Mammals of South Africa
10 species of mammals on file have openly licensed sighting records from South Africa, 7 of them threatened.
Big catsWhales and dolphinsAll mammalsAll animals in South Africa
Which mammals are recorded in South Africa?
Most looked-up first.
Red fox
Vulpes vulpes
Grey wolf
Canis lupus
Lion
Panthera leo
Tiger
Panthera tigris
Leopard
Panthera pardus
Cheetah
Acinonyx jubatus
Blue whale
Balaenoptera musculus
Northern giraffe
Giraffa camelopardalis
Common bottlenose dolphin
Tursiops truncatus
African bush elephant
Loxodonta africana
Full list
| Common name | Scientific name | Family | Status | Records here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Red fox | Vulpes vulpes | Canidae | Least Concern | 1 |
| Grey wolf | Canis lupus | Canidae | Least Concern | 67 |
| Lion | Panthera leo | Felidae | Vulnerable | 1,053 |
| Tiger | Panthera tigris | Felidae | Endangered | 4 |
| Leopard | Panthera pardus | Felidae | Vulnerable | 392 |
| Cheetah | Acinonyx jubatus | Felidae | Vulnerable | 4,582 |
| Blue whale | Balaenoptera musculus | Balaenopteridae | Endangered | 4 |
| Northern giraffe | Giraffa camelopardalis | Giraffidae | Vulnerable | 43 |
| Common bottlenose dolphin | Tursiops truncatus | Delphinidae | Least Concern | 44 |
| African bush elephant | Loxodonta africana | Elephantidae | Endangered | 1,748 |
Counted from CC0 and CC BY occurrence records on GBIF, which include captive and introduced animals. See the methodology.