List of mammals of Christmas Island


This is a list of the mammal species recorded on Christmas Island. The island had five native and endemic land mammal species, of which four are now presumed to be extinct. In addition, five exotic wild mammals have been introduced to Christmas Island.

Carnivora

Introduced cats and dogs are a threat to native wildlife on Christmas Island and can carry potentially dangerous pathogens, such as Leptospira. In 2014, the Australian Government announced a $500,000 investment to help eradicate stray and feral cats on the island, with the aim of complete eradication by 2020. As of 2016, all pet cats on Christmas Island have been registered and de-sexed and no further cats will be permitted onto the island.
NameSpecies
authority
OrderFamilyNotes
Feral cat
Felis catus
Linnaeus, 1758
CarnivoraFelidaeintroduced
Feral dog
Canis lupus familiaris
Linnaeus, 1758
CarnivoraCanidaeintroduced

Chiroptera

Christmas Island was once home to two native bat species, of which only one is extant. The Christmas Island pipistrelle was endemic to the island until 2009, when the last individual was recorded. In 2016, the species was assessed as extinct by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature. The remaining native bat species Pteropus natalis is classified as critically endangered.
NameSpecies
authority
OrderFamilyNotesRed List
Christmas Island pipistrellePipistrellus murrayi
Andrews, 1900
ChiropteraVespertilionidaewas endemic - last reported in 2009
7
Christmas Island flying fox
Pteropus natalis
Thomas, 1887
ChiropteraPteropodidaeendemic
7

Eulipotyphla

The Christmas Island shrew, once abundant on the island, has been very rare since the early twentieth century. Since 1909, only four confirmed individuals have been recorded: two in 1958, and two in 1985.
NameSpecies
authority
OrderFamilyNotesRed List
Christmas Island shrewCrocidura trichura
Dobson, 1889
EulipotyphlaSoricidaeendemic - possibly extinct - last observed in 1985
7

Rodentia

At the time of human settlement, Christmas Island hosted two endemic rodents, the bulldog rat and Maclear's rat. However, both species were extinct by 1908. There is evidence that black rats, introduced to the island in 1899, carried the infectious parasite Trypanosoma lewisi, which was fatal to the native rodents.
NameSpecies
authority
OrderFamilyNotesRed List
Maclear's rat
Rattus macleari
Thomas, 1888
RodentiaMuridaeendemic - extinct
7
Bulldog rat
Rattus nativitatis
Thomas, 1888
RodentiaMuridaeendemic - extinct
7
Black rat
Rattus rattus
Linnaeus, 1758
RodentiaMuridaeintroduced in 1899
7
House mouse
Mus musculus
Linnaeus, 1758
RodentiaMuridaeintroduced
7
Pacific rat
Rattus exulans
Peale, 1848
RodentiaMuridaeintroduced
7

Cetacea

NameSpecies
authority
OrderFamilyNotesRed List
Humpback whale
Megaptera novaeangliae
Gray, 1846
CetaceaBalaenopteridaenative migrant
7
Blue or pygmy blue whales
Balaenoptera musculus intermedia
Linnaeus, 1758
CetaceaBalaenoptiidaepossible migrant
7
Southern fin whale
Balaenoptera physalus quoyi
Linnaeus, 1758
CetaceaBalaenoptiidaenative migrant or resident
7
Sei whale
Balaenoptera borealis schlegelii
Linnaeus, 1758
CetaceaBalaenoptiidaenative migrant
7
Bryde's whale
Balaenoptera brydei
Linnaeus, 1758
CetaceaBalaenoptiidaenative migrant or resident
7
Antarctic minke whale
Balaenoptera bonaerensis
Linnaeus, 1758
CetaceaPhyseteridaenative migrant
7
Sperm whale
Physeter macrocephalus
Linnaeus, 1758
CetaceaPhyseteridaenative migrant or resident
7
Short-finned pilot whale
Globicephala macrorhynchus
Gray, 1846
CetaceaGlobicephalanative migrant or resident
7
Killer whale
Orcinus orca
Linnaeus, 1758
CetaceaDelphinidaenative migrant or resident
7
Spinner dolphin
Stenella longirostris
Gray, 1828
CetaceaDelphinidaenative migrant or resident
7
Short-beaked common dolphin
Delphinus delphis
Linnaeus, 1758
CetaceaDelphinidaenative migrant or resident
7
Common bottlenose dolphin
Tursiops truncatus
Montagu, 1821
CetaceaDelphinidaepossible migrant
7

Sirenia

NameSpecies
authority
OrderFamilyNotesRed List
Dugong
Dugong dugon
Lacépède, 1799
SireniaDugongidaepossible vagrant
7