This is a list of the native wild mammal species recorded in South America. South America's terrestrial mammals fall into three distinct groups: "old-timers", African immigrants and recent North American immigrants. The marsupials and xenarthrans are "old-timers", their ancestors having been present on the continent since at least the very early Cenozoic Era. During the early Cenozoic, South America's only land connection was to Antarctica, so it was effectively cut off from most of the world; as the fragments of Gondwana continued to separate, this connection was lost, leaving South America an island continent. Caviomorph rodents and monkeys arrived as "waif dispersers" by rafting across the Atlantic from Africa in the Eocene epoch, 35 million or more years ago.[1][2][3] All the remaining nonflying mammals of South America are recent arrivals, having migrated from North America via Central America during the past seven million years as part of the Great American Interchange; this invasion, which peaked around three million years ago, was made possible when the formation of the volcanic Isthmus of Panama bridged North and South America. The newcomers out-competed and drove to extinction many mammals that had evolved during South America's long period of isolation, as well as some species from other classes (e.g., terror birds).[4]
South America suffered another major loss of mammal species in the Quaternary extinction event, which started around 12,500 cal BP, at roughly the time of arrival of Paleoindians, and may have lasted up to several thousand years. At least 37 genera of mammals were eliminated, including most of the megafauna.[5] While South America currently has no megaherbivore species weighing more than 1000kg, prior to this event it had a menagerie of about 25 of them (consisting of gomphotheres, camelids, ground sloths, glyptodonts, and toxodontids – 75% of these being "old-timers"), dwarfing Africa's present and recent total of 6.[6]
Anthropogenic climate change and the damage to its ecosystems resulting from the rapid recent growth of the human population pose a further threat to South America's biodiversity.
The list consists of those species found in the nations or overseas territories of continental South America (including their island possessions, such as the Galápagos), as well as in Trinidad and Tobago and the Falkland Islands; Panama is not included. As of May 2012, the list contains 1,331 species, 340 genera, 62 families and 15 orders. Of the taxa from nonflying, nonmarine groups (992 species, 230 genera, 40 families and 12 orders), "old-timers" comprise 14% of species, 15% of genera, 20% of families and 42% of orders; African immigrants make up 38% of species, 30% of genera, 40% of families and 17% of orders; North American invaders constitute 49% of species 55% of genera, 40% of families and 50% of orders. At the order level, the "old-timers" are overrepresented because of their ancient local origins, while the African immigrants are underrepresented because of their "sweepstakes" mode of dispersal.
Of the species, 9 are extinct, 29 are critically endangered, 64 are endangered, 111 are vulnerable, 64 are near threatened, and 255 are data deficient.[n 1] Mammal species presumed extinct since AD 1500 (nine or ten cases) are included. Domestic species (e.g., the guinea pig, alpaca, and llama) and introduced species are not listed.
Note: This list is inevitably incomplete, since new species are continually being recognized via discovery or reclassification. Places to check for missing species include the list of mammals described in the 2000s, and the species listings in the articles for mammalian genera, especially those of small mammals such as rodents or bats.
The following tags are used to highlight each species' conservation status as assessed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature; those on the left are used here, those in the second column in some other articles:
EX
EX
Extinct
No reasonable doubt that the last individual has died.
EW
EW
Extinct in the wild
Known only to survive in captivity or as a naturalized population well outside its historic range.
CR
CR
Critically endangered
The species is in imminent danger of extinction in the wild.
EN
EN
Endangered
The species is facing a very high risk of extinction in the wild.
VU
VU
Vulnerable
The species is facing a high risk of extinction in the wild.
NT
NT
Near threatened
The species does not qualify as being at high risk of extinction but is likely to do so in the future.
LC
LC
Least concern
The species is not currently at risk of extinction in the wild.
DD
DD
Data deficient
There is inadequate information to assess the risk of extinction for this species.
NE
NE
Not evaluated
The conservation status of the species has not been studied.
The IUCN status of all listed species except bats was last updated between March and June 2009; bats were updated in September 2009.
Subclass: Theria
Derby's woolly opossumBare-tailed woolly opossumWoolly opossum (Caluromys species)Water opossumWhite-eared opossumBig-eared opossumCommon opossumAndean white-eared opossumBig lutrine opossumRobinson's mouse opossumMouse opossum (Marmosa species)Mouse opossum (Marmosa (Micoureus) species)Tate's woolly mouse opossumGray slender opossumBrown four-eyed opossumYellow-sided opossum Gray short-tailed opossumGray four-eyed opossumElegant fat-tailed mouse opossum
Infraclass: Metatheria
The infraclass Metatheria includes all living and extinct marsupials, but also includes some related extinct orders of mammals that are no longer considered marsupials, such as Sparassodonta. At least six families of sparassodonts lived in South America prior to the interchange, dominating the niches for large mammalian carnivores.
Marsupials are a collection of pouched mammals that was once more widely distributed. Today they are found primarily in isolated or formerly isolated continents of Gondwanan origin. South America's 22 extant genera compares with 10 in Central America, 1 in North America north of Mexico, 52 in Australia, 28 in New Guinea and 2 in Sulawesi. South American marsupials are thought to be ancestral to those of Australasia.[7]
Superorder: Ameridelphia
Order: Didelphimorphia (common opossums)
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.
The monito del monte of Chile and Argentina is the only extant member of its family and the only surviving member of an ancient order, Microbiotheria. It appears to be more closely related to Australian marsupials than to other Neotropic marsupials; this is a reflection of the South American origin of all Australasian marsupials.[7]
Family: Microbiotheriidae
Genus: Dromiciops
Monito del monte, Dromiciops gliroidesNT
Infraclass: Eutheria
Superorder: Afrotheria
Order: Sirenia (manatees and dugongs)
West Indian manatee
Sirenia is an order of fully aquatic, herbivorous mammals that inhabit rivers, estuaries, coastal marine waters, swamps, and marine wetlands. All four species are endangered. They evolved about 50 million years ago, and their closest living relatives are elephants. The manatees are the only extant afrotherians in the Americas. However, a number proboscid species, some of which survived until the arrival of Paleoindians, once inhabited the region. Those that reached South America have usually been classified as gomphotheres, but sometimes instead as elephantids.
The armadillos are small mammals with a bony armored shell. All 21 extant species are found in South America, where they originated. Their much larger relatives, the pampatheres and glyptodonts, once lived in North and South America but became extinct following the appearance of humans.
The order Pilosa is confined to the Americas and contains the tree sloths and anteaters (which include the tamanduas). All 5 extant genera and 9 of 10 extant species are present in South America, the ancestral home of the group. (The exception is the pygmy three-toed sloth, endemic to an island off Panama.) Numerous ground sloths, some of which reached the size of elephants, were once present in both North and South America, as well as on the Antilles. (Some west coastal South American forms had even evolved into marine sloths.) All of these went extinct following the arrival of humans. Extant tree sloths fall into two groups that are not closely related, and which do not form a clade; two-toed sloths are much more closely related to some extinct ground sloths than to three-toed sloths.
The order Primates includes the lemurs, monkeys, and apes, with the latter category including humans. It is divided into four main groupings: strepsirrhines, tarsiers, monkeys of the New World (parvorder Platyrrhini), and monkeys and apes of the Old World. South America's 20 genera of nonhuman primates compares with 6 in Central America, 15 in Madagascar, 23 in Africa and 19 in Asia. All South American monkeys are believed to be descended from ancestors that rafted over from Africa about 25 million years ago in a single dispersal event.
Suborder: Haplorrhini
Infraorder: Simiiformes
Parvorder: Platyrrhini (New World monkeys)
Family: Aotidae (night monkeys)
Genus: Aotus
Azara's night monkey, Aotus azarae LC
Brumback's night monkey, Aotus brumbackiVU
Gray-handed night monkey, Aotus griseimembraVU
Hernández-Camacho's night monkey, Aotus jorgehernandeziDD
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, although the capybara can weigh up to 45kg (100lb). South America's rodent fauna today is largely an outgrowth of two spectacularly fortunate ancient "sweepstakes" dispersal events, each of which was followed by explosive diversification. Caviomorphs, the first rodents to reach the continent, are believed to have washed ashore after rafting across the Atlantic from Africa over 30 million years ago.[8] More recently, ancestral sigmodontine rodents[9] apparently island-hopped from Central America 5 million or more years ago,[10][11][12] prior to the formation of the Panamanian land bridge. These two groups now comprise 36% and 60%, respectively, of all South American rodent species. The corresponding figures are 10% and 27% for Central America, 2% and 10% for Mexico, 0.5% and 3% for North America north of Mexico, and 72% and 27% for recent endemic Caribbean rodents.[n 2] Conversely, sciurids make up 3% of rodents in South America, 8% in Central America, 15% in Mexico and 31% in North America north of Mexico, while castorimorphs are 1%, 16%, 26% and 28%, respectively. Sciurids are absent from South America's southern cone, while castorimorphs are only present in northwest South America (Colombia, Venezuela and Ecuador). Illustrating the advantage of gaining a head start in colonizing a new land mass, sigmodontine rodents comprise 99.5% of all cricetid rodents in South America, but only 42% in Central America, 17% in Mexico and 7% in North America north of Mexico.
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. South America's meager lagomorph diversity (6 species compared to 18 for North America north of Mexico) reflects their recent arrival and failure (so far) to diversify much. Only the tapeti is present south of northern South America; lagomorphs are absent from most of South America's southern cone.
Order: Eulipotyphla (shrews, hedgehogs, moles, and solenodons)
Eulipotyphlans are insectivorous mammals. Shrews and solenodons closely resemble mice, hedgehogs carry spines, while moles are stout-bodied burrowers. In South America, shrews are only found in the north (Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador and Peru), a legacy of their relatively recent immigration to the continent by way of Central America (where shrew species are considerably more diverse). Moles are not found in the Americas south of northern Mexico.
Greater bulldog batBig brown batDesert red batHoary bat
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: Noctilionidae (bulldog bats)
Genus: Noctilio
Lesser bulldog bat, Noctilio albiventris LC
Greater bulldog bat, Noctilio leporinus LC
Family: Vespertilionidae
Subfamily: Myotinae
Genus: Myotis
Southern myotis, Myotis aelleniDD
Silver-tipped myotis, Myotis albescens LC
Atacama myotis, Myotis atacamensisNT
Chilean myotis, Myotis chiloensis LC
Myotis dinellii LC
Hairy-legged myotis, Myotis keaysi LC
Yellowish myotis, Myotis levis LC
Myotis midastactusNE
Curacao myotis, Myotis nesopolus LC
Black myotis, Myotis nigricans LC
Montane myotis, Myotis oxyotus LC
Riparian myotis, Myotis riparius LC
Red myotis, Myotis ruberNT
Velvety myotis, Myotis simusDD
Subfamily: Vespertilioninae
Genus: Eptesicus
Little black serotine, Eptesicus andinus LC
Brazilian brown bat, Eptesicus brasiliensis LC
Chiriquinan serotine, Eptesicus chiriquinus LC
Diminutive serotine, Eptesicus diminutusDD
Argentine brown bat, Eptesicus furinalis LC
Big brown bat, Eptesicus fuscus LC
Harmless serotine, Eptesicus innoxiusNT
Eptesicus taddeii
Genus: Histiotus
Strange big-eared brown bat, Histiotus alienusDD
Humboldt big-eared brown bat, Histiotus humboldtiDD
Thomas's big-eared brown bat, Histiotus laephotisNT
Big-eared brown bat, Histiotus macrotus LC
Southern big-eared brown bat, Histiotus magellanicus LC
Small big-eared brown bat, Histiotus montanus LC
Tropical big-eared brown bat, Histiotus velatusDD
Genus: Lasiurus
Lasiurus atratus LC
Desert red bat, Lasiurus blossevillii LC
Tacarcuna bat, Lasiurus castaneusDD
Hoary bat, Lasiurus cinereus LC
Hairy-tailed bat, Lasiurus ebenusDD
Southern yellow bat, Lasiurus ega LC
Big red bat, Lasiurus egregiusDD
Pfeiffer's red bat, Lasiurus pfeifferi
Saline red bat, Lasiurus salinae
Cinnamon red bat, Lasiurus varius LC
Genus: Rhogeessa
Husson's yellow bat, Rhogeessa hussoniDD
Thomas's yellow bat, Rhogeessa io LC
Tiny yellow bat, Rhogeessa minutillaVU
Subfamily: Tomopeatinae
Genus: Tomopeas
Blunt-eared bat, Tomopeas ravusVU
Western mastiff batBig free-tailed batGreater or lesser sac-winged batGreater sac-winged bat
Family: Molossidae (free-tailed bats)
Genus: Cynomops
Cinnamon dog-faced bat, Cynomops abrasusDD
Greenhall's dog-faced bat, Cynomops greenhalli LC
Para dog-faced bat, Cynomops paranusDD
Southern dog-faced bat, Cynomops planirostris LC
Genus: Eumops
Black bonneted bat, Eumops auripendulus LC
Dwarf bonneted bat, Eumops bonariensis LC
Big bonneted bat, Eumops dabbenei LC
Wagner's bonneted bat, Eumops glaucinus LC
Sanborn's bonneted bat, Eumops hansae LC
Guianan bonneted bat, Eumops maurusDD
Patagonian bonneted bat, Eumops patagonicus LC
Western mastiff bat, Eumops perotis LC
Colombian bonneted bat, Eumops trumbulli LC
Wilson's bonneted bat, Eumops wilsoni
Genus: Molossops
Equatorial dog-faced bat, Molossops aequatorianusVU
Mato Grosso dog-faced bat, Molossops mattogrossensis LC
Rufous dog-faced bat, Molossops neglectusDD
Dwarf dog-faced bat, Molossops temminckii LC
Genus: Molossus
Barnes's mastiff bat, Molossus barnesiDD
Coiban mastiff bat, Molossus coibensis LC
Bonda mastiff bat, Molossus currentium LC
Velvety free-tailed bat, Molossus molossus LC
Miller's mastiff bat, Molossus pretiosus LC
Black mastiff bat, Molossus rufus LC
Sinaloan mastiff bat, Molossus sinaloae LC
Molossus trinitatis
Genus: Mormopterus
Kalinowski's mastiff bat, Mormopterus kalinowskii LC
Incan little mastiff bat, Mormopterus phrudusVU
Genus: Nyctinomops
Peale's free-tailed bat, Nyctinomops aurispinosus LC
Broad-eared bat, Nyctinomops laticaudatus LC
Big free-tailed bat, Nyctinomops macrotis LC
Genus: Promops
Big crested mastiff bat, Promops centralis LC
Brown mastiff bat, Promops nasutus LC
Genus: Tadarida
Mexican free-tailed bat, Tadarida brasiliensis LC
Family: Emballonuridae (ghost bats, sac-winged bats and allies)
Genus: Balantiopteryx
Ecuadorian sac-winged bat, Balantiopteryx infuscaEN
Gray sac-winged bat, Balantiopteryx plicata LC
Genus: Centronycteris
Thomas's shaggy bat, Centronycteris centralis LC
Shaggy bat, Centronycteris maximiliani LC
Genus: Cormura
Chestnut sac-winged bat, Cormura brevirostris LC
Genus: Cyttarops
Short-eared bat, Cyttarops alecto LC
Genus: Diclidurus
Northern ghost bat, Diclidurus albus LC
Greater ghost bat, Diclidurus ingensDD
Isabelle's ghost bat, Diclidurus isabella LC
Lesser ghost bat, Diclidurus scutatus LC
Genus: Peropteryx
Greater dog-like bat, Peropteryx kappleri LC
White-winged dog-like bat, Peropteryx leucoptera LC
Lesser doglike bat, Peropteryx macrotis LC
Trinidad dog-like bat, Peropteryx trinitatisDD
Pale-winged dog-like bat, Peropteryx pallidoptera
Genus: Rhynchonycteris
Proboscis bat, Rhynchonycteris naso LC
Genus: Saccopteryx
Antioquian sac-winged bat, Saccopteryx antioquensisDD
Greater sac-winged bat, Saccopteryx bilineata LC
Frosted sac-winged bat, Saccopteryx canescens LC
Amazonian sac-winged bat, Saccopteryx gymnuraDD
Lesser sac-winged bat, Saccopteryx leptura LC
Ghost-faced batParnell's mustached bat
Family: Mormoopidae (mustached bats)
Genus: Mormoops
Ghost-faced bat, Mormoops megalophylla LC
Genus: Pteronotus
Davy's naked-backed bat, Pteronotus davyi LC
Big naked-backed bat, Pteronotus gymnonotus LC
Paraguana moustached bat, Pteronotus paraguanensisEN
There are over 260 species of carnivorans, the majority of which feed primarily on meat. They have a characteristic skull shape and dentition. South America is notable for its diversity of canids, having more genera than any other continent in spite of their relatively brief history there. South America's felid diversity is also greater than that of North America north of Mexico, while its mustelid diversity is comparable and its mephitid and ursid diversities are lower. Its procyonid diversity is somewhat less than that of Central America, the center of the family's recent evolution. The diversification of canids and felids in South America was partly a consequence of the inability of the continent's native avian and metatherian predators to compete effectively following the Great American Interchange.
The odd-toed ungulates are browsing and grazing mammals. They are usually large to very large, and have relatively simple stomachs and a large middle toe. Following the interchange with North America, South America's odd-toed ungulates included equids of genus Equus as well as tapirs. Equids died out in both North and South America around the time of the first arrival of humans, while tapirs died out in most of North America but survived in Central and South America. South America also once had a great diversity of ungulates of native origin, but these dwindled after the interchange with North America, and disappeared entirely following the arrival of humans. Sequencing of collagen from fossils of one recently extinct species each of notoungulates and litopterns has indicated that these orders comprise a sister group to the perissodactyls.[13] If, as some evidence suggests, perissodactyls originated in India,[14] both ungulate groups may have been of Gondwanan origin, despite being laurasiatheres.
Family: Tapiridae (tapirs)
Genus: Tapirus
Baird's tapir, Tapirus bairdiiEN
Mountain tapir, Tapirus pinchaqueEN
Lowland tapir, Tapirus terrestrisVU
Order: Artiodactyla (even-toed ungulates and cetaceans)
The weight of even-toed ungulates 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 noncetacean artiodactyl species, including many that are of great economic importance to humans. South America's considerable cervid diversity belies their relatively recent arrival. The presence of camelids in South America but not North America today is ironic, given that they have a 45-million-year-long history in the latter continent (where they originated), and only a 3-million-year history in the former.
Family: Tayassuidae (peccaries)
Genus: Catagonus
Chacoan peccary, Catagonus wagneriEN
Genus: Dicotyles
Collared peccary, Dicotyles tajacu LC
Genus: Tayassu
White-lipped peccary, Tayassu pecariVU
Family: Camelidae (camels, llamas)
Genus: Lama
Guanaco, Lama guanicoe LC
Vicuña, Lama vicugna LC
Family: Cervidae (deer)
Subfamily: Capreolinae
Genus: Blastocerus
Marsh deer, Blastocerus dichotomusVU
Genus: Hippocamelus
Taruca, Hippocamelus antisensisVU
South Andean deer, Hippocamelus bisulcusEN
Genus: Mazama
Red brocket, Mazama americanaDD
Small red brocket, Mazama bororoVU
Merida brocket, Mazama briceniiVU
Dwarf brocket, Mazama chunyiVU
Gray brocket, Mazama gouazoupira LC
Pygmy brocket, Mazama nanaVU
Amazonian brown brocket, Mazama nemorivaga LC
Little red brocket, Mazama rufinaVU
Central American red brocket, Mazama temamaDD
Genus: Odocoileus
White-tailed deer, Odocoileus virginianus LC
Genus: Ozotoceros
Pampas deer, Ozotoceros bezoarticusNT
Genus: Pudú
Northern pudú, Pudu mephistophilesVU
Southern pudú, Pudu pudaNT
Infraorder: Cetacea (whales, dolphins and porpoises) Southern right whaleSei whalesBlue whaleHumpback whalePygmy sperm whaleAmazon river dolphinCommerson's dolphinClymene dolphinsAtlantic spotted dolphinSpinner dolphinHourglass dolphinsDusky dolphinRisso's dolphinOrcasShort-finned pilot whaleMelon-headed whales
The infraorder 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. Their closest extant relatives are the hippos, which are artiodactyls, from which cetaceans descended; cetaceans are thus also artiodactyls.
This list is derived from the IUCN Red List which lists species of mammals. 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 Institution, or University of Michigan where no Wikipedia article was available.
This is based on the definition of Sigmodontinae that excludes Neotominae and Tylomyinae.
Bond, M.; Tejedor, M. F.; Campbell, K. E.; Chornogubsky, L.; Novo, N.; Goin, F. (2015-02-04). "Eocene primates of South America and the African origins of New World monkeys". Nature. 520 (7548): 538–541. Bibcode:2015Natur.520..538B. doi:10.1038/nature14120. PMID25652825. S2CID4456556.
Fiedal, Stuart (2009). "Sudden Deaths: The Chronology of Terminal Pleistocene Megafaunal Extinction". In Haynes, Gary (ed.). American Megafaunal Extinctions at the End of the Pleistocene. Vertebrate Paleobiology and Paleoanthropology. Springer. pp.21–37. doi:10.1007/978-1-4020-8793-6_2. ISBN978-1-4020-8792-9. OCLC313368423.
Flynn, J. J.; Wyss, A. R. (1998). "Recent advances in South American mammalian paleontology". Trends in Ecology and Evolution. 13 (11): 449–454. doi:10.1016/S0169-5347(98)01457-8. PMID21238387.
Marshall, L. G.; Butler, R. F.; Drake, R. E.; Curtis, G. H.; Tedford, R. H. (1979-04-20). "Calibration of the Great American Interchange". Science. 204 (4390): 272–279. Bibcode:1979Sci...204..272M. doi:10.1126/science.204.4390.272. PMID17800342. S2CID8625188.
Smith, M. F.; Patton, J. L. (1999). "Phylogenetic Relationships and the Radiation of Sigmodontine Rodents in South America: Evidence from Cytochrome b". Journal of Mammalian Evolution. 6 (2): 89–128. doi:10.1023/A:1020668004578. S2CID22355532.
Welker, F.; Collins, M. J.; Thomas, J. A.; Wadsley, M.; Brace, S.; Cappellini, E.; Turvey, S. T.; Reguero, M.; Gelfo, J. N.; Kramarz, A.; Burger, J.; Thomas-Oates, J.; Ashford, D. A.; Ashton, P. D.; Rowsell, K.; Porter, D. M.; Kessler, B.; Fischer, R.; Baessmann, C.; Kaspar, S.; Olsen, J. V.; Kiley, P.; Elliott, J. A.; Kelstrup, C. D.; Mullin, V.; Hofreiter, M.; Willerslev, E.; Hublin, J.-J.; Orlando, L.; Barnes, I.; MacPhee, R. D. E. (2015-03-18). "Ancient proteins resolve the evolutionary history of Darwin's South American ungulates". Nature. 522 (7554): 81–84. Bibcode:2015Natur.522...81W. doi:10.1038/nature14249. ISSN0028-0836. PMID25799987. S2CID4467386.
Другой контент может иметь иную лицензию. Перед использованием материалов сайта WikiSort.org внимательно изучите правила лицензирования конкретных элементов наполнения сайта.
2019-2025 WikiSort.org - проект по пересортировке и дополнению контента Википедии