List of mammals of Mexico

[n 1] Mexico's high mammal biodiversity is in part a reflection of the wide array of biomes present over its latitudinal, climatic and altitudinal ranges, from lowland tropical rainforest to temperate desert to montane forest to alpine tundra.

Extensive mixing of Nearctic and Neotropical mammal species commenced only three million years ago, when the formation of the Isthmus of Panama ended South America's long period of isolation and precipitated the Great American Interchange.

Twenty of Mexico's extant nonflying species (opossums, armadillos, anteaters, monkeys and caviomorph rodents) are of South American origin.

Increasing alteration and destruction of natural habitats by expanding human populations during the last several centuries is causing further attrition of the region's biodiversity, as exemplified by the "hotspot" designations (by definition, such areas have lost over 70% of their primary vegetation).

They are small to medium-sized marsupials, about the size of a large house cat, with a long snout and prehensile tail.

Numerous ground sloths, some of which reached the size of elephants, were once present in both North and South America, as well as on the Antilles, but all went extinct following the arrival of humans.

Mexican and Central American monkeys are recent immigrants from South America, where their ancestors arrived after rafting over from Africa roughly 25 million years ago.

[6] Southeastern Mexico is the northernmost limit of the distribution of New World monkeys, which are restricted to tropical rainforest habitat.

[n 3] Mexico's caviomorphs are recent immigrants from South America, where their ancestors washed ashore after rafting across the Atlantic from Africa about 40–45 million years ago.

Shrews and solenodons closely resemble mice, hedgehogs carry spines, while moles are stout-bodied burrowers.

Tapirids were more widespread before humans appeared, formerly being present in temperate North America as well as the tropical regions they are found in today.

Native equids once lived in the region, having evolved in North America over a period of 50 million years, but died out around the time of the first arrival of humans, along with at least one ungulate of South American origin, the notoungulate Mixotoxodon.

Prior to the arrival of humans, camelids, which evolved in North America, also lived in the region, as did additional antilocaprids (e.g., Capromeryx minor).

They are the mammals most fully adapted to aquatic life with a spindle-shaped nearly hairless body, protected by a thick layer of blubber, and forelimbs and tail modified to provide propulsion underwater.

Lagoons on the coast of Baja California Sur provide calving grounds for the eastern Pacific population of gray whales.