphozous'' is a genus of the family Emballonuridae. The wide distribution of the genus includes several regions of Australia, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea and Africa. ''Taphozous'' comes from the Greek τάφος, meaning "a tomb". The common n ...
'' *** Egyptian tomb bat, ''Taphozous perforatus'' LC *Family: Nycteridae **Genus: '' Nycteris'' ***
Egyptian slit-faced bat The Egyptian slit-faced bat (''Nycteris thebaica'') is a species of slit-faced bat broadly distributed throughout Africa and the Middle East. It is a species of microbat in the family Nycteridae. Six subspecies are known. Description The Egypt ...
, ''Nycteris thebaica'' LC *Family: Rhinolophidae **Subfamily: Rhinolophinae ***Genus: '' Rhinolophus'' **** Geoffroy's horseshoe bat, ''Rhinolophus clivosus'' LC ****
Greater horseshoe bat The greater horseshoe bat (''Rhinolophus ferrumequinum'') is an insectivorous bat of the genus '' Rhinolophus''. Its distribution covers Europe, Northern Africa, Central Asia and Eastern Asia. It is the largest of the horseshoe bats in Europe an ...
, ''R. ferrumequinum'' **** Lesser horseshoe bat, ''R. hipposideros'' **Subfamily: Hipposiderinae ***Genus: '' Asellia'' **** Patrizi's trident leaf-nosed bat, ''Asellia patrizii'' VU **** Trident leaf-nosed bat, ''Asellia tridens'' LC ***Genus: ''
Hipposideros ''Hipposideros'' is one of the most diverse genera of bats, with more than 70 species. They are collectively called roundleaf bats after the shape of their nasal ornament. It is the type genus of the family Hipposideridae. It is divided into s ...
'' **** Ethiopian large-eared roundleaf bat, ''Hipposideros megalotis'' NT


Order: Cetacea (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 ...
s 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 ''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 ...
'' *****
Fin whale The fin whale (''Balaenoptera physalus''), also known as finback whale or common rorqual and formerly known as herring whale or razorback whale, is a cetacean belonging to the parvorder of baleen whales. It is the second-longest species of ce ...
, ''Balaenoptera physalus'' ENCarpenter E. K.. 1997
Living Marine Resources of Kuwait, Eastern Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates - Marine Mammals
pp.255-260. The
Food and Agriculture Organization The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)french: link=no, Organisation des Nations unies pour l'alimentation et l'agriculture; it, Organizzazione delle Nazioni Unite per l'Alimentazione e l'Agricoltura is an intern ...
. Retrieved on April 14, 2017
***** Sei whale, ''Balaenoptera borealis'' EN ***** Bryde's whale, ''Balaenoptera edeni'' DD *****
Minke whale The minke whale (), or lesser rorqual, is a species complex of baleen whale. The two species of minke whale are the common (or northern) minke whale and the Antarctic (or southern) minke whale. The minke whale was first described by the Danish na ...
, ''Balaenoptera acutorostrata'' nt ***Subfamily: Megapterinae ****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 hu ...
'' *****
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'' CR (Arabian Sea population) *Suborder: Odontoceti **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:
Phocoenidae 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 ...
****Genus: '' Neophocaena'' *****
Finless porpoise ''Neophocaena'' is a genus of porpoise native to the Indian and Pacific oceans, as well as the freshwater habitats of the Yangtze River basin in China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. ...
, ''Neophocaena phocaenoides'' DD ***Family: Kogiidae ****Genus: ''
Kogia ''Kogia'' is a genus of toothed whales within the superfamily Physeteroidea comprising two extant and two extinct species from the Neogene *Pygmy sperm whale, ''Kogia breviceps'' *Dwarf sperm whale, ''Kogia sima'' *†'' Kogia pusilla'', Italy, ...
'' *****
Dwarf sperm whale The dwarf sperm whale (''Kogia sima'') is a sperm whale that inhabits temperate and tropical oceans worldwide, in particular continental shelves and slopes. It was first described by biologist Richard Owen in 1866, based on illustrations by n ...
, ''Kogia sima'' LR/lc ***Family:
Ziphiidae 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 ...
****Subfamily: Hyperoodontinae *****Genus: '' Indopacetus'' ******
Longman's beaked whale The tropical bottlenose whale (''Indopacetus pacificus''), also known as the Indo-Pacific beaked whale or Longman's beaked whale, was considered to be the world's rarest cetacean until recently, but the spade-toothed whale now holds that positio ...
, ''Indopacetus pacificus'' DD ***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: '' 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'' LR/lc ****Genus: '' Tursiops'' *****
Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphin The Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphin (''Tursiops aduncus'') is a species of bottlenose dolphin. This dolphin grows to long, and weighs up to . It lives in the waters around India, northern Australia, South China, the Red Sea, and the eastern ...
, ''Tursiops aduncus'' DD *****
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'' LR/lc ****Genus: '' Sousa'' *****
Indo-Pacific humpbacked dolphin The Indo-Pacific humpback dolphin (''Sousa chinensis'') is a species of humpback dolphin inhabiting coastal waters of the eastern Indian and western Pacific Oceans. This species is often referred to as the Chinese white dolphin in mainland Chi ...
, ''Sousa chinensis'' DD ****Genus: '' Stenella'' *****
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'' LR/cd *****
Striped dolphin The striped dolphin (''Stenella coeruleoalba'') is an extensively studied dolphin found in temperate and tropical waters of all the world's oceans. It is a member of the oceanic dolphin family, Delphinidae. Taxonomy The striped dolphin is one o ...
, ''Stenella cueruleoalba'' LR/lc *****
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'' LR/cd ****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 2nd c ...
'' *****
Common dolphin The common dolphin (''Delphinus delphis'') is the most abundant cetacean in the world, with a global population of about six million. Despite this fact and its vernacular name, the common dolphin is not thought of as the archetypal dolphin, wit ...
, ''Delphinus capensis'' LR/lc ****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: '' Feresa'' *****
Pygmy killer whale The pygmy killer whale (''Feresa attenuata'') is a poorly known and rarely seen oceanic dolphin. It is the only species in the genus ''Feresa''. It derives its common name from sharing some physical characteristics with the orca also known as t ...
, ''Feresa attenuata'' DD ****Genus: ''
Pseudorca ''Pseudorca'' is a genus of cetaceans with three members which include ''Pseudorca yokoyamai'', ''Pseudorca yuanliensis'' and ''Pseudorca crassidens ''Pseudorca'' is a genus of cetacea Cetacea (; , ) is an infraorder of aquatic mammals tha ...
'' *****
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


Order: Carnivora (carnivorans)

---- There are over 260 species of carnivorans, the majority of which eat meat as their primary dietary item. They have a characteristic skull shape and dentition. *Suborder:
Feliformia Feliformia is a suborder within the order Carnivora consisting of "cat-like" carnivorans, including cats (large and small), hyenas, mongooses, viverrids, and related taxa. Feliformia stands in contrast to the other suborder of Carnivora, Canifor ...
**Family: Felidae (cats) ***Subfamily:
Felinae The Felinae are a subfamily of the family Felidae. This subfamily comprises the small cats having a bony hyoid, because of which they are able to purr but not roar. Other authors have proposed an alternative definition for this subfamily: as ...
****Genus: ''
Caracal The caracal (''Caracal caracal'') () is a medium-sized wild cat native to Africa, the Middle East, Central Asia, and arid areas of Pakistan and northwestern India. It is characterised by a robust build, long legs, a short face, long tufted e ...
'' *****
Caracal The caracal (''Caracal caracal'') () is a medium-sized wild cat native to Africa, the Middle East, Central Asia, and arid areas of Pakistan and northwestern India. It is characterised by a robust build, long legs, a short face, long tufted e ...
, ''C. caracal'' ****Genus: ''
Felis ''Felis'' is a genus of small and medium-sized cat species native to most of Africa and south of 60° latitude in Europe and Asia to Indochina. The genus includes the domestic cat. The smallest ''Felis'' species is the black-footed cat with a h ...
'' *****
African wildcat The African wildcat (''Felis lybica'') is a small wildcat species native to Africa, West and Central Asia up to Rajasthan in India and Xinjiang in China. It has been listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List in 2022. In Cyprus, an African wil ...
, ''F. lybica'' *****
Sand cat The sand cat (''Felis margarita'') is a small wild cat that inhabits sandy and stony deserts far from water sources. With its sandy to light grey fur, it is well camouflaged in a desert environment. Its head-and-body length ranges from with a ...
, ''F. margarita'' ***Subfamily:
Pantherinae Pantherinae is a subfamily within the 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" ref ...
****Genus: '' Panthera'' ***** Leopard, ''P. pardus'' ******
Arabian leopard The Arabian leopard (''Panthera pardus nimr'') is a leopard subspecies native to the Arabian Peninsula. It has been listed as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List since 1996 as fewer than 200 wild individuals were estimated to be alive i ...
, ''P. p. nimr'' **Family:
Viverridae Viverridae is a family (biology), family of small to medium-sized, feliform mammals. The viverrids () comprise 33 species placed in 14 genera. This family was named and first described by John Edward Gray in 1821. Viverrids occur all over Africa, ...
***Genus: '' Genetta'' ****
Common genet The common genet (''Genetta genetta'') is a small viverrid indigenous to Africa that was introduced to southwestern Europe. It is widely distributed north of the Sahara, in savanna zones south of the Sahara to southern Africa and along the coa ...
, ''G. genetta'' **Family:
Herpestidae 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 ...
(mongooses) ***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 ...
'' *****
Indian grey mongoose The Indian grey mongoose (''Urva edwardsii'') is a mongoose species native to the Indian subcontinent and West Asia. It is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. The grey mongoose inhabits open forests, scrublands and cultivated fields ...
, ''U. edwardsii'' ****Genus: ''
Ichneumia The white-tailed mongoose (''Ichneumia albicauda'') is a species in the mongoose family Herpestidae. It is the only member of the genus ''Ichneumia''. Taxonomy ''Herpestes albicaudus'' was the scientific name proposed by Georges Cuvier in 182 ...
'' *****
White-tailed mongoose The white-tailed mongoose (''Ichneumia albicauda'') is a species in the mongoose family Herpestidae. It is the only member of the genus ''Ichneumia''. Taxonomy ''Herpestes albicaudus'' was the scientific name proposed by Georges Cuvier in 1829 ...
, ''I. albacauda'' **Family: Hyaenidae (hyaenas) ***Genus: '' Hyaena'' **** Striped hyena, ''H. hyaena'' *Suborder: Caniformia **Family: Canidae (dogs, foxes) ***Genus: ''
Canis ''Canis'' is a genus of the Caninae which includes multiple extant species, such as wolves, dogs, coyotes, and golden jackals. Species of this genus are distinguished by their moderate to large size, their massive, well-developed skulls and de ...
'' ****
Golden jackal The golden jackal (''Canis aureus''), also called common jackal, is a wolf-like canid that is native to Southeast Europe, Southwest Asia, South Asia, and regions of Southeast Asia. The golden jackal's coat varies in color from a pale creamy ...
, ''C. aureus'' **** Gray wolf, ''C. lupus'' *****
Arabian wolf The Arabian wolf (''Canis lupus arabs'') is a subspecies of gray wolf native to the Arabian Peninsula, the Negev Desert, the Sinai Peninsula, and Jordan. It is the smallest wolf subspecies, and a desert-adapted subspecies that normally lives in ...
, ''C. l. arabs'' ***Genus: ''
Vulpes '' Vulpes '' is a genus of the sub-family Caninae. The members of this genus are colloquially referred to as true foxes, meaning they form a proper clade. The word " fox" occurs in the common names of all species of the genus, but also appea ...
'' ****
Blanford's fox Blanford's fox (''Vulpes cana'') is a small fox native to the Middle East and Central Asia. It is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. Naming Blanford's fox is named after the English naturalist William Thomas Blanford, who described ...
, ''V. cana'' ****
Rüppell's fox Rüppell's fox (''Vulpes rueppellii''), also called Rüppell's sand fox, is a fox species living in desert and semi-desert regions of North Africa, the Middle East, and southwestern Asia. It has been listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List ...
, ''V. rueppellii'' **** Red fox, ''V. vulpes'' **Family:
Mustelidae The Mustelidae (; from Latin ''mustela'', weasel) are a family of carnivorous mammals, including weasels, badgers, otters, ferrets, martens, minks and wolverines, among others. Mustelids () are a diverse group and form the largest family in th ...
(mustelids) ***Genus: ''
Mellivora ''Mellivora'' is a genus of mustelids that contains the honey badger or ratel ''(Mellivora capensis)''. It is also the sole living representative of the subfamily Mellivorinae. Additionally, two extinct species are known. The honey badger is nati ...
'' ****
Honey badger The honey badger (''Mellivora capensis''), also known as the ratel ( or ), is a mammal widely distributed in Africa, Southwest Asia, and the Indian subcontinent. Because of its wide range and occurrence in a variety of habitats, it is liste ...
, ''M. capensis''


Order:

Artiodactyla The even-toed ungulates (Artiodactyla , ) are ungulates—hoofed animals—which bear weight equally on two (an even number) of their five toes: the third and fourth. The other three toes are either present, absent, vestigial, or pointing poster ...
(even-toed ungulates)

---- The even-toed ungulates are
ungulate Ungulates ( ) are members of the diverse clade Ungulata which primarily consists of large mammals with hooves. These include odd-toed ungulates such as horses, rhinoceroses, and tapirs; and even-toed ungulates such as cattle, pigs, giraffes, ...
s whose weight is borne about equally by the third and fourth toes, rather than mostly or entirely by the third as in
perissodactyls Odd-toed ungulates, mammals which constitute the taxonomic order Perissodactyla (, ), are animals—ungulates—who have reduced the weight-bearing toes to three (rhinoceroses and tapirs, with tapirs still using four toes on the front legs) o ...
. There are about 220 artiodactyl species, including many that are of great economic importance to humans. *Family:
Bovidae The Bovidae comprise the biological family of cloven-hoofed, ruminant mammals that includes cattle, bison, buffalo, antelopes, and caprines. A member of this family is called a bovid. With 143 extant species and 300 known extinct species, t ...
(cattle, antelope, sheep, goats) **Subfamily: Antilopinae ***Genus: ''
Gazella A gazelle is one of many antelope species in the genus ''Gazella'' . This article also deals with the seven species included in two further genera, '' Eudorcas'' and '' Nanger'', which were formerly considered subgenera of ''Gazella''. A third ...
'' ****
Arabian gazelle The Arabian gazelle ''(Gazella arabica)'' is a species of gazelle from the Arabian Peninsula. Taxonomy Until recently, it was only known from a single lectotype specimen mistakenly thought to have been collected on the Farasan Islands in the R ...
, ''G. arabica'' ****
Arabian sand gazelle The Arabian sand gazelle (''Gazella marica'') or reem () is a species of gazelle native to the Middle East, specifically the Arabian and Syrian Deserts. Distribution and conservation Today it survives in the wild in small, isolated populations ...
, ''G. marica'' **Subfamily:
Caprinae The subfamily Caprinae, also sometimes referred to as the tribe Caprini, is part of the ruminant family Bovidae, and consists of mostly medium-sized bovids. A member of this subfamily is called a caprine, or, more informally, a goat-antelope (a ...
***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 ...
'' **** Nubian ibex, ''C. nubiana'' **Subfamily: Hippotraginae ***Genus: ''
Oryx ''Oryx'' is a genus consisting of four large antelope species called oryxes. Their pelage is pale with contrasting dark markings in the face and on the legs, and their long horns are almost straight. The exception is the scimitar oryx, which ...
'' ****
Arabian oryx The Arabian oryx (''Oryx leucoryx'') or white oryx is a medium-sized antelope with a distinct shoulder bump, long, straight horns, and a tufted tail. It is a bovid, and the smallest member of the genus ''Oryx'', native to desert and steppe areas o ...
, ''O. leucoryx'' reintroduced


Locally extinct

The following species are
locally extinct Local extinction, also known as extirpation, refers to a species (or other taxon) of plant or animal that ceases to exist in a chosen geographic area of study, though it still exists elsewhere. Local extinctions are contrasted with global extinct ...
in the country: *
Cheetah The cheetah (''Acinonyx jubatus'') is a large cat native to Africa and central Iran. It is the fastest land animal, estimated to be capable of running at with the fastest reliably recorded speeds being , and as such has evolved specialized ...
, ''Acinonyx jubatus'' *
Onager The onager (; ''Equus hemionus'' ), A new species called the kiang (''E. kiang''), a Tibetan relative, was previously considered to be a subspecies of the onager as ''E. hemionus kiang'', but recent molecular studies indicate it to be a distinct ...
, ''Equus hemionus'' * Saudi gazelle, ''Gazella saudiya'' * Lion, ''Panthera leo''


See also

* List of chordate orders * Lists of mammals by region *
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 ...
* Wildlife of Saudi Arabia


References


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Saudi Arabia Lists of mammals by country Lists of mammals of the Middle East
mammals 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 o ...
*
mammals 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 o ...