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List of mammals of Georgia (country) facts for kids

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There are 80 mammal species in Georgia, of which one is critically endangered, two are endangered, ten are vulnerable, and two are near threatened. All mammals in Georgia are in subclass Theria and infraclass Eutheria, being placental mammals.

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: Rodentia (rodents)

Siebenschlaefer glis glis
Edible dormouse
Pallas Sicista betulina 1778-79
Northern birch mouse
Chomik europejski
European hamster
D3 Apodemus Agrarius
Striped field mouse

Rodents make up the largest order of mammals, with over 40% of mammalian species. They have two incisors in the upper and lower jaw which grow continually and must be kept short by gnawing. Most rodents are small though the capybara can weigh up to 45 kg (99 lb).

  • Suborder: Hystricognathi
    • Family: Hystricidae (Old World porcupines)
      • Genus: Hystrix
        • Indian porcupine, H. indica
  • Suborder: Sciurognathi
    • Family: Sciuridae (squirrels)
      • Subfamily: Sciurinae
        • Tribe: Sciurini
          • Genus: Sciurus
            • Caucasian squirrel, S. anomalus
      • Subfamily: Xerinae
    • Family: Gliridae (dormice)
    • Family: Dipodidae (jerboas)
      • Subfamily: Allactaginae
        • Genus: Allactaga
          • Small five-toed jerboa, Allactaga elater
      • Subfamily: Sicistinae
        • Genus: Sicista
          • Northern birch mouse, Sicista betulina
          • Kazbeg birch mouse, Sicista kazbegica DD
    • Family: Spalacidae
      • Subfamily: Spalacinae
        • Genus: Nannospalax
          • Nehring's blind mole-rat, Nannospalax nehringi
    • Family: Cricetidae
      • Subfamily: Cricetinae
      • Subfamily: Arvicolinae
        • Genus: Chionomys
          • Caucasian snow vole, Chionomys gud
          • Snow vole, Chionomys nivalis
          • Robert's snow vole, Chionomys roberti
        • Genus: Ellobius
          • Transcaucasian mole vole, Ellobius lutescens
        • Genus: Microtus
          • Altai vole, Microtus obscurus
        • Genus: Prometheomys
          • Long-clawed mole vole, Prometheomys schaposchnikowi
    • Family: Muridae (mice, rats, voles, gerbils, hamsters, etc.)
      • Subfamily: Murinae
        • Genus: Apodemus
          • Striped field mouse, Apodemus agrarius
          • Yellow-breasted field mouse, Apodemus fulvipectus
          • Broad-toothed field mouse, Apodemus mystacinus
          • Black Sea field mouse, Apodemus ponticus
          • Ural field mouse, Apodemus uralensis
        • Genus: Micromys
          • Eurasian harvest mouse, Micromys minutus
        • Genus: Rattus

Order: Lagomorpha (lagomorphs)

The lagomorphs comprise two families, Leporidae (hares and rabbits), and Ochotonidae (pikas). Though they can resemble rodents, and were classified as a superfamily in that order until the early 20th century, they have since been considered a separate order. They differ from rodents in a number of physical characteristics, such as having four incisors in the upper jaw rather than two.

Order: Erinaceomorpha (hedgehogs and gymnures)

The order Erinaceomorpha contains a single family, Erinaceidae, which comprise the hedgehogs and gymnures. The hedgehogs are easily recognised by their spines while gymnures look more like large rats.

  • Family: Erinaceidae (hedgehogs)
    • Subfamily: Erinaceinae
      • Genus: Erinaceus
        • Southern white-breasted hedgehog, E. concolor

Order: Soricomorpha (shrews, moles, and solenodons)

Sorex minutus
Eurasian pygmy shrew

The Soricomorpha are insectivorous mammals. The shrews and solenodons resemble mice while the moles are stout-bodied burrowers.

  • Family: Soricidae (shrews)
    • Subfamily: Crocidurinae
      • Genus: Crocidura
        • Bicolored shrew, C. leucodon
        • Lesser white-toothed shrew, C. suaveolens
      • Genus: Suncus
    • Subfamily: Soricinae
      • Tribe: Nectogalini
        • Genus: Neomys
          • Transcaucasian water shrew, Neomys schelkovnikovi
      • Tribe: Soricini
        • Genus: Sorex
          • Eurasian pygmy shrew, Sorex minutus
          • Radde's shrew, Sorex raddei
          • Caucasian pygmy shrew, Sorex volnuchini

Order: Chiroptera (bats)

Nyctalus leisleri
Lesser noctule

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: Vespertilionidae
    • Subfamily: Myotinae
      • Genus: Myotis
        • Bechstein's bat, M. bechsteini
        • Lesser mouse-eared bat, M. blythii
        • Geoffroy's bat, M. emarginatus
        • Natterer's bat, M. nattereri
    • Subfamily: Vespertilioninae
      • Genus: Barbastella
      • Genus: Eptesicus
      • Genus: Hypsugo
        • Savi's pipistrelle, H. savii
      • Genus: Nyctalus
        • Greater noctule bat, N. lasiopterus
        • Lesser noctule, N. leisleri
      • Genus: Pipistrellus
        • Kuhl's pipistrelle, P. kuhlii LC
        • Nathusius' pipistrelle, P. nathusii
        • Common pipistrelle, P. pipistrellus LC
      • Genus: Plecotus
        • Brown long-eared bat, P. auritus
        • Grey long-eared bat, P. austriacus LC
    • Subfamily: Miniopterinae
  • Family: Rhinolophidae
    • Subfamily: Rhinolophinae
      • Genus: Rhinolophus
        • Mediterranean horseshoe bat, R. euryale
        • Greater horseshoe bat, R. ferrumequinum
        • Lesser horseshoe bat, R. hipposideros
        • Mehely's horseshoe bat, R. mehelyi

Order: Cetacea (whales)

Dolphins swim near ferry in port of Batumi 150505-A-PU919-7446
Common dolphins porpoising along a ferry at the port of Batumi

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.

Order: Carnivora (carnivorans)

Striped Hyena
Striped hyena
Persian Leopard sitting
Leopard
Vulpes vulpes sitting
Red fox
Europäischer Nerz
European mink

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

Order: Artiodactyla (even-toed ungulates)

Bezoarziege
Wild goat

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.

Locally extinct

The following species are locally extinct in the country:

See also

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