List of mammals of Belarus

There are forty-eight mammal species in Belarus, of which two are endangered, four are vulnerable, and three are near threatened. One of the species listed for Belarus can no longer be found in the wild.^[1]

The following tags are used to highlight each species' conservation status as assessed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature:

EX	Extinct	No reasonable doubt that the last individual has died.
EW	Extinct in the wild	Known only to survive in captivity or as a naturalized populations well outside its previous range.
CR	Critically endangered	The species is in imminent risk of extinction in the wild.
EN	Endangered	The species is facing an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild.
VU	Vulnerable	The species is facing a high risk of extinction in the wild.
NT	Near threatened	The 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.
LC	Least concern	There are no current identifiable risks to the species.
DD	Data deficient	There 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/cd	Lower risk/conservation dependent	Species which were the focus of conservation programmes and may have moved into a higher risk category if that programme was discontinued.
LR/nt	Lower risk/near threatened	Species which are close to being classified as vulnerable but are not the subject of conservation programmes.
LR/lc	Lower risk/least concern	Species for which there are no identifiable risks.

Order: Rodentia (rodents)

Hazel dormouse

Tundra vole

Striped field mouse

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 (100 lb).

• Suborder: Sciurognathi
  • Family: Castoridae (beavers)
    • Genus: Castor
      • Eurasian beaver, C. fiber LC^[2]
  • Family: Sciuridae (squirrels)
    • Subfamily: Sciurinae
      • Tribe: Pteromyini
        • Genus: Pteromys
          • Siberian flying squirrel, P. volans LC possibly extirpated
  • Family: Gliridae (dormice)
    • Subfamily: Leithiinae
      • Genus: Dryomys
        • Forest dormouse, D. nitedula LC
      • Genus: Muscardinus
        • Hazel dormouse, M. avellanarius LC
    • Subfamily: Glirinae
      • Genus: Glis
        • European edible dormouse, G. glis LC
  • Family: Cricetidae
    • Subfamily: Arvicolinae
      • Genus: Arvicola
        • European water vole, A. amphibius LC^[3]
      • Genus: Clethrionomys
        • Bank vole, C. glareolus
      • Genus: Microtus
        • Field vole, M. agrestis
        • Common vole, M. arvalis
        • Tundra vole, M. oeconomus LC
  • Family: Muridae (mice, rats, voles, gerbils, hamsters, etc.)
    • Subfamily: Murinae
      • Genus: Apodemus
        • Striped field mouse, A. agrarius
        • Yellow-necked mouse, A. flavicollis
        • Wood mouse, A. sylvaticus LC
        • Ural field mouse, A. uralensis
      • Genus: Micromys
        • Eurasian harvest mouse, M. minutus

Order: Lagomorpha (lagomorphs)

European hare

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 twentieth 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
    • European hare, L. europaeus LC^[4]
    • Mountain hare, L. timidus LC^[5]

Order: Erinaceomorpha (hedgehogs and gymnures)

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: Erinaceus
      • Southern white-breasted hedgehog, E. concolor LC
      • Northern white-breasted hedgehog, E. roumanicus LC

Order: Soricomorpha (shrews, moles, and solenodons)

Lesser white-toothed shrew

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
      • Lesser white-toothed shrew, C. suaveolens LC^[6]
  • Subfamily: Soricinae
    • Tribe: Nectogalini
      • Genus: Neomys
        • Eurasian water shrew, Neomys fodiens
    • Tribe: Soricini
      • Genus: Sorex
        • Laxmann's shrew, Sorex caecutiens
        • Eurasian pygmy shrew, Sorex minutus
• Family: Talpidae (moles)
  • Subfamily: Talpinae
    • Tribe: Desmanini
      • Genus: Desmana
        • Russian desman, D. moschata EN extirpated

Order: Chiroptera (bats)

Barbastelle

Lesser noctule

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.

• Family: Vespertilionidae
  • Subfamily: Myotinae
    • Genus: Myotis
      • Bechstein's bat, M. bechsteini NT^[7]
      • Pond bat, M. dasycneme NT^[8]
      • Greater mouse-eared bat, M. myotis LC^[9]
      • Natterer's bat, Myotis nattereri LC^[10]
  • Subfamily: Vespertilioninae
    • Genus: Barbastella
      • Western barbastelle, B. barbastellus NT^[11]
    • Genus: Nyctalus
      • Greater noctule bat, N. lasiopterus NT^[12]
      • Lesser noctule, N. leisleri LC^[13]

Order: Carnivora (carnivorans)

European polecat

Beech marten

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: Felis
        • European wildcat, F. silvestris LC
      • Genus: Lynx
        • Eurasian lynx, L. lynx LC^[14]
• Suborder: Caniformia
  • Family: Canidae (dogs, foxes)
    • Genus: Vulpes
      • Red fox, V. vulpes LC^[15]
    • Genus: Canis
      • Gray wolf, C. lupus LC^[16]
        • Eurasian wolf, C. l. lupus
  • Family: Ursidae (bears)
    • Genus: Ursus
      • Brown bear, U. arctos LC^[17]
        • Eurasian brown bear, U. a. arctos
  • Family: Mustelidae (mustelids)
    • Genus: Lutra
      • Eurasian otter, L. lutra NT^[18]
    • Genus: Martes
      • Beech marten, M. foina LC^[19]
    • Genus: Meles
      • European badger, M. meles LC^[20]
    • Genus: Mustela
      • Stoat, M. erminea LC^[21]
      • Steppe polecat, M. eversmannii LC^[22]
      • European mink, M. lutreola CR extirpated^[23]
      • Least weasel, M. nivalis LC^[24]
      • European polecat, M. putorius LC^[25]
    • Genus: Neogale
      • American mink, N. vison LC introduced^[26]

Order: Perissodactyla (odd-toed ungulates)

Przewalski's horse

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
    • Wild horse, E. ferus EN reintroduced
      • Przewalski's horse, E. f. przewalskii EN reintroduced^{[27][28][29][30]}

Order: Artiodactyla (even-toed ungulates)

Moose

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: Cervidae
  • Subfamily: Capreolinae
    • Genus: Alces
      • Moose, A. alces LC^[31]
    • Genus: Capreolus
      • Roe deer, C. capreolus LC^[32]
  • Subfamily: Cervinae
    • Genus: Cervus
      • Red deer, C. elaphus LC^[33]
    • Genus: Dama
      • European fallow deer, D. dama LC introduced^[34]
• Family: Bovidae
  • Genus: Bison
    • European bison, B. bonasus NT reintroduced^[35]
  • Genus: Bos
    • Aurochs, B. primigenius EX^[36]
• Family: Suidae
  • Genus: Sus
    • Wild boar, S. scrofa LC^[37]

See also

• List of chordate orders
• List of prehistoric mammals
• Lists of mammals by region
• Mammal classification
• Mammals described in the 2000s

Notes

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. Batbold, J.; Batsaikhan, N.; Shar, S.; Hutterer, R.; Kryštufek, B.; Yigit, N.; Mitsain, G.; Palomo, L. (2016). "Castor fiber". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2016: e.T4007A115067136.
3. Batsaikhan, N.; Henttonen, H.; Meinig, H.; Shenbrot, G.; Bukhnikashvili, A.; Hutterer, R.; Kryštufek, B.; Yigit, N.; Mitsain, G. & Palomo, L. (2016). "Arvicola amphibius". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2016: e.T2149A115060819.
4. Hacklande, K. & Schai-Braun, S. (2019). "Lepus europaeus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2019: e.T41280A45187424.
5. Smith, A.T. & Johnston, C.H. (2019). "Lepus timidus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2019: e.T11791A45177198.
6. Hutterer, R.; Amori, G.; Krystufek, B.; Yigit, N.; Mitsain, G. & Palomo, L.J. (2010). "Crocidura suaveolens". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2010: e.T29656A9511068.
7. Paunović, M. (2019). "Myotis bechsteinii". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2019: e.T14123A22053752.
8. Piraccini, R. (2016). "Myotis dasycneme". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2016: e.T14127A22055164.
9. Coroiu, I.; Juste, J. & Paunović, M. (2016). "Myotis myotis". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2016: e.T14133A22051759.
10. Gazaryan, S.; Kruskop, S.V. & Godlevska, L. (2020). "Myotis nattereri". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2020: e.T85733032A22052584.
11. Piraccini, R. (2016). "Barbastella barbastellus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2016: e.T2553A22029285.
12. Hutson, A. M.; Alcaldé, J. T.; Juste, J.; Karataş, A.; Palmeirim, J. & Paunović, M. (2010). "Nyctalus lasiopterus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2010: e.T14918A4471682.
13. Juste, J. & Paunović, M. (2016). "Nyctalus leisleri". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2016: e.T14919A22016159.
14. Breitenmoser, U.; Breitenmoser-Würsten, C.; Lanz, T.; von Arx, M.; Antonevich, A.; Bao, W. & Avgan, B. (2015). "Lynx lynx". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2015: e.T12519A121707666.
15. Hoffmann, M.; Sillero-Zubiri, C. (2016). "Vulpes vulpes". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2016: e.T23062A46190249.
16. Boitani, L.; Phillips, M. & Jhala, Y. (2018). "Canis lupus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2018: e.T3746A119623865.
17. McLellan, B. N.; Proctor, M. F.; Huber, D. & Michel, S. (2017). "Ursus arctos". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2017: e.T41688A121229971.
18. Roos, A.; Loy, A.; de Silva, P.; Hajkova, P. & Zemanová, B. (2015). "Lutra lutra". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2015: e.T12419A21935287.
19. Abramov, A.V.; Kranz, A.; Herrero, J.; Krantz, A.; Choudhury, A. & Maran, T. (2016). "Martes foina". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2016: e.T29672A45202514.
20. Kranz, A.; Abramov, A. V.; Herrero, J. & Maran, T. (2016). "Meles meles". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2016: e.T29673A45203002.
21. Reid, F.; Helgen, K. & Kranz, A. (2016). "Mustela erminea". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2016: e.T29674A45203335.
22. Maran, T.; Skumatov, D.; Abramov A. V. & Kranz, A. (2016). "Mustela eversmanii". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2016: e.T29679A45203762.
23. Maran, T.; Aulagnier, S.; Libois, R.; Kranz, A.; Abramov, A. & Wozencraft, C. (2010). "Mustela lutreola". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2010: e.T14018A4381596.
24. McDonald, R. A.; Abramov, A. V.; Stubbe, M.; Herrero, J.; Maran, T.; Tikhonov, A.; Cavallini, P.; Kranz, A.; Giannatos, G.; Kryštufek, B. & Reid, F. (2019). "Mustela nivalis". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2019: e.T70207409A147993366.
25. Skumatov, D.; Abramov, A.V.; Herrero, J.; Kitchener, A.; Maran, T.; Kranz, A.; Sándor, A.; Stubbe, M.; Saveljev, A.; Savour-Soubelet, A.; Guinot-Ghestem, M.; Zuberogoitia, I.; Birks, J.D.S.; Weber, A.; Melisch, R. & Ruette, S. (2016). "Mustela putorius". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2016: e.T41658A45214384.
26. Reid, F.; Schiaffini, M.; Schipper, J. (2016). "Neovison vison". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2016: e.T41661A45214988.
27. "The Last Truly Wild Horses Are Alive and Well in Chernobyl". Popular Mechanics. October 17, 2019. Retrieved 16 February 2020.
28. "Завезені з Монголії коні Пржевальського прижилися у зоні відчуження ЧАЕС". zora-irpin.info (in Ukrainian). 19 February 2020.
29. Wendle, John. "Animals Rule Chernobyl 30 Years After Nuclear Disaster". National Geographic. Archived from the original on April 18, 2016. Retrieved 2 May 2016.
30. "Fresh research shows how horse domestication helped shape humanity". Horsetalk. May 10, 2018. Retrieved 25 June 2020.
31. Hundertmark, K. (2016). "Alces alces". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2016: e.T56003281A22157381.
32. Lovari, S.; Herrero, J.; Masseti, M.; Ambarli, H.; Lorenzini, R. & Giannatos, G. (2016). "Capreolus capreolus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2016: e.T42395A22161386.
33. Lovari, S.; Lorenzini, R.; Masseti, M.; Pereladova, O.; Carden, R.F.; Brook, S.M. & Mattioli, S. (2018). "Cervus elaphus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2018: e.T55997072A142404453.
34. Masseti, M.; Mertzanidou, D. (2008). "Dama dama". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2008: e.T42188A10656554. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2008.RLTS.T42188A10656554.en. Retrieved 19 November 2021.
35. Plumb, G.; Kowalczyk, R. & Hernandez-Blanco, J.A. (2020). "Bison bonasus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2020: e.T2814A45156279.
36. Коллектив авторов (15 May 2022). Belarus: Pages of History (Ebook). Litres (published 18 January 2021). ISBN 978-5041625948.
37. Keuling, O. & Leus, K. (2019). "Sus scrofa". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2019: e.T41775A44141833.

References

• "The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: Mammals of Belarus". IUCN. 2001. Retrieved 22 May 2007. ^{[dead link]}
• "Mammal Species of the World". Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History. 2005. Archived from the original on 27 April 2007. Retrieved 22 May 2007.
• "Animal Diversity Web". University of Michigan Museum of Zoology. 1995–2006. Retrieved 22 May 2007.