Annotated checklist and conservation status of mammals of Fars Province, southern Iran

Abstract

Our purpose in this study was to gather all previously published data and our own data of extensive field expeditions and camera trapping to present a general view of the Fars mammals. The mammals of Fars Province, southern Iran, comprise of 72 species in 53 genera, 28 families and seven orders. The most diverse order is Chiroptera with 23 species or 31.9% of the mammalian fauna, followed by Carnivora and Rodentia (each with 18 species, 25%). The most diverse family is Vespertilionidae with nine species or 12.5% of the mammalian fauna, followed by Rhinopomatidae and Muridae, each with eight species or 11.1% of the mammalian fauna, Felidae and Canidae (each with five species, 6.9%), respectively. Sixteen families have only one species each. The Fars Province is the type locality of Triaenops persicus Dobson, 1871, Eptesicus serotinus shiraziensis (Dobson, 1871), Microtus irani Thomas, 1921, and Apodemus witherbyi (Thomas, 1902). Five species are listed in the Appendix I, eight species in the Appendix II, and eight species in the Appendix III of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES). In addition, three species are considered as endangered and nine species as protected species based on the rules and regulations/laws of the Iranian Department of the Environment (DOE). The Asiatic Lion Panthera leo persica Meyer, 1826 is extirpated in Iran. Among the reported species, 60 species (83.3%) are considered as Least Concern (LC), two species as Not Evaluated (2.7%), one species as Data Deficient (1.4%), six species (8.3%) as Vulnerable (VU), and three species (4.2%) as Near Threatened (NT) in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. The current checklist shows that the mammalian fauna of Fars Province is rich and taxonomically diverse, and the provided information will be necessary for the development of competent and pragmatic management plans and effective conservation policies.