11 MEXICAN SPECIES OF AQUATIC AND TERRESTRIAL MAMMALS - BIOLOGY - 2025

Some of the most representative Mexican species of aquatic and terrestrial mammals are the Caribbean manatee, the boreal raccoon, the vaquita marina, the water cat or the red fox.

The Mexican territory is located between two large biogeographic regions: the nearctic region, with temperate ecosystems such as grasslands and coniferous forests; and the neotropical region, which includes high and low jungles and aquatic vegetation.

This results in a great diversity of animal species, aquatic and terrestrial, that have found their habitat in these territories.

In as much this, the mammals have a much greater importance. Mexico has the largest ecological and taxonomic biodiversity of mammals in the world, only after Indonesia.

It is estimated that there are currently about 500 species of mammals inhabiting the territory of Mexico. Due to its wide territorial extension, the variety of Mexican mammals has been divided into three groups (North, Central and South America), marked by the general geographical conditions of the regions where they are found.

You may also be interested in this list of endemic animals of Mexico.

Endemic mammalian species of Mexico

Caribbean manatee (

This species lives mainly in the Gulf of Mexico. It is a medium-sized manatee that can be up to three meters long and weigh up to 600 kilograms.

Due to its habitat without native predators, despite its agility and swimming speed, it does not have defense mechanisms to deal with them.

This manatee feeds mainly on algae and marine plants, and, due to its sensitivity to cold, its life span is conditioned by the seasons in which the water temperature drops.

Boreal Raccoon (Procyon lotor)

It is a fairly common species in North America, and it is also present in northern Mexico, as well as in some regions of Central America.

The raccoon is a mammal classified as a carnivore, although plants are also part of its diet. They can weigh up to 15 kilograms and tend to inhabit forested regions with various water bodies.

Water cat (

Also known as a water opossum, it is considered the only aquatic marsupial. They usually live in streams and lakes and feed on crustaceans and other marine animals. It can measure up to 35 centimeters and its tail even more than 40 centimeters.

It has the unique quality of being able to protect its young during gestation, by means of a pouch that is sealed when under water, keeping them dry.

Red fox (

It is a terrestrial marsupial that lives in the south of Mexico. It can live in mountainous systems of more than 2000 msnm, as well as in lower lands, such as plains.

They usually have an active night life and are an omnivorous species, feeding on plants, fruits and small animals.

With a maximum weight estimated at half a kilogram, they are considered the largest of their kind, with a tail that can measure little more than half the total length of the animal.

Sea otter (

It is a carnivorous mammal, unique in its kind, and with aquatic characteristics. It mainly inhabits the waters of the Pacific Ocean, being sighted within Mexico in the Baja California region.

It is under the category "Endangered" according to the conservation classification of the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

The sea otter is one of the smallest marine mammals in the world. Unlike other species, it does not have a smooth skin adapted to aquatic conditions, but rather a rather thick coat.

Males can weigh up to 45 kilograms and females just over 30 kilograms. They are mainly diurnal animals.

Armadillo (

It is a native species of the southern region of Mexico and part of Central America. They usually live in dry forests and take refuge in moats that they make themselves.

They are nocturnal and feed on insects and small animals. It does not usually have an aggressive character, and when feeling threatened, it wraps itself around with its shell.

California sea lion (

This marine species lives in the Pacific Ocean, near the coasts from Canada to Baja California, in Mexico.

It is a large animal that can weigh about 400 kilograms and reach almost three meters high. They usually feed on fish and marine animals.

Despite being considered sociable animals, males are often considered quite territorial. A single male sea lion can have up to 15 females.

Ocelot (

It is a kind of medium-sized feline mammal, quite common in the American continent. It is quite versatile in terms of its habitat, being able to live in forests, swamps, meadows, humid forests and semi-desert environments.

The ocelot is considered a nocturnal animal whose eating habits consist of hunting smaller animals. It is considered that it sleeps most of the day in high branches.

Vaquita marina (

It is a small cetacean considered endemic to Mexican waters. It is one of the smallest cetaceans in the world, with a maximum length of 150 centimeters.

Today the vaquita marina is one of the Mexican species in critical danger of extinction, there are currently only 30 specimens, conserved in the reserve of the Gulf of California.

Spider monkey (

A species of primate that inhabits the southern region of Mexico and part of Central America. It is in danger of extinction.

This small monkey feeds mainly on fruits and has a tail capable of supporting its full weight, which facilitates its mobility and subsistence. Up to 40 monkeys are usually grouped in the same environment.

Black bear

The distribution of this species extends from Canada to the Gulf of Mexico. It is smaller than other species of American bears, which gives them greater agility.

Despite their carnivorous condition, plants and vegetables make up more than half of their staple diet.

Mexican tamandua (

Commonly known as the four-toed anteater, it is one of the two existing species of tamandua. Its distribution extends from southern Mexico to Central and South American lands.

Like all anteaters, it feeds mainly on insects; It is not an aggressive species and it tends to flee from any encounter or attempt to contact it. It does not measure more than 60 centimeters and its weight does not exceed 10 kilograms.

References

1. Burt, WH (1998). A Field Guide to the Mammals: North America North of Mexico. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.
2. Ceballos, G., & Navarro, D. (2002). Diversity and Conservation of Mexican Mammals. Mexico, DF: CONABIO-UNAM.
3. Ceballos, G., Arroyo-Cabrales, J., & Medellín, RA (sf). Mammals of Mexico. In Neotropical Mammals (pp. 377-413). Mexico DF
4. Jr., JK, Carter, DC, Genoways, HH, Hoffmann, RS, & Rice, DW (1986). Revised Checklist of North American Mammals North of Mexico, 1986. Lincoln: University of Nebraska.
5. Leopold, AS (1959). Wildlife of Mexico: The Game Birds and Mammals. University of California Press.
6. Reid, F. (1997). A Field Guide to the Mammals of Central America and Southeast Mexico. New York: Oxford University Press.