Phylum: Chordata   Class: Mammalia    

Mammals are a relatively small class of animals with only around 5,400 species compared to over 1,000,000 species of insects. Mammals are found in deep oceans, open plains, jungles and mountain tops. From the tall, bipedal hairless apes (humans) to the tiny bats and giant whales, mammals have a huge diversity of lifestyles and forms making this a very interesting group. 

For more information on mammals in general click here 

Trinidad & Tobago Mammals

There are around 100 species of mammals from 22 different families found in and around Trinidad and Tobago. These include the aquatic animals such as dolphins and manatees, the arboreal monkeys and porcupines, predators like the ocelot, and the ground living armadillo, peccary and deer. The biggest families are the bats and rodents. 

For details about the mammals found in Trinidad & Tobago click here. 

For profiles of selected mammal species click here. 

UWIZM Collections

The mammal collection currently contains over 550 specimens from 47 different families. There are several types of objects including mounted specimens (dried skin on a model of the body), skeletal specimens (both individual bones and complete articulated skeletons), study skins and specimens in spirit (adults, foetus and organs). There are also a few specimens which have been dissected to show the internal organs. 

Families in the collections include: 

Atelidae, Balaenopteridae, Bovidae, Callithricidae, Camelidae, Canidae, Capromyidae, Castoridae, Cebidae, Cercopithecidae, Cervidae, Cuniculidae, Cyclopedidae, Dasypodidae, Dasyproctidae, Delphinidae, Didelphidae, Echimyidae, Elephantidae, Emballonuridae, Equidae, Erethizontidae, Felidae, Furipteridae, Herpestidae, Heteromyidae, Hominidae, Hylobatidae, Leporidae, Lorisidae, Macropodidae, Molossidae, Mormoopidae, Muridae, Mustelidae, Natalidae, Noctilionidae, Ornithorhynchidae, Phyllostomidae, Physeteridae, Procyonidae, Sciuridae, Suidae, Talpidae, Tayassuidae, Tupaiidae, Vespertilionidae

Highlights

Over 240 bat specimens representing around 80% of the species found in Trinidad & Tobago

 

Several cetacean specimens including this sperm whale jaw bone

 

A variety of mammal skins including this arboreal rice rat collected in 1894

 

Many mammal skulls including this Collared Peccary

Back to The Collections

Last updated 22 June 2018

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