This is a list of the mammal species recorded in Saudi Arabia. There are 80 mammal species in Saudi Arabia, of which 3 are critically endangered, 3 are endangered, 9 are vulnerable, and 2 are near-threatened. 2 of the species listed for Saudi Arabia are extinct.
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 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 stumpy tail. They are native to Africa and the Middle East.
Family: Procaviidae (hylaxes)
Genus: Procavia
Cape hyrax Procavia capensis LC
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, monkeys, and apes.
Suborder: Haplorhini
Infraorder: Simiiformes
Parvorder: Catarrhini
Superfamily: Cercopithecoidea
Family: Cercopithecidae (Old World monkeys)
Genus: Papio
Hamadryas baboon Papio hamadryas LR/nt
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
Indian porcupine Hystrix indica LR/lc
Suborder: Sciurognathi
Family: Gliridae (dormice)
Subfamily: Leithiinae
Genus: Eliomys
Asian garden dormouse Eliomys melanurus LC
Family: Dipodidae (jerboas)
Subfamily: Allactaginae
Genus: Allactaga
Euphrates jerboa Allactaga euphratica LR/nt
Subfamily: Dipodinae
Genus: Jaculus
Lesser Egyptian jerboa Jaculus jaculus LC
Greater Egyptian jerboa Jaculus orientalis LC
Family: Muridae (mice, rats, voles, gerbils, hamsters, etc.)
Subfamily: Deomyinae
Genus: Acomys
Cairo spiny mouse Acomys cahirinus LC
Golden spiny mouse Acomys russatus LR/lc
Subfamily: gerbillinae
Genus: Gerbillus
Cheesman's gerbil Gerbillus cheesmani LR/lc
Wagner's gerbil Gerbillus dasyurus LR/lc
Pygmy gerbil Gerbillus henleyi LC
Gerbillus nanus LC
Large Aden gerbil Gerbillus poecilops LR/nt
Genus: Meriones
Arabian jird Meriones arimalius EN
Sundevall's jird Meriones crassus LC
Libyan jird Meriones libycus LC
King jird Meriones rex LR/lc
Genus: Psammomys
Sand rat Psammomys obesus LC
Genus: Sekeetamys
Bushy-tailed jird Sekeetamys calurus LC
Subfamily: Murinae
Genus: Apodemus
Broad-toothed field mouse Apodemus mystacinus LR/lc
Genus: Arvicanthis
African grass rat Arvicanthis niloticus LC
Genus: Myomyscus
Yemeni mouse Myomys Yemeni LR/lc
Genus: Nesokia
Short-tailed bandicoot rat Nesokia indica 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 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: Rousettus
Egyptian fruit bat Rousettus aegyptiacus LC
Family: Vespertilionidae
Subfamily: Myotinae
Genus: Myotis
Geoffroy's bat Myotis emarginatus VU
Subfamily: Vespertilioninae
Genus: Eptesicus
Botta's serotine Eptesicus bottae LC
Sind bat Eptesicus nasutus VU
Genus: Hypsugo
Bodenheimer's pipistrelle Hypsugo bodenheimeri LR/nt
Genus: Nycticeinops
Schlieffen's twilight bat Nycticeinops schlieffeni LC
Genus: Otonycteris
Desert long-eared bat Otonycteris hemprichii LR/lc
Genus: Pipistrellus
Kuhl's pipistrelle Pipistrellus kuhlii LC
Genus: Plecotus
Grey long-eared bat Plecotus austriacus LR/lc
Subfamily: Miniopterinae
Genus: Miniopterus
Schreibers' long-fingered bat Miniopterus schreibersii LC
Family: Rhinopomatidae
Genus: Rhinopoma
Lesser mouse-tailed bat Rhinopoma hardwickei LC
Greater mouse-tailed bat Rhinopoma microphyllum LC
Family: Molossidae
Genus: Chaerephon
Nigerian free-tailed bat Chaerephon nigeriae LC
Genus: Mops
Midas free-tailed bat Mops midas LC
Genus: Tadarida
Egyptian free-tailed bat Tadarida aegyptiaca LC
European free-tailed bat Tadarida teniotis LR/lc
Family: Emballonuridae
Genus: Taphozous
Egyptian tomb bat Taphozous perforatus 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
Greater horseshoe bat Rhinolophus ferrumequinum LR/nt
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
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: Mysticeti
Family: Balaenopteridae
Subfamily: Balaenopterinae
Genus: Balaenoptera
Bryde's whale Balaenoptera edeni DD
Subfamily: Megapterinae
Genus: Megaptera
Humpback whale Megaptera novaeangliae CR (Arabian Sea Population)
Suborder: Odontoceti
Superfamily: Platanistoidea
Family: Phocoenidae
Genus: Neophocaena
Finless porpoise Neophocaena phocaenoides DD
Family: Ziphidae
Subfamily: Hyperoodontinae
Genus: Indopacetus
Longman's beaked whale Indopacetus pacificus DD
Family: Delphinidae (marine dolphins)
Genus: Sousa
Sousa chinensis DD
Genus: Stenella
Spinner dolphin Stenella longirostris LR/cd
Genus: Delphinus
Common dolphin Delphinus capensis LR/lc
Genus: Grampus
Risso's dolphin Grampus griseus DD
There are over 260 species of carnivorans, the majority of which eat meat as their primary dietary item. They have a characteristic skull shape and dentition.
Suborder: Feliformia
Family: Felidae (cats)
Subfamily: Felinae
Genus: Acinonyx
Asiatic cheetah Acinonyx jubatus venaticus CR – Extinct in the Arabian Peninsula
Genus: Caracal
Caracal Caracal caracal LC
Genus: Felis
Arabian sand cat Felis margarita harrisoni NT
Arabian wildcat Felis silvestris gordoni LC
Subfamily: Pantherinae
Genus: Panthera
Lion Panthera leo EN – Extinct in the Arabian Peninsula
Leopard Panthera pardus nimr CR
Family: Viverridae (civets, mongooses, etc.)
Subfamily: Herpestinae
Genus: Ichneumia
White-tailed mongoose Ichneumia albacauda
Genus: Genetta
Common genet Genetta genetta LR/lc
Family: Herpestidae (mongooses)
Genus: Herpestes
Indian gray mongoose Herpestes edwardsii LR/lc
Family: Hyaenidae (hyaenas)
Genus: Hyaena
Striped hyena Hyaena hyaena LR/nt
Suborder: Caniformia
Family: Canidae (dogs, foxes)
Genus: Vulpes
Blanford's fox Vulpes cana VU
Rueppell's fox Vulpes rueppelli DD
Fennec Vulpes zerda DD
Arabian red fox Vulpes vulpes arabica DD
Genus: Canis
Common jackal Canis aureus aureus LC
Arabian wolf Canis lupus arabs LC
Family: Mustelidae (mustelids)
Genus: Mellivora
Ratel Mellivora capensis LR/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
Syrian wild ass Equus hemionus hemippus EX
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: Bovidae (cattle, antelope, sheep, goats)
Subfamily: Antilopinae
Genus: Gazella
Arabian gazelle Gazella arabica LC
Saudi gazelle Gazella saudiya DD
Goitered gazelle Gazella subgutturosa VU
Subfamily: Caprinae
Genus: Capra
Nubian ibex Capra nubiana EN
Genus: Arabitragus
Arabian tahr Arabitragus jayakari EN
Subfamily: Hippotraginae
Genus: Oryx
Arabian oryx Oryx leucoryx EN
