The Mammal Diversity Database
By the American Society of Mammalogists
Track the latest taxonomic changes to living and recently extinct (i.e., since ~1500 CE) species and higher taxa of mammals.
Current version: v2.5, released July 28, 2026.
Previous versions are available on Zenodo.
6,904Species
Total recognized living and recently extinct mammal species in MDD v2.5
Release Notes
This is an incremental release that documents 6,904 total species, of which 113 are recently extinct (same as previous version) and 6,791 are extant (17 domestic extant, 6,774 wild extant).
Our Goals
We are curating the taxonomic implications of new research publications in real time — with the goal of promoting rigorous study of mammal biodiversity worldwide. The initial objective has been to aggregate, curate, and compile, new citations on species descriptions and taxonomic revisions into regular releases that are downloadable in comma-delimited format. Downstream goals include expanded hosting of ecological, trait, and taxonomic data.
New in MDD v2
Codings of US state, country, continent, and biogeographic realm geographic categories for each species. See U.S. state species list.
A comprehensive nomenclatural dataset for 50,000+ synonymous species-rank names, curated with type locality and specimen information.
Integration between the MDD, the databases Hesperomys, Batnames, and the Mammal Images Library (MIL) for greater data accuracy and completeness.
A rewritten and redesigned of the MDD website with a new search feature and better scalability for supporting future features. The original version is available at classic.mammaldiversity.org.
Discover more ways to explore the database and view in-depth data statistics, including taxonomic tables and interactive geographic maps. Visit the explore page.
A new cross-platform app offering offline access to MDD, advanced search capabilities, custom exports, and more. Check out the "Install MDD App" section below.
Mammal Diversity Statistics
| Taxa | MSW3 2005 | MDD 2018 | Current |
|---|---|---|---|
| Species | |||
| Total | 5,416 | 6,495 | 6,904 |
| Recently Extinct | 75 | 96 | 113 |
| Living | 5,341 | 6,399 | 6,791 |
| Domestic | 0 | 16 | 17 |
| Living Wild | 5,338 | 6,382 | 6,774 |
| Higher Taxa & Synonyms | |||
| Genera | 1,230 | 1,314 | 1,363 |
| Families | 153 | 167 | 169 |
| Orders | 29 | 27 | 27 |
| Synonyms | - | - | 66,616 |
Install the MDD App
We build the app from the ground-up to compliment the existing MDD website. We match core features (e.g., species and synonym list), but also bring additional features where an app can provide a better experience.
The MDD App
Access the entire Mammal Diversity Database on the go, anywhere.
Advanced Search
Quickly search and filter thousands of mammal species, their associated names, and synonyms with our highly optimized local search engine.
Works Offline
The entire dataset comes fully bundled, including the MIL images. No internet required for your remote fieldwork.
Cross-Platform Native
Enjoy a native, ultra-fast experience on major operating systems. Built completely from the ground up and adapt to various screen sizes.
- iOS
- Android
- macOS
- Windows
- Linux
Custom Exports
Easily export search results to Comma-Separated Value (CSV) or JSON format. The output includes all MDD fields.
Cite MDD
The current database
(via Zenodo)
Mammal Diversity Database. (2026). Mammal Diversity Database (Version 2.5) [Data set]. Zenodo. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17033774
A specific entry
Each entry has a citation string at the end. For example:
Dipodomys deserti (ASM Mammal Diversity Database #1001892) fetched August 1, 2026. Mammal Diversity Database. 2026. https://www.mammaldiversity.org/taxon/1001892
Describing the MDD v2.0 taxonomy
Burgin, C. J., Zijlstra, J. S., Becker, M. A., Handika, H., Alston, J. M., Widness, J., Liphardt, S., Huckaby, D. G., and Upham, N. S. (2025). How many mammal species are there now? Updates and trends in taxonomic, nomenclatural, and geographic knowledge.Journal of Mammalogyin press: TBD. https://doi.org/10.1101/2025.02.27.640393
Describing the MDD v1.0 taxonomy
Burgin, C. J., Colella, J. P., Kahn, P. L., and Upham, N. S. (2018). How many species of mammals are there?Journal of Mammalogy99: 1—11. https://doi.org/10.1093/jmammal/gyx147