Cricetulus barabensis&o=10616

List of mammals of Korea

This is a list of mammals found in the wild on the Korean Peninsula. Approximately 100 species of mammals are known to inhabit, or recently to have inhabited, the peninsula and its surrounding waters. This includes a few species, such as the Nutria and Muskrat, that were introduced in the 20th century. It also includes other species listed here, such as the Amur Tiger and Japanese Sea Lion, which have probably been extirpated but are still included in standard lists of Korean mammals.

Most of these species are found only in a small part of Korea. The large southeastern island of Jeju, and the rugged northeastern Paektusan region, are particularly known for their distinctive fauna. Several species, including the Dsinezumi Shrew, are found only on Jeju, while many other species such as the Wild Boar are absent or extirpated from there.

The species included in this list are drawn from Won and Smith (1999). Information on the international status of species has been drawn from the IUCN Red List.

Order Artiodactyla: Even-toed Ungulates

Common name (Korean name) Species (Authority) Preferred habitat Range Status
Family Bovidae: Bovids
Chinese Goral
Naemorhedus caudatus
(Hamilton Smith, 1827)
High mountains. Northern Taebaek Mountains, including the Demilitarized Zone.

Family Cervidae: Deer
Siberian Roe Deer
Capreolus pygargus
(Pallas, 1771)
Forest verges. Throughout; not found on Ulleungdo.

Wapiti
Cervus canadensis
(Erxleben, 1777)
Forest verges. North Hamgyong and the Paektusan region.

Sika Deer
Cervus nippon
(Temminck, 1838) Open forests and forest verges. Throughout mainland.

Water Deer
Hydropotes inermis
(Swinhoe, 1870) Low mountains and riparian areas. Throughout mainland.

Family Suidae: Pigs Wild Boar
Sus scrofa
(Linnaeus, 1758) Mountain forests. Throughout mainland.

Family Moschidae: Musk deer Siberian Musk Deer
Moschus moschiferus
(Linnaeus, 1758) Mountain forests. North Korea; also found in Gangwon, South Korea.

Order Carnivora: Carnivores

Common name (Korean name) Species (Authority) Preferred habitat Range Status
Family Canidae: Canids
eurasian Wolf
Canis lupus
(Linnaeus, 1758)
Forests and open woods. Paektusan area.

Dhole
Cuon alpinus
(Pallas, 1811)
Dense forests and high mountains. Paektusan area.

Raccoon Dog
Nyctereutes procyonoides
(Gray, 1834)
Wooded valleys. Throughout mainland.

Fox
Vulpes vulpes
(Linnaeus, 1758)
Brushy areas and forest verges. Northern and northeastern Korea.

Family Felidae: Felids
Leopard Cat
Prionailurus bengalensis
(Kerr, 1792)
Dense forests. Central and northern Korea.

Eurasian Lynx
Lynx lynx
(Linnaeus, 1758)
Montane forests. North Hamgyong and Chagang, North Korea.

Amur Leopard
Panthera pardus orientalis
(Schlegel, 1857)
High dense forests. Northern Korea.

Amur Tiger
Panthera tigris altaica
(Temminck, 1844)
Rocky forests. Hamgyong provinces, northeastern North Korea.

Family Mustelidae: Mustelids
European Otter
Lutra lutra
(Linnaeus, 1758)
Riparian areas. Throughout mainland, scattered.

Yellow-throated Marten
Martes flavigula
(Boddaert, 1785)
High forests. Northern Korea.

Japanese Marten
Martes melampus
(Wagner, 1841)
High forests. Central and northern Korea.

Sable
Martes zibellina
(Linnaeus, 1758)
High, dense boreal forests. North Hamgyong, northeastern North Korea.

European Badger
Meles meles
(Linnaeus, 1758)
Forests and mountain valleys. Fossorial. Throughout mainland.

Least Weasel
Mustela nivalis
(Linnaeus, 1758)
Subalpine areas. Far northeastern and northwestern North Korea.

Siberian Weasel
Mustela sibirica
(Pallas, 1773)
Forests and riparian areas. Throughout, including Jeju.

Family Ursidae: Bears
Asiatic Black Bear
Ursus thibetanus
(G. Cuvier, 1823)
Thick forests. Jirisan and Seoraksan in South Korea; Kumgangsan and Paektusan in North Korea.

Brown Bear
Ursus arctos
(Linnaeus, 1758)
Thick forests. Central and northern Korea.

Superfamily Pinnipedia: Pinnipeds
Common name

Species (Authority) Preferred habitat Range Status
Family Otariidae: Eared Seals
Northern Fur Seal
Callorhinus ursinus
(Linnaeus, 1758)
Coasts and seas. Most common in the Sea of Japan.

Steller's Sea Lion
Eumetopias jubatus
(Schreber, 1776)
Coasts and seas. Northern Yellow Sea and Sea of Japan

Japanese Sea Lion
Zalophus japonicus
(Peters, 1866)
Rocky coasts. Last seen on Liancourt Rocks in 1951.

Family Phocidae: Earless Seals
Common Seal
Phoca vitulina
(Linnaeus, 1758)
Coasts and seas. Northern Sea of Japan.

Spotted Seal
Phoca largha
(Pallas, 1811)
Coasts and seas. Throughout Yellow Sea, Sea of Japan, and Korea Strait; large colony on Baengnyeongdo.

Order Cetacea: Whales

Common name (Korean name) Species (Authority) Preferred habitat Range Status
Suborder Mysticeti: Baleen whales
Family Balaenopteridae: Rorquals
Minke Whale
Balaenoptera acutorostrata
(Lacépède, 1804)
Widespread. Yellow Sea, East China Sea, Sea of Japan.

Blue Whale
Balaenoptera musculus
(Linnaeus, 1758)
Deep ocean waters.

Fin Whale
Balaenoptera physalus
(Linnaeus, 1758)
Coastal waters. Sea of Japan and Yellow Sea.

Family Eschrichtiidae: Gray Whales
Gray Whale
Eschrichtius robustus
(Lilljeborg, 1861)
Migratory through coastal waters. Sea of Japan, Korea Strait.

Suborder Odontoceti: Toothed Whales
Family Delphinidae: Oceanic dolphins
Short-Beaked Common Dolphin
Delphinus delphis
(Linnaeus, 1758)
Warmer coastal waters. Throughout.

Pacific White-Sided Dolphin
Lagenorhynchus obliquidens
(Gill, 1865)
Warmer coastal waters. Sea of Japan

Orca
Orcinus orca
(Linnaeus, 1758)
Coastal waters. Throughout.

Family Phocoenidae: Porpoises
Dall's Porpoise
Phocoenoides dalli
(True, 1885)
Colder ocean waters. North of the 35th parallel in the Sea of Japan.

Harbor Porpoise
Phocoena phocoena
(Linnaeus, 1758)
Colder ocean waters. Sea of Japan.

Finless Porpoise
Neophocaena phocaenoides
(Cuvier, 1829)
Coastal waters. Yellow Sea, Korea Strait, southern Sea of Japan.

Family Physeteridae: Sperm whales
Sperm Whale
Physeter macrocephalus
(Linnaeus, 1758)
Deep oceans. East China Sea

Family Ziphiidae: Beaked whales
Baird's Beaked Whale
Berardius bairdii
(Stejneger, 1883)
Open seas. Sea of Japan.

Order Erinaceomorpha: Hedgehogs

Common name (Korean name) Species (Authority) Preferred habitat Range Status
Family Erinaceidae: Hedgehogs
Amur Hedgehog
Erinaceus amurensis
(Schrenk, 1859)
Deciduous and mixed forests. Throughout mainland.

Order Soricomorpha: Shrews and moles

Common name (Korean name) Species (Authority) Preferred habitat Range Status
Family Talpidae: Moles
Japanese Mole
Mogera wogura
(Temminck, 1833)
High moist forest. Throughout mainland; not found on Jeju or Ulleungdo

Family Soricidae: Shrews
Dsinezumi Shrew
Crocidura dsinezumi
(Temminck, 1842)
Damp forests and grasslands. Found only on Jeju.

Ussuri Shrew
Crocidura lasiura
(Dobson, 1890)
Widespread. Throughout mainland.

Lesser Shrew
Crocidura suaveolens
(Pallas, 1811)
Moist deciduous forests. Throughout, including Ulleungdo.

Eurasian Water Shrew
Neomys fodiens
(Pennant, 1771)
Riparian areas and mountain lakes. Northern North Korea.

Laxmann's Shrew
Sorex caecutiens
(Laxmann, 1788)
Rugged mountains. Northern and northeastern North Korea.

Large-Toothed Siberian Shrew
Sorex daphaenodon
(Thomas, 1907)
Boreal forests and alpine meadows. Paektusan region.

Slender Shrew
Sorex gracillimus
(Thomas, 1907)
Coniferous forests and alpine regions. Northeastern North Korea.

Even-Toothed Shrew
Sorex isodon
(Turov, 1924)
Mountain forests. Baekdudaegan mountains.

Eurasian Least Shrew
Sorex minutissimus
(Zimmermann, 1780)
Rugged mountains bove 1500 meters. Central and northern Korea.

Ussuri Shrew
Sorex mirabilis
(Ognev, 1937)
Moist ground above 1500 meters. Central and northern Korea.

Long-Clawed Shrew
Sorex unguiculatus
(Dobson, 1890)
High moist areas. Northeastern North Korea.

Order Chiroptera:Bats

Common name (Korean name) Species (Authority) Preferred habitat Range Status
Family Rhinolophidae: Horseshoe bats
Greater Horseshoe Bat
Rhinolophus ferrumequinum
(Schreber, 1774)
Roosts in caves and abandoned mines. Scattered throughout, including Jeju.

Family Vespertilionidae: Vesper bats
Kobayashi's Bat
Eptesicus koyabashii
(Mori, 1928)
West central Korea.

Northern Bat
Eptesicus nilssonii
(Keyserling et Blasius, 1839)
Found in Gyeonggi, northwestern South Korea, and North Hamgyong, northeastern North Korea.

Serotine Bat
Eptesicus serotinus
(Schreber, 1774)
Roosts in roofs and walls. Most common in northwestern Korea.

Savi's Pipistrelle
Hypsugo savii
(Bonaparte, 1837)
Roosts in caves. Throughout.

Schreiber's Bat
Miniopterus schreibersi
(Kuhl, 1817)
Grasslands and forests in summer; caves in winter. Scattered throughout.

Little Tube-Nosed Bat
Murina aurata
(Milne-Edwards, 1872)
Unknown.

Greater Tube-Nosed Bat
Murina leucogaster
(Milne-Edwards, 1872)
Unknown.

Far Eastern Myotis
Myotis bombinus
(Thomas, 1906)
Hibernates in caves. Throughout, including Jeju.

Daubenton's Bat
Myotis daubentonii
(Kuhl, 1817)
Near water. Throughout, including Jeju.

Hodgson's Bat
Myotis formosus
(Hodgson, 1835)
Scattered throughout; not found on Jeju.

Fraternal Myotis
Myotis frater
(G.M. Allen, 1923)
Forests. Northern Korea.

Ikonnikov's Bat
Myotis ikonnikovi
(Ognev, 1912)
Scattered throughout, including Jeju.

Big-Footed Myotis
Myotis macrodactylus
(Temminck, 1840)
Local throughout, including Jeju.

Whiskered Bat
Myotis mystacinus
(Kuhl, 1817)
Forests. Scattered throughout, including Jeju and Ulleungdo.

Birdlike Noctule
Nyctalus aviator
(Thomas, 1911)
Scattered throughout.

Java Pipistrelle
Pipistrellus javanicus
(Gray, 1838)
Scattered throughout.

Brown Long-Eared Bat
Plecotus auritus
(Linnaeus, 1758)
High mountains. The Taebaek Mountains and the Paektusan area in northern North Korea.

Parti-colored Bat
Vespertilio murinus
(Linnaeus, 1758)
High forests and grasslands in the summer. North Hamgyong, North Korea.

Asian Parti-colored Bat
Vespertilio superans
(Thomas, 1899)
West central Korea.

Order Lagomorpha: Lagomorphs

Common name (Korean name) Species (Authority) Preferred habitat Range Status
Family Leporidae: Leporids
Korean Hare
Lepus coreanus
(Thomas, 1892)
Widespread at low altitudes. Throughout mainland.

Manchurian Hare
Lepus mandschuricus
(Radde, 1861)
High rocky forests. Northern Korea.

Family Ochotonidae: Pikas
Northern Pika
Ochotona hyperborea
(Pallas, 1811)
Alpine meadows, 1000-2500 m. Northern Korea.

Order Rodentia: Rodents

See also

Notes

References and further reading

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Common name (Korean name) Species (Authority) Preferred habitat Range Status
Family Muridae: Murids
Striped Field Mouse
Apodemus agrarius
(Pallas, 1771)
Widespread. Throughout, including Jeju.

Jeju Striped Field Mouse
Apodemus chejuensis
(Jones et Johnson, 1965)
Widespread. Found only on Jeju.

Korean Field Mouse
Apodemus peninsulae
(Thomas, 1907)
Forest verges and brushland. Throughout mainland.

Harvest Mouse
Micromys minutus
(Pallas, 1771)
Low grasslands and fields. Throughout; not found on Ulleungdo.

House Mouse
Mus musculus
(Linnaeus, 1758)
Human dwellings. Throughout.

Norway Rat
Rattus norvegicus
(Berkenhout, 1769)
Urban and cultivated areas. Throughout.

Black Rat
Rattus rattus
(Linnaeus, 1758)
Urban areas. Central and southern Korea.

Family Cricetidae: Cricetids
Northern Red-Backed Vole
Myodes rutilus
(Pallas, 1779)
High, dense mixed forest. Far northeastern Korea.

Grey Red-Backed Vole
Myodes rufocanus
(Sundevall, 1846)
Boreal forest. Northern Korea.

Chinese Striped Hamster
Cricetulus barabensis
(Pallas, 1773)
Fields. Sinuiju and Cholsan, North Korea.

Royal Vole
Eothenomys regulus
(Thomas, 1907)
Widespread; avoids deep forests. Southern, central and northwestern Korea.

Mandarin Vole
Lasiopodomys mandarinus
(Milne-Edwards, 1871)
Grassy wetlands. Southwestern Korea.

Reed Vole
Microtus fortis
(Buchner, 1889)
High fields and forest verges. Western and northern Korea.

Muskrat
Ondatra zibethicus
(Linnaeus, 1766)
Marshes and lakes. Tumen River basin, North Korea.

Greater Long-Tailed Hamster
Tscherskia triton
(de Winton, 1899)
Widespread. Throughout, including Jeju.

Family Myocastoridae: the Coypu
Coypu or Nutria
Myocastor coypus
(Molina, 1782)
Wetlands. South Korea's Yeongnam region. (Introduced for farming in 1990s)

Family Sciuridae: Squirrels
Siberian Flying Squirrel
Pteromys volans
(Linnaeus, 1758)
Boreal forest. Far northeast and Taebaek Mountains.

Red Squirrel
Sciurus vulgaris
(Linnaeus, 1758)
Forests. Throughout mainland.

Siberian Chipmunk
Tamias sibiricus
(Laxmann, 1769)
Forests. Inland throughout.

Family Dipodidae: Jumping mice
Long-Tailed Birch Mouse
Sicista caudata
(Thomas, 1907)
Riparian zones and wetlands. Northeastern Korea.