List of mammals of the Faroe Islands
# List of mammals of the Faroe Islands

This is a list of the mammal species recorded in the Faroe Islands. There are eleven mammal species in the Faroe Islands, of which two are endangered and two are vulnerable.

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. |

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. |

## Order: Cetacea (whales)

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.

* Suborder: Mysticeti
   * Family: Balaenidae
      * Genus: Eubalaena
         * North Atlantic right whale, Eubalaena glacialis EN
   * Family: Balaenopteridae
      * Subfamily: Balaenopterinae
         * Genus: Balaenoptera
            * Fin whale, Balaenoptera physalus EN
* Suborder: Odontoceti
   * Superfamily: Platanistoidea
      * Family: Monodontidae
         * Genus: Delphinapterus
            * Beluga, Delphinapterus leucas VU
      * Family: Phocoenidae
         * Genus: Phocoena
            * Harbour porpoise, Phocoena phocoena VU
      * Family: Ziphidae
         * Subfamily: Hyperoodontinae
            * Genus: Hyperoodon
               * Bottlenose whale, Hyperoodon ampullatus LR/cd
      * Family: Delphinidae (marine dolphins)
         * Genus: Lagenorhynchus
            * White-beaked dolphin, Lagenorhynchus albirostris LR/lc
            * Atlantic white-sided dolphin, Lagenorhynchus acutus LR/lc
         * Genus: Orcinus
            * Orca, Orcinus orca LR/cd
         * Genus: Globicephala
            * Pilot whale, Globicephala melas LR/lc

## Order: Lagomorpha (lagomorphs)

* Family: Leporidae (rabbits and hares)
   * Genus: Lepus
      * Mountain hare, L. timidus LC introduced

## Order Rodentia (rodents)

* Family Muridae (mice and rats)
   * Genus: Rattus
      * Brown rat, Rattus norvegicus LC introduced
   * Genus: Mus
      * House mouse, Mus musculus LC introduced

## Order: Carnivora (carnivorans)

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

* Family: Phocidae (earless seals)
   * Genus: Halichoerus
      * Grey seal, Halichoerus grypus LR/lc
   * Genus: Phoca
         * Harbor seal, P. vitulina LC
   * Genus: Cystophora
      * Hooded seal Cystophora cristata VU
   * Genus: Pagophilus
      * Harp seal, Pagophilus groenlandicus LC

## Order: Chiroptera (bats)

Bats have been increasingly recorded where they are thought to be either vagrants or artificially introduced. 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: Vespertilioninae
      * Genus: Eptesicus
         * Northern bat, E. nilsonii LC vagrant or introduced
         * Serotine bat, E. serotinus LC vagrant or introduced
      * Genus: Nyctalus
         * Lesser noctule, N. leisleri LC vagrant or introduced
      * Genus: Pipistrellus
         * Nathusius' pipistrelle, P. nathusii LC vagrant or introduced
      * Genus: Vespertilio
         * Parti-coloured bat, V. murinus LC vagrant or introduced
