This is a list of the mammal species recorded in Libya. There are 97 mammal species in Libya, of which 3 are critically endangered, 1 is endangered, 5 are vulnerable, and 1 is near-threatened. 2 of the species listed for Libya can no longer be found in the wild.
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:
Often called sengi, the elephant shrews or jumping shrews are native to southern Africa. Their common English name derives from their elongated flexible snout and their resemblance to the true shrews.
Family: Macroscelididae (elephant shrews)
Genus: Elephantulus
North African elephant shrew Elephantulus rozeti LC
The elephants comprise three living species and are the largest living land animals.
Family: Elephantidae (elephants)
Genus: Loxodonta
North African elephant Loxodonta africana pharaoensis EX
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 (hyraxes)
Genus: Procavia
Cape hyrax Procavia capensis LC
The order Primates contains humans and their closest relatives: lemurs, lorisoids, tarsiers, monkeys, and apes.
Suborder: Haplorhini
Infraorder: Simiiformes
Parvorder: Catarrhini
Superfamily: Cercopithecoidea
Family: Cercopithecidae
Genus: Papio
Olive baboon Papio anubis LR/lc
Genus: Macaca
Barbary macaque Macaca sylvanus EN
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: Atlantoxerus
Barbary ground squirrel Atlantoxerus getulus LC
Suborder: Sciurognathi
Family: Gliridae (dormice)
Subfamily: Leithiinae
Genus: Eliomys
Asian garden dormouse Eliomys melanurus LC
Family: Dipodidae (jerboas)
Subfamily: Allactaginae
Genus: Allactaga
Four-toed jerboa Allactaga tetradactyla DD
Subfamily: Dipodinae
Genus: Jaculus
Lesser Egyptian jerboa Jaculus jaculus LC
Greater Egyptian jerboa Jaculus orientalis LC
Family: Spalacidae
Subfamily: Spalacinae
Genus: Nannospalax
Middle East blind mole-rat Nannospalax ehrenbergi LC
Family: Cricetidae
Subfamily: Arvicolinae
Genus: Microtus
Günther's Vole Microtus mustersi LC
Family: Muridae (mice, rats, voles, gerbils, hamsters, etc.)
Subfamily: Deomyinae
Genus: Acomys
Cairo spiny mouse Acomys cahirinus LC
Subfamily: Gerbillinae
Genus: Dipodillus
North African gerbil Dipodillus campestris LC
Genus: Gerbillus
Pleasant gerbil Gerbillus amoenus DD
Anderson's gerbil Gerbillus andersoni LR/lc
Lesser gerbil Gerbillus gerbillus LC
Grobben's gerbil Gerbillus grobbeni DD
Pygmy gerbil Gerbillus henleyi LC
Lataste's gerbil Gerbillus latastei DD
Balochistan gerbil Gerbillus nanus LC
Lesser short-tailed gerbil Gerbillus simoni LC
Sand gerbil Gerbillus syrticus DD
Tarabul's gerbil Gerbillus tarabuli LC
Genus: Meriones
Sundevall's jird Meriones crassus LC
Libyan jird Meriones libycus LC
Shaw's jird Meriones shawi LC
Genus: Pachyuromys
Fat-tailed gerbil Pachyuromys duprasi LC
Genus: Psammomys
Sand rat Psammomys obesus LC
Thin sand rat Psammomys vexillaris DD
Subfamily: Murinae
Genus: Mus
Algerian mouse Mus spretus LC
Family: Ctenodactylidae
Genus: Ctenodactylus
Gundi Ctenodactylus gundi LC
Val's gundi Ctenodactylus vali DD
Genus: Massoutiera
Mzab gundi Massoutiera mzabi LC
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
African savanna hare Lepus microtis 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: Atelerix
North African hedgehog Atelerix algirus LR/lc
Genus: Hemiechinus
Desert hedgehog Hemiechinus aethiopicus LR/lc
Long-eared hedgehog Hemiechinus auritus 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
Cyrenaica shrew Crocidura aleksandrisi LC
Genus: Suncus
Etruscan shrew Suncus etruscus 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: Rousettus
Egyptian fruit bat Rousettus aegyptiacus LC
Family: Vespertilionidae
Subfamily: Myotinae
Genus: Myotis
Felten's myotis Myotis punicus DD
Subfamily: Vespertilioninae
Genus: Eptesicus
Serotine bat Eptesicus serotinus LR/lc
Genus: Nyctalus
Greater noctule bat Nyctalus lasiopterus LR/nt
Lesser noctule Nyctalus leisleri LR/nt
Genus: Otonycteris
Desert long-eared bat Otonycteris hemprichii LR/lc
Genus: Pipistrellus
Egyptian pipistrelle Pipistrellus deserti LC
Kuhl's pipistrelle Pipistrellus kuhlii LC
Common pipistrelle Pipistrellus pipistrellus LC
Rüppell's pipistrelle Pipistrellus rueppelli LC
Genus: Plecotus
Christi's big-eared bat Plecotus christiei DD
Canary big-eared bat Plecotus teneriffae DD
Subfamily: Miniopterinae
Genus: Miniopterus
Common bent-wing bat Miniopterus schreibersii LC
Family: Rhinopomatidae
Genus: Rhinopoma
Lesser mouse-tailed bat Rhinopoma hardwickei LC
Greater mouse-tailed bat Rhinopoma microphyllum LC
Family: Nycteridae
Genus: Nycteris
Egyptian slit-faced bat Nycteris thebaica LC
Family: Rhinolophidae
Subfamily: Rhinolophinae
Genus: Rhinolophus
Geoffroy's horseshoe bat Rhinolophus clivosus LC
Mehely's horseshoe bat Rhinolophus mehelyi VU
Subfamily: Hipposiderinae
Genus: Asellia
Trident leaf-nosed bat Asellia tridens LC
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.
Species listed below also includes species being recorded in Levantine Sea except for gray whale.
Suborder: Mysticeti
Family: Balaenopteridae
Genus: Balaenoptera
Common minke whale Balaenoptera acutorostrata LC
Fin whale Balaenoptera physalus EN
Blue whale Balaenoptera m. musculus EN (possible)
Subfamily: Megapterinae
Genus: Megaptera
Humpback whale Megaptera novaeangliae LC and CR (Arabian Sea population)
Family: Balaenidae
Genus: Eubalaena
North Atlantic right whale Eubalaena glacialis CR (possible)
Suborder: Odontoceti
Superfamily: Platanistoidea
Family: Delphinidae (marine dolphins)
Genus: Steno
Rough-toothed dolphin Steno bredanensis DD
Genus: Delphinus
Short-beaked common dolphin Delphinus delphis LR/lc
Genus: Orcinus
Orca Orcinus orca LR/cd
Genus: Pseudorca
False killer whale Pseudorca crassidens DD
Genus: Globicephala
Long-finned pilot whale Globicephala melas LR/lc
Genus: Grampus
Risso's dolphin Grampus griseus LC
Genus: Stenella
Striped dolphin Stenella coeruleoalba DD
Genus Tursiops
Common bottlenose dolphin 'Tursiops truncatus LC
Family Physeteridae (sperm whales)
Genus: Physeter
Sperm whale Physeter catodon VU
Superfamily Ziphioidea (beaked whales)
Family Ziphidae
Genus: Ziphius
Cuvier's beaked whale Ziphius cavirostris LC
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
Northwest African cheetah Acinonyx jubatus hecki CR - possibly extinct
Sudan cheetah Acinonyx jubatus soemmeringii VU - possibly extinct
Genus: Caracal
Caracal Caracal caracal LC
Genus: Felis
Saharan sand cat Felis margarita margarita NT
African wildcat Felis silvestris lybica LC
Genus: Leptailurus
Barbary serval Leptailurus serval constantinus probably EX
Subfamily: Pantherinae
Genus: Panthera
Barbary lion Panthera leo leo EW - regionally extinct
African leopard Panthera pardus pardus NT - regionally extinct
Family: Viverridae (civets, mongooses, etc.)
Subfamily: Viverrinae
Genus: Genetta
Common genet Genetta genetta LR/lc
Family: Herpestidae (mongooses)
Genus: Herpestes
Egyptian mongoose Herpestes ichneumon LR/lc
Family: Hyaenidae (hyaenas)
Genus: Hyaena
Striped hyena Hyaena hyaena NT
Suborder: Caniformia
Family: Canidae (dogs, foxes)
Genus: Vulpes
Rüppell's fox Vulpes rueppelli LC
Red fox Vulpes vulpes LC
Fennec Vulpes zerda LC
Genus: Canis
African golden wolf Canis anthus NE
Family: Mustelidae (mustelids)
Genus: Mustela
Least weasel Mustela nivalis LR/lc
Family: Mustelidae (mustelids)
Genus: Ictonyx
Saharan striped polecat Ictonyx libyca LR/lc
Family: Phocidae (earless seals)
Genus: Monachus
Mediterranean monk seal Monachus monachus 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: Suinae
Genus: Sus
Boar Sus scrofa LC - regionally extinct
Family: Bovidae (cattle, antelope, sheep, goats)
Subfamily: Alcelaphinae
Genus: Alcelaphus
Hartebeest Alcelaphus buselaphus LC - regionally extinct
Subfamily: Antilopinae
Genus: Gazella
Dama gazelle Gazella dama CR - regionally extinct
Dorcas gazelle Gazella dorcas VU
Rhim gazelle Gazella leptoceros EN
Subfamily: Caprinae
Genus: Ammotragus
Barbary sheep Ammotragus lervia VU
Subfamily: Hippotraginae
Genus: Addax
Addax Addax nasomaculatus CR - regionally extinct
Genus: Oryx
Scimitar oryx Oryx dammah EW
