List of mammals of the Cook Islands facts for kids

This is a list of the mammal species recorded in the Cook Islands. There are seven mammal species in the Cook Islands, of which one is labelled as being a vulnerable species.

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.

Order: Chiroptera (bats)

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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: Pteropodidae (flying foxes, Old World fruit bats)
  • Subfamily: Pteropodinae
    • Genus: Pteropus
      • Insular flying-fox, Pteropus tonganus LR/lc

Order: Cetacea (whales)

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Spinner dolphins

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: Megapterinae
      • Genus: Megaptera
        • Humpback whale, Megaptera novaeangliae VU
• Suborder: Odontoceti
  • Superfamily: Platanistoidea
    • Family: Ziphidae
      • Subfamily: Hyperoodontinae
        • Genus: Mesoplodon
          • Ginkgo-toothed beaked whale, Mesoplodon ginkgodens DD
    • Family: Delphinidae (marine dolphins)
      • Genus: Stenella
        • Spinner dolphin, Stenella longirostris LR/cd
      • Genus: Lagenodelphis
        • Fraser's dolphin, Lagenodelphis hosei DD
      • Genus: Feresa
        • Pygmy killer whale, Feresa attenuata DD

Order: Carnivora (carnivorans)

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Leopard seal

There are over 260 species of carnivorans, the majority of which feed primarily on meat. They have a characteristic skull shape and dentition.

• Suborder: Caniformia
  • Family: Phocidae (earless seals)
    • Genus: Hydrurga
      • Leopard seal, Hydrurga leptonyx LR/lc