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 | Status1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Family Bovidae: Bovids | ||||
| Chinese Goral | Naemorhedus caudatus2 (Hamilton Smith, 1827) |
High mountains. | Northern Taebaek Mountains, including the Demilitarized Zone.3 |
|
| 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.12 |
|
| 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 | Status1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Family Canidae: Canids | ||||
| eurasian Wolf | Canis lupus (Linnaeus, 1758) |
Forests and open woods. | Paektusan area. |
|
| Dhole | Cuon alpinus24 (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 bengalensis30 (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.32 |
|
| 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.42 |
|
| Siberian Weasel | Mustela sibirica43 (Pallas, 1773) |
Forests and riparian areas. | Throughout, including Jeju.42 |
|
| Family Ursidae: Bears | ||||
| Asiatic Black Bear | Ursus thibetanus44 (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
(Korean name) |
Species
(Authority) |
Preferred habitat | Range | Status150 |
| 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 japonicus54 (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. |
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Order Cetacea: Whales
| Common name
(Korean name) |
Species
(Authority) |
Preferred habitat | Range | Status1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 Japan64 |
|
| Orca | Orcinus orca (Linnaeus, 1758) |
Coastal waters. | Throughout. |
|
| Family Phocoenidae: Porpoises | ||||
| Dall's Porpoise | Phocoenoides dalli
|
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 | Status1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Family Erinaceidae: Hedgehogs | ||||
| Amur Hedgehog | Erinaceus amurensis (Schrenk, 1859) |
Deciduous and mixed forests.73 | Throughout mainland. |
|
Order Soricomorpha: Shrews and moles
| Common name
(Korean name) |
Species
(Authority) |
Preferred habitat | Range | Status1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Family Talpidae: Moles | ||||
| Japanese Mole | Mogera wogura74 (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.75 |
|
| Ussuri Shrew | Crocidura lasiura (Dobson, 1890) |
Widespread. | Throughout mainland. |
|
| Lesser Shrew | Crocidura suaveolens (Pallas, 1811) |
Moist deciduous forests. | Throughout, including Ulleungdo.76 |
|
| Eurasian Water Shrew | Neomys fodiens (Pennant, 1771) |
Riparian areas and mountain lakes.76 | Northern North Korea.77 |
|
| Laxmann's Shrew | Sorex caecutiens (Laxmann, 1788) |
Rugged mountains. | Northern and northeastern North Korea.78 |
|
| Large-Toothed Siberian Shrew | Sorex daphaenodon (Thomas, 1907) |
Boreal forests and alpine meadows. | Paektusan region.79 |
|
| Slender Shrew | Sorex gracillimus (Thomas, 1907) |
Coniferous forests and alpine regions. | Northeastern North Korea.80 |
|
| Even-Toothed Shrew | Sorex isodon (Turov, 1924) |
Mountain forests. | Baekdudaegan mountains.82 |
|
| Eurasian Least Shrew | Sorex minutissimus (Zimmermann, 1780) |
Rugged mountains bove 1500 meters.83 | Central and northern Korea.84 |
|
| Ussuri Shrew | Sorex mirabilis (Ognev, 1937) |
Moist ground above 1500 meters.83 | Central and northern Korea. |
|
| Long-Clawed Shrew | Sorex unguiculatus (Dobson, 1890) |
High moist areas. | Northeastern North Korea.85 |
|
Order Chiroptera:Bats
| Common name
(Korean name) |
Species
(Authority) |
Preferred habitat | Range | Status1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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.88 |
|
|
| 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 savii91 (Bonaparte, 1837) |
Roosts in caves.92 | 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.96 |
|
|
| Far Eastern Myotis | Myotis bombinus97 (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.99 |
|
|
| Fraternal Myotis | Myotis frater (G.M. Allen, 1923) |
Forests. | Northern Korea.100 |
|
| 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.103 |
|
| Birdlike Noctule | Nyctalus aviator (Thomas, 1911) |
Scattered throughout. |
|
|
| Java Pipistrelle | Pipistrellus javanicus105
|
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.106 |
|
|
Order Lagomorpha: Lagomorphs
| Common name
(Korean name) |
Species
(Authority) |
Preferred habitat | Range | Status1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Family Leporidae: Leporids | ||||
| Korean Hare | Lepus coreanus (Thomas, 1892) |
Widespread at low altitudes.107 | Throughout mainland.108 |
|
| 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
| Common name
(Korean name) |
Species
(Authority) |
Preferred habitat | Range | Status1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Family Muridae: Murids | ||||
| Striped Field Mouse | Apodemus agrarius (Pallas, 1771) |
Widespread. | Throughout, including Jeju.109 |
|
| Jeju Striped Field Mouse | Apodemus chejuensis111 (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 rufocanus117 (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 mandarinus122 (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.123 |
|
| Greater Long-Tailed Hamster | Tscherskia triton (de Winton, 1899) |
Widespread. | Throughout, including Jeju.120 |
|
| Family Myocastoridae: the Coypu | ||||
| Coypu or Nutria | Myocastor coypus
|
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.127 |
|
| 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.128 |
|
