This page lists the higher-order, traditional classification (plus the local species for two orders having only one species each in the Chihuahuan Desert Region), largely following Wilson and Reeder's Mammal Species of the World (3rd ed., 2005); the complete reference is available online at the Bucknell website.
Also available through the web is the Revised Checklist of North American Mammals North of Mexico, 2003 (Robert J. Baker, Lisa C. Bradley, Robert D. Bradley, Jerry W. Dragoo, Mark D. Engstrom, Robert S. Hoffmann, Cheri A. Jones, Fiona Reid, Dale W. Rice, and Clyde Jones, 2003). This may be downloaded as a pdf file from the Occasional Papers pages of the Museum of Texas Tech University; another important publication for our region obtainable from the same source is Taxonomy and Distribution of the Mammals of New Mexico: An Annotated Checklist (Jennifer K. Frey, 2004). The species lists have been updated as per these references.
McKenna and Bell (1997) have published an alternative classification that includes both living and fossil forms. A comparison for reference of the traditional (pre-Wilson and Reeder 2005) and the McKenna/Bell classifications is shown in Table 1 et seq.
This list has been put together largely as a resource for several courses taught at the University of Texas at El Paso. Consequently, the selection of taxa recorded is somewhat eclectic, depending on the needs of the various courses. Extinct forms are not covered and only a sampling of families not found in North America are listed. Coverage to the family level is complete only for native mammals of New Mexico, Trans-Pecos Texas, and adjacent Mexico. Comments and other names frequently used are in brackets.
The list was updated somewhat on 5 Sep 2008, reflecting current views concerning the rodent families Muridae and Cricetidae. Several typographical errors also were corrected.
Identification of mammals tends to be more difficult than for other tetrapods since external characters often are undiagnostic or diagnostic only with experience. Characters of the skull frequently are required. As a result, students of mammals rely heavily on taxonomic keys for identification until they learn the fauna they're working on. Taxonomic keys are available here for regional mammals.
The links in the list below to will take you to listings of the regional taxa.
Class Mammalia
Subclass Prototheria: Monotremes
Order Monotremata: Platypus and Echidnas
Subclass Theria
Infraclass Metatheria [until recently, all were placed in the single order Marsupialia]
Order Didelphimorphia: New World Opossums
Family Didelphidae
Didelphis virginiana: Virginia Opossum
Order Paucituberculata: Shrew or Rat Opossums
Order Microbiotheria: Monito del Monte
Order Notoryctemorphia: Marsupial Moles
Order Dasyuromorphia: Numbat, Marsupial Mice, Tasmanian Devil
Order Peramelemorphia: Bandicoots and Bilbies
Order Diprotodontia: Koala, Wallabies, Kangaroos, and Relatives
Infraclass Eutheria [There are large numbers of families not listed here. The taxonomy at the ordinal level is in some flux—the list here is relatively conservative].
Order Afrosoricida: Tenrecs and golden moles
Family Tenrecidae: Tenrecs and kin
Family Chrysochloridae: Golden Moles
Order Macroscelidea: Elephant Shrews
Order Tubulidentata: Aardvarks
Order Hyracoidea: Conies
Order Proboscidea: Elephants
Order Sirenia: Dugongs and Sea Cows
Order Cingulata: Armadillos
Family Dasypodidae: Armadillos
Dasypus novemcinctus: Nine-banded Armadillo
Order Pilosa: Sloths
Suborder Folivora: Sloths
Family Bradypodidae: Three-toed Sloths
Family Megalonichidae: Two-toed Sloths
Suborder Vermilingua: Anteaters
Family Cyclopedidae: Silky Anteater
Family Myrmecophagidae: Anteaters
Order Scandentia: Tree Shrews
Order Dermoptera: Colugos [Flying Lemurs]
Order Primates: Primates
Family Hominidae: Mankind
Family Aplodontidae: Mountain Beaver
Family Sciuridae: Squirrels
Family Castoridae: Beavers
Family Geomyidae: Pocket Gophers
Family Heteromyidae: Pocket Mice and Kangaroo Rats
Family Dipodidae (or Zapodidae): Jumping Mice
Family Muridae: Old World Mice and Rats
Family Cricetidae: "New World" Mice and Rats
Subfamily Arvicolinae: Voles and Relatives
Subfamily Neotominae: Neotomine Mice and Rats
Subfamily Sigmodontinae: New World Sigmodontine Mice and Rats
Family Erethizontidae: Porcupines
Family Myocastoridae: Nutria (Coypu is preferred)
Order Lagomorpha: Rabbits and kin
Family Ochotonidae: Pikas
Family Leporidae: Rabbits and Hares
Order Erinaceomorpha: Hedgehogs
Family Erinaceidae: Hedgehogs
Order Soricomorpha: Shrews, moles, and relatives
Family Nesophontidae: Nesophontes
Family Solenodontidae: Solenodons
Family Soricidae: Shrews
Family Talpidae: Moles
Order Chiroptera: Bats [Many families omitted]
Family Phyllostomidae: Leaf-nosed Bats
Family Mormoopidae: Mormoopid Bats
Family Molossidae: Molossid Bats
Family Vespertilionidae: Vespertilionid Bats
Order Pholidota: Pangolins and kin
Suborder Feliformia: Cat-like forms
Family Felidae: Cats
Family Viverridae: Civets and relatives
Family Eupleridae: Malagasy carnivores
Family Nandiniidae: African Palm Civet
Family Herpestidae: Herpestid mongooses and relatives
Family Hyaenidae: Hyaenas
Suborder Caniformia: Dog-like forms
Family Canidae: Dogs and relatives
Family Ursidae: Bears
Family Otariidae: Eared Seals
Family Odobenidae: Walrus
Family Phocidae: Phocid Seals
Family Mustelidae: Weasels, otters, and relatives
Family Mephitidae: Skunks
Family Procyonidae: Racoons and relatives
Family Ailuridae: Red Panda
Order Perissodactyla: Horses, tapirs, and rhinoceroses
Family Equidae: Horses and relatives
Family Tapiridae: Tapirs
Family Rhinocerotidae: Rhinoceroses
Order Artiodactyla: Pigs, Camels, Deer, Giraffes, Cattle, and kin
Family Suidae: Pigs
Family Tayassuidae: Peccaries
Family Hippopotamidae: Hippopotamuses
Family Camelidae: Camels, Llamas, and relatives
Family Tragulidae: Tragulids
Family Moschidae: Musk Deer
Family Cervidae: Deer
Family Antilocapridae: Pronghorn [Often called antelope]
Family Giraffidae: Giraffes
Family Bovidae: Cattle, sheep, goats, and relatives
Order Cetacea: Whales
Suborder Mysticeti: Baleen whales
Suborder Odontoceti: Toothed whales
Latest Update: 5 Sep 2008