List of mammals of Finland

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The brown bear, Ursus arctos, is the national animal of Finland Ours brun parcanimalierpyrenees 1.jpg
The brown bear, Ursus arctos, is the national animal of Finland

This is a list of the mammal species recorded in Finland. There are sixty-one mammal species in Finland, of which, one is endangered, three are vulnerable, and five are near threatened. [1]

Contents

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

EXExtinctNo reasonable doubt that the last individual has died.
EWExtinct in the wildKnown only to survive in captivity or as a naturalized populations well outside its previous range.
CRCritically endangeredThe species is in imminent risk of extinction in the wild.
ENEndangeredThe species is facing an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild.
VUVulnerableThe species is facing a high risk of extinction in the wild.
NTNear threatenedThe 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.
LCLeast concernThere are no current identifiable risks to the species.
DDData deficientThere 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/cdLower risk/conservation dependentSpecies which were the focus of conservation programmes and may have moved into a higher risk category if that programme was discontinued.
LR/ntLower risk/near threatenedSpecies which are close to being classified as vulnerable but are not the subject of conservation programmes.
LR/lcLower risk/least concernSpecies for which there are no identifiable risks.

Order: Rodentia (rodents)

Garden dormouse Gartenschlaefer-drawing.jpg
Garden dormouse
Water vole Water.vole.arp.jpg
Water vole
Bank vole Rotelmaus I.jpg
Bank vole
Tundra vole TundraVole23.jpg
Tundra vole
Striped field mouse D3 Apodemus Agrarius.jpg
Striped field 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)

European hare Running hare.jpg
European hare

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 twentieth 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)

West European hedgehog Igel01.jpg
West European hedgehog

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.

Order: Soricomorpha (shrews, moles, and solenodons)

Eurasian water shrew Wasserspitzmaus-drawing.jpg
Eurasian water shrew
Eurasian pygmy shrew Sorex minutus.jpg
Eurasian pygmy shrew

The Soricomorpha are insectivorous mammals. The shrews and solenodons resemble mice while the moles are stout-bodied burrowers.

Order: Chiroptera (bats)

Daubenton's bat Wasserfledermaus-drawing.jpg
Daubenton's bat

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: Cetacea (whales)

Harbour porpoise Porpoise touching.jpg
Harbour porpoise

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.

Order: Carnivora (carnivorans)

Arctic fox Eisfuchscele4.jpg
Arctic fox
European mink Europaischer Nerz.jpg
European mink
Wolverine Wolverine.jpg
Wolverine
Grey seal Grey seal rhossili 1.jpg
Grey seal

There are over 260 species of carnivorans, the majority of which feed primarily on meat. They have a characteristic skull shape and dentition.

Order: Artiodactyla (even-toed ungulates)

Roe deer Capreolus capreolus 2 Jojo.jpg
Roe deer
Reindeer Caribou.jpg
Reindeer

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.

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. Hacklande, K. & Schai-Braun, S. (2019). "Lepus europaeus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2019: e.T41280A45187424.
  3. Smith, A.T. & Johnston, C.H. (2019). "Lepus timidus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2019: e.T11791A45177198.
  4. Gazaryan, S.; Kruskop, S.V. & Godlevska, L. (2021) [errata version of 2020 assessment]. "Plecotus auritus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2020: e.T85535522A195861341.
  5. Regional Species Extinctions – Examples of regional species extinctions over the last 1000 years and more. Archived 24 September 2015 at the Wayback Machine
  6. Wieder Finnwal in der Ostsee Archived 15 April 2016 at the Wayback Machine
  7. Finnwal in der Ostsee gesichtet
  8. Angler filmt Wal in Ostsee-Bucht
  9. Minke whale (Balaenoptera acutorostrata) – MarLIN, The Marine Life Information Network
  10. Wieder Finnwal in der Ostsee Archived 15 April 2016 at the Wayback Machine
  11. Finnwal in der Ostsee gesichtet
  12. Angler filmt Wal in Ostsee-Bucht
  13. About the beluga – Russian Geographical Society
  14. Rare Sowerby's beaked whale spotted in the Baltic Sea – WDC
  15. Baltic dolphin sightings confirmed – National
  16. Reeves, R.; Pitman, R.L.; Ford, J.K.B. (2017). "Orcinus orca". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2017: e.T15421A50368125. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2017-3.RLTS.T15421A50368125.en . Retrieved 12 November 2021.
  17. Reid, F.; Schiaffini, M.; Schipper, J. (2016). "Neovison vison". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2016: e.T41661A45214988.
  18. Sipko, T., P. (2009). European bison in Russia – past, present and future. European Bison Conservation Newsletter Vol 2, pp: 148–159
  19. "White-tailed deer in Finland: From 5 to 100,000 in 80 years | News | Yle Uutiset".
  20. Masseti, M.; Mertzanidou, D. (2008). "Dama dama". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2008: e.T42188A10656554. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2008.RLTS.T42188A10656554.en . Retrieved 12 November 2021.

References