List of mammals in São Tomé and Príncipe
Encyclopedia
This is a list of the mammal species recorded in São Tomé and Príncipe. There are 11 native terrestrial
and 3 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:
Order: Rodent
----
The order Primates contains all the species commonly related to the lemur
s, monkey
s, and ape
s, with the latter category including humans. It is divided informally into three main groupings: prosimian
s, monkeys of the New World
, and monkeys and apes of the Old World
.
Order: Soricomorpha
----
The "shrew-forms" are insectivorous mammals. The shrews and soledons closely resemble mice, while the moles are stout bodied burrowers.
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.
Order: Carnivora
----
Order: Cetacea
----
The order Cetacea includes whale
s, dolphin
s and porpoise
s. 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.
Terrestrial animal
Terrestrial animals are animals that live predominantly or entirely on land , as compared with aquatic animals, which live predominantly or entirely in the water , or amphibians, which rely on a combination of aquatic and terrestrial habitats...
and 3 naturally occurring marine
Marine (ocean)
Marine is an umbrella term. As an adjective it is usually applicable to things relating to the sea or ocean, such as marine biology, marine ecology and marine geology...
mammal
Mammal
Mammals are members of a class of air-breathing vertebrate animals characterised by the possession of endothermy, hair, three middle ear bones, and mammary glands functional in mothers with young...
species in São Tomé and Príncipe
São Tomé and Príncipe
São Tomé and Príncipe, officially the Democratic Republic of São Tomé and Príncipe, is a Portuguese-speaking island nation in the Gulf of Guinea, off the western equatorial coast of Central Africa. It consists of two islands: São Tomé and Príncipe, located about apart and about , respectively, off...
, 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
Feral
A feral organism is one that has changed from being domesticated to being wild or untamed. In the case of plants it is a movement from cultivated to uncultivated or controlled to volunteer. The introduction of feral animals or plants to their non-native regions, like any introduced species, may...
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
World Conservation Union
The International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources is an international organization dedicated to finding "pragmatic solutions to our most pressing environment and development challenges." The organization publishes the IUCN Red List, compiling information from a network of...
:
| 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: RodentRodentRodentia is an order of mammals also known as rodents, characterised by two continuously growing incisors in the upper and lower jaws which must be kept short by gnawing....
ia
----- Family: MuridaeMuridaeMuridae is the largest family of mammals. It contains over 600 species found naturally throughout Eurasia, Africa, and Australia. They have been introduced worldwide. The group includes true mice and rats, gerbils, and relatives....
- Subfamily: MurinaeMurinaeThe Old World rats and mice, part of the subfamily Murinae in the family Muridae, comprise at least 519 species. This subfamily is larger than all mammal families except the Cricetidae and Muridae, and is larger than all mammal orders except the bats and the remainder of the...
- Genus: Rattus
- Common Rat Rattus norvegicus (Introduced) LR/lc
- Ship Rat Rattus rattus (Introduced) LR/lc
- Genus: Mus
- House MouseHouse mouseThe house mouse is a small rodent, a mouse, one of the most numerous species of the genus Mus.As a wild animal the house mouse mainly lives associated with humans, causing damage to crops and stored food....
Mus musculus (Introduced) LR/lc
- House Mouse
- Genus: Rattus
- Subfamily: Murinae
Order: Primates
----Lemur
Lemurs are a clade of strepsirrhine primates endemic to the island of Madagascar. They are named after the lemures of Roman mythology due to the ghostly vocalizations, reflective eyes, and the nocturnal habits of some species...
s, monkey
Monkey
A monkey is a primate, either an Old World monkey or a New World monkey. There are about 260 known living species of monkey. Many are arboreal, although there are species that live primarily on the ground, such as baboons. Monkeys are generally considered to be intelligent. Unlike apes, monkeys...
s, and ape
Ape
Apes are Old World anthropoid mammals, more specifically a clade of tailless catarrhine primates, belonging to the biological superfamily Hominoidea. The apes are native to Africa and South-east Asia, although in relatively recent times humans have spread all over the world...
s, with the latter category including humans. It is divided informally into three main groupings: prosimian
Prosimian
Prosimians are a grouping of mammals defined as being primates, but not monkeys or apes. They include, among others, lemurs, bushbabies, and tarsiers. They are considered to have characteristics that are more primitive than those of monkeys and apes. Prosimians are the only primates native to...
s, monkeys of the New World
New World monkey
New World monkeys are the five families of primates that are found in Central and South America: Callitrichidae, Cebidae, Aotidae, Pitheciidae, and Atelidae. The five families are ranked together as the Platyrrhini parvorder and the Ceboidea superfamily, which are essentially synonymous since...
, and monkeys and apes of the Old World
Catarrhini
Catarrhini is one of the two subdivisions of the higher primates . It contains the Old World monkeys and the apes, which in turn are further divided into the lesser apes or gibbons and the great apes, consisting of the orangutans, gorillas, chimpanzees, bonobos, and humans...
.
- Suborder: HaplorrhiniHaplorrhiniThe haplorhines, the "dry-nosed" primates , are members of the Haplorhini clade: the prosimian tarsiers and the anthropoids...
- Infraorder: Simiiformes
- Parvorder: CatarrhiniCatarrhiniCatarrhini is one of the two subdivisions of the higher primates . It contains the Old World monkeys and the apes, which in turn are further divided into the lesser apes or gibbons and the great apes, consisting of the orangutans, gorillas, chimpanzees, bonobos, and humans...
- Superfamily: Cercopithecoidea
- Family: Cercopithecidae (Old World monkeys)
-
- Genus: Cercopithecus
- Mona MonkeyMona MonkeyThe mona monkey is an Old World monkey that lives throughout western Africa. The mona monkey can also be found on the island of Grenada as it was transported to the island aboard slave ships headed to the New World during the 18th century. This guenon lives in groups of up to 35 in arboreal regions...
Cercopithecus mona (Introduced) LR/lc
- Mona Monkey
- Genus: Cercopithecus
-
- Family: Cercopithecidae (Old World monkeys)
- Superfamily: Cercopithecoidea
- Parvorder: Catarrhini
- Infraorder: Simiiformes
Order: SoricomorphaSoricomorphaThe order Soricomorpha is taxon within the class of mammals. In previous years it formed a significant group within the former order Insectivora...
(shrews, moles, and soledons)
----The "shrew-forms" are insectivorous mammals. The shrews and soledons closely resemble mice, while the moles are stout bodied burrowers.
- Family: Soricidae (shrews)
- Subfamily: Crocidurinae
- Genus: CrociduraCrociduraThe genus Crocidura is one of nine genus of the shrew subfamily Crocidurinae. Members of the genus are commonly called white-toothed shrews or musk shrews, although both also apply to all of the species in the subfamily. With 182 species, Crocidura contains the largest number of species of any...
- Fraser's Musk ShrewFraser's Musk ShrewThe Fraser's Musk Shrew is a species of mammal in the Soricidae family. It is found in Benin, Cameroon, Ivory Coast, Equatorial Guinea, Ghana, Guinea, Liberia, Nigeria, São Tomé and Príncipe, Sierra Leone, and Togo. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests.-References:*...
Crocidura poensis LC - São Tomé ShrewSao Tomé ShrewThe São Tomé Shrew is a white-toothed shrew found only on São Tomé Island, São Tomé and Príncipe. It is listed as a critically endangered species due to habitat loss and a restricted range. The population continues to decrease, making these animals rare...
Crocidura thomensis EN
- Fraser's Musk Shrew
- Genus: Crocidura
- Subfamily: Crocidurinae
Order: Chiroptera (bats)
----- Family: Pteropodidae (flying foxes, Old World fruit bats)
- Subfamily: PteropodinaePteropodinaePteropodinae is a subfamily of megabats. Species within this subfamily are:Subfamily Pteropodinae* Genus Acerodon**Sulawesi Flying Fox, Acerodon celebensis**Talaud Flying Fox, Acerodon humilis...
- Genus: EidolonEidolon (genus)Eidolon is a genus of megabats in the Pteropodidae family. It contains two species:*Madagascan Fruit Bat, Eidolon dupreanum*Straw-coloured Fruit Bat, Eidolon helvum-References:...
- Straw-coloured Fruit BatStraw-coloured Fruit BatThe Straw-coloured Fruit Bat is the most widely distributed of all the African megabats. It is quite common throughout its area ranging from southwestern Arabian Peninsula, forest and savanna zones of Africa and to the offshore island of Madagascar...
Eidolon helvum LC
- Straw-coloured Fruit Bat
- Genus: MyonycterisMyonycterisMyonycteris is a genus of bat in the Pteropodidae family.It contains the following species:Genus Myonycteris* Sao Tomé Collared Fruit Bat, Myonycteris brachycephala* East African Little Collared Fruit Bat, Myonycteris relicta...
- São Tomé Collared Fruit BatSão Tomé Collared Fruit BatThe Sao Tomé Collared Fruit Bat is a species of megabat in the Pteropodidae family. It is endemic to São Tomé and Príncipe. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests and subtropical or tropical moist montanes. It is threatened by habitat loss.-References:* Juste, J.,...
Myonycteris brachycephala EN
- São Tomé Collared Fruit Bat
- Genus: RousettusRousettusRousettus is a genus of Old World fruit bats or megabats. They are sometimes referred to as dog-faced fruit bats, or flying foxes. The genus is a member of the suborder Megachiroptera...
- Egyptian fruit batEgyptian fruit batThe Egyptian Fruit Bat or Egyptian Rousette is a species of Old World fruit bat found throughout Africa, except in the desert regions of the Sahara, and throughout the Middle East, as far east as Pakistan and northern India...
Rousettus aegyptiacus LC
- Egyptian fruit bat
- Genus: Eidolon
- Subfamily: Pteropodinae
- Family: Vespertilionidae
- Subfamily: Miniopterinae
- Genus: MiniopterusMiniopterusMiniopterus is a genus of bats and the only genus of the family Miniopteridae. The genus was previously placed in its own subfamily, Miniopterinae, of the vesper bat family, but is now classified in its own family....
- Least Long-fingered BatLeast Long-fingered BatThe Least Long-Fingered Bat is a species of vesper bat in the Vespertilionidae family.It can be found in the following countries: Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, São Tomé and Príncipe, and Tanzania.-Source:* Jacobs, D., Cotterill, F.W. & Taylor, P. 2004. . ...
Miniopterus minor NT
- Least Long-fingered Bat
- Genus: Miniopterus
- Subfamily: Miniopterinae
- Family: Molossidae
- Genus: ChaerephonChaerephonChaerephon , of the Athenian deme Sphettus, was a loyal friend and follower of Socrates. He is known only through brief descriptions by classical writers and was "an unusual man by all accounts", though a man of loyal democratic values.-Life:...
- Little Free-tailed BatLittle Free-tailed BatThe Little Free-tailed Bat is a species of bat in the family Molossidae. It is found in Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ivory Coast, Djibouti, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau,...
Chaerephon pumila LC - São Tomé Free-tailed BatSão Tomé Free-tailed BatThe São Tomé Free-tailed Bat is a species of bat in the family Molossidae. It is endemic to São Tomé and Príncipe. Its natural habitats are dry savanna, moist savanna, and plantations . It is threatened by habitat loss....
Chaerephon tomensis CR
- Little Free-tailed Bat
- Genus: Chaerephon
- Family: Emballonuridae
- Genus: TaphozousTaphozousTaphozous is a genus of sac-winged bat in the family Emballonuridae.It contains the following species:* Indonesian Tomb Bat * Coastal Tomb Bat * Sharp-Nosed Tomb Bat...
- Mauritian Tomb BatMauritian Tomb BatThe Mauritian Tomb Bat is a species of sac-winged bat in the family Emballonuridae that is found in central and southern Africa and Madagascar. It was discovered in 1818 by Étienne Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire, and is characterized by an all-white ventral surface, grizzled dorsal coloration, and conical...
Taphozous mauritianus LC
- Mauritian Tomb Bat
- Genus: Taphozous
- Family: Rhinolophidae
- Subfamily: HipposiderinaeHipposiderinaeHipposideridae is a family of bats commonly known as the "Old World Leaf-nosed Bats". While it has often been seen as a subfamily, Hipposiderinae, of the family Rhinolophidae, it is now more generally classified as its own family...
- Genus: HipposiderosHipposiderosHipposideros is a one of the most diverse genera of bats with more than 70 species. They are collectively called roundleaf bats after the shape of their nasal ornament...
- Noack's Roundleaf BatNoack's Roundleaf BatNoack's Roundleaf Bat is a species of bat in the family Hipposideridae. It is found in Angola, Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ivory Coast, Equatorial Guinea, Ethiopia, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea,...
Hipposideros ruber LC - Hipposideros thomensisHipposideros thomensisHipposideros thomensis is a species of bat in the family Hipposideridae. It is endemic to São Tomé and Príncipe. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests and caves.-Source:...
NT
- Noack's Roundleaf Bat
- Genus: Hipposideros
- Subfamily: Hipposiderinae
Order: CarnivoraCarnivoraThe diverse order Carnivora |Latin]] carō "flesh", + vorāre "to devour") includes over 260 species of placental mammals. Its members are formally referred to as carnivorans, while the word "carnivore" can refer to any meat-eating animal...
----
- Family: Viverridae
- Subfamily: ViverrinaeViverrinaeThe subfamily Viverrinae is the largest of the four subfamilies within the family Viverridae, containing the genets, some of the Asian civets, and the two African linsangs for a total of 22 species, comprising two-thirds of the Viverrids....
- Genus: Civettictis
- African CivetAfrican CivetThe African Civet is the largest representative of the African Viverridae. It is the sole member of its genus. African Civets can be found from coast to coast across sub-Saharan Africa. They are primarily nocturnal and spend the day sleeping in dense vegetation...
Civettictis civetta (Introduced) LR/lc
- African Civet
- Genus: Civettictis
- Subfamily: Viverrinae
- Family: MustelidaeMustelidaeMustelidae , commonly referred to as the weasel family, are a family of carnivorous mammals. Mustelids are diverse and the largest family in the order Carnivora, at least partly because in the past it has been a catch-all category for many early or poorly differentiated taxa...
- Subfamily: MustelinaeMustelinaeMustelinae is a polyphyletic subfamily of family Mustelidae and includes wolverines, weasels, ferrets, martens, minks, and similar carnivorous mammals of Order Carnivora.- Extant species of Mustelinae :Subfamily Mustelinae*Genus Arctonyx...
- Genus: Mustela
- Least WeaselLeast WeaselThe least weasel is the smallest member of the Mustelidae , native to Eurasia, North America and North Africa, though it has been introduced elsewhere. It is classed as Least Concern by the IUCN, due to its wide distribution and presumably large population...
Mustela nivalis (Introduced) LR/lc
- Least Weasel
- Genus: Mustela
- Subfamily: Mustelinae
Order: CetaceaCetaceaThe order Cetacea includes the marine mammals commonly known as whales, dolphins, and porpoises. Cetus is Latin and is used in biological names to mean "whale"; its original meaning, "large sea animal", was more general. It comes from Ancient Greek , meaning "whale" or "any huge fish or sea...
(whales)
----The order Cetacea includes whale
Whale
Whale is the common name for various marine mammals of the order Cetacea. The term whale sometimes refers to all cetaceans, but more often it excludes dolphins and porpoises, which belong to suborder Odontoceti . This suborder also includes the sperm whale, killer whale, pilot whale, and beluga...
s, dolphin
Dolphin
Dolphins are marine mammals that are closely related to whales and porpoises. There are almost forty species of dolphin in 17 genera. They vary in size from and , up to and . They are found worldwide, mostly in the shallower seas of the continental shelves, and are carnivores, mostly eating...
s and porpoise
Porpoise
Porpoises are small cetaceans of the family Phocoenidae; they are related to whales and dolphins. They are distinct from dolphins, although the word "porpoise" has been used to refer to any small dolphin, especially by sailors and fishermen...
s. They are the mammals most fully adapted to aquatic
Aquatic adaptation
Several animal groups have undergone aquatic adaptation, going from being purely terrestrial animals to living at least part of the time in water. The adaptations in early speciation tend to develop as the animal ventures into water in order to find available food. As successive generations spend...
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: Odontoceti
- Superfamily: Platanistoidea
- Family: Kogiidae
- Genus: Kogia
- Dwarf Sperm WhaleDwarf Sperm WhaleThe Dwarf Sperm Whale is one of three species in the sperm whale family. They are not often sighted at sea. As such, most information is a result of the study of stranded carcasses.-Taxonomy:...
Kogia sima LR/lc
- Dwarf Sperm Whale
- Genus: Kogia
- Family: Ziphidae
- Subfamily: Hyperoodontidae
- Genus: Mesoplodon
- Blainville's Beaked WhaleBlainville's Beaked WhaleBlainville's beaked whale , or the dense-beaked whale, is the widest ranging mesoplodont whale and perhaps the most documented. Henri de Blainville first described the species in 1817 from a small piece of jaw—the heaviest bone he had ever come across—which resulted in the name densirostris...
Mesoplodon densirostris DD
- Blainville's Beaked Whale
- Genus: Mesoplodon
- Subfamily: Hyperoodontidae
- Family: Delphinidae (marine dolphins)
- Genus: StenellaStenellaStenella is a genus of aquatic mammals in Delphinidae, the family informally known as the oceanic dolphins.Currently five species are recognised in this genus:*Pantropical Spotted Dolphin, S. attenuata*Atlantic Spotted Dolphin, S. frontalis...
- Spinner DolphinSpinner DolphinThe Spinner Dolphin is a small dolphin found in off-shore tropical waters around the world. It is famous for its acrobatic displays in which they spin longitudinally along their axis as they leap through the air.-Taxonomy:...
Stenella longirostris LR/cd
- Spinner Dolphin
- Genus: Stenella
- Family: Kogiidae
- Superfamily: Platanistoidea
See also
- List of chordate orders
- List of regional mammals lists
- List of prehistoric mammals
- Mammal classificationMammal classificationMammalia is a class of animal within the Phylum Chordata. Mammal classification has been through several iterations since Carolus Linnaeus initially defined the class. Many earlier ideas have been completely abandoned by modern taxonomists, among these are the idea that bats are related to birds...
- New mammal species