List of mammals of Kiribati

This is a list of the mammal species recorded in Kiribati, a sovereign state in Micronesia in the central Pacific Ocean. There are thirteen mammal species around Kiribati, all of which are marine mammals in the order Cetacea. None are thought to be at risk, but some have insufficient data collected on them to allow an assessment to be made.[1]

The marine mammals of the order Cetacea that have been identified in the Pacific is described in the literature review by Miller (2006)[2] and by the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP).[3] A revision of the list of cetaceans reported in the ocean surrounding the islands of Kiribati was carried by Miller (2009).[4]

In 2010 a research voyage was conducted within the exclusive economic zones (EEZ) of Kiribati and Tuvalu. The survey confirmed the presence of seven species of cetaceans: Bryde's, sperm, killer, shortfinned pilot and false killer whales and spinner and striped dolphins.[5]

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

DDData deficientThere is inadequate information to make an assessment of the risks to this species.

Some species were assessed using an earlier set of criteria. Species assessed using this system have the following instead of near threatened and least concern categories:

LR/cdLower risk/conservation dependentSpecies which were the focus of conservation programmes and may have moved into a higher risk category if that programme was discontinued.
LR/ntLower risk/near threatenedSpecies which are close to being classified as vulnerable but are not the subject of conservation programmes.
LR/lcLower risk/least concernSpecies for which there are no identifiable risks.

Order: Cetacea (whales)
Spinner dolphin

The order 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.

Lack of studies and dedicated observation efforts result in poor understanding of cetacean diversity in the region.[6]

Notes
  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. Miller, Cara (14 February 2006). Current State of Knowledge of Cetacean Threats, Diversity and Habitats in the Pacific Islands Region. WDCS Australasia Inc. p. 98.
  3. "Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme(SPREP)" (PDF). Pacific Islands Regional Species Programme 2008-2012. 2008. Retrieved 9 October 2013.
  4. Miller, Cara (1 July 2009). Current State of Knowledge of Cetacean Threats, Diversity and Habitats in the Pacific Islands Region (PDF). WDCS Australasia Inc. pp. 49–50.
  5. Murase, H & Temoai, I & Kirata, Taratau & Finkaso, S & Yasunaga, Genta & Pastene, L.A. (2014). "A note on cetaceans off Kiribati and Tuvalu from a research cruise in October 2010". Journal of Cetacean Research and Management. 13: 153–158.CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  6. "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2016-09-20.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  7. Miller E.C. (2007). "Current State of Knowledge of Cetacean Threats, Diversity, and Habitats in the Pacific Islands Region" (pdf). Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society Australasia. p. 44. Retrieved 2 January 2016.
  8. "PBS - the Voyage of the Odyssey - Track the Voyage - Kiribati".

References

See also
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