List of mammals of Venezuela

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This is a list of the mammal species recorded in Venezuela. Of the mammal species in Venezuela, one is critically endangered, six are endangered, nineteen are vulnerable, and four are near threatened. One species is classified as extinct. [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.

Subclass: Theria

Infraclass: Metatheria

Order: Didelphimorphia (common opossums)

Water opossum Schwimmbeutler-drawing2.jpg
Water opossum

Didelphimorphia is the order of common opossums of the Western Hemisphere. Opossums probably diverged from the basic South American marsupials in the late Cretaceous or early Paleocene. They are small to medium-sized marsupials, about the size of a large house cat, with a long snout and prehensile tail.

Order: Paucituberculata (shrew opossums)

Dusky caenolestid HyracodonFuliginosusWolf2.jpg
Dusky caenolestid

There are six extant species of shrew opossum. They are small shrew-like marsupials confined to the Andes.

Infraclass: Eutheria

Order: Sirenia (manatees and dugongs)

West Indian manatees Manatee.jpg
West Indian manatees

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: Cingulata (armadillos)

The armadillos are small mammals with a bony armored shell. They are native to the Americas. There are around 20 extant species.

Order: Pilosa (anteaters, sloths and tamanduas)

Brown-throated three-toed sloth Bradypus.jpg
Brown-throated three-toed sloth
Hoffmann's two-toed sloth Choloepus hoffmanni.jpg
Hoffmann's two-toed sloth
Silky anteater Silky anteater.jpg
Silky anteater

The order Pilosa is extant only in the Americas and includes the anteaters, sloths, and tamanduas.

Order: Primates

Tufted capuchin Cebus capucinus.png
Tufted capuchin

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

Order: Rodentia (rodents)

Brazilian porcupine Coendou prehensilis 2 - Buffalo Zoo.jpg
Brazilian porcupine
Brazilian guinea pig Wildmeerschweinchen-06.jpg
Brazilian guinea pig
Black agouti Schwarzer Aguti-drawing.jpg
Black agouti
Lowland paca Paka (Coelogenys Paca).png
Lowland paca

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: Eulipotyphla (shrews, hedgehogs, moles, and solenodons)

Eulipotyphlans are insectivorous mammals. Shrews and solenodons closely resemble mice, hedgehogs carry spines, while moles are stout-bodied burrowers.

Order: Chiroptera (bats)

Western mastiff bat Eumops perotis.jpeg
Western mastiff bat
Mexican free-tailed bats Tadarida brasiliensis - Bahamas - Long Island (sic) - Cartwright Cave - March 2006 - 2.jpg
Mexican free-tailed bats
Tomes's sword-nosed bat Lonchorhina.jpg
Tomes's sword-nosed bat
Pale spear-nosed bat Liscionos mniejszy Phyllostomus discolor RB1.jpg
Pale spear-nosed 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)

Amazon river dolphin Inia.jpg
Amazon river dolphin
Spinner dolphins SpinnerDolphinsoffKauai 1999-03-15.jpg
Spinner dolphins

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)

Crab-eating fox Cerdocyon thous MG 9507.jpg
Crab-eating fox
Bush dog Bush dog.JPG
Bush dog
Gray fox Greyfox.jpg
Gray fox
Ocelot Ocelot.jpg
Ocelot
Jaguarundi Jaguarundi-s.jpg
Jaguarundi
Jaguar Jaguar head shot.jpg
Jaguar
Spectacled bear Spectacled Bear - Houston Zoo.jpg
Spectacled bear
Giant otter Giantotter.jpg
Giant otter

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

Order: Perissodactyla (odd-toed ungulates)

Brazilian tapir Tapirus terrestris.jpg
Brazilian tapir

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)

Red brocket Mazama americana.jpg
Red brocket

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

Other lists of fauna of Venezuela

References

  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. ↑ Caso, A.; de Oliveira, T. & Carvajal, S.V. (2015). "Herpailurus yagouaroundi". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2015: e.T9948A50653167.
  3. ↑ Paviolo, A.; Crawshaw, P.; Caso, A.; de Oliveira, T.; Lopez-Gonzalez, C.A.; Kelly, M.; De Angelo, C. & Payan, E. (2015). "Leopardus pardalis". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2015: e.T11509A97212355.
  4. ↑ Payan, E. & de Oliveira, T. (2016). "Leopardus tigrinus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2016: e.T54012637A50653881.
  5. ↑ de Oliveira, T.; Paviolo, A.; Schipper, J.; Bianchi, R.; Payan, E. & Carvajal, S.V. (2015). "Leopardus wiedii". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2015: e.T11511A50654216.
  6. ↑ Nielsen, C.; Thompson, D.; Kelly, M. & Lopez-Gonzalez, C. A. (2015). "Puma concolor". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2015: e.T18868A97216466.
  7. ↑ Quigley, H.; Foster, R.; Petracca, L.; Payan, E.; Salom, R. & Harmsen, B. (2017). "Panthera onca". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2017: e.T15953A123791436.
  8. ↑ Lizcano, D.J.; Amanzo, J.; Castellanos, A.; Tapia, A.; Lopez-Malaga, C.M. (2016). "Tapirus pinchaque". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2016: e.T21473A45173922. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-1.RLTS.T21473A45173922.en . Retrieved 19 November 2021.
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