Biota of New Ingrea/Mammals

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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
Tachyglossus aculeatus Spiny anteater (Tachyglossus aculeatus) Lunen Island, Brunswich Island Least concern
Ornithorhynchus anatinus Platypus (Ornithorhynchus anatinus) Brunswich Island Near threatened

Marsupials

Order: Diprotodontia

Species Distribution Conservation
status
Notes
Acrobates pygmaeus Feathertail glider (Acrobates pygmaeus) Lowland forest north of 52°30'S Least concern
No image available.svg Highland pygmy possum (Cercartetus broomii) Mount Alexander National Park, Brunswich Island Critically endangered
Cercartetus nanus Lowland pygmy possum (Cercartetus parvus) Lunen Island, Brunswich Island Least concern
Petaurus breviceps Sugar glider (Petaurus breviceps) Lunen Island, Brunswich Island Least concern

Placentals

Order: Artiodactyla

Species Distribution Conservation
status
Notes
Cephalorhynchus hectori Cephalorhynchus hectori Coastal and adjacent waters south of 50°S Endangered
Kunekune Kunekune (Sus scrofa domesticus) All inhabited islands (c. 1600) Not evaluated
Introduced c. 1250
Rare breed
Balaenoptera physalus Razorback whale (Balaenoptera physalus) All waters Vunerable
Eubalaena australis Southern right whale (Eubalaena australis) All waters Endangered

Order: Carnivora

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

Order: Chiroptera

Species Distribution Conservation
status
Notes
No image available.svg Long-tailed bat Lowland native forests Vunerable
No image available.svg Short-tailed bat Oruaiwi Island Critically endangered Not seen since 1965. Possibly extinct
No image available.svg Lesser short-tailed bat Lowland and mid-altitude native forests Vunerable

Order: Rodentia

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

See also

References and notes