Puneet Varma (Editor)

Wildlife of Réunion

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The wildlife of Réunion is composed of its flora, fauna and fungi. Being a small island, it only has nine native species of mammals, but ninety-one species of birds.

Contents

Mammals

  • Mauritian flying fox Pteropus niger VU
  • Small Mauritian flying fox Pteropus subniger EX
  • Lesser yellow bat Scotophilus borbonicus CR
  • Natal free-tailed bat Mormopterus acetabulosus VU
  • Mauritian tomb bat Taphozous mauritianus LC
  • Southern right whale Eubalaena australis LC (rarer in today's Réunion)*Humpback whale Megaptera novaeangliae LC
  • Sei whale Balaenoptera borealis EN
  • Southern fin whale Balaenoptera physalus quoyi EN
  • Sperm whale Physeter macrocephalus VU
  • Dwarf sperm whale Kogia sima LR/lc
  • Blainville's beaked whale Mesoplodon densirostris DD
  • Gray's beaked whale Mesoplodon grayi DD
  • Short-finned pilot whale Globicephala macrorhynchus DD

    • Those mammals not native to Réunion include the tenrec, dog, cat, pig, goat, sheep and cattle.

    Geckos

    Seven species of day geckos and four species of night geckos:

  • Réunion Island day gecko, (Phelsuma borbonica borbonica), endemic
  • Réunion Island ornate day gecko, (Phelsuma inexpectata), endemic
  • Gold dust day gecko, (Phelsuma laticauda), introduced from Madagascar
  • Lined day gecko (Phelsuma lineata), introduced from Madagascar
  • Blue-tailed day gecko (Phelsuma cepediana), introduced from Mauritius around 1960
  • Indopacific tree gecko, (Hemiphyllodactylus typus), introduced
  • Tropical house gecko, (Hemidactylus mabouia), introduced
  • Common house gecko, (Hemidactylus frenatus), introduced
  • Phelsuma madagascariensis, introduced from Madagascar in 1970 by a veterinarian
  • Pacific gecko, (Gehyra mutilata), introduced

    • Agamid lizards

  • Oriental garden lizard, (Calotes versicolor), introduced
  • Rainbow agama, (Agama agama), introduced around 1999/2000

    • Scincidae

  • Bojer's skink, (Gongylomorphus bojerii), endemic to Mauritius (introduced)
  • Mauritius skink, (Leiolopisma mauritiana) (extinct around 1600)

    • Chameleons

  • Panther chameleon, (Furcifer pardalis), introduced from Madagascar

    • Snakes

    Two introduced species;

  • Brahminy blind snake, (Typhlops braminus)
  • Indian wolf snake, (Lycodon aulicus), introduced from Mauritius around 1850

    • Turtles

    Marine turtles

    see also:

  • Green sea turtle, (Chelonia mydas)
  • Hawksbill sea turtle, (Eretmochelys imbricata)
  • Loggerhead sea turtle, (Caretta caretta)
  • Olive ridley sea turtle, (Lepidochelys olivacea)
  • Leatherback sea turtle, (Dermochelys coriacea)
    • Land turtles
  • Réunion giant tortoise, (Cylindraspis indica) (became extinct 1800)
  • Radiated tortoise, (Astrochelys radiata), introduced from Madagascar

    • References

    Wildlife of Réunion Wikipedia
    (Text) CC BY-SA


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