List of Estonian mammals
Encyclopedia
This is a list of Estonia
n mammal
s. The Estonian mammal fauna
is somewhat impoverished compared to that of southern and central Europe due to the short period of time since the last ice age
.
Native (usually synonymous with indigenous) species are considered to be species which are today present in the region in question, and have been continuously present in that region since a certain period of time.
There are no endemic
mammal species in Estonia (that is, there are no mammal species native to only this region).
Lagomorphs
Rodent
Estonia
Estonia , officially the Republic of Estonia , is a state in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland, to the west by the Baltic Sea, to the south by Latvia , and to the east by Lake Peipsi and the Russian Federation . Across the Baltic Sea lies...
n 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...
s. The Estonian mammal fauna
Fauna
Fauna or faunæ is all of the animal life of any particular region or time. The corresponding term for plants is flora.Zoologists and paleontologists use fauna to refer to a typical collection of animals found in a specific time or place, e.g. the "Sonoran Desert fauna" or the "Burgess shale fauna"...
is somewhat impoverished compared to that of southern and central Europe due to the short period of time since the last ice age
Ice age
An ice age or, more precisely, glacial age, is a generic geological period of long-term reduction in the temperature of the Earth's surface and atmosphere, resulting in the presence or expansion of continental ice sheets, polar ice sheets and alpine glaciers...
.
Native (usually synonymous with indigenous) species are considered to be species which are today present in the region in question, and have been continuously present in that region since a certain period of time.
There are no endemic
Endemic (ecology)
Endemism is the ecological state of being unique to a defined geographic location, such as an island, nation or other defined zone, or habitat type; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found elsewhere. For example, all species of lemur are endemic to the...
mammal species in Estonia (that is, there are no mammal species native to only this region).
Insectivores
- Western European hedgehog Erinaceus europaeus
- Northern White-breasted HedgehogNorthern White-breasted HedgehogThe Northern White-breasted Hedgehog is a species of hedgehog.The range of the species extends in the west as far as Poland, Austria and the former Yugoslavia, and south to Greece and the Adriatic Islands, including populations on Crete, Corfu and Rhodes. It is found eastwards through Russia and...
Erinaceus roumanicus - European moleEuropean MoleThe European Mole, Talpa europaea, is a mammal of the order Soricomorpha. It is also known as the Common Mole and the Northern Mole....
Talpa europaea - Common shrewCommon ShrewThe Common Shrew or Eurasian Shrew, Sorex araneus, is the most common shrew, and one of the most common mammals, throughout Northern Europe, including Great Britain, but excluding Ireland. It is long and weighs , and has velvety dark brown fur with a pale underside. Juvenile shrews have lighter...
Sorex araneus - Laxmann's shrewLaxmann's ShrewLaxmann's Shrew is a species of shrew. An adult Laxmann's Shrew has a weight of 3-11 grams and a body length of 4.8-7.8 cm, with a tail of 3.9-5.2 cm. It is reported across northern Eurasia from the Baltic to the Sea of Japan, including Hokkaidō, Sakhalin, and the Korean Peninsula...
Sorex caecutiens - Eurasian pygmy shrewEurasian pygmy shrewThe Eurasian Pygmy Shrew , often known simply as the Pygmy Shrew, is a widespread shrew of northern Eurasia. It is the only shrew native to Ireland....
Sorex minutus - Eurasian least shrewEurasian Least ShrewThe Eurasian Least Shrew , also called the Lesser Pygmy Shrew, is the second-smallest mammal in the world after the Etruscan Shrew.- Appearance :...
Sorex minutissimus - Eurasian water shrewEurasian Water ShrewThe Eurasian Water Shrew, Neomys fodiens, known in the United Kingdom as the Water Shrew, is a relatively large shrew, up to long, with a tail up to three-quarters as long again. It has short dark fur, often with a few white tufts, a white belly, and a few stiff hairs around the feet and tail...
Neomys fodiens
Bats
- Pond batPond BatThe Pond Bat is a species of vesper bat in the Vespertilionidae family. It is found in Eurasia from France to Russia and Kazakhstan.-Physical characteristics:...
Myotis dasycneme - Daubenton's batDaubenton's batDaubenton's Bat, Myotis daubentonii, is a Eurasian bat with quite short ears. It ranges from Britain to Japan and is considered to be increasing its numbers in many areas.The name commemorates the French naturalist Louis-Jean-Marie Daubenton....
Myotis daubentonii - Brandt's batBrandt's BatBrandt's Bat is a species of vesper bat in the Vespertilionidae family.It is found throughout most of Europe and parts of Asia.It is named for the German zoologist Johann Friedrich von Brandt.-Echolocation:...
Myotis brandtii - Whiskered batWhiskered batThe whiskered bats Myotis mystacinus and related species, are small European bats with long fur. Although uncommon, M. mystacinus is often found around human habitation and around water; it is similar to Brandt's bat Myotis brandtii, from which it was distinguished as a separate species only in...
Myotis mystacinus - Natterer's batNatterer's batNatterer's bat is a European bat with pale wings. It has brown fur, also seen on the leg wing membrane, tending to white on its underside...
Myotis nattereri - Common long-eared bat Plecotus auritus
- Nathusius's pipistrelleNathusius's PipistrelleNathusius' Pipistrelle is a small bat in the pipistrelle genus. It is very similar to the Common Pipistrelle and has been overlooked in many areas until recently but it is widely distributed across Europe.-Description:...
Pipistrellus nathusii - Common pipistrelleCommon PipistrelleThe Common Pipistrelle Pipistrellus pipistrellus is a small pipistrelle bat whose very large range extends across most of Europe, North Africa, southwestern Asia, and possibly into Korea. It is one of the most common bat species in the British Isles....
Pipistrellus pipistrellus - Northern batNorthern BatThe Northern Bat is a species of bat. An adult Northern Bat has a body length of 4.9-6.6 cm, a tail of 3.2-5.1 cm, and a wing length of 4.1-5.1 cm. The species is found across Europe and Asia, from England to Hokkaidō and south to northern India.-References: 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened...
Eptesicus nilssoni - Parti-coloured batParti-coloured batThe Parti-coloured Bat or Rearmouse is a species of bats in the family of Vesper bats. It is a medium sized bat.- Description :...
Vespertilio murinus - Common noctuleCommon NoctuleThe Common Noctule is a species of bat common throughout Europe, Asia, and North Africa. The UK distribution can be found on the National Biodiversity Network website ....
Nyctalus noctula
LagomorphsLagomorphaThe lagomorphs are the members of the taxonomic order Lagomorpha, of which there are two living families, the Leporidae , and the Ochotonidae...
- European hareEuropean HareThe European hare , also known as the brown hare, Eastern Jackrabbit and Eastern prairie hare, is a species of hare native to northern, central, and western Europe and western Asia. It is a mammal adapted to temperate open country. It is related to the similarly appearing rabbit, which is in the...
Lepus europaeus - Mountain hareMountain HareThe Mountain Hare , also known as Blue Hare, Tundra Hare, Variable Hare, White Hare, Alpine Hare and Irish Hare, is a hare, which is largely adapted to polar and mountainous habitats. It is distributed from Fennoscandia to eastern Siberia; in addition there are isolated populations in the Alps,...
Lepus timidus
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....
s
- Red squirrelRed SquirrelThe red squirrel or Eurasian red squirrel is a species of tree squirrel in the genus Sciurus common throughout Eurasia...
Sciurus vulgaris - Siberian flying squirrelSiberian Flying SquirrelThe Siberian Flying Squirrel is an Old World flying squirrel with a range from the Baltic Sea in the west to the Pacific coast in the east. It is the only species of flying squirrel found in Europe...
Pteromys volans - Siberian ChipmunkSiberian ChipmunkThe Siberian chipmunk or Common Chipmunk is a chipmunk which occurs across northern Asia from central Russia to China, Korea, and Hokkaidō in northern Japan. The only chipmunk found outside North America, it is classed either as the only living member of the genus Eutamias, or a member of a genus...
Tamias sibiricus (introduced) - European Souslik Spermophilus citellus
- European beaverEuropean BeaverThe Eurasian beaver or European beaver is a species of beaver, which was once widespread in Eurasia, where it was hunted to near extinction both for fur and for castoreum, a secretion of its scent gland believed to have medicinal properties...
Castor fiber - Garden dormouseGarden dormouseThe garden dormouse is a rodent in the dormouse family.- Features :Garden dormice are typically in length, with the tail adding an additional . They weigh . The coat is gray or brown, with a white underside...
Eliomys quercinus - Hazel dormouseHazel DormouseThe Hazel Dormouse or Common Dormouse is a small mammal and the only living species in the genus Muscardinus....
Muscardinus avellanarius - Northern birch mouseNorthern Birch MouseThe Northern Birch Mouse is a small rodent about 5 to 8 cm long , weighing 4.5 to 13 g. It lives in Siberia in forest and marsh zones....
Sicista betulina - Brown ratBrown RatThe brown rat, common rat, sewer rat, Hanover rat, Norway rat, Brown Norway rat, Norwegian rat, or wharf rat is one of the best known and most common rats....
Rattus norvegicus - Black ratBlack RatThe black rat is a common long-tailed rodent of the genus Rattus in the subfamily Murinae . The species originated in tropical Asia and spread through the Near East in Roman times before reaching Europe by the 1st century and spreading with Europeans across the world.-Taxonomy:The black rat was...
Rattus rattus - Wood MouseWood mouseThe wood mouse is a common murid rodent from Europe and northwestern Africa. It is closely related to the yellow-necked mouse but differs in that it has no band of yellow fur around the neck, has slightly smaller ears, and is usually slightly smaller overall: around 90 mm in length...
Apodemus sylvaticus - Yellow-necked mouseYellow-necked mouseThe Yellow-necked Mouse Apodemus flavicollis is closely related to the wood mouse, with which it was long confused, only being recognised as a separate species in 1894. It differs in its band of yellow fur around the neck and in having slightly larger ears and usually being slightly larger overall....
Apodemus flavicollis - Striped field mouseStriped Field MouseThe Striped Field Mouse is a rodent in the family Muridae. The range of this species stretches from Eastern Europe to Japan, including Taiwan and Siberia....
Apodemus agrarius - Ural field mouseUral Field MouseThe Ural Field Mouse is a species of rodent in the family Muridae. It is also known as the Pygmy Field Mouse. It is found in Armenia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bulgaria, China, Croatia, Czech Republic, Estonia, Georgia, Hungary, Kazakhstan, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Mongolia,...
, Apodemus uralensis - Eurasian harvest mouse Micromys minutus
- 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 - MuskratMuskratThe muskrat , the only species in genus Ondatra, is a medium-sized semi-aquatic rodent native to North America, and introduced in parts of Europe, Asia, and South America. The muskrat is found in wetlands and is a very successful animal over a wide range of climates and habitats...
Ondatra zibethicus (introduced) - North-western water vole Arvicola terrestris
- Bank VoleBank VoleThe bank vole is a small vole with red-brown fur and some grey patches, with a tail about half as long as its body. A rodent, it lives in woodland areas and is around in length. The bank vole is found in western Europe and northern Asia...
Myodes glareolus (=Clethrionomys glareolus) - Root vole Microtus oeconomus
- Field voleField VoleThe field vole or short-tailed vole, Microtus agrestis, is a grey-brown vole, around 110mm in length, with only a short tail. They are one of the most common mammals in Europe, ranging from the Atlantic coast to Lake Baikal. They are found in moist grassy habitats, such as woodland, marsh, or...
Microtus agrestis - Sibling VoleSibling voleThe Sibling Vole is a species of vole found through much of northern Europe. First discovered in 1960 in the Grumantbyen area, they were thought to be the Common Vole until a genetic analysis correctly identified them in 1990....
Microtus levis - Common voleCommon VoleThe Common Vole, Microtus arvalis, is a European mammal.- Distribution and habitat :The common vole is hardly restricted in means of distribution and habitat and inhabits large areas of Eurasia. As Microtus arvalis followed human civilisation, primary and secondary habitats can be distinguished...
Microtus arvalis - European Pine VoleEuropean Pine VoleThe European Pine Vole is a species of rodent in the family Cricetidae.It is found in Albania, Austria, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Estonia, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Moldova, the Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Russia,...
Microtus subterraneus - Nutria Myocastor coypus (introduced)
Carnivores
- Gray WolfGray WolfThe gray wolf , also known as the wolf, is the largest extant wild member of the Canidae family...
Canis lupus - Red foxRed FoxThe red fox is the largest of the true foxes, as well as being the most geographically spread member of the Carnivora, being distributed across the entire northern hemisphere from the Arctic Circle to North Africa, Central America, and the steppes of Asia...
Vulpes vulpes - Raccoon dogRaccoon DogThe raccoon dog , also known as the magnut or tanuki, is a canid indigenous to east Asia. It is the only extant species in the genus Nyctereutes...
Nyctereutes procyonoides (introduced) - ErmineErmineErmine has several uses:* A common name for the stoat * The white fur and black tail end of this animal, which is historically worn by and associated with royalty and high officials...
Mustela erminea - 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 - European minkEuropean minkThe European mink , also known as the Russian mink, is a semi-aquatic species of Mustelid native to Europe. It is listed by the IUCN as Endangered due to an ongoing reduction in numbers, having been calculated as being more than 50% over the past three generations...
Mustela lutreola - European polecatEuropean polecatThe European polecat , also known as the black or forest polecat , is a species of Mustelid native to western Eurasia and North Africa, which is classed by the IUCN as Least Concern due to its wide range and large numbers. It is of a generally dark brown colour, with a pale underbelly and a dark...
Mustela putorius - American minkAmerican MinkThe American mink is a semi-aquatic species of Mustelid native to North America, though human intervention has expanded its range to many parts of Europe and South America. Because of this, it is classed as Least Concern by the IUCN. Since the extinction of the sea mink, the American mink is the...
Mustela vison (introduced) - European OtterEuropean OtterThe European Otter , also known as the Eurasian otter, Eurasian river otter, common otter and Old World otter, is a European and Asian member of the Lutrinae or otter subfamily, and is typical of freshwater otters....
Lutra lutra - Eurasian BadgerEurasian BadgerThe European Badger is a species of badger of the genus Meles, native to almost all of Europe. It is classed as Least Concern for extinction by the IUCN, due to its wide distribution and large population....
Meles meles - WolverineWolverineThe wolverine, pronounced , Gulo gulo , also referred to as glutton, carcajou, skunk bear, or quickhatch, is the largest land-dwelling species of the family Mustelidae . It is a stocky and muscular carnivore, more closely resembling a small bear than other mustelids...
Gulo gulo - Pine martenPine MartenThe European Pine Marten , known most commonly as the pine marten in Anglophone Europe, and less commonly also known as Pineten, baum marten, or sweet marten, is an animal native to Northern Europe belonging to the mustelid family, which also includes mink, otter, badger, wolverine and weasel. It...
Martes martes - Beech martenBeech MartenThe beech marten , also known as the stone marten or white breasted marten, is a species of marten native to much of Europe and Central Asia, though it has established a feral population in North America. It is listed as Least Concern by the IUCN on account of its wide distribution, its large...
Martes foina - Eurasian lynxEurasian LynxThe Eurasian lynx is a medium-sized cat native to European and Siberian forests, South Asia and East Asia. It is also known as the European lynx, common lynx, the northern lynx, and the Siberian or Russian lynx...
Lynx lynx
Even-toed ungulates
- Wild boar Sus scrofa
- Red deerRed DeerThe red deer is one of the largest deer species. Depending on taxonomy, the red deer inhabits most of Europe, the Caucasus Mountains region, Asia Minor, parts of western Asia, and central Asia. It also inhabits the Atlas Mountains region between Morocco and Tunisia in northwestern Africa, being...
Cervus elaphus - Sika deerSika DeerThe Sika Deer, Cervus nippon, also known as the Spotted Deer or the Japanese Deer, is a species of deer native to much of East Asia and introduced to various other parts of the world...
Cervus nippon (introduced) - Roe deerRoe DeerThe European Roe Deer , also known as the Western Roe Deer, chevreuil or just Roe Deer, is a Eurasian species of deer. It is relatively small, reddish and grey-brown, and well-adapted to cold environments. Roe Deer are widespread in Western Europe, from the Mediterranean to Scandinavia, and from...
Capreolus capreolus - MooseMooseThe moose or Eurasian elk is the largest extant species in the deer family. Moose are distinguished by the palmate antlers of the males; other members of the family have antlers with a dendritic configuration...
Alces alces