List of mammals in Chile

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is a list of the mammal species recorded in Chile. There are 143 mammal species in Chile, of which 2 are critically endangered, 6 are endangered, 14 are vulnerable, and 4 are near-threatened.[1]

The following tags are used to highlight each species' conservation status as assessed by the IUCN:

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.

Contents

[edit] Subclass: Theria

[edit] Infraclass: Eutheria

[edit] Order: Cingulata (armadillos)

Pichi
Pichi

The armadillos are small mammals with a bony armored shell. There are around 20 extant species.They are native to the Americas. There are around 20 extant species.

[edit] Order: Rodentia (rodents)

Short-tailed Chinchilla
Short-tailed Chinchilla
Coypu
Coypu

Rodents make up the largest order of mammals, with over 40 percent of mammalian species. They have two incisors in the upper and lower jaw which grow continually and must be keep short by gnawing. Most rodents are small though the capybara can weigh up to 45 kg (100 lb).

[edit] Order: Chiroptera (bats)

Mexican Free-tailed Bat
Mexican Free-tailed Bat

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.

[edit] Order: Cetacea (whales)

Southern Right Whale
Southern Right Whale
Sei Whale
Sei Whale
Pygmy Sperm Whale
Pygmy Sperm Whale
Risso's Dolphin
Risso's Dolphin

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.

[edit] Order: Carnivora (carnivores)

Geoffroy's Cat
Geoffroy's Cat
Argentine Grey Fox
Argentine Grey Fox
Antarctic Fur Seal
Antarctic Fur Seal
South American Sea Lion
South American Sea Lion
Southern Elephant Seal
Southern Elephant Seal

The carnivores include over 260 species, the majority of which eat meat as their primary dietary item. Carnivores have a characteristic skull shape and dentition.

[edit] Order: Artiodactyla (even-toed ungulates)

Vicuña
Vicuña
Pudú
Pudú

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.

[edit] Infraclass: Metatheria

[edit] Order: Didelphimorphia (common opossumsa)

Didelphimorphia is the order of common opossums of the Western Hemisphere. Opossums probably diverged from the basic South American marsupials in the late Cretaceous or early Paleocene.They are small to medium-sized marsupials, about the size of a large house cat, with a long snout and prehensile tail.

[edit] Order: Paucituberculata (shrew opossums)

There are six extant species of shrew opossum. They are small shrew-like marsupials confined to the Andes.

[edit] Order: Microbiotheria (Monito del Monte)

The Monito del Monte is the only extant member of its family and the only surviving member of an ancient order, the Microbiotheria.


[edit] 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 Institute, or University of Michigan where no Wikipedia article was available.

[edit] References

[edit] See also