This is a list of the mammal species recorded in São Tomé and Príncipe. These are the native terrestrial and naturally occurring marine mammal species in São Tomé and Príncipe, of which 2 are critically endangered, 1 is endangered, 0 are vulnerable, and 2 are near-threatened. In addition, 6 species of terrestrial mammal have been introduced to the islands, and 8 domestic species have become feral or otherwise pose a threat to the native fauna.
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:
Family: Muridae
Subfamily: Murinae
Genus: Rattus
Common rat Rattus norvegicus (Introduced) LR/lc
Ship rat Rattus rattus (Introduced) LR/lc
Genus: Mus
House mouse Mus musculus (Introduced) LR/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 (Old World monkeys)
Genus: Cercopithecus
Mona monkey Cercopithecus mona (Introduced) 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
Fraser's musk shrew Crocidura poensis LC
São Tomé shrew Crocidura thomensis EN
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: Myonycteris
São Tomé collared fruit bat Myonycteris brachycephala EN
Genus: Rousettus
Egyptian fruit bat Rousettus aegyptiacus LC
Family: Vespertilionidae
Subfamily: Miniopterinae
Genus: Miniopterus
Least long-fingered bat Miniopterus minor NT
Family: Molossidae
Genus: Chaerephon
Little free-tailed bat Chaerephon pumila LC
São Tomé free-tailed bat Chaerephon tomensis EN
Family: Emballonuridae
Genus: Taphozous
Mauritian tomb bat Taphozous mauritianus LC
Family: Rhinolophidae
Subfamily: Hipposiderinae
Genus: Hipposideros
Noack's roundleaf bat Hipposideros ruber LC
Saõ Tomé leaf-nosed bat Hipposideros thomensis NT
Family: Viverridae
Subfamily: Viverrinae
Genus: Civettictis
African civet Civettictis civetta (Introduced) LR/lc
Family: Mustelidae
Subfamily: Mustelinae
Genus: Mustela
Least weasel Mustela nivalis (Introduced) LR/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.
Suborder: Mysticeti
Family: Balaenopteridae
Subfamily: Balaenopterinae
Genus: Balaenoptera
Common minke whale Balaenoptera acutorostrata LC
Antarctic minke whale Balaenoptera bonaerensis DD
Sei whale Balaenoptera borealis EN
Bryde's whale Balaenoptera edeni DD
Blue whale Balaenoptera musculus EN
Fin whale Balaenoptera physalus EN
Subfamily: Megapterinae
Genus: Megaptera
Humpback whale Megaptera novaeangliae VU
Suborder: Odontoceti
Superfamily: Platanistoidea
Family: Physeteridae
Genus: Physeter
Sperm whale Physeter macrocephalus VU
Family: Kogiidae
Genus: Kogia
Pygmy sperm whale Kogia breviceps LR/lc
Dwarf sperm whale Kogia sima LR/lc
Family: Ziphidae
Subfamily: Hyperoodontinae
Genus: Mesoplodon
Blainville's beaked whale Mesoplodon densirostris DD
Gervais' beaked whale Mesoplodon europaeus DD
Genus: Ziphius
Cuvier's beaked whale Ziphius cavirostris DD
Family: Delphinidae (marine dolphins)
Genus: Steno
Rough-toothed dolphin Steno bredanensis DD
Genus: Tursiops
Common bottlenose dolphin Tursiops truncatus LC
Genus: Delphinus
Long-beaked common dolphin Delphinus capensis DD
Genus: Stenella
Pantropical spotted dolphin Stenella attenuata LR/cd
Striped dolphin Stenella coeruleoalba LR/cd
Atlantic spotted dolphin Stenella frontalis DD
Clymene dolphin Stenella clymene DD
Spinner dolphin Stenella longirostris LR/cd
Genus: Lagenodelphis
Fraser's dolphin Lagenodelphis hosei DD
Genus: Sousa
Atlantic humpback dolphin Sousa teuszii
Genus: Orcinus
Orca Orcinus orca LR/cd
Genus: Feresa
Pygmy killer whale Feresa attenuata DD
Genus: Pseudorca
False killer whale Pseudorca crassidens LR/lc
Genus: Globicephala
Short-finned pilot whale Globicephala macrorhynchus LR/cd
Genus: Peponocephala
Melon-headed whale Peponocephala electra DD
