List of mammals of Heard Island and McDonald Islands explained

This is a list of the mammal species recorded in Heard Island and McDonald Islands. There are approximately 29 mammal species in Heard Island and McDonald Islands.^{[1] [2]}

The following tags are used to highlight each species' conservation status as assessed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature:^[3]

EX	Extinct	No reasonable doubt that the last individual has died.
EW	Extinct in the wild	Known only to survive in captivity or as a naturalized populations well outside its previous range.
CR	Critically endangered	The species is in imminent risk of extinction in the wild.
EN	Endangered	The species is facing an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild.
VU	Vulnerable	The species is facing a high risk of extinction in the wild.
NT	Near threatened	The species does not meet any of the criteria that would categorise it as risking extinction but it is likely to do so in the future.
LC	Least concern	There are no current identifiable risks to the species.
DD	Data deficient	There is inadequate information to make an assessment of the risks to this species.

Infraorder: Cetacea (whales)

The infraorder Cetacea includes whales, dolphins and porpoises. They are the mammals most fully adapted to aquatic life with a spindle-shaped nearly hairless body, protected by a thick layer of blubber, and forelimbs and tail modified to provide propulsion underwater.

• Parvorder: Odontoceti
  • Family: Delphinidae (marine dolphins)
    • Genus: Globicephala
      • Long-finned pilot whale, Globicephala melas LC
    • Genus: Grampus
      • Risso's dolphin, Grampus griseus
    • Genus: Lagenorhynchus
      • Hourglass dolphin, Lagenorhynchus cruciger
      • Dusky dolphin, Lagenorhynchus obscurus
    • Genus: Lissodelphis
      • Southern right whale dolphin, Lissodelphis peronii
    • Genus: Orcinus
      • Orca, Orcinus orca DD
    • Genus: Tursiops
      • Bottlenose dolphin, Tursiops truncatus
  • Family: Phocoenidae
    • Genus: Phocoena
      • Spectacled porpoise, Phocoena dioptrica LC
  • Family: Physeteridae
    • Genus: Physeter
      • Sperm whale, Physeter macrocephalus
  • Family: Ziphiidae
    • Genus: Berardius
      • Arnoux's beaked whale, Berardius arnuxii LC
    • Genus: Hyperoodon
      • Southern bottlenose whale, Hyperoodon planifrons
    • Genus: Mesoplodon
      • Gray's beaked whale, Mesoplodon grayi LC
      • Hector's beaked whale, Mesoplodon hectori
      • Layard's beaked whale or Strap-toothed whale, Mesoplodon layardii LC
    • Genus: Ziphius
      • Cuvier's beaked whale or goose-beaked whale, Ziphius cavirostris
• Parvorder: Mysticeti
  • Family: Balaenopteridae
    • Genus: Balaenoptera
      • Common minke whale, Balaenoptera acutorostrata
      • Antarctic minke whale, Balaenoptera bonarensis
      • Sei whale, Balaenoptera borealis. Listed as Vulnerable under the EPBC Act.
      • Blue whale, Balaenoptera musculus. Listed as Endangered under the EPBC Act.
      • Fin whale, Balaenoptera physalus. VU. Listed as Vulnerable under the EPBC Act.
    • Genus: Megaptera
      • Humpback whale, Megaptera noveangliae. LC. Listed as Vulnerable under the EPBC Act.
  • Family: Balaenidae
    • Genus: Eubalaena
      • Southern right whale, Eubalaena australis. Listed as Endangered under the EPBC Act.

Order: Carnivora (carnivorans)

There are over 260 species of carnivorans, the majority of which feed primarily on meat. They have a characteristic skull shape and dentition.

• Suborder: Caniformia
  • Family: Otariidae (eared seals, sealions)
    • Genus: Arctocephalus
      • Antarctic fur seal, Arctocephalus gazella LC
      • Subantarctic fur seal, Arctocephalus tropicalis LC. Listed as Endangered under the EPBC Act.^[4]
  • Family: Phocidae (earless seals)
    • Genus: Hydrurga
      • Leopard seal, H. leptonyx LC
    • Genus: Leptonychotes
      • Weddell seal, Leptonychotes weddellii LC
    • Genus: Lobodon
      • Crabeater seal, Lobodon carcinophagus LC
    • Genus: Mirounga
      • Southern elephant seal, Mirounga leonina LC. Listed as Vulnerable under the EPBC Act.
    • Genus: Ommatophoca
      • Ross seal, Ommatophoca rossii LC

See also

• Antarctic realm
• Fauna of Heard Island and McDonald Islands
• List of chordate orders
• Lists of mammals by region
• List of prehistoric mammals
• Mammal classification
• List of mammals described in the 2000s

References

• Web site: The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: Mammals of Heard Island and McDonald Islands. IUCN. 2001. 22 May 2007.
• Web site: Mammal Species of the World . Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History . 2005 . 22 May 2007 . https://web.archive.org/web/20070427043030/http://nmnhgoph.si.edu/msw/ . 27 April 2007 . dead .
• Web site: Animal Diversity Web. University of Michigan Museum of Zoology. 1995–2006. 22 May 2007.

Notes and References

1. This list is derived from the IUCN Red List which lists species of mammals and includes those mammals that have recently been classified as extinct (since 1500 AD). The taxonomy and naming of the individual species is based on those used in existing Wikipedia articles as of 21 May 2007 and supplemented by the common names and taxonomy from the IUCN, Smithsonian Institution, or University of Michigan where no Wikipedia article was available.
2. Book: Heard Island and McDonald Islands Marine Reserve Management Plan 2014-2024 . 2014 . Australian Government Department of the Environment Australian Antarctic Division . 978-1876934-255 . Canberra . 80–81.
3. Unless stated otherwise the IUCN statuses for each species are based on global assessments. Many of the species (especially whales and dolphins) are migratory.
4. Web site: 7 December 2016 . Arctocephalus tropicalis — Subantarctic Fur-seal . Species Profile and Threats Database.