Wildlife of Réunion explained

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

Fauna

Birds

See main article: List of birds of Réunion.

Mammals

See main article: List of mammals of Réunion.

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^[1] 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 tailless tenrec, dog, cat, pig, goat, sheep, rat and cattle.

Reptiles

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^[2]
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^[3]
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, introduced (originally endemic to Mauritius)
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

Land turtles

Réunion giant tortoise, Cylindraspis indica, became extinct 1800
Radiated tortoise, Astrochelys radiata, introduced from Madagascar

Molluscs

See main article: List of non-marine molluscs of Réunion.

References

Web site: The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: Mammals of Réunion . 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.
Web site: Animal Diversity Web. University of Michigan Museum of Zoology. 1995–2006. 22 May 2007.
Web site: Lepage . Denis . Checklist of birds of Réunion . Bird Checklists of the World . Avibase . 27 April 2007 . 29 September 2007 . https://web.archive.org/web/20070929204545/http://www.bsc-eoc.org/avibase/avibase.jsp?region=re&pg=checklist&list=clements . dead .
Book: Clements , James F. . Birds of the World: a Checklist . Cornell University Press . 2000 . 0-934797-16-1 . 880 .

Notes and References

Web site: GLOBICE - Fiches par especes - . 8 March 2016 . https://web.archive.org/web/20110919034626/http://www.globice.org/02_FichesCetaces.htm . 19 September 2011 . dead .
http://www.iledelareunion.net/reptiles.htm Iledelareunion.net Reptiles
http://christian.guillermet.perso.neuf.fr/phelsumas.htm
http://www.kelonia.org/00-GB/Marine-Turtles/Indian-Ocean.html Kelonia.org - Marine Turtle Observatory