List of mammals of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands

This is a list of the mammal species recorded in South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands. There are thirteen mammal species in South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, of which one is endangered. ^[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: Cetacea (whales)

Fin whale

Orca

Commerson dolphin

Hourglass dolphins

Peale's dolphin

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: Balaenidae
    • Genus: Eubalaena
      • Southern right whale, Eubalaena australis LR/cd (Still rarer in these regions)
  • Family: Balaenopteridae
    • Subfamily: Balaenopterinae
      • Genus: Balaenoptera
        • Antarctic minke whale, Balaenoptera bonaerensisDD
        • Southern sei whale, Balaenoptera borealis schlegeliiEN
        • Southern fin whale, Balaenoptera physalus quoyiEN
        • Southern blue whale, Balaenoptera musculus intermediaEN
    • Subfamily: Megapterinae
      • Genus: Megaptera
        • Humpback whale, Megaptera novaeangliaeVU
• Suborder: Odontoceti
  • Superfamily: Platanistoidea
    • Family: Phocoenidae
      • Genus: Phocoena
        • Spectacled porpoise, Phocoena dioptricaDD
    • Family: Ziphidae
      • Genus: Berardius
        • Giant beaked whale, Berardius arnuxii LR/cd
      • Subfamily: Hyperoodontinae
        • Genus: Mesoplodon
          • Gray's beaked whale, Mesoplodon grayiDD
    • Family: Delphinidae (marine dolphins)
      • Genus: Cephalorhynchus
        • Commerson dolphin, Cephalorhynchus commersoniiDD
      • Genus: Lagenorhynchus
        • Hourglass dolphin, Lagenorhynchus cruciger LR/lc
        • Peale's dolphin, Lagenorhynchus australisDD
      • Genus: Globicephala
        • Long-finned pilot whale, Globicephala melasDD
      • Genus: Orcinus
        • Orca, Orcinus orca LR/cd

Order: Carnivora (carnivorans)

Antarctic fur seal

Southern elephant seal

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

• Suborder: Caniformia
  • Family: Otariidae (eared seals, sealions)
    • Genus: Arctophoca
      • South American fur seal, Arctophoca australis LR/lc
      • Antarctic fur seal, Arctophoca gazella LR/lc
      • Subantarctic fur seal, Arctophoca tropicalis LR/lc
  • Family: Phocidae (earless seals)
    • Genus: Hydrurga
      • Leopard seal, H. leptonyx LR/lc
    • Genus: Leptonychotes
      • Weddell seal, Leptonychotes weddellii LR/lc
    • Genus: Lobodon
      • Crabeater seal, Lobodon carcinophaga LR/lc
    • Genus: Mirounga
      • Southern elephant seal, M. leoninaLC

Order: Artiodactyla (even-toed ungulates)

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: Cervidae (deer)
  • Subfamily: Capreolinae
    • Genus: Rangifer
      • Reindeer, R. tarandusVU introduced, extirpated ^[2]

See also

• List of chordate orders
• Lists of mammals by region
• List of prehistoric mammals
• Mammal classification
• List of mammals described in the 2000s

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. "The Saga of the Reindeer of South Georgia Island - Atlas Obscura".

References

• "The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: Mammals of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands". IUCN. 2001. Retrieved 22 May 2007.^{[ dead link ]}
• "Mammal Species of the World". Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History. 2005. Archived from the original on 27 April 2007. Retrieved 22 May 2007.
• "Animal Diversity Web". University of Michigan Museum of Zoology. 1995–2006. Retrieved 22 May 2007.