List of mammals of Christmas Island

This is a list of the mammal species recorded on Christmas Island. The island had five native and endemic land mammal species, of which three are now presumed to be extinct.[1] In addition, five wild mammals have been introduced to Christmas Island since settlement.

## Carnivora[edit]

Introduced cats and dogs are a threat to native wildlife on Christmas Island and can carry potentially dangerous pathogens, such as Leptospira.[2] In 2014, the Australian Government announced a $500,000 investment to help eradicate stray and feral cats on the island, with the aim of complete eradication by 2020.[3] As of 2016, all pet cats on Christmas Island have been registered and de-sexed and no further cats will be permitted onto the island.[4]

Name  | Species
authority  | Order  | Family  | Notes

|
|
|
|

Feral cat[5]
| Felis catus
Linnaeus, 1758 | Carnivora | Felidae | introduced
Feral dog[5]
| Canis lupus familiaris
Linnaeus, 1758 | Carnivora | Canidae | introduced

## Chiroptera[edit]

Christmas Island was once home to two native bat species, of which only one is extant. The Christmas Island pipistrelle was endemic to the island until 2009, when the last individual was recorded. In 2016, the species was assessed as extinct by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.[6] The remaining native bat species Pteropus natalis (Christmas Island flying fox) is classified as critically endangered.[7]

Name  | Species
authority  | Order  | Family  | Notes  | Red List

|
|
|
|
|

Christmas Island pipistrelle | Pipistrellus murrayi
Andrews, 1900 | Chiroptera | Vespertilionidae | endemic, extinct – last reported in 2009[8] |

[6]
Christmas Island flying fox
| Pteropus natalis
Thomas, 1887 | Chiroptera | Pteropodidae | endemic[9] |

[7][9]

## Eulipotyphla[edit]

The Christmas Island shrew, once abundant on the island, has been very rare since the early twentieth century.[10] Since 1909, only four confirmed individuals have been recorded: two in 1958, and two in 1985.[10]

Name  | Species
authority  | Order  | Family  | Notes  | Red List

|
|
|
|
|

Christmas Island shrew | Crocidura trichura
Dobson, 1889 | Eulipotyphla | Soricidae | endemic – possibly extinct – last observed in 1985[1] |

[10]

## Rodentia[edit]

At the time of human settlement, Christmas Island hosted two endemic rodents, the bulldog rat and Maclear's rat. However, both species were extinct by 1908.[11][12] There is evidence that black rats, introduced to the island in 1899, carried the infectious parasite Trypanosoma lewisi, which was fatal to the native rodents.[13]

Name  | Species
authority  | Order  | Family  | Notes  | Red List

|
|
|
|
|

House mouse[5]
| Mus musculus
Linnaeus, 1758 | Rodentia | Muridae | introduced |

[14]
Polynesian rat[15]
| Rattus exulans
Peale, 1848 | Rodentia | Muridae | introduced |

[15]
Maclear's rat
| Rattus macleari
Thomas, 1888 | Rodentia | Muridae | endemic – extinct |

[11]
Bulldog rat
| Rattus nativitatis
Thomas, 1888 | Rodentia | Muridae | endemic – extinct |

[12]
Black rat[5]
| Rattus rattus
Linnaeus, 1758 | Rodentia | Muridae | introduced in 1899[13] |

[16]

## Cetacea[edit]

Name  | Species
authority  | Order  | Family  | Notes  | Red List

|
|
|
|
|

Humpback whale
| Megaptera novaeangliae
Gray, 1846 | Cetacea | Balaenopteridae | native migrant[17] |

[18]
Blue whale
| Balaenoptera musculus
Linnaeus, 1758 | Cetacea | Balaenoptiidae | migrant[17] |

[19]
Southern fin whale
| Balaenoptera physalus quoyi
Linnaeus, 1758 | Cetacea | Balaenoptiidae | native migrant or resident |

Sei whale
| Balaenoptera borealis schlegelii
Linnaeus, 1758 | Cetacea | Balaenoptiidae | native migrant[17] |

[20]
Bryde's whale
| Balaenoptera brydei
Olsen, 1913[21] | Cetacea | Balaenoptiidae | native migrant or resident |

Antarctic minke whale
| Balaenoptera bonaerensis
Linnaeus, 1758 | Cetacea | Physeteridae | native migrant |

Sperm whale
| Physeter macrocephalus
Linnaeus, 1758 | Cetacea | Physeteridae | native migrant or resident |

[22]
Short-finned pilot whale
| Globicephala macrorhynchus
Gray, 1846 | Cetacea | Globicephala | native migrant or resident |

[23]
Killer whale
| Orcinus orca
Linnaeus, 1758 | Cetacea | Delphinidae | native migrant or resident |

[24]
Spinner dolphin
| Stenella longirostris
Gray, 1828 | Cetacea | Delphinidae | native migrant or resident |

Short-beaked common dolphin
| Delphinus delphis
Linnaeus, 1758 | Cetacea | Delphinidae | native migrant or resident |

Common bottlenose dolphin
| Tursiops truncatus
Montagu, 1821 | Cetacea | Delphinidae | possible migrant |

## Sirenia[edit]

Name  | Species
authority  | Order  | Family  | Notes  | Red List

|
|
|
|
|

Dugong
| Dugong dugon
Lacépède, 1799 | Sirenia | Dugongidae | possible vagrant |

[24]

## See also[edit]

* List of birds of Christmas Island
* List of mammals of the Cocos (Keeling) Islands

## References[edit]

1. ^ a b John Woinarski "Australian endangered species: Christmas Island Shrew" Archived 2016-02-03 at the Wayback Machine The Conversation, 9 May 2013. Retrieved January 21, 2015.
2. ^ "Potentially serious pathogens found in feral cats on Christmas Island" Murdoch University press release. January 18, 2016. Archived November 24, 2017.
3. ^ Australian Government (18 January 2016). "Christmas Island feral cat eradication". www.environment.gov.au. Retrieved 24 November 2017.
4. ^ Australian Government (2014). "Christmas Island feral cat eradication: Year 2 update (6-year project)". www.environment.gov.au. Retrieved 24 November 2017.
5. ^ a b c d "Native animals" Christmas Island National Park, Australian government. Retrieved 27 January 2016.
6. ^ a b Lumsden, L.; Racey, P.A. & Hutson, A.M. (2017). "Pipistrellus murrayi". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2017: e.T136769A518894. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2017-2.RLTS.T136769A518894.en.
7. ^ a b Hutson, A.M.; Kingston, T.; James, D.; Lumsden, L.; Molur, S. & Srinivasulu, C. (2008). "Pteropus melanotus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2008: e.T18740A8525654. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2008.RLTS.T18740A8525654.en.
8. ^ Tara Martin, "Threat of extinction demands fast and decisive action" Archived 2016-02-03 at the Wayback Machine The Conversation, 24 July 2012. Retrieved 27 January 2016.
9. ^ a b "Pteropus natalis — Christmas Island Flying-fox Archived 2017-07-08 at the Wayback Machine Species Profile and Threats Database, Australian government. Retrieved 27 January 2016.
10. ^ a b c Woinarski, J.; Burbidge, A.A.; Lumsden, L. (2016). "Crocidura trichura". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2016: e.T136379A22304640. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T136379A22304640.en. Retrieved 13 November 2021.
11. ^ a b Lamoreux, J.; Woinarski, J.; Burbidge, A.A. (2016). "Rattus macleari". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2016: e.T19344A22440729. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-1.RLTS.T19344A22440729.en. Retrieved 13 November 2021.
12. ^ a b Lamoreux, J.; Burbidge, A.A.; Woinarski, J. (2016). "Rattus nativitatis". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2016: e.T19351A22443478. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-1.RLTS.T19351A22443478.en. Retrieved 13 November 2021.
13. ^ a b Wyatt, Kelly B.; Campos, Paula F.; Gilbert, M. Thomas P.; Kolokotronis, Sergios-Orestis; Hynes, Wayne H.; DeSalle, Rob; Daszak, Peter; MacPhee, Ross D. E.; Greenwood, Alex D. (5 November 2008). "Historical Mammal Extinction on Christmas Island (Indian Ocean) Correlates with Introduced Infectious Disease". PLOS ONE. 3 (11): e3602. Bibcode:2008PLoSO...3.3602W. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0003602. ISSN 1932-6203. PMC 2572834. PMID 18985148.
14. ^ Musser, G.; Hutterer, R.; Kryštufek, B.; Yigit, N.; Mitsainas, G. (2021). "Mus musculus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2021: e.T13972A197519724. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2021-1.RLTS.T13972A197519724.en. Retrieved 13 November 2021.
15. ^ a b Ruedas, L.; Heaney, L. & Molur, S. (2008). "Rattus exulans". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2008. Retrieved 27 January 2016.old-form url
16. ^ Kryštufek, B.; Palomo, L.; Hutterer, R.; Mitsainas, G.; Yigit, N. (2021). "Rattus rattus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2021: e.T19360A192565917. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2021-1.RLTS.T19360A192565917.en. Retrieved 13 November 2021.
17. ^ a b c "Christmas Island Local Planning Strategy". May 2015. Archived from the original on 8 April 2019. Retrieved 1 July 2021.
18. ^ Childerhouse, S. (30 June 2008). "IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: Megaptera novaeangliae Oceania subpopulation". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Archived from the original on 4 March 2020. Retrieved 1 July 2021.
19. ^ Cooke, Justin (16 March 2018). "IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: Balaenoptera musculus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Archived from the original on 4 March 2020. Retrieved 1 July 2021.
20. ^ Cooke, Justin (25 June 2018). "IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: Balaenoptera borealis". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Archived from the original on 4 March 2020. Retrieved 1 July 2021.
21. ^ Brownell, Robert Jr.; Cooke, Justin (27 December 2017). "IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: Balaenoptera edeni". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Archived from the original on 4 March 2020. Retrieved 1 July 2021.
22. ^ Jenner M.. 2015. Cetacean Season 2015 Archived 2016-03-19 at the Wayback Machine. Center for Whale Research – Western Australia
23. ^ "Creatures". Archived from the original on 20 June 2016. Retrieved 19 April 2016.
24. ^ a b "Conservation values in Commonwealth waters of the Christmas and Cocos(Keeling) Island remote Australian territories" (PDF). 2009: 1–222. Archived (PDF) from the original on 27 February 2018. Retrieved 19 April 2016. `{{cite journal}}`: Cite journal requires `|journal=` (help)

## Further reading[edit]

* "The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: Mammals of Christmas Island". IUCN. 2001. Retrieved 22 May 2007.[dead link]
* "Mammal Species of the World". Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History. 2005. Archived from the original on 27 April 2007. Retrieved 22 May 2007.
* "Animal Diversity Web". University of Michigan Museum of Zoology. 1995–2006. Retrieved 22 May 2007.

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