This is a list of the mammal species recorded in South Africa. There are 299 mammal species in South Africa, of which 2 are critically endangered, 11 are endangered, 15 are vulnerable, and 13 are near-threatened. Two of the species listed for South Africa are considered to be extinct.
The following tags are used to highlight each species' conservation status as assessed by the IUCN:
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 | Not 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 programs and may have moved into a higher risk category if that program was discontinued. |
LR/nt | Lower Risk/not threatened | Species which are close to being classified as Vulnerable but are not the subject of conservation programs. |
LR/lc | Lower Risk/least concern | Species for which there are no identifiable risks. |
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