An annotated checklist of mammals of Kenya

Kenya has a rich mammalian fauna. We reviewed recently published books and papers including the six volumes of Mammals of Africa to develop an up-to-date annotated checklist of all mammals recorded from Kenya. A total of 390 species have been identified in the country, including 106 species of rodents, 104 species of bats, 63 species of even-toed ungulates (including whales and dolphins), 36 species of insectivores and carnivores, 19 species of primates, five species of elephant shrews, four species of hyraxes and odd-toed ungulates, three species of afrosoricids, pangolins, and hares, and one species of aardvark, elephant, sirenian and hedgehog. The number of species in this checklist is expected to increase with additional surveys and as the taxonomic status of small mammals (e.g., bats, shrews and rodents) becomes better understood.


INTRODUCTION
Kenya lies astride the equator on the eastern coast of Africa. It is a medium-sized country, covering an area of about 582 646 km 2 . The geography of Kenya is highly diverse, with various landforms that include coastline, lake basins, plains, hills, high mountains, and deserts. Similarly, the Kenyan climate is diverse and varies with geographical location. For example, rainfall and temperature are influenced by changes in altitude and distance to the coast and Lake Victoria. The Kenyan coast (0-100 m a.s.l.) is warm and humid, receiving about 1 000 mm of rainfall per year; the central highlands (1 000-2 500 m a.s.l.) are cool and humid, receiving the highest rainfall (over 2 000 mm per year) in Kenya; the hot and dry regions of northern and eastern Kenya (200-700 m a.s.l.) receive the lowest rainfall (<300 mm per year) (Bennun & Njoroge, 1999). Frost regularly occurs above 2 400 m a.s.l., with the hottest area (mean maximum temperature of 34 • C) being Lake Turkana (Bennun & Njoroge, 1999). The variations in rainfall, temperature, topography and landuse together influence the biomes and ecoregions of Kenya. Due to the complex topography, vegetation types and variation in climate, Kenya harbors a large diversity of organisms, with about 25 000 species of fauna and 7 000 species of flora currently recorded, along with at least 2 000 species of fungi and bacteria (NBU, 1992).
Over 10% of the country's land area is presently gazetted as a national park, national reserve or forest reserve (Bennun & Njoroge, 1999). However, these protected areas were primarily established because they: (1) contain considerable populations of 'big game' (i.e., large mammals), which attract visitors; (2) are important water catchment areas; (3) support valuable timber for exploitation; or (4) contain few resident people at the time of establishment (Bennun & Njoroge, 1999). Thus, these protected areas were typically not established for the conservation of Kenya's many smaller mammalian species such as hedgehogs, bats, rodents, otter-shrews, shrews, hares and elephant-shrews. More than 80% of Kenya's land area is not under legal protection and is predominantly comprised of degraded vegetation, agriculture and settlement, resulting in ongoing loss of suitable natural habitats for mammals. However, a small but significant proportion of the unprotected zones are conserved as privately or community owned ranches and conservancies, which can support relatively undisturbed natural habitats, providing important refuges for some mammals.
For many of Kenya's protected areas, conservancies and ranches, only checklists of larger mammals are typically available. The remoteness, difficulty of access and security concerns in northern and some parts of eastern Kenya have made this region difficult to survey. For example, an apparently new giant sengi (Rhynchocyon sp.) was recorded in the Boni-Dodori Forest (Andanje et al., 2010) but the risk of attack and kidnappings by Somalia-based Al-Shabaab militants has prevented any further research on the species. The study of small mammals in Kenya, as elsewhere on the continent, is also hampered by a shortage of experienced taxonomists. Hence, compared with large mammals, there is a dearth of knowledge on the distribution and ecology of small mammals in Kenya.
Species checklists constitute alpha-diversity descriptors of the taxonomic richness of a given country (Whittaker, 1972), and are important tools for the effective conservation of threatened species at the national level (Amori et al., 2011). Past checklists of Kenyan mammals were published in the 1920s to early 1990s. These included checklists for Insectívora, Chiroptera, and Carnivora (Hollister, 1918), Chiroptera (Aggundey & Schlitter, 1984), Insectivora and Macroscelidea (Aggundey & Schlitter, 1986), Kingdon's volumes of East African Mammals (Kingdon, 1974a(Kingdon, , 1974b(Kingdon, , 1977(Kingdon, , 1982a(Kingdon, , 1982b(Kingdon, , 1984, Kingdon's Field Guide to African Mammals (Kingdon, 1997), Mammals of East Africa, including Kenya (Davies & Vanden Berghe, 1994), and Key to Bats of East Africa (Patterson & Webala, 2012). However, these checklists are now outdated and incomplete. In the past 24 years since the last checklist (Davies & Vanden Berghe, 1994), no attempt has been made to compile and publish a revised checklist of mammals in Kenya, even though a good deal of research has been conducted during the same period. Therefore, an updated complete checklist of mammal species is both warranted and of great conservation importance. This current checklist attempts to update the list of all mammals recorded in Kenya, and thus reflects recent advances in research of Kenyan mammals.

METHOD OF CHECKLIST PREPARATION
The current checklist was compiled by reviewing the six volumes of the Mammals of Africa (MOA): Vol. 1 (Introductory Chapters and Afrotheria: , Vol. 2 (Primates: , Vol. 3 (Rodents, Hares and Rabbits: Happold D, 2013a), Vol. 4 (Hedgehogs, Shrews and Bats: , Vol. 5 (Pigs, Hippopotamuses, Chevrotain, Giraffes, Deer and Bovids: Kingdon & Hoffman, 2013a), and Vol. 6 (Carnivores, Pangolins, Equids and Rhinoceroses: Kingdon & Hoffman, 2013b); Rodents of Sub-Saharan Africa: A Biogeographic and Taxonomic Synthesis (Monadjem et al., 2015), Keys to the Bats (Mammalia: Chiroptera) of East Africa (Patterson & Webala, 2012), and the IUCN website (IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, 2017) (only for Cetaceans). Prior changes in the taxonomy of each taxon are not included in this checklist because respective volumes of the MOA provide detailed information on the same. However, changes stemming from more recent literature are noted. Nomenclature follows the MOA, except where noted.
We recognized the families Miniopteridae (Miller-Butterworth et al., 2007) and Rhinonycteridae (Foley et al., 2015) for bats and Heterocephalidae for rodents (Patterson & Upham, 2014). The checklist, which covers both terrestrial and aquatic (freshwater and marine) species, is presented by order, family, genus, scientific name, species authority, preferred common English, Swahili (English Coastal Swahili Dictionary online (ECSDO), 2016; Kingdon, 1974aKingdon, , 1974bKingdon, , 1977Kingdon, , 1982aKingdon, , 1982bKingdon, , 1984Kingdon, , 1997, and Chinese names (mostly following Wang et al., 2001), distributional range in Africa and Kenya, and the broad habitat types where it occurs. Cetacean species (IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, 2017) were included in the list if their distribution range encompassed the shallow marine habitat over the continental shelf and deep sea of the Indian Ocean along Kenya's coastline. Introduced species without a wild breeding population, those not confirmed to occur in Kenya, and those locally extinct are not included in the list. mid-elevation and montane forests (0-2 400 m a.s.l) and forest-agriculture mosaics (Harcourt & Perkin, 2013a). Three subspecies recognized in Kenya: Otolemur g.

Galago gallarum
Recorded from S Ethiopia, NE Kenya and NE Somalia.

Heliosciurus rufobrachium
Swahili: Kindi. Chinese: 红 腿 太 阳 松 鼠. Widespread in West and Central Africa from Senegal to Kenya and Uganda; In DR Congo, only N of the Zaire River. Lowland moist rainforests, secondary and plantation forests with large trees (Emmons, 2013a  . In Kenya, recorded from W, E and C, including the Tana River and Nairobi. 40. Paraxerus palliatus (Peters, 1852). English: Red Bush Squirrel. Swahili: Kindi Vichaka. Chinese: 南 非 红 丛 松鼠. Recorded from coastal Somalia to extreme NE of South Africa, including parts of E-C Tanzania and along the Zambezi/Shire Rivers to Malawi. Coastal, dunes and riverine forests . In Kenya, recorded in coastal habitats.
41. Protoxerus stangeri (Waterhouse, 1842). English: Forest Giant Squirrel. Swahili: Kindi. Chinese: 非洲巨 松鼠. Widely distributed in West and Central Africa from Sierra Leone to Uganda and W Kenya, with outliers in S DR Congo and Angola. Rainforests and secondary forests in rainforest zones (Emmons, 2013b Sudan. Semi-deserts, savanna woodlands, clearings in rainforests, and cultivated fields (Waterman, 2013a). In Kenya, recorded in NW extending southwards in the Rift Valley. May be sympatric with X. rutilans in the Rift Valley (Kingdon, 1974b).
Recorded from the Horn of Africa from coastal Sudan, E Ethiopia and Somalia to NE Tanzania. Dry, semi-arid areas including agricultural fields in Kenya (Waterman, 2013b). In Kenya, widely distributed in dry habitats.

Family GLIRIDAE
Genus Graphiurus Smuts, 1832. Dormice The taxonomy of dormice in Africa is controversial and species are difficult to identify.

Lophuromys margarettae
Included within L. flavopunctatus by Dieterlen (2013g). Recorded in Kenya, Uganda and southern South Sudan. Highland forests and grasslands. In Kenya, recorded widely in the southern highlands, including Mt. Kenya (lower elevations) and Aberdare Ranges (Monadjem et al., 2015). Dollman, 1909. English: Zena's Brush-furred Rat. Swahili: Panya. Chinese: 泽娜刚毛鼠. Included within L. flavopunctatus by Dieterlen (2013g). In Kenya, it is sympatric with L. margarettae on Mt. Kenya and the Aberdare Ranges (Monadjem et al., 2015), but typically occurs at higher elevations than the latter species (Verheyen et al., 2007).  (Happold D, 2013f). The presence of this species in Kenya is only known by the type specimen from "Kirui, southern foothills of Mt. Elgon, Kenya" (Delany, 1975). Due to possible confusion regarding the exact locality mentioned in Dollman (1909), the presence of this species in Kenya requires confirmation. Thomas, 1897 (Happold D, 2013g). In Kenya, recorded from areas near the Lower Ewaso Ng'iro River in the SW (Musser & Carleton, 2005).

Lemniscomys striatus
English: Striated Grass Mouse. Swahili: Panya. Chinese: 斑 草 鼠. Recorded from Sierra Leone to eastern Africa and C Ethiopia, and in S DR Congo, N Zambia and N Angola. Grasslands, woodland savanna, farmlands and open grassy areas in rainforest (Happold D, 2013p Recorded in many well-separated locations on the continent and inland in some places. Human habitations and some human-modified environments (Happold D, 2013r). In Kenya, recorded from urban centers (e.g., Nairobi).
107. Mus sorella (Thomas, 1909). English: Thomas's Pygmy Mouse. Swahili: Panya. Chinese: Recorded in a few discrete areas of the E DR Congo, Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania. Savanna grasslands and woodlands close to gallery forests (Petter, 2013a). In Kenya, recorded only on Mt. Elgon.

Genus
English: Brockman's Meadow Mouse. Swahili: Panya. Chinese: 布 氏 软 毛 鼠. Recorded in E DR Congo, South Sudan, Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania, with isolated populations in W Sudan, Central African Republic, SW Ethiopia and NW Somalia. Rocky habitats and boulders in high altitude areas (Happold D, 2013s). In Kenya, widely distributed W of the Rift Valley. Thomas, 1904 (Dieterlen, 2013p). In Kenya, recorded in the W and C (Aberdare Ranges).

Genus Oenomys
Genus Otomys F. Curvier, 1824. Vlei Rats The number of species in this genus increased dramatically with recent molecular studies (see Monadjem et al., 2015). Taylor (2013a) recognized 15 species in Africa, which was increased to 31 species by Monadjem et al. (2015). Of these, eight species have been recorded in Kenya.  (Monadjem et al., 2015). Thomas, 1902 Occurs in papyrus swamp areas. In Kenya, restricted to papyrus swampy areas around Lake Victoria (Dieterlen, 2013r).

Otomys tropicalis
Genus Praomys Thomas, 1915. Soft-furred Mice The taxonomy of the genus Praomys is controversial and has been the subject of debate for many years. The definition of the genus and constituent species are still uncertain (Happold D, 2013t). For Africa as a whole, 16 species are recognized (Happold D, 2013t), with three species occurring in Kenya.
123. Praomys delectorum (Thomas, 1910 (Dieterlen, 2013s). In Kenya, recorded in a few localities in the W. Van der Straeten and Dieterlen, 1987 Widespread in coastlines and inland within large urban areas and cities, especially those close to railway lines (Happold D, 2013v). In Kenya, restricted to the S and W.
Recorded from W, C and SW Kenya and N Tanzania. Arboreal in Acacia trees, shrubby woodlands and brushy thickets in savanna habitats (Carleton, 2013 (Jarvis, 2013b).

Family HETEROCEPHALIDAE
The single genus and species in this family was previously placed in the family Bathyergidae (Jarvis, 2013c) but is now placed in the newly recognized family Heterocephalidae (Patterson & Upham, 2014 (Happold D, 2013zb). In Kenya, mainly in the W and S, where it is sympatric with T. gregorianus, but typically occurs in wetter habitats than the latter species.  (Happold D, 2013ze). In Kenya, recorded W of the Rift Valley, with an isolated population on Mt. Kenya (Flux & Flux, 1983 (Happold D, 2013zg).
English: Savanna Shrew. Chinese: 金色麝鼩. Recorded from Mali, N Nigeria, S and C Sudan, Ethiopia and N Kenya. In drier savanna and arid habitats. In Kenya, recorded in the N (around Lake Turkana) (Churchfield & Jenkins, 2013a). Thomas, 1904. English. Smoky White-toothed Shrew. Chinese: 烟色麝鼩. Endemic to Kenya and restricted to moist montane forest habitats of the E slopes Mt. Kenya and Aberdare Ranges (Churchfield & Jenkins, 2013b). Specimens from Mt. Kenya were studied genetically by Stanley et al. (2015).

Crocidura fumosa
151. Crocidura fuscomurina (Heuglin, 1865). English: Bicoloured Musk Shrew. Chinese: 纺锤麝鼩. Recorded from many countries in West, East, East-Central and southern Africa. In woodland savannas and semi-arid habitats. In Kenya, widely distributed (Dippenaar & Baxter, 2013). Thomas, 1904. English: Hildegarde's Shrew. Chinese: 尼日利亚麝鼩. Recorded from SE Cameroon and Congo to Kenya and Tanzania. In dry forests and wetter forests of montane and highland areas. In Kenya, recorded W of the Rift Valley from the NW-SE (Stanley, 2013b). Thomas, 1904 158. Crocidura monax Thomas, 1910. English: Kilimanjaro Shrew. Chinese: 僧麝鼩. Recorded from N Mt. Pare and Mt. Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, and also possibly present on the Kenyan side of Mt. Kilimanjaro . In moist montane forest habitats.

Crocidura jacksoni
159. Crocidura montis Thomas, 1906. English: Montane White-toothed Shrew. Chinese: 山林麝鼩. This species is possibly restricted to Mt. Rwenzori, DR Congo . Other populations in East Africa may represent different species, which require revision. In montane grasslands. In Kenya, recorded under this name from C and W regions (Hutterer, 2013d).

ORDER CHIROPTERA (Bats-104 species)
The Kenyan bat fauna includes members of all 11 families of bats known from Africa (Patterson & Webala, 2012). The Swahili name for bat is "Popo", and currently no other name exists for different species of bats found in Kenya. forests and surrounding mosaics of these forests and secondary grasslands, but also in palm forests, riverine forests and mangroves (Happold M, 2013d). In Kenya, recorded only in the W and near Kakamega Forest (Aggundey & Schlitter, 1984). 190. Stenonycteris lanosus (Thomas, 1906 (Cotterill & Happold M, 2013a). In Kenya, widely distributed in N-C regions (including Laikipia, Meru and Marsabit) and extending to the southern half of the coastal strip, mostly in Acacia-Commiphora deciduous bushland and thickets.
Currently considered to occur only in S Ethiopia and East Africa; in semi-arid and mesic woodland savannas and riverine forests Cotterill & Happold M, 2013b). Previous records from further S are now considered to represent other species . In Kenya, widely recorded W of the Rift Valley and extending to the SE (including Chyulu Hills). Martin, 1837Martin, (publ. 1838. English: Lander's Horseshoe Bat. Chinese: 兰 德 菊 头蝠. Widespread but disjunct records in sub-Saharan Africa from Senegal to Ethiopia and southwards to NE South Africa. Found in a very wide variety of habitats (Happold M, 2013i). A recent study showed that savanna populations in South and East Africa represent a distinct species of R. lobatus (Taylor et al., 2018), which is likely widely distributed in Kenya. Chinese: 松 氏 蹄 蝠. Widespread in many African countries.

Rhinolophus landeri
Found in woodland savannas (Bernard & Happold M, 2013b). In Kenya, H. caffer is widely distributed from W of the Rift Valley to the C and E along the coastal strip. However, taxonomic revision is required as H. caffer is considered to be a species complex (Kock et al., 2008;Vallo et al., 2008). Three subspecies were listed by Simmons (2005), including: H. c. angolensis Seabra, 1898; H. c. nanus J.A. Allen, 1917;and H. c. tephrus Cabrera, 1906. However, a study by Vallo et al. (2008) revealed two distinct clades, H. c. caffer and H. c. tephrus, respectively, inhabiting southern Africa and the Maghreb, West Africa and Arabian Peninsula. Whether East African populations belong to either of the two clades or to a distinct one requires investigation. (Heuglin, 1862).
Chinese: 串 耳 蹄 蝠. Recorded from Eritrea, Ethiopia, Djibouti and Kenya. Found in afro-montane vegetation and various wooded grasslands, bush lands and thickets, and semi-desert grasslands (Happold M, 2013k). In Kenya, recorded in W and C regions. (Noack, 1893). English: Noack's Leaf-nosed Bat. Chinese: 诺 氏 蹄 蝠. Vallo et al. (2008) recognized several species lineages within the caffer-ruber complex throughout Africa, a view supported by Monadjem et al. (2013b). Molecular data are, therefore, required to resolve the taxonomy of the group. In fact, according to Vallo et al. (2008), H. ruber is only found in East Africa. In Kenya, the species is only recorded from the W and SE (Happold M, 2013l Chinese: 麦 氏 鼠 尾 蝠. Recorded only from S Eritrea, NE Somalia and NW Kenya. Found in semi-desert vegetation, including grasslands, shrublands, Acacia-Commiphora deciduous bushland and thickets (Aulagnier, 2013). In Kenya, recorded in a narrow band from areas around Lake Turkana to Lake Baringo.
English: African Sheath-tailed Bat. Chinese: 非洲鞘尾蝠. Disjunct records from parts of West Africa, and in an area bounded by the Central African Republic, Red Sea coast in Sudan, W Tanzania and SE Kenya (but not everywhere), and also in mid-W Angola and W Mozambique. Found in coastal habitats, woodland savannas, drier bushlands and thicket-scrubs (Happold M, 2013r). In Kenya, moderately widespread from the western border and across C parts to the coastal strip.  Thomas, 1920. English: Hamilton's Tomb Bat. Chinese: 苏丹墓蝠. Highly disjunct records from S Chad, S Sudan, NE Somalia, Uganda, NW and C Kenya and NW Tanzania. Found in various woodlands, wooded grasslands, deciduous bushland and thickets, and semi-desert grassland and shrubland (Happold M, 2013s). In Kenya, recorded from NW (near Lake Turkana) and C regions (Lake Baringo). Thomas, 1909 217. Nycteris arge Thomas, 1903. English: Bates's Slit-faced Bat. Chinese: 淡 色 凹 脸 蝠. Widespread but disjunct records from Sierra Leone to South Sudan, SW Kenya and NW Tanzania, and southwards to N Angola and S DR Congo. Mostly found in lowland rainforests, coastal forests and forest-savanna mosaics, but also in montane and swamp forests, in or near relict and riverine forests in the Guinea Savanna, Acacia-Commiphora deciduous bushland and thickets, and miombo woodland (Fahr, 2013c (Thomas, 1913). English: Ansorge's Free-tailed Bat. Chinese: 安氏犬吻蝠. Highly disjunct records in sub-Saharan Africa from NE Ghana to Ethiopia, N Angola, and East Africa to E South Africa. Found mostly in woodland savannas and montane habitats (Cotterill, 2013b as Tadarida ansorgei). In Kenya, recorded only W of the Rift Valley.
In Kenya, recorded from the SW to SE (but not the coastal strip). (Heuglin, 1861).

Chaerephon bivittatus
English: Spotted Free-tailed Bat. Chinese: 斑 犬 吻 蝠. Disjunct records from eastern Africa from Eritrea to Zimbabwe (excluding the Horn of Africa). Mostly found in savanna woodlands and montane habitats (Cotterill, 2013c as Tadarida bivittata). In Kenya, recorded from the SW to C and in the SE.
Chinese: 垂 耳 犬 吻 蝠. The relationship between major and other species of Chaerephon listed here needs further investigation. Recorded very disjunctly in West Africa (from W Liberia to Nigeria, and perhaps Senegal), from the Nile Valley in Sudan and South Sudan, and from two separate areas in East Africa. Mostly found in woodland and grassland savannas, and riverine habitats along the River Nile and its tributaries (Happold M, 2013y as Tadarida major ). In Kenya, recorded disjunctly from the area around Lake Victoria and from the SE (coastal strip). (Cretzschmar, 1830(Cretzschmar, -1831 Chinese: 短 翼 犬 吻 蝠. Disjunct records from West Africa, NE DR Congo and Uganda, and from SE Kenya to NE Mozambique (including Zanzibar and Mozambique islands). Found in lowland rainforests, rainforest-ecotone, rainforest and secondary grassland mosaics and coastal forest mosaics (Happold M, 2013zb as Tadarida brachyptera). In Kenya, recorded only from the SE (coastal strip).

Mops condylurus (A. Smith, 1833). English: Angolan
Free-tailed Bat. Chinese: 安哥拉犬吻蝠. Widespread but disjunct records from much of sub-Saharan Africa. Mostly found in woodland savannas but also in rainforest and secondary grassland mosaics and coastal mosaics (Happold M, 2013zc as Tadarida condylura). In Kenya, recorded widely in the W and S and along the coastal strip.

Mops nanulus J.A. Allen, 1917.
English: Dwarf Free-tailed Bat. Chinese: 侏犬吻蝠. Disjunct records from several countries in West Africa, as well as Central and eastern Africa, including S Sudan, W Ethiopia, Uganda and Kenya. Mostly found in various habitats near the edges of lowland rainforests, but occasionally in woodland savannas and riverine forests (Happold M, 2013zd as Tadarida nanula). In Kenya, recorded only in the W. (Thomas, 1903).

Mops thersites
English: Railer Free-tailed Bat. Chinese: 无 畏 犬 吻 蝠. Somewhat disjunct records in small parts of West, Central and East Africa (excluding Tanzania). Found in lowland rainforests and secondary forests, invasive Guinea woodland savannas, and rainforest and secondary grassland mosaics (Happold M, 2013ze as Tadarida thersites). In Kenya, recorded only from the SW. Thomas, 1913 Otomops harrisoni was previously included in Otomops martiensseni. Disjunct records in Djibouti, Ethiopia and Kenya in a wide range of habitats (Ralph et al., 2015). In Kenya, found in a narrow central band from the NW to SE (Yalden & Happold M, 2013 as Otomops martiensseni).
Widely scattered localities from Guinea-Bissau to Kenya, Uganda and south to Angola and South Africa. In Kenya, known with certainty only from forests in Marsabit but may occur broadly in Kenya (Patterson et al., 2018). Thomas, 1906. Peters's Flat-headed Bat 238. Platymops setiger (Peters, 1878). English: Peters's Flat-headed Bat. Chinese: 彼德犬吻蝠. Recorded from S Sudan and SW Ethiopia in a narrow band to SE Kenya. Mostly found in Acacia-Commiphora deciduous bushland and thickets, and mosaics of East African evergreen bushland and secondary grassland (Happold M, 2013zf). In Kenya, recorded in a wide band from Turkana in the NW through the Nuu Hills, Kitui, Makindu and Kibwesi to the Taita Hills in the SE, mostly from dry stony areas and areas with rocky hills (Aggundey & Schlitter, 1984;Happold M, 2013zf). Chinese: 北 非 犬 吻 蝠. Recorded from widespread but very disjunct localities in Africa (including North-West and North-East Africa and the Sahara, C Nigeria and eastern Africa) but with most records from southern Africa. Mostly found in open woodland and bushland savannas (Bernard & Happold M, 2013d). Found in some very arid areas but probably only where drinking water, insects and suitable day-roosts are available. In Kenya, recorded in the SE. (Thomas, 1903).
Chinese: 岛 犬 吻 蝠. Recorded from several disjunct areas and localities from Kenya to Zimbabwe in woodland savannas (Cotterill, 2013d). In Kenya, recorded only from the mid-W and mid-SW. (Thomas, 1891 . Mostly found in dry woodland savannas but also in some montane habitats (Cotterill, 2013f). Most records are from Kenya. In Kenya, widely recorded except in the NE and E, in the Kenyan Highlands, semi-desert grassland and shrubland near Lake Turkana, and Acacia-Commiphora bushland (Cotterill, 2013f).

Family MINIOPTERIDAE
Previously considered to be a subfamily of Vespertilionidae (see also Simmons, 2005), but now recognized as a valid family (e.g., Hoofer & Van Den Bussche, 2003;Miller-Butterworth et al., 2007).  Thomas and Schwann, 1906 (Bernard & Happold M, 2013e). In Kenya, recorded from the SW and SE, mostly in Acacia-Commiphora deciduous bushland and thickets. Thomas, 1903. English: Greater Long-fingered Bat. Chinese: 大长翼蝠. Recorded from very isolated and small localities in sub-Saharan Africa, from Liberia to Kenya and south to N Nambia, Zimbabwe, Malawi and Mozambique. Found in dry savanna habitats, Acacia scrubs, montane forests and lowland rainforests (Happold M, 2013zh). In Kenya, recorded from a narrow area in the W-SW in wetter habitats than that of M. africanus.

Miniopterus minor Peters, 1867.
English: Least Long-fingered Bat. Chinese: 侏长翼蝠. Recorded from very isolated localities in the Congo (near Congo R.) and DR Congo, and also from the coastal strip near the Kenya-Tanzania border. Western records are from woodland savanna near caves, eastern records are from coastal savanna and forest mosaics (Happold M, 2013zi (Bernard & Happold M, 2013f). In Kenya, currently recorded in a band from the mid-W to SE, mostly in Acacia-Commiphora deciduous bushland and thickets. However, identification/affinities of specimens from wetter habitats (including afro-montane vegetation and forest-savanna mosaics) in the W and SE need confirmation (Bernard & Happold M, 2013f).  (Eger & Schlitter, 2001;Happold M, 2013zk;Heller et al., 1994 (Happold M, 2013zm). In Kenya, recorded in the W (Kakamega Forest) but also from Garissa (Aggundey & Schlitter, 1984). We followed Monadjem et al. (2013a) in treating Hypsugo as distinct.

Genus
254. Hypsugo crassulus (Thomas, 1904 (Cotterill, 2013h). In Kenya, recorded in C regions and parts of the E and S (Cotterill, 2013h). Thomas, 1880. English: Smith's Woolly Bat. Chinese: 史 密 斯 彩 蝠. Disjunct records in a narrow band from SE Nigeria, Cameroon, N and NE DR Congo and Uganda to Kenya. Found in lowland rainforests, swamp forests, mangroves, and montane and riverine forests (Fahr, 2013g). In Kenya, recorded from the E Aberdare Ranges and Bura (near Garissa) on the Tana River.
Genus Mimetillus Thomas, 1904. Moloney's Mimic Bat 259. Mimetillus moloneyi (Thomas, 1891). English: Moloney's Mimic Bat. Chinese: 非 洲 扁 颅 蝠. Disjunct records in sub-Saharan Africa from Sierra Leone to W Ethiopia and Kenya and S to Angola, Zambia and Mozambique. Found along the edges of rainforests and in forest-savanna mosaics, woodlands and coastal forests (Fahr, 2013h). In Kenya, recorded disjunctly from the W, E and S.  (Happold M, 2013zp). In Kenya, recorded very widely from the NW to S and E, mostly in Acacia-Commiphora deciduous bushland and thickets and semi-arid grassland. Roberts, 1926. Pipistrelle Bats Van Cakenberghe & Happold M (2013b provisionally treated Neoromicia and all other African pipistrelles as members of the genus Pipistrellus. Here we followed Goodman et al. (2012) and Monadjem et al. (2013a)  267. Neoromicia rendalli (Thomas, 1889). English: Rendall's Pipistrelle. Chinese: 任 氏 伏 翼. Disjunct records in sub-Saharan Africa from Senegal to S Somalia and southwards to South Africa, but not in all countries. Mostly found in woodland savannas and degraded lowland rainforest habitats on the rainforest zone border (Van Cakenberghe & Happold M, 2013c as Pipistrellus rendalli). In Kenya, recorded in some C to SE areas, mostly in Acacia-Commiphora deciduous bushland and thickets.

Genus Neoromicia
268. Neoromicia somalica (Thomas, 1901). English: Somali Pipistrelle. Chinese: 索 马 里 伏 翼. Recorded in sub-Saharan Africa from Gambia to Djibouti, N and S Somalia, Kenya and N Tanzania, with isolated records from Congo and DR Congo. Mostly found in savanna habitats, rainforest-savanna mosaics, bushlands, riverine forests and the East African coastal forest mosaics (Van Cakenberghe & Happold M, 2013d as Pipistrellus somalicus). Possibly also occurs southwards to Namibia, Botswana, Mozambique and South Africa but this needs confirmation because of confusion between N. somalica and N. zuluensis (Van Cakenberghe & Happold M, 2013d as Pipistrellus somalicus). In Kenya, recorded from the SW to SE and along the coastal strip, mostly in areas of dense thorn scrub (dominated by Combretum, Commiphora and Acacia) with scattered patches of grassland, but also in riverine woodland along the Athi River and in coastal forest mosaics. (Peters, 1872).

Neoromicia tenuipinnis
English: White-winged Pipistrelle. Chinese: 白翼伏翼. Disjunct records in sub-Saharan Africa from West Africa to eastern Africa and some parts of Central Africa. Mostly found in lowland rainforests and swamp and coastal forests, but also in mangroves, montane forests, forest-savanna mosaics and various woodland savannas (Fahr, 2013i as Pipistrellus tenuipinnis). In Kenya, recorded only from the SW.
270. Neoromicia zuluensis (Roberts, 1924). English: Zulu Pipistrelle. Chinese: 祖 鲁 伏 翼. Neoromicia zuluensis was formerly treated as a synonym of N. somalica (e.g., Koopman, 1984). However, karyotypic data confirmed zuluensis as distinct from somalica (Rautenbach et al., 1993), though some records in East Africa may reflect the former synonymy of these taxa. Additionally, while much of the literature indicates that isolated populations of N. zuluensis occur in dry savanna habitats of Acacia-Commiphora deciduous bushland and thickets in Ethiopia, S. Sudan, E Uganda, W and E Kenya and southern Africa (e.g., , doubt exists as to whether the species occurs N of southern Africa from where the type specimen comes. Therefore, a comprehensive revision of the two species in eastern Africa is required. Genus Pipistrellus Kaup, 1829. Pipistrelle Bats 271. Pipistrellus aero Heller, 1912. English: Mt. Gargues Pipistrelle. Chinese: 东 非 伏 翼. Recorded from three widely separated localities in Ethiopia (Lavrenchenko et al., 2004) and from Kenya (Van Cakenberghe & Happold M, 2013e). In Kenya, recorded in the N, C and S at Mt. Gargues, Lake Marsabit and Ngong (Aggundey & Schlitter, 1984); in montane forests, evergreen bushland and secondary Acacia-wooded grassland mosacis, and near afro-montane vegetation.  (Kearney, 2013c). In Kenya, recorded in C and from SW to SE regions along the Kenya-Tanzania border (Aggundey & Schlitter, 1984 as Pipistrellus kuhlii fuscatus) in diverse habitats.
274. Pipistrellus nanulus Thomas, 1904 Mostly found in woodland and grassland savannas but occasionally in desert habitats, montane forests and along some river systems in rainforest zones (Happold M, 2013zr). In Kenya, recorded only from the SW.
Chinese: 锈 色 伏 翼. Disjunct records from Senegal and Gambia to Ethiopia (but not in all countries) and from W Kenya, E Tanzania, S Zambia, Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe and NE South Africa. Found in montane and riverine forests, woodland and dry savannas, and coastal forest and scrub (Kearney, 2013d). In Kenya, only recorded from the mid-W on the border with Uganda. Thomas, 1901. Lesser House Bats In Africa, there are light-winged and dark-winged forms. The taxonomy of the four dark-winged forms recognized by Hill (1974) needs revision because sexual dimorphism was not considered when they were distinguished and, in some cases, subsequently placed in distinct species (Happold M, 2013zs). Aggundey & Schlitter (1984) referred to extensive records of Scotoecus hindei hindei and S. h. albigula from across Kenya. Monadjem et al. (2010) grouped S. albigula and S. hindei as they could not differentiate them. They suggested that the two species were probably conspecific, but this requires genetic/molecular confirmation. Until this taxonomic issue is resolved, we only recognized one dark-winged species.
English: Light-winged Lesser House Bat. Chinese: 淡 翼 宽 吻 蝠. Recorded from widespread localities from Gambia to Cameroon in West Africa, and from Uganda and Kenya to NE South Africa (but not in all countries within these ranges). Found in woodland savannas, grassland and thicket mosaics, and in various forests and woodlands (but not in rainforest zones) (Happold M, 2013zt). In Kenya, recorded only from the SE in the East African coastal mosaics.
English: Dark-winged Lesser House Bat. Chinese: 暗翼宽吻蝠. Recorded from many widespread but disjunct localities from Senegal to Sudan, Ethiopia and S Somalia and southwards (mostly on the E side of continent) to E Angola, Zambia and S Malawi. Mostly found in open woodlands in West Africa, in woodlands and deciduous thicket and bushland in the E, and in wetter and drier miombo woodland in the S (Happold M, 2013zu). In Kenya, widespread except in the N and E.

Genus Scotophilus Leach, 1821. Yellow house Bats
Many Kenyan records of yellow house bats have traditionally been referred to either Scotophilus dinganii or S. viridis. Both taxa were originally described from southern Africa. Trujillo et al. (2009) showed that these Kenyan bats clearly belonged to clades that differed from typical S. dinganii and S. viridis. Brooks & Bickham (2014) proposed four new species for clades defined by Trujillo et al. (2009) but failed to distinguish their new taxa from various older names, especially colias Thomas, 1904, which has a type locality of Fort Hall (Muranga) in Kenya. Brooks & Bickham, 2014. English: Andrew Rebori's House Bat. Chinese: 安氏黄蝠. Formerly listed as S. dinganii. As yet, only recorded from Kenya where it is widespread from the W of the country to coastal areas, in a wide range of savanna and woodland habitats (Brooks & Bickham, 2014 (Happold M, 2013zv). The apparently disjunct distribution might reflect inadequate collection of this hard-to-catch species. In Kenya, recorded only from the Shimba Hills in the SE in coastal forest mosaics. Thomas, 1904 Brooks & Bickham, 2014), but probably also occurs in NE Tanzania. Found in woodland and coastal forest habitats and human-modified habitats.

Genus Canis Linnaeus, 1758. Jackals and Wolves
The Golden Jackal is restricted to Asia and does not occur in Africa. Recent taxonomy on Golden Jackals Gaubert et al., 2012;Viranta et al., 2017) considers the entire African "golden jackal" group to be the African Wolf (Canis lupaster ). In addition, Gaubert et al. (2012) suggested that an African Golden Jackal (distinct from both the Asian Golden Jackal and C. lupaster ) may exist in Africa, but there is no clear evidence for this. Widespread in many African countries S of the Sahara. In freshwater aquatic habitats but also in marine habitats where fresh water is accessible (Somers & Nel, 2013 Recorded from a few countries in East and southern Africa. In Acacia and Brachystegia woodlands, montane and bamboo forests habitats. In Kenya, recorded in the E and SE . (Thomas, 1894 In a wide range of habitats, especially savanna and woodlands, usually close to water. In Kenya, widely distributed (Cant & Gilchrist, 2013).
In lowland tropical rainforests, montane forests and moorland (Plumptre, 2013). In Kenya, recorded from C (Mt. Kenya and Aberdare Ranges) and W regions (Mt. Elgon). Thomas, 1901 In semi-desert scrub and deciduous bushlands. In Kenya, recorded from the N (Malkamari National Reserve) (Yalden, 2013c). (Günther, 1880). English: Kirk's Dik-dik Species Group. Swahili: Digidigi/Suguya. Chinese: 柯 氏犬羚. This species is treated as a species/subspecies complex, which provisionally includes four species (M. kirkii, M. cavendishi, M. thomasi and M. damarensis), with proposed subspecies within each of the four species (Brotherton, 2013). Molecular evidence strongly suggests that these are effectively full species, but the details of taxononmy and biogeography of the species remain uncertain, which is why members of this complex are placed under a single profile. The provisional distribution range of two species found in Kenya include; Madoqua (k.) kirkii mainly in SE-N Kenya and some parts in Tanzania; and Madoqua (k.) cavendishi mainly in S-NW Kenya and parts of Tanzania. In arid areas of scrub or open woodland (Brotherton, 2013). Thomas, 1894. English: Gunther's Dik-dik. Swahili: Digidigi ya Pua Murefu. Chinese: 冈氏 犬羚. Recorded from NE Uganda, Kenya, N to S Somalia and Ethiopia. In the driest, hottest and thickest thorn brush habitats (Hoppe & Brotherton, 2013). In Kenya, recorded from the N (from Lake Turkana, Laikipia to Mandera).  (Brooke, 1872). English: Grant's Gazelle Species Group. Swahili: Swala Granti. Chinese: 格 氏 羚. In the past treated as a single species, now recognized as a species group consisting of three distinct species (Nanger (g.) granti, Nanger (g.) notata and Nanger (g.) petersii) based on the level of genetic differentiation (Siegismund et al., 2013), even though there is overwhelming evidence (Lorenzen et al., 2008) for raising the three groups to species level (Siegismund et al., 2013). The provisional distribution range of Nanger (g.) granti is mainly in E to N Kenya, and small ranges in Uganda, South Sudan, Ethiopia and Somalia; Nanger (g.) notata mainly in Tanzania and a small range in S Kenya; and Nanger (g.) petersii mainly in E Kenya and a small range in Somalia. Grant's Gazelles occur in open savannas and Acacia and savanna woodlands (Siegismund et al., 2013).

Genus
Genus Litocranius Kohl, 1886. Gerenuk 377. Litocranius walleri (Brooke, 1879). English: Gerenuk. Swahili: Swala Twiga/Njoga. Chinese: 长 颈 羚. Recordesd from S Djibouti, East to S Ethiopia, much of Somalia and Kenya, including NE Tanzania. In bushland, thickets, semi-arid and arid thorn-bush habitats (Leuthold, 2013b). In Kenya, recorded from the E and N, especially in protected areas and private ranches.  (Brashares & Arcese, 2013;Hillman et al., 1988).  (Springe, 2013). Kobus e. ellipsiprymnus from Senegal to Ethiopia and some parts of southern Africa; Kobus e. defassa from southern to East Africa, including Somalia. In bushland and woodland habitats close to water (Springe, 2013). In Kenya, widely distributed, except for the N and NE. Alcelaphus b. cokii (S Kenya and N Tanzania); Alcelaphus b. lelwel (SE Chad, Central African Republic, SE Ethiopia, N Kenya and NW Tanzania); and Alcelaphus b. cokii X A. b. lelwel (intergrade populations between these subspecies in Kenya) (Gosling & Capellini, 2013). In woodland-associated grasslands and savanna clearings. There are five subspecies recognized under this species of wildebeest restricted to East and southern Africa. In relatively dry areas with short grass. Two subspecies occur in Kenya (Kingdon, 1997): Connochaetes t. albojubatus (recorded from the Athi Plains in S Kenya to the edge of Tsavo West and across N Tanzania to the N shores of Lake Tanganyika) and Connochaetes t. mearnsi confined to the Serengeti-Mara ecosystem and adjacent grasslands both in Kenya and Tanzania (Estes, 2013a (Wacher & Kingdon, 2013).

DISCUSSION
Kenya has a rich diversity of mammalian species (390), representing about one third of the 1 116 mammal species recorded in Africa Happold D, 2013a;Kingdon & Hoffman, 2013a;Kingdon & Hoffman, 2013b;. Comprehensive mammal surveys, inside and outside protected areas, are likely to yield additional species in the future. In addition, the taxonomy of some bats, rodents and shrews is still in a state of flux, and additional systematic work is likely to uncover species new to science and well as valid species currently treated as synonyms, thus adding to the list. Indeed, small mammals and primates comprise taxonomic groups where large numbers of new species have been discovered in recent years (Reeder et al., 2007). In conclusion, this is the first attempt to compile a comprehensive list of the mammals of Kenya. It is likely that the number of species will be revised in the future with increasing surveys and taxonomic revisions, particularly among small mammals.

COMPETING INTERESTS
The authors declare that they have no competing interests.