Checklist of Mammal Families of the World

The checklist below is derived from several sources, in some cases there is disagreement among the experts on the exact number of species, in cases like this I have put the alternative values together separated by a slash as in the Didelphidae below. However it should be noted I do not have access to the most up-to-date data and this list should be considered to be about 10 years old. I will try and add the rest of IUCN data in the near future.
Mammal Orders and Families
Order Common Names Scientific Name No. Genera No. Species IUCN Distribution
Monotremata Echidnas Tachyglossidae 1 2 Australia
Platypus Ornithorhynchidae 1 1 Australia
Marsupiala Opossums Didelphidae 11 75/77 Americas
Monito del monte Microbiotheriidae 1 1 Chile
Shrew or Rat Opossums Caenolestidae 2/3 7 South America
Marsupial Mice, Dunnarts, Tasmanian Devil Dasyuridae 17/18 52/58 Australasia
Tasmanian Wolf Thylacinidae 1 1 1 Tasmania
Numbats/Banded Anteaters Myrmecobiidae 1 1 1 Australia
Marsupial mole Notoryctidae 1 1 Western Australia
Bandicoots Peramelidae 7 17/21 Australasia
Rabbit-eared Bandicoots Thylacomyidae 1 2 Australia
Possums, Cuscuses, Gledero, Ringtails Phalangeridae 6 20 Australasia
Pygmy possums Burramyidae 4 7 Australia, New Guinea
Ringtail possums Pseudocheiridae 2 16 Australia
Gliders Petauridae 4 9 Australia
Kangaroos, Wallabies Macropodidae 16 56 Australasia
Koalas Phascolarctidae 1 1 Australia
Wombats Vombatidae 2 3 Australia
Noolbenger or Honey Possum Tarsipedidae 1 1 Australia
Macroscelidea Elephant Shrews Macroscelididae 4 15 Africa
Insectivora Hedgehogs, Gymnures Erinaceidae 9 20 Africa, Asia, Europe
Moles and Desmans Talpidae 12/15 29/32 Eurasia, North America, Himalayas
Tenrecs Tenrecidae 10 23 Africa
Golden Moles Chrysochloridae 7 18 Africa
Solenodons Solenodontidae 1 2 West Indies
Shrews Soricidae 22 289 Worldwide
Dermoptera Flying Lemurs, Colugos Cynocephalidae 1 2 South-east Asia
Chiroptera Old World Fruit Bats, Flying Foxes Pteropodidae 42 173 66 Africa to India, Australia Asia
Mouse-tailed Bats Rhinopomatidae 1 3 North Africa, South Asia
Hog-nosed Bat Craseonycteridae 1 1 Thailand
Sac-winged Bats, Sheath-tailed Bats Emballonuridae 12 48 Pan-tropical
Bull-dog Bats, Fish-eating Bats Noctilionidae 1 2 Central and South America
Hollow-faced Bats Nycteridae 1 13 Africa, Near East, South-east Asia
False Vampire Bats, Yellow-winged Bats Megadermatidae 4 5 Africa, South-east Asia, Pacific, Australia
Horsehose Bats, Noseleaf Bats Rhinolophidae 1 69 Old World and Pacific
Leaf-nosed Bats Hipposideridae 9 63 Old World and Pacific
New World Leaf-nosed Bats Phyllostomidae 48 148 Americas
Moustached Bats, Naked-backed Bats, Leaf-chinned Bats Mormoopidae 2 8 Americas
Funnel-eared Bats Natalidae 1 5 Tropical Central and South America
Smokey Bats Furipteridae 1 1 South America
Disc-winged Bats Thyropteridae 1 2 Central to South America
Sucker-footed Bats Myzopodidae 1 1 Madagascar
Common Bats Vespertilionidae 42 355 Worldwide
Short-tailed Bats Mystacinidae 1 2 New Zealand
Free-tailed Bats Molossidae 16 86 Worldwide (warm areas)
Primates Lemurs Lemuridae 5 12 Madagascar
Dwarf Lemurs, Mouse Lemurs Cheirogaleidae 4/5 7 Madagascar
Sifakas, Indri, Woolly Lemurs Indridae 3 5 Madagascar
Aye-aye Daubentoniidae 1 1 Madagascar
Weasel Lemurs, Koala Lemurs Megaladapidae 1 10 Madagascar
Galagos Galagonidae 4 11 Africa
Lorises, Pottoes Lorisidae 8 14 Tropical Old World
Tarsiers Tarsiidae 1 4 Sumatra, Phillipines
New World Monkeys Cebidae 12 44 Central to South America
Marmosets, Tamarins Callitrichidae 5 20/21 Central to South America
Old World Monkeys Cercopithecidae 19 94 Africa and Eurasia
Gibbons Hylobatidae 1 9 S.E. Asia
Humans, Great Apes Hominidae*0 4 5 Worldwide
Scandentia Tree Shrews Tupaiidae 6 18 South-east Asia
Xenarthra *1 Anteaters Myrmecophagidae 3 4 Central and South America
Sloths Bradypodidae 2 6 Central and South America
Armadillos Dasypodidae 8 20 The Americas
West Indian Sloth and Two-toed Tree Sloth Megalonychidae 1 2 The Americas
Three-toed Tree Sloths Bradypodidae 1 3 South America
Pholidota Pangolins, Scaly Anteaters Manidae 1 8 Africa, South East Asia
Tubulidentata Aardvark Orycteropodidae 1 1 Africa
Lagomorpha Pikas Ochotonidae 1 21 North America, Europe, Asia
Hares and Rabbits Leporidae 11 47 Worldwide, since man-made introductions
Rodentia Mountain Beaver, Sewellel Aplodontidae 1 1 North America
Beavers Castoridae 1 2 Europe and North America
Squirrels, Chipmonks, Marmots, Prarie Dogs etc Sciuridae 49/50 260/267 Worldwide except Australia, S. America and Madagascar
Scaly-tailed Squirrels Anomaluridae 3 7 Africa
Spring Hares Pedetidae 1 1 Africa
Rats, Mice, Voles, Gerbils, Hamsters, etc Muridae 245/267 1,138 Worldwide following introductions to Australasia
Dormice Gliridae 9 20 Africa, Asia, Europe
Bamboo Rats, African Mole Rats Rhizomyidae 3 6 Africa, South East Asia
Birch Mice, Jumping Mice Zapodidae 4 17 North America, Eurasia
Jerboas Dipodidae 11 31 North Africa, Arabia, Asia Minor, China
Pocket Mice, Kangaroo Rats Heteromyidae 6 65 America
Pocket Gophers Geomyidae 6 37 America
Blind Mole Rats Spalacidae*2 1 3 Europe
Old World Porcupines Hystricidae 4 12 Africa, Europe, Asia, Phillipines
New World Porcupines Erethizontidae 4 10 America
Guinea Pigs, etc Caviidae 5 17 South America
Capybara Hydrochaeridae 1 1 South America
Coypu Myocastoridae*3 1 1 South America and introduced to other parts of the world
Hutias, Nutria Capromyidae*4 4 13 Central and South America
Pacarana Dinomyidae 1 1 South America
Pacas Agoutidae 1 2 Central and South America
Agoutis, Dasyproctidae 2 13 Central and South America
Chinchilla Rats Abrocomidae 1 2 South America
Spiny Rats Echimyidae 17 69 South America
Chinchillas, Viscachas Chinchillidae 3 6 Argentina
Octodonts, Degu Octodontidae 5 9 South America
Tuco Tucos Ctenomyidae 1 44 South America
Cane Rats, Grasscutters Thryonomyidae 1 2 Southern Africa
Dassie Rat Petromyidae 1 1 South Africa
Old World Porcupines Hystricidae 3 11 Africa and Eurasia
Agoutis Dasypractidae 2 9 Central and South America
Gundis Ctenodactylidae 4 5 N. Africa
Blesmols, African Mole Rats Bathyergidae 5 8 Africa
Carnivora Dogs, Wolves, Foxes, Jackals Canidae 16 36*5 Worldwide
Bears Ursidae 3 8 Worldwide except Australia
Racoons, etc Procyonidae 7 19 America and parts of Asia
Weasels, Otters, Skunks, Badgers Mustelidae 23 65/67 Worldwide except Australasia and West Indies
Mongooses, Civets, Genets, etc Viverridae 36/37 71 Eurasia, Africa and the East Indies
Hyena, Aardwolf Hyaenidae 3 4 Africa, Asia, India
Cats Felidae 17 36 17 Worldwide except Australia and many Islands
Pinnipedia Eared Seals, Sea Lions Otariidae 7 14 Worldwide except Europe
Walrus Odobenidae 1 1 Arctic Regions of the Atlantic, and the Pacific
Seals Phocidae 10 19 Most seas/oceans, Lake Baikal
Cetacea Ganges and Indus Dolphins Platanistidae 1 2 Rivers - Indian subcontinent
Boutos, Amazon River Dolphins Iniidae 1 1/2 Rivers - S. America
Baiji, White-fin Dolphin Lipotidae 1 1 Rivers - China
Franciscana, La Plata Dolphin Pontoporiidae 1 1 Coastal - S.E. America
Ocean Dolphins Delphinidae 17 34 All oceans, and some seas, rivers and estuaries
Porpoises Phocoenidae 4 6 Northern oceans
Narwhal, Beluga Monodontidae 2 2 Arctic ocean and adjacent seas
Sperm Whales Physeteridae 2 3 All oceans
Beaked Whales Ziphiidae 6 18 All oceans
Grey Whales Eschrichtiidae 1 1 North Pacific
Rorquals Balaenopteridae 2 6 All oceans
Right Whales Balaenidae 2 2 All oceans
Pygmy Right Whale Neobalaenidae 1 1 Cooler southern oceans
Sirenia Manatees Trichechidae 1 3 Sub-tropical Atlantic coasts and rivers
Dugongs Dugongidae 1 1*6 Indo-Pacific coastal waters
Proboscidea Elephants Elephantidae 2 3 Africa, South East Asia, India
Hyracoidea Hyraxes Procaviidae 3 7/11 Africa, Middle East
Perissodactyla Horses, Zebras, Asses Equidae 1 7/8 Africa, Middle East, Tibet, Mongolia
Tapirs Tapiridae 1 4 South East Asia, South America
Rhinoceroses Rhinocerotidae 4 5 Africa, India, South Asia
Artiodactyla Camels Camelidae 3 6 Asia, North Africa, South America
Pigs Suidae 5 9 Europe, Africa, Asia (introduced to America and Australia)
Peccaries, Javelinas Tayassuidae 2 3 America
Hippopotamuses Hippopotamidae 2 2 Africa
Chevrotains, Mouse Deer Tragulidae 1/2 3/4 South East Asia, India, Africa
Deer, etc Cervidae 17 45 Worldwide, introduced to Australasia
Giraffes Giraffidae 2 2 Africa
Cattle, Sheep, Goats, Antelopes, etc Bovidae 48 139 Worldwide, except Australasia and the Poles

*0In many books the Great Apes are included in a separate family, the Pongidae, however while there are strong social reasons for separating them the scientific reasons are doubtful.
*1The Xenarthra are known as the Edentata in some books.
*2The Spalacidae are often included in the Muridae as the subfamily Spalacinae.
*3The Myocastoridae are sometimes included in the Capromyidae.
*4The Capromyidae is an interesting family because it contains an additional 4 genera and 18 species which have gone extinct in geologically recent times.
*5This includes Dusicyon australis which is considered to have gone extinct in 1870.
*6Note that Stellar's Sea Cow, Hydrodamalis gigas, is believed to have become extinct around 1768.
I would like to thank Professor Brad Bergstrom, Dept. of Biology, Valdosta St. Univ. for looking over this list and for the corrections and suggestions he made.
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