Among the 125 species of mammals inhabiting the land and marine waters of South Korea (in- cluding 7 orders and 84 species of land mammals and 2 orders and 41 species of marine mammals), 20 species are designated as endangered (11 un- der Class I and 9 under Class II) by the Ministry of Environment. Class I species, including the Asiatic black bear (Ursus thibetanus ussuricus), Hodgson’s bat (Myotis formosus chofukusei), Siberian musk deer (Moschus moschiferus parvi- pes), Korean goral (Naemorhedus caudatus), and European otter (Lutra lutra), and Class II species,

including the yellow-throated marten (Martes avigula), least weasel (Mustela nivalis), leopard cat (Prionailurus bengalensis), Ussuri tube-nosed bat (Murina ussuriensis), brown long-eared bat (Plecotus auritus), and Siberian flying squirrel (Pteromys volans aluco), are evenly distributed from the high elevations to the lowlands and near- by shorelines of South Korea.

The Asiatic black bear mostly inhabits the Ji- risan area; the Siberian musk deer inhabits the regions of Gangwon-do; and the yellow-throated marten, leopard cat, Siberian ying squirrel, least

weasel, and European otter are evenly distributed nationwide. The Hodgson’s bat mostly inhab- its the regions of Chungcheong-do, Jeolla-do and Gyeongsangbuk-do; the brown long-eared bat inhabits the Gangwon-do region and north woodlands; and the Ussuri tube-nosed bat mostly inhabits the regions of Gangwon-do, Chungc- heong-do, Gyeonggi-do, and Gyeongsangbuk-do.

Of 41 species of marine mammal inhabiting the South Korean waters, 15 species, including the humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) and California sea lion (Zalophus californianus), have