This is a list of themammal species recorded in Ecuador. There are 317 mammal species inEcuador, of which two are critically endangered, ten are endangered, twenty-three are vulnerable, and seven are near threatened.Two of the species listed for Ecuador are considered to be extinct.[1]
The following tags are used to highlight each species' conservation status as assessed by theInternational 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. |
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.
The armadillos are small mammals with a bony armored shell. They are native to the Americas. There are around 20 extant species.
The order Pilosa is extant only in the Americas and includes theanteaters,sloths, andtamanduas.
The order Primates containshumans and their closest relatives:lemurs,lorisoids,monkeys, andapes.
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Rodents make up the largest order of mammals, with over 40% of mammalian species. They have twoincisors in the upper and lower jaw which grow continually and must be kept short by gnawing. Most rodents are small though thecapybara can weigh up to 45 kg (99 lb).
The lagomorphs comprise two families,Leporidae (hares andrabbits), and Ochotonidae (pikas). Though they can resemblerodents, and were classified as asuperfamily 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.
Eulipotyphlans are insectivorous mammals. Shrews andsolenodons closely resemble mice,hedgehogs carry spines, whilemoles are stout-bodied burrowers.
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.
The order Cetacea includeswhales,dolphins andporpoises. They are the mammals most fullyadapted 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.
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Carnivorans include over 260 species, the majority of which eat meat as their primary dietary item. They have a characteristic skull shape and dentition.
The odd-toed ungulates are browsing andgrazing mammals. They are usually large to very large, and have relatively simple stomachs and a large middle toe.
The even-toed ungulates areungulates whose weight is borne about equally by the third and fourth toes, rather than mostly or entirely by the third as inperissodactyls. There are about 220 artiodactyl species, including many that are of great economic importance to humans.
Didelphimorphia is the order of common opossums of theWestern Hemisphere. Opossums probably diverged from the basic South Americanmarsupials in the lateCretaceous or earlyPaleocene. They are small to medium-sized marsupials, about the size of a large housecat, with a long snout andprehensile tail.
There are six extant species of shrew opossum. They are smallshrew-likemarsupials confined to theAndes.