List of species on Caroline Island

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Although it remains unclear whether or not the coconut crab is endangered, Caroline Island hosts a substantial population of the arthropod.

Species recorded on Caroline Island:

[edit] Flora

[edit] Trees

Groves of Pisonia grandis cover the central portions of many islets.

• Pisonia grandis
• Morinda citrifolia

Although not native, coconut palms were planted on many of Caroline's islets in the 1920s and earlier, but are now largely gone.

• Cocos nucifera
• Cordia subcordata
• Pandanus tectorus
• Hibiscus tiliaceus
• Thesoesia oopulnea

• Calophyllum

[edit] Shrubs

Large stretches of Tournefortia argentea shrub cover many of Caroline's islets.

• Tournefortia argentea
• Suriana maritima
• Ximenia americana
• Scaevola taccada

• Messerschmidia argentea

[edit] Herbs

• Heliotropium anomalum
• Boerhavia repens
• Portulaca lutea
• Laportea ruderalis
• Achyranthes canscens
• Lepturus repens
• Phymatosorus scolopendria
• Ipomoea macrantha
• Tacca leontopetaloides
• Psilotum nudum
• Phyllanthus amarus
• Tribulus cistoides
• Sida fallax
• Lepidium bidentatum

• Ipomea tuba

[edit] Fauna

[edit] Nesting Seabirds

Caroline Island is a major nesting site for the sooty tern.

• Sooty Tern (Onychoprion fuscata)
• Great Frigatebird (Fregata minor)
• Masked Booby (Sula dactylatra)
• Brown Booby (Sula leucogaster)
• Red-footed Booby (Sula sula)
• Lesser Frigatebird (Fregata ariel)
• Brown Noddy (Anous stolidus)
• Black Noddy (Anous minutus)
• White Tern (Gygis alba)

• Red-tailed tropicbird (Phaethon rubricauda) (Kepler)
• Blue-gray Noddy (Procelsterna cerulea) (Kepler)

[edit] Other birds

The Bristle-thighed curlew is among the vulnerable species which occasionally visit Caroline Atoll.

• Pacific Golden Plover (Pluvialis fulva)
• Bristle-thighed Curlew (Numenius tahitiensis)
• Wandering Tattler (Heteroscelus incanum)
• Long-tailed Cuckoo (Eudynamis taitensis)

• Reef Heron (Egretta sacra) (Kepler)
• Lesser Golden-Plover (Pluvialis dominica) (Kepler)
• Ruddy Turnstone (Arenaria interpres) (Kepler)
• Sanderling (Crocethia alba) (Kepler)

[edit] Lizards

• Mourning gecko (Lepidodactylus lugubris) (Kepler)
• Polynesian gecko (Gehyra oceanica) (Kepler)

Six species of lizards, including Cryptoblepharus poecilopleurus, have been noted on Caroline Island.

• Snake-eyed skink (Cryptoblepharus poecilopleurus) (Kepler)
• Moth skink (Lipinia noctua) (Kepler)
• Azure-tailed skink (Emoia cyanura) (Kepler)
• Emoia impar (Kepler)

[edit] Mammals

• Polynesian rat (Rattus exulans) (Kepler)
• Pacific bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops gilli) (Kepler)
• Dog (Canis lupus)
• Cat (Felis catus)
• Pig
• Human (Homo sapiens)

[edit] Turtles

The green sea turtle is believed to nest on the beaches of Caroline Island.

• Green sea turtle (Chelonia mydas)

[edit] Crabs

• Cococut crab (Birgus largo)
• Red spoted crab (Carpilius maculatus) (Kepler)
• Scarlet crab (Cornobita perlatus) (Kepler)

[edit] References

• Kepler, A.K., C.B. Kepler (February 1994). "The natural history of the Caroline Atoll, Southern Line Islands". Atoll Research Bulletin 397-398.