Aquatic mammal Information & Aquatic mammal Links at HealthHaven.com

An American Beaver (Castor canadensis).

A baby Amazonian Manatee (Trichechus inunguis).

Amazon River Dolphin (Inia geoffrensis) at Duisburg Zoo.

Eurasian otter (Lutra lutra) in Southwold, Suffolk, England.

A North American River Otter (Lontra canadensis) at the Oregon Zoo.

Capybara (Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris)

A Platypus (Ornithorhynchus anatinus) at the Sydney Aquarium.

A paritally submerged hippopotamus (Hippopotamus amphibius) at the Memphis zoo

Aquatic and semi-aquatic mammals are a diverse group of mammals that dwell partly or entirely in bodies of water. They include the various marine mammals, who dwell in oceans, as well as various freshwater species, such as the Platypus, the European Otter. The classification all species of manatee save the West Indian manatee and the Amazon River Dolphin.

[edit] Groups

This list covers only mammals that live in freshwater. For a list of saltwater-living mammals, see Marine mammal.

Order Sirenia: Sirenians
- family Trichechidae: manatees (3 species, however, the West Indian manatee manatee lives in saltwater)
  - Amazonian Manatee (Trichechus inunguis)
  - African Manatee (Trichechus senegalensis)
  - Dwarf Manatee (Trichechus "pygmaeus") (validity questionable)
Order Cetacea: Cetaceans
- Superfamily Platanistoidea
  - Family Platanistidae
    - Ganges and Indus River Dolphin, Platanista gangetica with two subspecies
    - Ganges River Dolphin (or Susu), Platanista gangetica gangetica
    - Indus River Dolphin (or Bhulan), Platanista gangetica minor
  - Family Iniidae
    - Amazon River Dolphin (or Boto), Inia geoffrensis
- Family Lipotidae
  - Chinese River Dolphin (or Baiji), Lipotes vexillifer (functionally extinct, since December 2006)
- Family Pontoporiidae
  - La Plata Dolphin (or Franciscana), Pontoporia blainvillei
Order Carnivora
- family Mustelidae
  - Genus Lutra
    - Eurasian otter (Lutra lutra)
    - Hairy-nosed otter (Lutra sumatrana)
  - Genus Hydrictis
    - Spotted-necked otter (Hydrictis maculicollis)
  - Genus Lutrogale
    - Smooth-coated otter (Lutrogale perspicillata)
  - Genus Lontra
    - North American River Otter (Lontra canadensis)
    - Southern river otter (Lontra provocax)
    - Neotropical river otter (Lontra longicaudis)
  - Genus Pteronura
    - Giant otter (Pteronura brasiliensis)
  - Genus Aonyx
    - African clawless otter (Aonyx capensis)
    - Oriental small-clawed otter (Aonyx cinerea)
- family Phocidae
  - Genus Pusa
    - Baikal seal (Pusa sibirica)
    - Ladoga seal (Pusa hispida ladogensis)
    - Saimaa seal (Pusa hispida saimensis)
Order Rodentia: Rodents
- Suborder Hystricomorpha
  - Capybara (Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris)
- Family Castoridae: Beavers
  - American Beaver (Castor canadensis)
  - European beaver (Castor fiber)
- Family Cricetidae
  - Muskrat (Ondatra zibethicus)
Order Monotremata: Monotremes
- Platypus (Ornithorhynchus anatinus)
Order Artiodactyla: Even-toed ungulates
- Family Hippopotamidae: Hippopotamuses
  - Hippopotamus (Hippopotamus amphibius)
  - Pygmy hippopotamus (Choeropsis liberiensis)

[edit] See also