Biota of New Ingerland/Mammals

Mammals are the rarest of the various classes of animal that make up the biodiversity of the Moonshine Archipelago. However, the islands are considered special for mammalogists in that they contain native species from the three major infraclasses of mammal - monotremes, maursupials, and placentals. Fossil evidence also suggests that the islands once also played host to extinct lineages of mammal, such as Allotheria.

All of native mammals to be found on islands are thought to be descended from ancestors who rafted to islands after they emerged from the sea about 40 million years ago.

Since the XIII century, a number of mammals have been introduced either accidentally or deliberately by human settlers, leading to significant pressure on native species across all categories, and leading to the extinction of some, with birds particularly affected.

Key

     Denotes introduced species.

Monotremes

Order: Monotremata

Species		Distribution	Conservation status	Notes
	Spiny anteater (Tachyglossus aculeatus)	Lunen Island, Brunswich Island
	Platypus (Ornithorhynchus anatinus)	Brunswich Island

Marsupials

Order: Diprotodontia

Species		Distribution	Conservation status	Notes
	Feathertail glider (Acrobates pygmaeus)	Lowland forest north of 52°30'S
	Highland pygmy possum (Cercartetus broomii)	Mount Alexander National Park, Brunswich Island
	Lowland pygmy possum (Cercartetus parvus)	Lunen Island, Brunswich Island
	Sugar glider (Petaurus breviceps)	Lunen Island, Brunswich Island

Placentals

Order: Artiodactyla

Species		Distribution	Conservation status	Notes
	Cephalorhynchus hectori	Coastal and adjacent waters south of 50°S
	Kunekune (Sus scrofa domesticus)	All inhabited islands (c. 1600)	Introduced c. 1250	Rare breed
	Razorback whale (Balaenoptera physalus)	All waters
	Southern right whale (Eubalaena australis)	All waters

Order: Carnivora

Species		Distribution	Conservation status	Notes
	Kekeno (Arctocephalus forsteri)	All coastal waters
	Kurī (Canis lupus familiaris)	All inhabited islands (c. 1600)	Introduced c. 1250	Extinct c. 1800
	Whakahao (Phocarctos hookeri)	Coastal and adjacent waters south of 50°S

Order: Chiroptera

Species		Distribution	Conservation status	Notes
	Long-tailed bat	Lowland native forests
	Short-tailed bat	Oruaiwi Island		Not seen since 1965. Possibly extinct
	Lesser short-tailed bat	Lowland and mid-altitude native forests

Order: Rodentia

Species		Distribution	Conservation status	Notes
	Kiore (Rattus exulans)	All inhabited islands (c. 1600)	Introduced c. 1250	Removed from some islands for bird conservation. Common on larger inhabited islands.