List of mammals of South Ossetia
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
This is a list of the mammal species recorded in South Ossetia.[1]
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. |
| LC | Lower risk/least concern | Species for which there are no identifiable risks. |



- Suborder: Sciurognathi
- Family: Sciuridae (squirrels)
- Subfamily: Sciurinae
- Tribe: Sciurini
- Genus: Sciurus
- Caucasian squirrel, S. anomalus LC
- Genus: Sciurus
- Tribe: Sciurini
- Subfamily: Xerinae
- Tribe: Marmotini
- Genus: Spermophilus
- Caucasian mountain ground squirrel, Spermophilus musicus LC
- Little ground squirrel, Spermophilus pygmaeus LC
- Genus: Spermophilus
- Tribe: Marmotini
- Subfamily: Sciurinae
- Family: Gliridae (dormice)
- Subfamily: Leithiinae
- Genus: Dryomys
- Forest dormouse, Dryomys nitedula LR/nt
- Genus: Dryomys
- Subfamily: Glirinae
- Genus: Glis
- European edible dormouse, Glis glis LR/nt
- Genus: Glis
- Subfamily: Leithiinae
- Family: Dipodidae (jerboas)
- Subfamily: Allactaginae
- Genus: Allactaga
- Small five-toed jerboa, Allactaga elater LC
- Genus: Allactaga
- Subfamily: Sicistinae
- Genus: Sicista
- Northern birch mouse, Sicista betulina LR/nt
- Caucasian birch mouse, Sicista caucasica LC
- Kazbeg birch mouse, Sicista kazbegica DD
- Genus: Sicista
- Subfamily: Allactaginae
- Family: Cricetidae
- Subfamily: Cricetinae
- Genus: Cricetus
- European hamster, Cricetus cricetus LC
- Ciscaucasian hamster, Mesocricetus raddei LC
- Genus: Cricetus
- Subfamily: Arvicolinae
- Genus: Chionomys
- Caucasian snow vole, Chionomys gud LR/nt
- Robert's snow vole, Chionomys roberti LR/nt
- Genus: Ellobius
- Transcaucasian mole vole, Ellobius lutescens LC
- Genus: Microtus
- Altai vole, Microtus obscurus LC
- Genus: Chionomys
- Subfamily: Cricetinae
- Family: Muridae (mice, rats, voles, gerbils, hamsters, etc.)
- Subfamily: Murinae
- Genus: Apodemus
- Striped field mouse, Apodemus agrarius LC
- Yellow-breasted field mouse, Apodemus fulvipectus LC
- Black Sea field mouse, Apodemus ponticus LC
- Ural field mouse, Apodemus uralensis LC
- Genus: Micromys
- Harvest mouse, Micromys minutus LR/nt
- Genus: Apodemus
- Subfamily: Murinae
- Family: Sciuridae (squirrels)
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.
- Family: Erinaceidae (hedgehogs)
- Subfamily: Erinaceinae
- Genus: Erinaceus
- Southern white-breasted hedgehog, Erinaceus concolor LC
- Genus: Erinaceus
- Subfamily: Erinaceinae
- Family: Erinaceidae (hedgehogs)
Order: Soricomorpha (shrews, moles, and solenodons)

The Soricomorpha are insectivorous mammals. The shrews and solenodons resemble mice.
- Family: Soricidae (shrews)
- Subfamily: Crocidurinae
- Genus: Crocidura
- Gueldenstaedt's shrew, Crocidura gueldenstaedtii LC
- Bicolored shrew, Crocidura leucodon LC
- Lesser white-toothed shrew, Crocidura suaveolens LC
- Tribe: Soricini
- Genus: Sorex
- Eurasian pygmy shrew, Sorex minutus LC
- Radde's shrew, Sorex raddei LC
- Caucasian pygmy shrew, Sorex volnuchini LC
- Genus: Sorex
- Genus: Crocidura
- Subfamily: Crocidurinae
- Family: Soricidae (shrews)
Order: Chiroptera (bats)

The bats' most distinguishing feature is that their forelimbs are developed as wings, making them the only mammals capable of flight.
- Family: Vespertilionidae
- Subfamily: Myotinae
- Genus: Myotis
- Bechstein's bat, Myotis bechsteini VU
- Lesser mouse-eared bat, Myotis blythii LC
- Geoffroy's bat, Myotis emarginatus VU
- Natterer's bat, Myotis nattereri LC
- Genus: Myotis
- Subfamily: Vespertilioninae
- Genus: Barbastella
- Barbastelle, Barbastella barbastellus VU
- Genus: Eptesicus
- Northern bat, Eptesicus nilssoni LC
- Genus: Nyctalus
- Greater noctule bat, Nyctalus lasiopterus LR/nt
- Lesser noctule, Nyctalus leisleri LR/nt
- Genus: Pipistrellus
- Nathusius' pipistrelle, Pipistrellus nathusii LC
- Genus: Plecotus
- Brown long-eared bat, Plecotus auritus LC
- Genus: Barbastella
- Subfamily: Miniopterinae
- Genus: Miniopterus
- Schreibers' long-fingered bat, Miniopterus schreibersii LC
- Genus: Miniopterus
- Subfamily: Myotinae
- Family: Rhinolophidae
- Subfamily: Rhinolophinae
- Genus: Rhinolophus
- Mediterranean horseshoe bat, Rhinolophus euryale VU
- Greater horseshoe bat, Rhinolophus ferrumequinum LR/nt
- Lesser horseshoe bat, Rhinolophus hipposideros LC
- Mehely's horseshoe bat, Rhinolophus mehelyi VU
- Genus: Rhinolophus
- Subfamily: Rhinolophinae
- Family: Vespertilionidae
Order: Carnivora (carnivorans)


The majority of the species of carnivorans feed primarily on meat. They have a characteristic skull shape and dentition.
- Suborder: Feliformia
- Family: Felidae (cats)
- Subfamily: Felinae
- Genus: Felis
- Wildcat, Felis silvestris LC
- Genus: Lynx
- Eurasian lynx, Lynx lynx NT
- Genus: Felis
- Subfamily: Pantherinae
- Subfamily: Felinae
- Family: Felidae (cats)
- Suborder: Caniformia
- Family: Canidae (dogs, foxes)
- Family: Ursidae (bears)
- Genus: Ursus
- Brown bear, Ursus arctos LC
- Genus: Ursus
- Family: Mustelidae (mustelids)
- Genus: Mustela
- Stoat, Mustela erminea LC
- Steppe polecat, Mustela eversmannii LC
- European mink, Mustela lutreola EN
- Least weasel, Mustela nivalis LC
- Genus: Vormela
- Marbled polecat, Vormela peregusna LC
- Genus: Martes
- Beech marten, Martes foina LC
- Pine marten, Martes martes LC
- Genus: Meles
- Caucasian badger, M. canescens NE
- Genus: Lutra
- European otter, Lutra lutra NT
- Genus: Mustela
- Family: Phocidae (earless seals)
- Genus: Monachus
- Mediterranean monk seal, Monachus monachus CR
- Genus: Monachus
Order: Artiodactyla (even-toed ungulates)

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.
- Family: Cervidae (deer)
- Subfamily: Cervinae
- Subfamily: Capreolinae
- Genus: Alces
- Moose, A. alces LC extirpated
- Caucasian moose, A. a. caucasicus EX
- Moose, A. alces LC extirpated
- Genus: Alces
- Family: Bovidae (bovids)
- Subfamily: Caprinae
- Genus: Capra
- Wild goat, C. aegagrus NT
- West Caucasian tur, C. caucasica EN
- East Caucasian tur, C. cylindricornis VU
- Genus: Ovis
- Argali, O. ammon NT
- Genus: Rupicapra
- Chamois, R. rupicapra LC
- Genus: Capra
- Subfamily: Caprinae