This is a list of the mammal species recorded in Eritrea. These are the mammal species in Eritrea, of which 1 is critically endangered, 2 are endangered, 10 are vulnerable, and 3 are near-threatened.
The following tags are used to highlight each species' conservation status as assessed by the IUCN:
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:
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 Orycteropus afer LC
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 stmpy tail. They are native to Africa and the Middle East.
Family: Procaviidae (hylaxes)
Genus: Heterohyrax
Yellow-spotted rock hyrax Heterohyrax brucei LC
Genus: Procavia
Cape hyrax Procavia capensis LC
The elephants comprise three living species and are the largest living land animals.
Family: Elephantidae (elephants)
Genus: Loxodonta
African bush elephant Loxodonta africana VU
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
Genus: Dugong
Dugong Dugong dugon VU
The order Primates contains humans and their closest relatives: lemurs, lorisoids, tarsiers, monkeys, and apes.
Suborder: Strepsirrhini
Infraorder: Lemuriformes
Superfamily: Lorisoidea
Family: Galagidae
Genus: Galago
Senegal bushbaby Galago senegalensis LR/lc
Suborder: Haplorhini
Infraorder: Simiiformes
Parvorder: Catarrhini
Superfamily: Cercopithecoidea
Family: Cercopithecidae (Old World monkeys)
Genus: Chlorocebus
Grivet Chlorocebus aethiops LR/lc
Genus: Papio
Olive baboon Papio anubis LR/lc
Hamadryas baboon Papio hamadryas LR/nt
Genus: Theropithecus
Gelada Theropithecus gelada LR/nt
Subfamily: Colobinae
Genus: Colobus
Mantled guereza Colobus guereza LR/lc
Rodents make up the largest order of mammals, with over 40 percent of mammalian species. They have two incisors in the upper and lower jaw which grow continually and must be keep short by gnawing. Most rodents are small though the capybara can weigh up to 45 kg (100 lb).
Suborder: Hystricognathi
Family: Hystricidae (Old World porcupines)
Genus: Hystrix
Crested porcupine Hystrix cristata LC
Suborder: Sciurognathi
Family: Sciuridae (squirrels)
Subfamily: Xerinae
Tribe: Xerini
Genus: Xerus
Striped ground squirrel Xerus erythropus LC
Unstriped ground squirrel Xerus rutilus LC
Tribe: Protoxerini
Genus: Heliosciurus
Gambian sun squirrel Heliosciurus gambianus LC
Family: Gliridae (dormice)
Subfamily: Graphiurinae
Genus: Graphiurus
Small-eared dormouse Graphiurus microtis LC
Family: Dipodidae (jerboas)
Subfamily: Dipodinae
Genus: Jaculus
Lesser Egyptian jerboa Jaculus jaculus LC
Family: Cricetidae
Subfamily: Lophiomyinae
Genus: Lophiomys
Maned rat Lophiomys imhausi LC
Family: Muridae (mice, rats, voles, gerbils, hamsters, etc.)
Subfamily: Deomyinae
Genus: Acomys
Mullah spiny mouse Acomys mullah LC
Subfamily: Gerbillinae
Genus: Gerbillus
Somalia gerbil Gerbillus dunni DD
Genus: Tatera
Fringe-tailed gerbil Tatera robusta LC
Subfamily: Murinae
Genus: Arvicanthis
Abyssinian grass rat Arvicanthis abyssinicus LC
African grass rat Arvicanthis niloticus LC
Genus: Mus
Delicate mouse Mus tenellus LC
Genus: Stenocephalemys
Ethiopian white-footed mouse Stenocephalemys albipes LC
Family: Ctenodactylidae
Genus: Pectinator
Speke's pectinator Pectinator spekei DD
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.
Family: Leporidae (rabbits, hares)
Genus: Lepus
Cape hare Lepus capensis LR/lc
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)
Subfamily: Erinaceinae
Genus: Hemiechinus
Desert hedgehog Hemiechinus aethiopicus LR/lc
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
Savanna shrew Crocidura fulvastra LC
Mauritanian shrew Crocidura lusitania LC
Savanna path shrew Crocidura viaria LC
The bats' most distinguishing feature is that their forelimbs are developed as wings, making them the only mammals in the world naturally capable of flight. Bat species account for about 20% of all mammals.
Family: Pteropodidae (flying foxes, Old World fruit bats)
Subfamily: Pteropodinae
Genus: Eidolon
Straw-coloured fruit bat Eidolon helvum LC
Genus: Epomophorus
Ethiopian epauletted fruit bat Epomophorus labiatus LC
Genus: Rousettus
Egyptian fruit bat Rousettus aegyptiacus LC
Family: Vespertilionidae
Subfamily: Vespertilioninae
Genus: Barbastella
Asian barbastelle Barbastella leucomelas LR/lc
Genus: Eptesicus
Botta's serotine Eptesicus bottae LC
Genus: Neoromicia
Cape serotine Neoromicia capensis LC
Banana pipistrelle Neoromicia nanus LC
Somali serotine Neoromicia somalicus LC
Genus: Nycticeinops
Schlieffen's bat Nycticeinops schlieffeni LC
Genus: Plecotus
Ethiopian big-eared bat Plecotus balensis VU
Genus: Scotophilus
African yellow bat Scotophilus dinganii LC
Family: Rhinopomatidae
Genus: Rhinopoma
Lesser mouse-tailed bat Rhinopoma hardwickei LC
Greater mouse-tailed bat Rhinopoma microphyllum LC
Family: Molossidae
Genus: Chaerephon
Spotted free-tailed bat Chaerephon bivittata LC
Little free-tailed bat Chaerephon pumila LC
Genus: Mops
Midas free-tailed bat Mops midas LC
Genus: Tadarida
African giant free-tailed bat Tadarida ventralis NT
Family: Emballonuridae
Genus: Coleura
African sheath-tailed bat Coleura afra LC
Genus: Taphozous
Naked-rumped tomb bat Taphozous nudiventris LC
Family: Nycteridae
Genus: Nycteris
Egyptian slit-faced bat Nycteris thebaica LC
Family: Megadermatidae
Genus: Cardioderma
Heart-nosed bat Cardioderma cor LC
Genus: Lavia
Yellow-winged bat Lavia frons LC
Family: Rhinolophidae
Subfamily: Rhinolophinae
Genus: Rhinolophus
Blasius's horseshoe bat Rhinolophus blasii NT
Geoffroy's horseshoe bat Rhinolophus clivosus LC
Rüppell's horseshoe bat Rhinolophus fumigatus LC
Lesser horseshoe bat Rhinolophus hipposideros LC
Subfamily: Hipposiderinae
Genus: Asellia
Patrizi's trident leaf-nosed bat Asellia patrizii VU
Trident leaf-nosed bat Asellia tridens LC
Genus: Hipposideros
Sundevall's roundleaf bat Hipposideros caffer LC
Ethiopian large-eared roundleaf bat Hipposideros megalotis NT
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: Odontoceti
Superfamily: Platanistoidea
Family: Delphinidae (marine dolphins)
Genus: Delphinus
Long-beaked common dolphin Delphinus capensis DD
Genus: Globicephala
Short-finned pilot whale Globicephala macrorhyncus DD
Genus: Grampus
Risso's dolphin Grampus griseus DD
Genus: Orcinus
Killer whale Orcinus orca DD
Genus: Sousa
Indian humpback dolphin Sousa plumbea DD
Genus: Stenella
Pantropical spotted dolphin Stenella attenuata DD
Striped dolphin Stenella coeruleoalba DD
Spinner dolphin Stenella longirostris DD
Genus: Steno
Rough-toothed dolphin Steno bredanensis DD
Genus: Tursiops
Common bottlenose dolphin Tursiops truncatus
Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphin Tursiops aduncus
Superfamily Ziphioidea
Family: Ziphidae (beaked whales)
Genus: Indopacetus
Tropical bottlenose whale Indopacetus pacificus (DD)
Genus: Mesoplodon
Ginkgo-toothed beaked whale Mesoplodon ginkgodens (DD)
Blainville's beaked whale Mesoplodon densirostris (DD)
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: Acinonyx
Sudan cheetah Acinonyx jubatus soemmeringii VU
Genus: Caracal
Caracal Caracal caracal LC
Genus: Felis
African wildcat Felis silvestris lybica LC
Genus: Leptailurus
Serval Leptailurus serval LC
Subfamily: Pantherinae
Genus: Panthera
Masai lion Panthera leo nubica VU
African leopard Panthera pardus pardus NT
Family: Hyaenidae (hyaenas)
Genus: Crocuta
Spotted hyena Crocuta crocuta LR/cd
Genus: Hyaena
Striped hyena Hyaena hyaena LR/nt
Genus: Proteles
Aardwolf Proteles cristatus LR/lc
Suborder: Caniformia
Family: Canidae (dogs, foxes)
Genus: Vulpes
Pale fox Vulpes pallida DD
Genus: Canis
African golden wolf Canis anthus NE
Black-backed jackal Canis mesomelas LC
Genus: Lycaon
Somali wild dog Lycaon pictus somalicus EN
Family: Mustelidae (mustelids)
Genus: Ictonyx
Striped polecat Ictonyx striatus LR/lc
Genus: Mellivora
Ratel Mellivora capensis LR/lc
Genus: Lutra
Speckle-throated otter Lutra maculicollis LC
Genus: Aonyx
African clawless otter Aonyx capensis LC
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.
Family: Equidae (horses etc.)
Genus: Equus
Somali wild ass Equus africanus somaliensis CR
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
Desert warthog Phacochoerus aethiopicus LR/lc
Common warthog Phacochoerus africanus LR/lc
Family: Giraffidae (giraffe, okapi)
Subfamily: Giraffa
Nubian giraffe Giraffa camelopardalis camelopardalis EN
Family: Bovidae (cattle, antelope, sheep, goats)
Subfamily: Alcelaphinae
Genus: Alcelaphus
Hartebeest Alcelaphus buselaphus LR/cd
Subfamily: Antilopinae
Genus: Gazella
Dorcas gazelle Gazella dorcas VU
Red-fronted gazelle Gazella rufifrons VU
Soemmerring's gazelle Gazella soemmerringii VU
Genus: Madoqua
Salt's dik-dik Madoqua saltiana LR/lc
Genus: Oreotragus
Klipspringer Oreotragus oreotragus LR/cd
Genus: Ourebia
Oribi Ourebia ourebi LR/cd
Subfamily: Bovinae
Genus: Tragelaphus
Greater kudu Tragelaphus strepsiceros LR/cd
Subfamily: Hippotraginae
Genus: Oryx
Gemsbok Oryx gazella LR/cd
