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List of mammals of peninsular Spain facts for kids

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This article is about the amazing mammals found in Spanish territory on the Iberian Peninsula. There are 115 different mammal species living here!

Some of these animals are facing challenges. Seven species are endangered, meaning they are at a very high risk of disappearing forever. Thirteen are vulnerable, and three are near threatened. The IUCN Red List helps us understand how safe or at risk each species is. If a species' status in Spain is different from its global status, it will be shown in brackets.

Here's what the different conservation statuses mean:

EX Extinct Sadly, the last animal of this species has died.
EW Extinct in the wild These animals only live in zoos or special protected areas, not in nature.
CR Critically endangered This species is in extreme danger of disappearing from the wild very soon.
EN Endangered This species faces a very high risk of disappearing from the wild.
VU Vulnerable This species is at a high risk of disappearing from the wild.
NT Near threatened This species isn't in immediate danger, but it might be in the future.
LC Least concern There are no big worries for this species right now.
DD Data deficient We don't have enough information to know how safe this species is.

Rodents: Gnawing Mammals

Bevers
Eurasian beavers
Eichhörnchen Düsseldorf Hofgarten Crisco edit
Red squirrel
Eliomys quercinus01
Garden dormouse
Arvicola sapidus 02 by-dpc
Southwestern water vole
Apodemus.flavicollis
Yellow-necked mouse
Ratao do banhado 1 REFON
The South American coypu, which came to Spain from fur farms.

Rodents are the biggest group of mammals, making up over 40% of all mammal species! They have two front teeth (incisors) on their top and bottom jaws that never stop growing. They have to keep gnawing to keep their teeth short. Most rodents are small, but some, like the capybara, can be quite large.

Here are some rodents found in Spain:

Lagomorphs: Rabbits and Hares

Oryctolagus cuniculus 1a
European rabbit

Lagomorphs include hares and rabbits. They might look like rodents, but they are a separate group. One key difference is that they have four front teeth in their upper jaw, not two.

Here are some lagomorphs found in Spain:

Erinaceomorpha: Hedgehogs

Igel01
West European hedgehog

This group includes hedgehogs. Hedgehogs are easy to spot because of their spiky coats!

Here are some hedgehogs found in Spain:

Soricomorpha: Shrews and Moles

Sorex granarius SvMerten
Iberian shrew
Galemys pyrenaicus 01 by-dpc
Pyrenean desman
Talpa europaea MHNT
European mole

These insect-eating mammals include shrews, which look a bit like mice, and moles, which are good at digging underground.

Here are some shrews and moles found in Spain:

Chiroptera: Flying Bats

Myotis alcathoe - Manuel Ruedi - 1 - cropped
Alcathoe bat
Tadarida Teniotis263
European free-tailed bat
Rhinolophus euryale-cropped
Mediterranean horseshoe bat

Bats are special because their front limbs are wings, making them the only mammals that can truly fly! About 20% of all mammal species are bats.

Here are some bats found in Spain:

Cetacea: Whales and Dolphins

Orion harrapatutako azken balea (1901)
The last North Atlantic right whale caught by whalers in Orio, Spain (1901).
CZ Rorcual FinWhale Estrecho Strait Gibraltar
A fin whale seen near Tarifa in the strait of Gibraltar.
Common Dolphins in Gibraltar Bay
Common dolphins in Gibraltar Bay.
Delfines-gijon
Striped dolphins near Gijón.

This group includes amazing ocean mammals like whales, dolphins, and porpoises. They are perfectly built for life in the water, with smooth bodies and fins for swimming.

Here are some whales and dolphins found in Spain's waters:

Carnivorans: Meat Eaters

Linces1
Iberian lynx
Genetta genetta felina (Wroclaw zoo)
Common genet
Iberian Wolf
Iberian wolf
Cantabrian brown bears at Cabárceno
Cantabrian brown bears in Cabarceno Natural Park.

There are over 260 species of carnivorans, and most of them mainly eat meat. They have special teeth and skull shapes for this diet.

Here are some carnivorans found in Spain:

Artiodactyla: Even-Toed Hoofed Mammals

El Pardo ciervo
Spanish red deer in El Pardo.
Bisontes europeos (30 de abril de 2018, Reserva y Centro de Interpretación del Bisonte Europeo de San Cebrián de Mudá) 02
European bison in San Cebrián de Mudá.
Cabra montés 2
Male Iberian ibex
Isard des pyrenees bigorre 2003
Pyrenean chamois

These animals walk on two main toes, the third and fourth. This group includes many animals important to humans, like pigs, deer, and cattle.

Here are some even-toed ungulates found in Spain:

Locally Extinct Mammals

Το βλέμμα της φώκιας
Mediterranean monk seal

These species used to live in Spain but are no longer found here. However, they still exist in other parts of the world.

See also

  • List of chordate orders
  • Lists of mammals by region
  • Mammal classification
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